Horgan v. Cosden

249 So. 3d 683
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 25, 2018
DocketCase No. 2D17–1354
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 249 So. 3d 683 (Horgan v. Cosden) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Horgan v. Cosden, 249 So. 3d 683 (Fla. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

SILBERMAN, Judge.

Joseph J. Horgan, as successor cotrustee, appeals the final judgment that terminates The Yvonne S. Cosden Revocable Trust Dated 7/29/93. The trial court denied Horgan's motion for summary judgment and granted the motion for summary judgment filed by Christopher E. Cosden, individually and as successor cotrustee, in Cosden's action to terminate his mother's trust that had become irrevocable upon her death. Because Horgan is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law, we reverse and remand for the trial court to enter a final summary judgment in favor of Horgan that denies termination of the trust.

Yvonne S. Cosden (the Settlor) created a revocable trust in 1993. It was amended and restated in 1998 and further amended and restated on January 24, 2004, in the Second Amendment to and Restatement of The Yvonne S. Cosden Revocable Trust *685Dated 7/29/93 (the Trust). Cosden and Horgan are the successor cotrustees of the Trust. Cosden is the Settlor's only child. Horgan was the Settlor's personal assistant and friend.

The Settlor died on May 27, 2010, rendering the Trust irrevocable. Under the Trust, Horgan received a cash distribution of $250,000 at the time of the Settlor's death. Although the Trust does not contain a specific provision prohibiting its early termination, it provides that the balance of the Trust is to be held in a lifetime trust for Cosden's benefit. The net income generated from the Trust principal is to be distributed to Cosden incrementally, at least quarterly. The Settlor named three institutions of higher education to share the principal which would be distributed outright upon Cosden's death. The Settlor included a spendthrift provision which provides that "[t]he income and principal of any trust hereunder shall be used only for the personal benefit of the designated beneficiaries of the trust" and that each beneficiary's interest "shall not be subject to any form of pledge, assignment, sale, attachment, garnishment, execution, or other form of transfer."

In August of 2015, the income and remainder beneficiaries entered into an agreement to terminate the Trust early and distribute the trust funds according to a calculation of present day value that Cosden prepared. The agreement stated that the value of the Trust was approximately $3,000,000. Cosden's calculation resulted in a distribution where he would receive over $2,000,000 of the principal. Horgan did not agree to an early termination of the Trust.

In October of 2015, Cosden filed a complaint against Horgan as successor cotrustee to terminate the Trust and direct the distribution of assets in accordance with the beneficiaries' agreement. Horgan responded, contending that termination of the Trust at that time was against the Settlor's wishes to provide for her son for the rest of his life and to provide for principal distributions upon Cosden's death.

The parties filed competing motions for summary judgment, each contending that no issues of material fact existed and that each party was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. The trial court found that no issues of material fact existed and granted summary judgment in favor of Cosden and directed termination of the Trust, citing sections 736.04113 and 736.04115, Florida Statutes (2015).

Section 736.04113 entitled "Judicial modification of irrevocable trust when modification is not inconsistent with settlor's purpose," provides in pertinent part as follows:

(1) Upon the application of a trustee of the trust or any qualified beneficiary, a court at any time may modify the terms of a trust that is not then revocable in the manner provided in subsection (2), if:
(a) The purposes of the trust have been fulfilled or have become illegal, impossible, wasteful, or impracticable to fulfill;
(b) Because of circumstances not anticipated by the settlor, compliance with the terms of the trust would defeat or substantially impair the accomplishment of a material purpose of the trust; or
(c) A material purpose of the trust no longer exists.
(2) In modifying a trust under this section, a court may: ...
(b) Terminate the trust in whole or in part; ...
(3) In exercising discretion to modify a trust under this section:
*686(a) The court shall consider the terms and purposes of the trust, the facts and circumstances surrounding the creation of the trust, and extrinsic evidence relevant to the proposed modification.
(b) The court shall consider spendthrift provisions as a factor in making a decision, but the court is not precluded from modifying a trust because the trust contains spendthrift provisions.
(4) The provisions of this section are in addition to, and not in derogation of, rights under the common law to modify, amend, terminate, or revoke trusts.

The trial court stated that section 736.04113 allowed for termination of a trust "if the purposes of the trust have become fulfilled or wasteful."

Section 736.04115, entitled "Judicial modification of irrevocable trust when modification is in best interests of beneficiaries," provides in pertinent part as follows:

(1) Without regard to the reasons for modification provided in s. 736.04113, if compliance with the terms of a trust is not in the best interests of the beneficiaries, upon the application of a trustee or any qualified beneficiary, a court may at any time modify a trust that is not then revocable as provided in s. 736.04113(2).
(2) In exercising discretion to modify a trust under this section:
(a) The court shall exercise discretion in a manner that conforms to the extent possible with the intent of the settlor, taking into account the current circumstances and best interests of the beneficiaries.
(b) The court shall consider the terms and purposes of the trust, the facts and circumstances surrounding the creation of the trust, and extrinsic evidence relevant to the proposed modification.
(c) The court shall consider spendthrift provisions as a factor in making a decision, but the court is not precluded from modifying a trust because the trust contains spendthrift provisions....
(5) The provisions of this section are in addition to, and not in derogation of, rights under the common law to modify, amend, terminate, or revoke trusts.

The trial court found that the beneficiaries' agreement to distribute the Trust was in their best interest "because it will preserve the assets held in the Trust by eliminating unnecessary expenses relating to trust administration. A continuation of the Trust would incur unnecessary expenses and trustee's fees."

Summary judgment is proper when no genuine issue of material fact exists and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Volusia Cty. v. Aberdeen at Ormond Beach, L.P., 760 So.2d 126, 130 (Fla. 2000) ; Wesner v. JMS Marinas, LLC,

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Bluebook (online)
249 So. 3d 683, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/horgan-v-cosden-fladistctapp-2018.