In Re Estate of Harrison

689 A.2d 939, 456 Pa. Super. 114, 1997 Pa. Super. LEXIS 228
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 11, 1997
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 689 A.2d 939 (In Re Estate of Harrison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Estate of Harrison, 689 A.2d 939, 456 Pa. Super. 114, 1997 Pa. Super. LEXIS 228 (Pa. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

KELLY, Judge:

In this appeal we are asked to determine whether the trial court properly upheld the distribution of trust income to the testator’s grandchildren on a per capita basis or whether the testator intended per stirpes distribution based upon the language the testator chose to employ in a lawyer-drawn will. Because we hold that the testator intended per stirpes distribution, we reverse the trial court’s decree and remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

The pertinent facts and procedural history underlying this appeal may be summarized as follows. Harry W. Harrison, Sr. (hereinafter “decedent”) died on January 25, 1968, leaving his Last Will and Testament dated February 27, 1959. The decedent was survived by two sons, Harry W. Harrison, Jr. and Roberts Harrison.

Under Article NINTH of his Will, the decedent created two trusts by exercising his powers of appointment over four separate trusts, known as the “Harrison Family Trusts,” created by his parents, Charles C. Harrison and Ellen Wain Harrison. The decedent’s exercise of his powers of appointment over his share of the income of the Family Trusts is set forth in Paragraph A of Article NINTH of his Will and was effective for twenty-one (21) years from the decedent’s death on January 25, 1968, until the termination of the Family Trusts on January 25, 1989. During this period, the decedent’s share of the income previously paid to the decedent from the Family Trusts was to be divided into two equal shares for the decedent’s sons, Harry W. Harrison, Jr. and Roberts Harrison, and their respective issue, if any. As to each of the two shares of income, after the payment of certain *118 specified sums to the “children” of his sons or “the issue of a deceased child,” the balance of each share of this income was to be paid to such son during his life and, upon his death, to his “issue,” if any, surviving him, in equal shares per stirpes, upon the principle of representation, or, in default of such issue, added to the other one-half (1/2) share for the decedent’s other son or his issue, if any. 1

The decedent’s exercise of his powers of appointment over his share of the principal of the Harrison Family Trusts is set forth in Paragraph B of Article NINTH of his Will and created the trust at issue in this case (hereinafter “trust”). In pertinent part, Paragraph B of Article NINTH provides as follows:

Until twenty-one (21) years after the death of the last survivor of the issue of my said father and mother who were alive on the date of the execution of the earliest of said Deeds of Trust, Trustees shall pay the net income in such periodic installments as may be convenient, but not less frequently than quarterly, to the issue of my sons, HARRY W. HARRISON, JR. and ROBERTS HARRISON, living on such periodic distribution dates, in equal shares per stirpes, upon the principle of representation.

(R.R. lla-12a). 2

The Harrison Family Trusts terminated on January 25, 1989. Pursuant to the terms of the decedent’s Will, it appears that the trust interests of the decedent’s sons were to have terminated on that date and that the trustees were directed to hold the principal in a single trust. A dispute between the decedent’s two sons arose regarding when their respective interests were to have terminated, however, resulting in negotiations and eventually an agreement that the trustees would continue to pay the income from the principal in the same fashion as they had been prior to the termination of the Harrison Family Trusts.

*119 Upon Roberts Harrison’s death on April 8, 1990, income distributions to the decedent’s sons were discontinued according to the terms of the agreement. Thereafter, the income from the separate trust account for the benefit of the Roberts Harrison family and from the separate trust account for the benefit of the Harry W. Harrison, Jr. family was paid in equal shares to, or escrowed for, the children of Roberts Harrison. Roberts Harrison was survived by two daughters, Jean Hy-land and Sally Sharpies, who in turn have children. It was the trustees’ position that Harry W. Harrison, Jr., still living, had no issue.

While preparing the First Account of the trust under Article NINTH of the decedent’s Will, the trustees became aware of an inter vivos trust established by Harry W. Harrison, Jr. which designated Harry A. Strobel as life tenant and remain-derman. Therefore, the trustees sent an audit notice dated May 6, 1993, to Mr. Strobel explaining that the trustees had presented their First Account of the trust to the clerk of the Orphans’ Court of Delaware County. In that notice the trustees explained, inter alia, that the Account would be called for audit before the court in the near future and that it was the trustees’ position that Harry W. Harrison, Jr. had no issue and, therefore, that Mr. Strobel had no interest in the trust. Mr. Strobel filed timely objections to the trustees’ position, asserting that he was the natural son of Harry W. Harrison, Jr., born out of wedlock, that he was a descendant of the creators of the Harrison Family Trusts and issue of Harry W. Harrison, Jr. and, accordingly, that he was entitled to certain distributions of trust income under the terms of the Will. 3

On May 24, 1995, the Honorable A. Leo Serení presided over the hearing on Mr. Strobel’s objections and subsequently filed the adjudication dated June 5, 1995, as amended June 20, 1995. Judge Serení found by clear and convincing evidence that Mr. Strobel was the natural child of Harry W. Harrison, Jr. and that Mr. Strobel was therefore legally entitled to a *120 share of the trust income. Judge Serení also determined that based upon the language of Paragraph B of Article NINTH, it was the clear intention of the decedent that the decedent’s grandchildren should take in equal shares and that the “per stirpes” distribution should begin with the issue of a deceased grandchild. (Orphans’ Court Opinion, filed 1/19/96, at 8). Therefore, the court held that Mr. Strobel was entitled to a one-third (1/3) share of the income from the trust.

Mr. Strobel filed a timely exception to Judge Sereni’s adjudication limited to the issue of whether Mr. Strobel was entitled to a one-half (1/2) share under the terms of the Will, and Judge Serení heard oral argument on September 13, 1995. In an opinion and final decree filed on January 19,1996, Judge Serení denied Mr. Strobel’s exception and affirmed the adjudication. On February 15, 1996, Mr. Strobel filed this timely appeal.

On appeal, Mr. Strobel poses the following question for our review:

WHEN A DECEDENT IN HIS WILL PROVIDES INCOME “TO THE ISSUE OF MY SONS, [X AND Y, NAMING THEM], LIVING ON SUCH PERIODIC DISTRIBUTION DATES, IN EQUAL SHARES, PER STIRPES, UPON THE PRINCIPLE OF REPRESENTATION” SHOULD INCOME BE INITIALLY DIVIDED INTO HALVES BETWEEN THE TWO SONS’ FAMILIES OR INTO THIRDS AMONG THE THREE GRANDCHILDREN’S FAMILIES?

(Mr. Strobel’s Brief at 4).

Preliminarily, we are guided by the following principles:

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Bluebook (online)
689 A.2d 939, 456 Pa. Super. 114, 1997 Pa. Super. LEXIS 228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-estate-of-harrison-pasuperct-1997.