In re the Accounting of Luckenbach

181 Misc. 265, 42 N.Y.S.2d 487, 1943 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2026
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJune 14, 1943
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 181 Misc. 265 (In re the Accounting of Luckenbach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Surrogate's Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re the Accounting of Luckenbach, 181 Misc. 265, 42 N.Y.S.2d 487, 1943 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2026 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1943).

Opinion

McGarey, S.

While this court had under consideration a motion to reject the referee’s report on the -issues raised- in the contested compulsory accounting of the sole acting trustee and income beneficiary of the trust created by the decedent’s will, such trustee and income beneficiary died, thereby terminating the trust. The court was, therefore, unable to render its decision pending the probate of the deceased trustee’s will. The will has now been admitted to probate and the executor of that estate has been made, by order, a party to the accounting.

[267]*267The application for the compulsory accounting was instituted in 1938 and it was granted over the objection of the deceased trustee. Upon the filing of the account, objections were taken to it by representatives of all the remaindermen. Hearings were concluded in July, 1940, and the referee’s report thereon was filed in December, 1941. Thereafter a motion was made to reject the report, which came on to be heard in March, 1942. Decision thereon was held in abeyance pending efforts of the parties to reach an amicable adjustment, because of the extensive interests involved and to avoid further expense and litigation. These efforts proved ineffective and in April, 1943, the parties stated that the issues had to be submitted to the court for decision. While the court was waiting to receive the final briefs of the parties, the trustee died.

The deceased trustee held in his own name practically the entire stock of several corporations, which conducted a steamship transportation business. It is the claim of the objectants to the accounting that this business is the property of the trust estate, whereas the deceased trustee’s estate claims it to be the property of that estate and that the trust estate is entitled only to a fractional interest in the physical and floating equipment.

It is apparent from the record before the referee and his report that the trustee commingled his assets with the trust assets and, therefore, his estate is ‘or may be accountable to the trust estate by reason thereof.

The remaindermen of the trust are the deceased trustee’s three children. Their interests under his will and as remainder-men are different. Each receives one third of the remainder of the trust under decedent’s will, whereas under the will of the deceased trustee, one gets a general legacy of $5,000, another gets one third of the residue of his estate, and the third receives two thirds of the residue of his estate. The interests of the deceased trustee’s estate and the trust estate are adverse and it may be necessary for the trust estate to recover from the deceased trustee’s estate the surcharge recommended by the referee and possibly considerably more, depending on the determination of the motion to reject the referee’s report. Both estates are substantial.

The court, on the application of two of the remaindermen, appointed a successor trustee.. An appeal from the decree so directing had been taken by the guardian of the third remainder-man, who receives two thirds of the residue under the will of the deceased trustee and only one third of the remainder of [268]*268the trust estate, as well as by the executor of the deceased trustee. Letters of trusteeship have not been issued because of the appeals.

An application has been made by one of the remaindermen of the trust estate to bring in the successor trustee as an additional party to the accounting proceeding, and a separate application has been made by the successor trustee, supported by two of the three remaindermen, for an order directing the issuance of letters of trusteeship to the successor trustee and determining that the trustee is not stayed from acting thereunder by the filing of a notice of appeal from the decree appointing such successor trustee, together with an undertaking for costs; or that limited letters be issued to such successor trustee pursuant to the provisions of sections 87 and 90 of the Surrogate’s Court Act, or for such other and further relief as to the court may seem proper to preserve the trust estate and protect the rights of the remaindermen therein.

The court believes that it is essential that a prompt decision be made on the pending application for the rejection of the referee’s report, to which the successor trustee is a necessary and proper party. If letters of trusteeship cannot be issued pending the appeal from the decree granting the same, then the decision on the motion to reject the referee’s report must be withheld until the determination of that appeal.

An appeal does not stay the execution of a decree or judgment in the absence of statutory provision directing a stay. Sections 87, 90, and 298 to 304 inclusive, of the Surrogate’s Court Act govern the stay of the execution of the decree pending the filing of an appeal in the Surrogate’s Court.

Section 87 applies to four classes of eases and it provides that:

(1) An appeal from a decree or order directing the commitment of a fiduciary or other party is not stayed unless the undertaking required by section 300 is filed;

(2) An appeal from a decree admitting a will to probate, or granting letters testamentary or letters of administration, does not stay the issuance of letters where, in the opinion of the Surrogate manifested by an order, the preservation of the estate requires that letters should issue;

(3) An appeal from a decree revoking letters testamentary or of administration or of guardianship, or suspending an executor, administrator or guardian, or removing or suspending a testamentary trustee, or appointing a temporary administrator, or an appraiser, does not stay the execution of the decree or order appealed from.

[269]*269None of the first three classifications directly apply to an appeal from an order directing the issuance of letters of trusteeship, whether they he original letters or letters of a successor or substituted trusteeship.

The fourth and final classification of section 87 provides that, except as otherwise prescribed in the Surrogate’s Court Act, a perfected appeal has the same effect as a stay of the proceedings to enforce the decree or order appealed from as a perfected appeal from a judgment.

Section 298 of the Surrogate’s Court Act provides that, except in a case specified in section 299, or where it is specially prescribed that security is not necessary to perfect an appeal, a notice of appeal cannot be effectual for any purpose unless an undertaking is filed to the effect that the appellant will pay all damages and costs that may be awarded against him on appeal, not to exceed $250. Such undertaking has been filed in this proceeding.

Sections 299 to 304 of the Surrogate’s Court Act do not apply to a decree appointing a successor trustee. Section 299 applies to a decree directing the payment or distribution of money, or the deposit thereof, or the delivery of property; section 300 applies to a decree directing the commitment of a fiduciary or other party; section 301 prescribes the amount of the additional undertaking required to be given under sections 299 and 300; section 303 provides for a deposit in lieu of an undertaking; section 304 provides for the filing of an undertaking; and section 302 permits waiver of security, and no such waiver has been filed in this instance.

It is therefore apparent that, following the strict wording of the foregoing statutes, there is no provision for an automatic stay of the decree directing the issuance of letters of trusteeship.

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Related

In re the Accounting of Luckenbach
267 A.D. 783 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1943)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
181 Misc. 265, 42 N.Y.S.2d 487, 1943 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2026, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-accounting-of-luckenbach-nysurct-1943.