In re the Accounting of National Commercial Bank & Trust Co.

41 Misc. 2d 405, 244 N.Y.S.2d 356, 1963 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1356
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 27, 1963
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 41 Misc. 2d 405 (In re the Accounting of National Commercial Bank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme 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 National Commercial Bank & Trust Co., 41 Misc. 2d 405, 244 N.Y.S.2d 356, 1963 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1356 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1963).

Opinion

Isadore Bookstein, J.

This is a proceeding by petitioner for a judicial settlement, for the period from June 2, 1947 to October 15, 1962, of its account as trustee of a certain inter vivos trust indenture dated October 11, 1937, made by Benjamin M. Tucker and William Tiffany Tucker; and for a construction concerning the disposition of $25,000 referred to in paragraph 2 (a) of said trust indenture of October 11, 1937.

No objections have been raised by any party to the account.

The only question left, therefore, concerns the disposition of the $25,000 heretofore referred to in paragraph 2 (a) of the trust indenture of October 11, 1937, which provides as follows: “To hold the part consisting of three-fourths in value in trust during the life of pauline a. tucker, wife of Benjamin M. Tucker and shall collect the income therefrom and from any reinvestments thereof and after paying and discharging all taxes, charges and expenses in connection with [406]*406the care and management of the fund, shall pay to or apply to the nse of said pauline a. tucker, the net income therefrom in quarterly installments during her life and upon her death, shall pay, transfer and set over said fund to the lawful blood issue of said benjamin m. tucker then living, in equal shares, per stirpes, and in default of such issue, to such persons and/or corporations as said benjamin m. tucker shall by his Last Will and Testament appoint to receive the same, and in default of a valid appointment to the persons then living who would have been entitled to his personal estate under the intestate laws of New York if his death had occurred at that time. In the event, however, that no further lawful blood issue shall be born to said Benjamin M. Tucker, the Trustee shall, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, pay the sum of $25,000. in cash (to be realized from the liquidation of securities) out of the principal of said trust fund to such persons and/or corporations as said benjamin m. tucker may by his Last Will and Testament appoint to receive the same. It is agreed that such power to appoint herein given may be exercised by said benjamin m. tucker, regardless of the fact that william tiffany tucker or issue of william tiffany tucker may then be living.”

Paragraph 8 of said trust indenture contains the following provision: “ This agreement shall be construed and the trusts hereby created shall be administered pursuant to the laws of the State of New York, and no accounting shall be required of the Trustee or any successor trustee acting hereunder in any other jurisdiction.”

Benjamin M. Tucker died on the 15th day of October, 1962, a resident of Wellesley, Massachusetts. He left a last will and testament dated June 25, 1934, which was duly admitted to probate in the Probate Court of Norfolk County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 16th day of January, 1963.

It should be noted that said last will and testament antedated by more than two years the trust indenture, of which paragraph 2 (a) is sought to be construed in this proceeding.

It should also be noted that no further lawful blood issue were born to said Benjamin M. Tucker after October 11, 1937, the date of the trust indenture. At the date of his death, his sole issue was his son, William Tiffany Tucker, who had two children, Tiffany Anne Tucker and Treva Jean Tucker, both born during the lifetime of Benjamin M. Tucker.

Paragraph first, subdivision 1 (c) of the last will and testament refers to the trust agreement dated December 27, 1920 between Benjamin M. Tucker and his former wife as settlors and William J. Mullin and Warner B. Matteson, as trustees, [407]*407and quotes from page 4, article 1, section (c) thereof, which reserves a power of appointment to said Benjamin M. Tucker, in the event that there be no issue him surviving and then proceeds purportedly to exercise such power, in the event there be no lawful issue him surviving, in the following language: “ Now, therefore, by virtue of and pursuant to the right, power and authority or appointment given to me in and by said Indenture of Trust and of every other power me hereto enabling.” Since the testator did have lawful issue him surviving, there was no power of appointment possessed by him under the trust indenture of December 27, 1920.

As a matter of fact, the indenture thus referred to dated December 27, 1920 was terminated by an instrument in writing dated July 1, 1937, nearly three years after the date of the last will and testament of Benjamin M. Tucker.

Prior thereto, Benjamin M. Tucker and Eugenia M. Tucker, his wife, as settlors, and William J. Mullin and Warner B. Matteson, as trustees, had executed a trust indenture, dated April 6, 1912, in which said Benjamin M. Tucker, reserved a power of appointment in certain contingencies.

That trust indenture was likewise terminated by the above-mentioned instrument of July 1, 1937, nearly three years after the date of the last will and testament of said Benjamin M. Tucker.

Specific reference to the power of appointment reserved in the trust indenture of October 11, 1937 was not made in the last will and testament of Benjamin M. Tucker.

Obviously, at the date of his will, June 25, 1934, Benjamin M. Tucker regarded the trust indenture of April 6, 1912 superseded by the trust indenture of December 27, 1920, which was in force at the date of his last will and testament.

As we have seen, both of the trust indentures of April 6, 1912 and of December 27, 1920 were terminated by the agreement of July 1, 1937, which agreement followed the date of his last will and testament by nearly three years.

Thus, at the date of his will when he referred to the power of appointment, he was referring to the one then in existence, but which, thereafter, was terminated. In other words, his will then spoke of a power then existing.

However, in his will he not only purported to exercise the power of appointment contained in the trust indenture of December 27, 1920, which at the date of the will was in full force and effect and which was thereafter terminated, but also exercised “ every other power me hereto enabling.”

[408]*408The power of appointment in existence at the date of his death was the one contained in the trust indenture involved in this proceeding, dated October 11, 1937, made after the termination of the trust indentures of 1912 and 1920, and after the date of his will.

Paragraph fifth of the last will and testament of Benjamin M. Tucker provides as follows:

1 All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real, personal and mixed, of every kind, nature and description and wherever situate or being, of which I shall die seized and possessed or over which I shall have any power of appointment

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41 Misc. 2d 405, 244 N.Y.S.2d 356, 1963 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1356, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-accounting-of-national-commercial-bank-trust-co-nysupct-1963.