In re the Estate of Blackstone

5 Mills Surr. 16, 47 Misc. 538, 95 N.Y.S. 977
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJune 15, 1905
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 5 Mills Surr. 16 (In re the Estate of Blackstone) 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 Estate of Blackstone, 5 Mills Surr. 16, 47 Misc. 538, 95 N.Y.S. 977 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1905).

Opinion

Calder, S.

Martha A. Blackstone died in the town of Kirkland, Oneida county, 1ST. Y., on the 22d day of October, 1903, leaving a will dated November 3, 1900, and a codicil December 9, 1902, by which she bequeathed certain specific articles to friends and relatives; $400 to Clinton Cemetery [17]*17■Association; $50 to Edward J. Blackstone; and the family, pictures and $100 to her brother James L. Blackstone. The fourth clause of said will, and the important one to be considered here, reads as follows: “ I give and bequeath, after all debts are paid to Harriet E. Blackstone of Galesburg my watch, silver spoons, forks, tea set, ice pitcher, china tea set, clothing, all fancy baskets and all they contain, all money that remains after all debts are paid, to her.”

Her will and codicil were holographic.

Her estate consisted of a house and lot in 'Clinton, 25T. Y., of the value of $1,500, and personal property $4,836. Upon the date of the execution of her will she possessed $400 in money; at the date of her codicil $588, and at the time of her death $327. After payment of debts, legacies and expenses, the net personal estate amounted to $3,839, composed of household furniture, mortgages, railroad stocks and bonds. iSaid furniture, however, is not the subject of dispute here, as that was disposed of by consent of the respective parties.

The real estate was not devised and. descended by operation of statute to her brother.

The legatee Harriet E. Blackstone, a cousin of decedent, claims that by virtue of the phrase contained in said fourth clause All money that remains 'after all debts are paid, to her ” she is entitled to said net personal property; while the brother of decedent insists that she died intestate as to the same and that it should be distributed and the securities delivered to him as her sole next of kin.

Considerable discussion has been had by the courts as to what the term “ money,” or the phrase “ what remains of my money” included when used in a testamentary instrument. They have been the subject of much litigation.

Each case depends to' some extent upon the conditions' iamd circumstances surrounding the testator and his estate. Some courts upon the entire context of the will have excluded all [18]*18property except that which we understand as money in its ordinary sense; while others have held it to include stocks, bonds and other securities. There is no rigid rule in the construction of wills by which words or phrases can be interpreted in only one sense. Certain expressions taken with other clauses may be construed differently from like words when used under different circumstances or conditions in other testamentary documents. The cases may not always be reconcilable, yet they all agree that if the intent of the testator to include all personal property be gathered from the will, the word “ money ” or the phrase “ what remains of money ” must be used in its enlarged sense and not in its narrow one. It may be profitable and instructive to examine a few of the cases upon this subject.

In Waite v. Combs, 5 De G. & S. 676, the testator directed his executors “ to take and receive all moneys ” that might be in his possession or due to him at the time of his decease and invest dt for the benefit of his wife, and it was held that this was equivalent to a gift .of the general personal estate, and it was decided upon the theory that wherever legacies are given payable out of the estate, the gift of the residue of the money would include all of the personal estate.

Where a testator said (Cowling v. -Cowling, 26 Beav. 449), “ I bequeath unto my beloved wife my goods and furniture, * * * my plate and linen, all moneys and notes that may

be due to me at my decease,” it was held that stock was not included in the bequest, as from the context the testator intended to give only those three enumerations of property which he had specified.

In Nevinson v. Lady Lennard, 34 Beav. 487, where the clause under consideration was “ When all my just debts and legacies are paid * * * I give the residue of all my money, either in my bankers’ hands or elsewhere, if any such cash be remaining, in trust” (then specifying the nature of the trust), it was held that the word “money” coupled with [19]*19the word cash ” should be confined to money strictly and properly so called, but that if it be given after a direction to pay debts, legacies, funeral and testamentary expenses, or with! any other words which denote an intention on the part of the testator to dispose of the whole of his estate it will be construed as synonymous with the word “ property.”

In Prichard v. Prichard, L. R., 11 Eq. 232, where a testator directed that the income arising from my principal money shall be paid to my wife, while unmarried, for the support of herself and the education of my children,” it was held that the whole of the personal property passed under said clause.

The case of Dowson v. Gaskoin, 2 Keen, 14, was in some respects quite similar to the one under consideration. There a testator gave legacies and specified articles to relatives, made certain directions as to her burial, appointed her executors, and then stated “ Whatever remains of money, I bequeath to Edward Dowson’s five children, to be equally divided.” In construing this phrase, the court held that there was included in it so much of the stocks and moneys as remained after payment of the debts and legacies of the testatrix.

Attention is also called to the similarity of the clause in Rogers v. Thomas, 2 Keen, 8, to the one in the will in question. There the testatrix, after giving various legacies of sums of money, bequeathed “ All which may remain of my money after my lawful debts and legacies are paid ” to certain legatees, and it was held that the residue of the decedent’s personal property, consisting of certain bank annuities and other personal property, passed and were included in said clause. •

In Matter of Miller, 48 Cal. 165, after certain bequests, the will contained this paragraph, “ that my mother receive the balance of my money, for her benefit as long as she lives, and for her heirs after,” and it was there held that the word “ money ” was used in its widest and popular sense so as to include the personal estate of testator.

[20]*20In Paul v. Ball, 31 Tex. 10, the testator after disposing of his real estate and bequeathing certain sums to his next of kin, declared as follows: “ The remainder of money I may have at the time of my decease I will and bequeath ” (then follows the names of the persons to whom he desired the same should go). It was there held that money meant not only cash on hand at the time of testator’s death, but also money due on mortgages, notes and accounts.

The two eases principally relied upon by the brother, James L. Blackstone, are Beck v. McGillis, 9 Barb. 35, and Mann v. Mann, 1 Johns. Ch. 231. In the former case it was held that under a bequest of all moneys that I shall die possessed of ” the term was used in its restricted sense and did not include a certain bond and' mortgage and certain rents; and insurance money due upon certain policies belonging to testator.

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Bluebook (online)
5 Mills Surr. 16, 47 Misc. 538, 95 N.Y.S. 977, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-estate-of-blackstone-nysurct-1905.