In re the Estate of Jesup

161 Misc. 618, 292 N.Y.S. 859, 1936 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1624
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedDecember 2, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 161 Misc. 618 (In re the Estate of Jesup) 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 Jesup, 161 Misc. 618, 292 N.Y.S. 859, 1936 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1624 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1936).

Opinion

Delehanty, S.

By his will deceased directed the setting apart of $300,000 in trust for the benefit of his nephew Charles M. Jesup and for the secondary benefit of Sarah Katherine Jesup, his wife, if she survived him. Charles M. Jesup died in January, 1926. His wife still survives. On January 2, 1909, the trust fund was paid over by the executors of deceased to the trustees named in his will and by decree filed January 10, 1910, such payment was approved. From the date of the erection of the trust it was managed by one of the trustees who died November 2, 1922. On February 25, 1924, his executors filed in his behalf an account of his proceedings as trustee down to the date of his death and with it a petition which asked that the commissions for receiving the principal of the trust might be allowed to the estate of the deceased trustee. That account resulted in a decree which confirmed an order made on June 16,1924, allowing to the estate of the deceased trustee one-half commissions for receiving the principal of the trust fund. The commissions so allowed were fixed in the sum of $1,606.04. This amount was paid to the executors of the deceased trustee on June 17,1924.

In the intermediate account of the successor trustees filed in 1926 they show that in December of 1923 they paid themselves respec[619]*619tively sums of $1,606.04 as commissions for receiving the principal of the trust. They show that they paid their predecessor $1,606.04 as directed by prior court order. Thus three sums of $1,606.04 are shown to have been paid for receiving commissions. This first account of the successor trustees was settled by decree of February 10, 1927. That decree is still in effect and no application is now made nor has any ever been made to modify it in any respect.

The question here presented is whether the successor trustees may now deduct as receiving commissions a further sum computed on the basis established by the legislation of 1923 which increased commissions generally. They assert that the sums of $1,606.04 received by them respectively are only payments on account of receiving commissions.

Reference to the proceeding which resulted in the decree of February 10,1927, discloses that a petition was filed by the accounting parties in which the sum of $294,418.80 is recited as the balance of principal remaining in their hands on January 15, 1926. The petition states that the accounting parties deem it necessary that the trustees continue to hold all of said balance of principal * * * after deducting commissions and other expenses chargeable to income.” In the prayer for relief the petitioners ask that their proceedings be settled and adjusted and “ that proper costs and allowance for expenses be made out of the trust estate in the hands of the accountants together with any commissions which may be found to be due.” (Italics not in original petition.)

The 1926 account itself listed the commissions and other expenses incurred in the administration of the trust fund as follows:

1923
Dec. 28 Metropolitan Trust Company, cotrustee, one-half commission for receiving principal of trust of $302,208.78.............................
$1,606 04
Dec. 28 Joseph Walker, Jr., cotrustee, one-half commission for receiving principal of trust of $302,208.78...............................
1,606 04
1924
June 17 Joseph Walker, Jr., Caspar Wister Morris and Frances Lewis Cuyler, as executors of the last will and testament of Thomas DeWitt Cuyler, sole surviving trustee for services as executors of the said deceased trustee in preserving and collecting the trust property between the date of death of the said trustee and the date of the transfer of the assets to the substituted trustees in accordance with decree dated June 16,1924,.
750 00
[620]*620June 17 Dunnington & Walker, legal services allowed by decree dated June 16, 1924..............
$2,500 00
June 17 Barrow, Wade & Guthrie, accountants, on account of services rendered and approved by decree dated June 16, 1924.................
175 00
June 17 Joseph Walker, Jr., Caspar Wister Morris and Frances Lewis Cuyler, executors under the will of Thomas DeWitt Cuyler, sole surviving trustee, representing commissions for receiving the principal and increase of the said trust fund as shown in their said account filed in the Surrogate’s Court June 14, 1924, and amounting to $302,208.78 and approved by decree dated June 16, 1924........................
1,606 04
$8,243 12

The decree of February 10,1927, which finally settled the account recites that the surrogate “ having examined said account now here finds the state and condition of said account to be as stated and set forth in the following summary statement thereof.” Then follows a recital of charges and credits. In the credits shown in the summary statement of principal transactions is included the entire sum of $8,243.12 which is the total of the above recited items. This credit includes of course the two items of $1,606.04 paid to themselves by the accounting parties. The decree then states “ that said account be and the same hereby is finally and judicially stated, settled and allowed as filed and adjusted.” It then provides that after making payments specifically described in the decree, the accounting parties are to retain and hold as trustees * * * the entire balance of said trust fund in their hands remaining.” It then provides that yearly out of the income from the balance of said trust fund ” the trustees after deducting therefrom their lawful commissions and expenses chargeable to income ” are to pay over a certain net sum out of income to one beneficiary and the balance of income to another. The decree then provides that upon termination of the trust the trustees are to pay over the balance of principal of said fund then remaining in their hands as such trustees, after deducting their lawful commissions and expenses chargeable to principal.”

It is to be noted that pursuant to the account, the petition and the decree the figures which enter into the final principal' sum upon which the beneficiaries of income are entitled to receive payment result in a principal computed after deduction of two sums as [621]*621receiving commissions payable to these successor trustees. As already stated, they asked to have fixed any commissions due them. The principal amount upon which from the date of the 1927 decree the income beneficiaries were adjudged to be entitled to the entire income was fixed without reservation of any right of deduction of any further capital charge whether for commissions, costs, lawyers’ fees or any other purpose. As to all parties who were before the court that decree fixed finally the amount with which the trustees were chargeable as principal and necessarily adjudicated that no other principal charges were then deductible.

It has already been noted that the payment to themselves of receiving commissions was made by the trustees on December 28, 1923.

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Bluebook (online)
161 Misc. 618, 292 N.Y.S. 859, 1936 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1624, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-estate-of-jesup-nysurct-1936.