In re the Estate of Kelley

146 Misc. 353, 263 N.Y.S. 661, 1933 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1070
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJanuary 25, 1933
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 146 Misc. 353 (In re the Estate of Kelley) 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 Kelley, 146 Misc. 353, 263 N.Y.S. 661, 1933 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1070 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1933).

Opinion

Slater, S.

Adelaide E. Frees, the residuary legatee, filed objections to the account. Upon the hearing, objection three was withdrawn. The other objections are dismissed with the exception of item “ one of the “ fourth objection, which relates [354]*354to a bank deposit of $19,403.99, which sum was held on deposit by the testatrix in the Manufacturers Trust Company.

The objectant is the daughter of the decedent by a former husband who had died. Afterward, the decedent married Timothy H. Kelley.

On June 13, 1929, the decedent had a deposit of $20,000 with the Thrift Department of the Manufacturers Trust Company of New York city. The decedent became an inmate of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in the borough of The Bronx, and died there on July 11,1929.

The original deposit card shows as follows:

“ D-5603
“ Name: Matilda Bosselman Kelley.
“ Address: 76 Caryl Avenue, Yonkers, N. Y.
“Occupation: Housewife.
“ Name of Employer or Business: Self.
Father’s Name: August Evers.
Mother’s Maiden Name: Adelaide Flours.
Date Withdrawal Deposit Balance Account No. Trans.
5- 16-28 21,887 50 21,887 50
7- 2-28 72 95 21,960 45
12-31-28 439 20 22.399 65
2-28-29 1,000 00 21.399 65
4-17-29 1,399 65 20,000 00
6- 13-29 20,000 00 0 00
“ Transferred-to joint account #6659
Signature: Mathilda Bosselman Kelley.
Birthplace: Germany.
Date of birth: 3-18-70.
Date 5-16-28.’
The face of the joint deposit card which brings Timothy H. Kelley into the picture is as follows:
D-6659
“ Name: Mathilda Bosselman Kelley and/or Timothy H. Kelley
“ Address:. 399 So. Bury, Yonkers N. Y.
“Occupation: Real Estate Operator. Father’s Name: John Kelley.
“ Mother’s Maiden Name: Isabel Kelley.
Date Withdrawal Deposit Balance Account No. Trans.
1 6-13-29 20,000 00 20,000 00
2 6-13-29 1,000 00 19,000 00
3 6-29-29 403 99 19,403 99
4 7-10-29 19,403 99 0 00
“ Signature: Timothy H. Kelley. Either or Survivor
“ Signature: Mathilda Bosselman Kelley.
“ Birthplace: Geneva, N. Y.
“ Date of Birth: August 29-67 Color: White.”

[355]*355This indicates that, on the day before the decedent’s death, Timothy H. Kelley withdrew the entire balance of $19,403.99.

The testimony of the paying teller of the Manufacturers Trust Company tells the entire story with relation to the changing of the account. It is as follows:

Frank J. Blender being sworn testified as follows:

“By Mr. Jacobs: Q. Your position? A. Paying teller. Q. Of what institution? A. Manufacturers Trust Company. Q. Were you such in 1929? A. Yes. Q. Were you acquainted with Mrs. Mathilde Bosselman Kelley? A. Yes. Q. Did you on' June 13, 1929, have in your branch of that institution an account with Mrs. Kelley? A. Yes. Q. What was the nature of that account? A. Thrift account. Q. Do you know how much money she had in that account at that time? A. I could not tell. Q. Can you tell by looking at the records? A. Yes. Q. Prior to your seeing her on June thirteenth? A. Twenty thousand dollars. Q. Now pursuant to a call you received did you go some place and see Mrs. Kelley? A. Yes. Q. What was the date you called? A. June thirteenth, 1929. Q. Did you see Mrs. Kelley? A. Yes. Q. Where was she? A. In Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital. Q. Where? A. Bronx. Q. Who was present when you called on her? A. Mr. Kelley. Q. Mr. Timothy H. Kelley, her husband? A. Yes. By the Court: Q. Anybody else? A. No. By Mr. Jacobs: Q. So we have it Mrs. Kelley and Mr. Kelley and you were present at the time? A. Yes. Q. In the hospital? A. Yes. Q. Was Mrs. Kelley in bed? A. Yes. Q. Did you have a talk with her? A. Yes. Q. Will you tell what the conversation was? By the Court: Q. How did you come to go there? A. I believe Mr. Kelley — Mr. Walsh: Objected to unless he knows. Q. You received a telephone call? A. Yes. Q. Who from? A. Mr. Kelley telephoned to the manager at the time. Mr. Walsh: Objected to and move to strike out. Mr. Walsh: Q. The manager told you that? A. The manager told me to go and change the account. Q. You did not have telephone communication with the lady? A. No. By the Court: Q. Who told you to go there? A. The manager of the bank. Mr. Jacobs: Q. Pursuant to that instruction you went there and had a conversation? A. Yes. Q. Give us the conversation? A. I impressed, upon Mrs. Kelley the way the new account was to be opened, either one to withdraw the money. By the Court: Q. When you called what did she say to you? A. She said she wanted the money transferred so her husband could sign because she would need some money, she would need money for hospital expenses, and she owned an apartment house in which she said there was some vacancies and they would [356]*356have to draw money from time to time and she did not know how long she would be in the hospital, and if they needed money, so Mr. Kelley could draw some money. Q. Is that just what she said? A. Yes. Q. Is that all she said? A. Personal conversation about the family. Q. I am asking you to relate all she said? A. She told me that she was very much disappointed in her daughter. Mr. Buckley: Objected to. The Court: • I will take it as it reflects on mentality. A. She had no use for her daughter and they would need money for doctor’s bills at the hospital, and bills incurred in the apartment house, and that was the reason she wanted Mr. Kelley to withdraw it. Q. Did she say anything else? A. No. Q. What did you say to her? A. I told her the way, if she understood the way the account was to be opened, either one could draw all the money if they wanted to and she said she understood and I trust my husband. Q. What happened then? A. I had the new signature cards made out and they both signed them. That is the way the account was opened. Q. Where are the signature cards? A. In the bank. Q. Why didn’t you bring them? A. The lawyer did not instruct me. Mr. Buckley: I subpoenaed the Fifty-seventh Street branch to bring the records here. Q. Is that all she said? A. Yes. Q. Nothing more? A. No. Mr. Jacobs: May we offer in evidence the-cards showing the state of the account? The Court: Yes, and send to me the signature cards. [Received and marked Exhibit 1, 2.] Q. On July 10, 1929, when that joint account stood in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Kelley how much was there on deposit in the account? A. $19,403.99. Q. How much is there on deposit in the account today? A. Nothing. Q. What happened to that? A. Mr. Kelley withdrew the money. Q. How much did he withdraw? A. $19,403.99. Q.

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Bluebook (online)
146 Misc. 353, 263 N.Y.S. 661, 1933 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1070, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-estate-of-kelley-nysurct-1933.