In re the Estate of Revson

86 A.D.2d 872, 447 N.Y.S.2d 297, 1982 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 15509
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedFebruary 16, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 86 A.D.2d 872 (In re the Estate of Revson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York 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 Revson, 86 A.D.2d 872, 447 N.Y.S.2d 297, 1982 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 15509 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

In a proceeding for an intermediate judicial settlement of the account of the executors of the estate of Charles H. Revson, deceased, (1) John C. Revson appeals from so much of an intermediate decree of the Surrogate’s Court, Westchester County (Brewster, S.), dated July 22,1980, as (a) required the executors of the estate of Charles H. Revson to establish from the principal of said estate an irrevocable trust of $200,000, with interest thereon at the rate of 6% per annum from May 1, 1972, for the benefit of Jill Revson in accordance with the terms of a separation agreement dated November 6, 1970, between John C. Revson and Ricki Revson, (b) provided that the identity of the trustee and the precise terms of the trust are to be determined by the Surrogate’s Court, Westchester County, at the foot of the intermediate decree, upon application, and (c) gave effect to the agreement, dated November 4, 1976, by John C. Revson, to reimburse the decedent’s estate for the obligation to establish the trust described above; (2) Henry G. Miller, as guardian ad litem of Jill Revson, appeals from so much of the same intermediate decree as (a) limited the interest accruing on the irrevocable trust to 6% per annum from May 1, 1972 and (b) dismissed his claim under paragraph 10(d) of the separation agreement between John C. Revson and Ricki Revson; and (3) the Charles H. Revson Foundation, Inc., appeals from so much of the same intermediate decree as (a) directed the executors to establish the above-mentioned irrevocable trust for the benefit of Jill Revson and (b) failed to direct (i) that the estate be indemnified by, and have judgment over against, John C. Revson for any amount expended or to be expended under decedent’s guarantee of John C. Revson’s performance under the separation agreement, (ii) that the estate sequester these amounts from the income (and ultimately from the principal, if necessary) of the trust created for the benefit of John C. Revson under paragraph tenth of decedent’s will and (iii) that, if the balance due to said trust from the estate is insufficient to satisfy any judgment which the estate ■ may recover against John C. Revson, the executors recover such deficiency from the trustees of said trust or from any other person or persons to whom the executors have already distributed assets bequeathed to said trust or otherwise to John C. Revson or for his benefit. Henry G. Miller, as guardian ad litem of Jill Revson, also appeals from so much of a supplementary decree of the same court, dated June 5,1981, as provided that the $200,000 trust fund to be deposited with the trustee in accordance with the intermediate decree dated July 22,1980 be augmented by interest at the rate of 6% per annum from May 1, 1972 to the date of payments. Intermediate decree and supplementary decree affirmed insofar as appealed from, without costs or disbursements. On November 6, 1970, John C. Revson (the decedent’s son) and Ricki Revson entered into a separation agreement which was incorporated but not merged in their subsequent divorce decree. Paragraph 10(c) of that agreement obligated John C. Revson to establish a trust of $200,000 on or before December 31,1971. The terms of the trust, set forth in Exhibit C to the separation agreement, included monthly income payments of $1,000 to Ricki Revson for the support, [873]*873maintenance and education of Jill Revson, their daughter (custody of whom was given to Ricki), until Jill should reach age 21, marry or die, after which the trustee was to pay Ricki Revson, in monthly installments, the lesser of the net annual income of the trust or $12,000 per annum. Any annual income in excess of $12,000 was to be paid to Jill. If Ricki were to have died by the time Jill reached age 21, Jill was to receive one third of the principal at that time, followed by half the remaining principal upon reaching age 25 and the remainder upon reaching age 30. By its terms, the trust was to terminate upon the later of (1) Ricki’s death or remarriage or (2) the attainment of age 30 by Jill. The terms of the proposed trust did not specify the person to whom the trust income were to be paid if Ricki died before Jill reached 21 years of age. Paragraph 10(d) of the separation agreement provided for John to pay Ricki $1,000 per month for the support, maintenance and education of Jill until establishment of the trust provided for in paragraph 10(c). Concurrently with the separation agreement, the decedent executed a guarantee which recited that he would guarantee to Ricki Revson, John Revson’s performance of his obligations under paragraphs 10(c) and 10(d) of the separation agreement. The guarantee further provided: “1. This Guaranty is made for the benefit of the Wife [Ricki Revson] and Jill. 2. This Guaranty shall survive my death and shall constitute a charge on my estate provided, however, that my estate may discharge its obligations hereunder by purchasing suitable annuities or establishing the trust provided for in paragraph 10(c) of the Separation Agreement. 3. This Guaranty shall cease and be of no further force and effect upon the purchase of suitable annuities or the establishment of the trust provided for in paragraph 10(c) of the Separation Agreement.” John Revson never established the trust in accordance with paragraph 10(c) of the separation agreement. He did pay Ricki $1,000 per month as required by paragraph 10(d) until her death in April, 1972. Since Ricki’s death, Jill, who is under the age of 21 years, has resided with John. Charles Revson’s will, dated August 2, 1974, provided for Jill in paragraph fifth, inter alia, by establishing a testamentary trust in the principal amount of $1,150,000 in the event that she had not attained the age of 30 years at the time of his death. Jill is to receive whatever amounts of income or principal the trustees deem appropriate. Upon reaching age 30, Jill is to receive one half the principal; upon reaching age 35, she is to receive the remainder. Charles Revson died on August 24,1975 and his will was admitted to probate shortly thereafter. In 1977, Jill Revson, by her guardian ad litem, filed a claim against the estate for the creation of a $200,000 trust for her benefit, pursuant to the separation agreement. The executors rejected the claim. The guardian filed similar objections to the account and the executors commenced this special proceeding for judicial settlement of their first intermediate account. After all interested parties had an opportunity to answer, the Surrogate ruled that John Revson remained obligated to establish the trust pursuant to paragraph 10(c) even after the death of his wife and that upon his failure to do so, the decedent’s estate was liable under the guarantee for the $200,000 trust. The testamentary trust for Jill’s benefit did not fulfill either John Revson’s obligation under paragraph 10(c) of the separation agreement or the decedent’s obligation under the guarantee, the Surrogate held, because the relationship of the decedent and Jill was not one of debtor and creditor. The decedent could have easily indicated in the will his intention that the testamentary trust for Jill’s benefit satisfy his obligations under the guarantee. The Surrogate therefore ordered the executors to establish a trust for Jill’s benefit pursuant to paragraph 10(c) of the separation agreement, subject to reimbursement by John Revson, of $200,000 with interest thereon at the rate of 6% per annum from May 1, 1972 (the date John ceased paying the $1,000 per [874]*874month pursuant to paragraph 10[d] of the separation agreement). He rejected Jill’s claim for $1,000 per month from May 1, 1972 until such trust shall be established because Ricki was the intended recipient of such payments and Jill therefore did not have standing as a creditor to assert her claim.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Beckett v. Estate of Thomas Beckett
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2026
In re Horowitz
40 Misc. 3d 719 (New York Surrogate's Court, 2013)
In re the Judicial Settlement of the Account of Gourary
34 Misc. 3d 486 (New York Surrogate's Court, 2011)
Williams v. JP Morgan & Co., Inc.
199 F. Supp. 2d 189 (S.D. New York, 2002)
Wilson v. Great American Industries, Inc.
763 F. Supp. 688 (N.D. New York, 1991)
In re the Estate of Friedman
146 Misc. 2d 91 (New York Surrogate's Court, 1989)
Drake v. Drake
89 A.D.2d 207 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 A.D.2d 872, 447 N.Y.S.2d 297, 1982 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 15509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-estate-of-revson-nyappdiv-1982.