In re the Intermediate Accounting of Marine Midland Bank-Rochester

55 A.D.2d 323, 390 N.Y.S.2d 721, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9978
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 14, 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 55 A.D.2d 323 (In re the Intermediate Accounting of Marine Midland Bank-Rochester) 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 Intermediate Accounting of Marine Midland Bank-Rochester, 55 A.D.2d 323, 390 N.Y.S.2d 721, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9978 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

Mahoney, J.

Appellants Richard V. Dow, individually, and Morton L. Bittker, as guardian ad litem for Elizabeth and Margaret Dow, appeal from a decree of Surrogate’s Court, Monroe County dated October 14, 1975 in a proceeding brought by the trustees under the will of Fayette B. Dow seeking a determination of the validity, construction and effect of certain dispositions of property contained in the testator’s will and the resolution of certain questions regarding trust administration and apportionment of estate taxes. A cross appeal has also been filed by Harry P. Messina, Jr., as guardian ad litem for the unborn distributees of Leland B. Dow, Jr. and Vaughan Dow. The cross appeal is limited to the decree’s denial of interest on directed reimbursement of sums to the trustees by Richard V. Dow and Vaughan Dow, representing advanced payments of their respective apportioned inheritance taxes paid to the District of Columbia.

The testator, Fayette B. Dow, a resident of the Disrict of Columbia, died in Monroe County, New York on December 10, 1962. His last will and testament dated April 10, 1961 was thereafter duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Wills for the District Court for the District of Columbia with appointment of nominated executors therein. The will created a trust for the benefit of various individuals and institutions and designated the Genesee Valley Union Trust Company (predecessor to Marine Midland Bank of Rochester), Leland B. Dow, Jr., Vaughan Dow and Richard V. Dow as trustees of the trust fund created under said will. The trustees have been administering the trust fund since March 17, 1965 when the assets were initially transferred to them by the executors. All assets from the inception of the trust have been in the physical possession of Marine Midland Bank of Rochester in Monroe County, New York.

Surviving the testator at the time of his death were his two nephews, Leland B. Dow, Jr. (Leland) and Vaughan Dow (Vaughan), being sons of testator’s deceased brother, Leland Dow, and his grandnephew Richard V. Dow (Richard), son of Leland B. Dow, Jr. Also surviving the testator were Leland’s three daughters, Ann Dow Lee, Dorothy Dow Crane and [327]*327Virginia Taylor Dow Wimmer; Richard’s two daughters, Elizabeth Dow and Margaret Dow; Ann, Dow Lee’s six children, Rees, Richard, Peter, Marcus, Gerald and Bayless; and Vaughan’s son, David V. Dow.

Under paragraph sixth of his will, testator devised and bequeathed his residuary estate to his nominated trustees to be held in trust and designated as the "Brown Hill Farm Trust Estate,” (Trust). Ten percent of the annual net income of the Trust is to be accumulated and added to principal and a fixed cash annuity is to be paid to testator’s secretary. The remainder of the Trust income is to be divided into two parts and paid in the following manner: the first part, consisting of 20% of the remaining net income, is to be distributed in equal amounts to the testator’s nephews, Leland and Vaughan, "during their lives”. The second part, consisting of 80% of the remaining net income, is to be entered into a separate account to be known as a "Brown Hill Farm Account” (Account) to be distributed as follows: (1) $1,000 outright to Richard; (2) $2,400 per year to Richard; (3) if income is available after payment of (1) and (2) above, then $1,000 a year for five years is to be paid into an account for Richard until a fund of $5,000 is available to him; (4) if income is available after the payment of (1), (2) and (3) above, then $2,400 per year is to be paid to Richard; and (5) up to $1,000 is to be added to each one of the three college funds established at Amherst College, University of Rochester and Vassar College. Any income not paid out pursuant to the foregoing shall be added to the principal of the Trust fund up to $3,000 per year. The remainder, in excess of $3,000, is to be divided into three equal parts to be distributed to three groups as follows: testator’s two nephews, Leland and Vaughan, and his grandnephew Richard, "divided equally” (group I); the living issue of his nephews and grandnephew, "divided equally”(group II); and the three college funds, "divided equally” (group III).

The "Trust” is to terminate upon the death of the last survivor of testator’s nephews, grandnephew and such of the issue of his nephews and grandnephew who are living at the time of testator’s death. Specific bequests are made to the three college funds, with the remainder to be paid to all the lineal issue of testator’s nephew and grandnephew, "in equal per capita shares”.

The death of Leland precipitated the instant proceeding for the judicial settlement of the trustees’ intermediate account [328]*328for the period commencing with the inception of the Trust on March 17, 1965 and ending with cotrustee Leland’s death on March 24, 1973. In addition, the resolution of various presented questions was sought calling for construction of provisions primarily contained in the afore-summarized paragraphs sixth, seventh and eighth of the will as well as the determination as to whether the issues raised in this proceeding are governed by the law of the State of New York or the District of Columbia. By preliminary decision dated April 14, 1975 the Surrogate determined that the law of the District of Columbia was applicable to all questions of will construction and apportionment of estate taxes with the law of New York being applicable to all questions of trust administration (Matter of Dow, 81 Mise 2d 506). Thereafter, by decision dated August 14, 1975 the Surrogate rendered his determination of the remaining issues raised in the proceeding.

In view of the multifaceted issues presented, a more comprehensive understanding might well be promoted by a categorized analysis and consideration of the various disputed decretal provisions of the decree with the contentions of the objecting parties.

ISSUE I—WHETHER THE LAW OF NEW YORK OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GOVERNS THE INTERPRETATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE WILL PROVISIONS.

The Surrogate correctly determined that all questions relating to the construction and interpretation of the will, as well as all questions relating to the apportionment of estate taxes, are governed by the law of the District of Columbia, premised upon subdivision (e) of section 3-5.1 of the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law. Subdivision (e) of said section provides: "(e) Interpretation of a testamentary disposition of personal property shall be made in accordance with the local law of the jurisdiction in which the testator was domiciled at the time the will was executed.” In conjunction with the application of subdivision (e), reference to the definitional provisions of section 3-5.1 (subd [a], par [6]) defines "interpretation” as follows: "(6) 'Interpretation’ relates to the procedure of applying the law of a jurisdiction to determine the meaning of language employed by the testator where his intention is not otherwise ascertainable.” Such provisions, therefore, focus attention upon the four corners of the testamentary document for determination of whether any expression of intention by the testator is therein contained. In connection with such review of the will, [329]

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Bluebook (online)
55 A.D.2d 323, 390 N.Y.S.2d 721, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9978, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-intermediate-accounting-of-marine-midland-bank-rochester-nyappdiv-1977.