In re the Intermediate Accounting of Smythe

6 Misc. 2d 130, 36 N.Y.S.2d 605, 1942 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1229
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJuly 3, 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 6 Misc. 2d 130 (In re the Intermediate Accounting of Smythe) 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 Intermediate Accounting of Smythe, 6 Misc. 2d 130, 36 N.Y.S.2d 605, 1942 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1229 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1942).

Opinion

Charles D. Millard, S.

In the within intermediate accounting, objections have been filed by the Empire Trust Company, a creditor of the within estate. For the most part the objections relate to the continuance by the executrix of several enterprises conducted by the decedent to the time of his death.

The decedent died a resident of Westchester County on April 14, 1938, leaving a will dated January 27, 1936. Said will was admitted to probate in this court, and letters testamentary were issued to decedent’s widow as sole executrix, on May 11, 1938, Bankers Trust Company, named as a co-executor, having renounced. Among the assets owned by decedent at the time of his death was a winter residence in Florida and certain stocks and bonds of the approximate value of $40,000. Such stocks and bonds were pledged, however, with the Empire Trust Company as collateral security for loans made by it to decedent in the aggregate sum of $119,361.70. [133]*133In paragraph “ First ” decedent recited his residence in the State of New York and directed that his will be construed according to the laws of New York. By paragraph “ Third ” of said will, decedent bequeathed to his widow all furniture and household effects located in his Yonkers residence, certain other articles of personalty and all other personal effects owned by him wherever situated. After providing for the foregoing bequests, devising the Florida residence, and bequeathing the contents thereof, to his widow, the decedent devised and bequeathed the remainder of his estate in trust. Decedent’s widow is made the life beneficiary of one half of the income of said trust, and decedent’s son the income beneficiary as to a one-quarter share. One half of the principal allotted to the trust for decedent’s only child, Frederick W. Smythe, Jr., is payable to him upon attaining the age of 30 years and, upon his death, the remaining one half vests in the issue of said son, with provisions for substitutionary gifts in default of issue. In the event that decedent’s widow predeceases said son, leaving issue by a subsequent marriage, the trust for the son will be augmented by two thirds of the fund allotted to decedent’s widow, and one third thereof is to be paid to issue of such subsequent marriage. Should decedent’s widow die without leaving issue by a subsequent marriage, the share of Frederick W. Smythe, Jr., will be increased by nine tenths of the share allotted to the widow and. one tenth thereof is to be paid to one Jillie Sincel. Of the remaining five twentieths, two twentieths is to be held in trust for, and the income payable to, a brother of decedent during his life and, upon his death, to his daughter, if living; if not, to her issue. The remaining three twentieths is to be held in trust for a named niece of decedent during her life, and upon her death, the principal is to be paid to her issue. Decedent’s widow has since remarried. There is no issue of such marriage.

At the time of his death, the principal assets of decedent’s estate consisted of a substantial nursery business in Yonkers, New York, and Newport, Rhode Island, with retail florist stores in Newport and New York City.

Provision for the continuance of said enterprises is found in paragraph “Fourteenth” of said will, the pertinent portions of which read as follows:

“At the present time, my principal wealth is invested in the florist and nursery business. At my death, I authorize and empower my executors and trustees to take possession of my said business ventures and to conduct same along the same manner as conducted by me during my lifetime, over [134]*134such, period of time as they may deem advisable in order to liquidate, sell or otherwise dispose of my said business to the best interests of my estate and the beneficiaries thereof. * *

All operating expenses and operating losses of the said businesses are to be charged to them and not to the estate generally. All income accruing to the estate generally out of the said businesses shall be in the form of dividends from the corporations -$hich own the said businesses. * *

My executors and trustees are further authorized to continue my business ventures in the corporate or other form in which they may be at the time of my death, to reorganize said corporations or form new ones, consolidate corporations in general to change the corporate form or structure or to place the businesses in such corporate form or structure as they may deem to the best interests of my estate.”

On July 1, 1920, a corporation named Yonkers Nursery, Inc., theretofore formed for that purpose, took over the assets, assumed the liabilities, and commenced the operation of the florist and landscaping enterprises which had theretofore been conducted by the decedent under the trade names of Yonkers Nursery and Wadley & Smythe. On April 17, 1929, a corporation named Wadley & Smythe, Inc., was organized for the sole purpose of preserving the trade name of Wadley & Smythe, which had acquired some prominence in the florist trade. No assets were transferred to Wadley & Smythe, Inc., nor did this corporation ever operate the retail florist business.

At the time of decedent’s death the assets of Yonkers Nursery, Inc., consisted of considerable acreage in the city of Yonkers which had been improved by a large nursery. Upon this tract had also been erected greenhouses, store houses, superintendent’s houses and other buildings necessary to the nursery business, as well as the principal residence of the decedent.

Yonkers Nursery, Inc., maintained three retail florist stores in New York City which continued to be operated under the trade name of Wadley & Smythe. During the summer months a fourth retail florist shop was also operated by Yonkers Nursery, Inc., under the name of Wadley & Smythe at Newport, Rhode Island.

At the time of his death, the decedent held in his own name, seven parcels of property in Newport, Rhole Island, maintained in connection with the nursery business operated under the name of Newport Nurseries. This property was used primarily for the development of Yonkers Nursery stock, a portion of which was transferred to the nurseries at Yonkers [135]*135from time to time. Upon one of these parcels, referred to as ‘‘ Wyndelea ’ ’, the decedent also maintained a summer residence.

The stores in Manhattan provided a retail market for the nurseries at Yonkers, as did the Newport store for the nurseries at Newport. The decedent treated the enterprises in Yonkers, Newport and Manhattan as three separate entities. Each had its own system of bookkeeping and financing and each maintained accounts with the other two enterprises. The decedent received a salary of $10,000 a year as president of Yonkers Nurseries, Inc., and in addition thereto, for his personal funds had drawn upon all three accounts further amounts averaging in excess of $20,000 annually, for the three years immediately preceding his death. As above set forth, at the date of death the decedent was indebted to the Empire Trust Company in the principal sum of $119,361.70. To Yonkers Nursery, Inc., by reason of the- overdrafts for his own account, decedent was a debtor in the principal sum of $85,042.31, and to one Alfred C. Beaujean, an employee of Yonkers Nursery, Inc., decedent was indebted in the principal sum of $5,000. It was under these circumstances that decedent’s widow, also hereafter referred to as Mrs.

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6 Misc. 2d 130, 36 N.Y.S.2d 605, 1942 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-intermediate-accounting-of-smythe-nysurct-1942.