In re the Intermediate Accounting of Wemple

18 A.D.2d 154, 238 N.Y.S.2d 624, 1963 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4125
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedMarch 18, 1963
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 18 A.D.2d 154 (In re the Intermediate Accounting of Wemple) 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 Wemple, 18 A.D.2d 154, 238 N.Y.S.2d 624, 1963 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4125 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

Herlihy, J.

The children of the decedent appeal from the method adopted by the Surrogate in computing the amount of the marital deduction trust, and from a charge against the principal of the estate’s assets of certain maintenance and household expenses pursuant to paragraph Eight ” of the decedent’s last will and testament.

The widow contends that the marital trust fund is entitled to share in the appreciation of security values from the date of the death of the decedent to the transfer of the corpus of the trust to the trustees.

It is apparent, as will hereinafter appear, that the decedent, in drafting his will, was so intent on taking full advantage of the maximum marital Federal tax deductions that he failed to [156]*156comprehend the possible inequities which might and did result therefrom.

I. As to the method of computing the marital deduction, paragraph “ Three ” of the will, so far as pertinent, provides: “ * * * [A]n amount equal to the difference between: (a) One-half (%) of the value of my adjusted gross estate; and (b) the value of all property passing to my said wife under any other article or articles of this, my Will, or otherwise, and with respect to which a marital deduction is allowable to my estate under the provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 2056; * * * As used in this article of my Will:

“ (a) - My adjusted gross estate ’ means my adjusted gross estate as defined in Section 2056 of the Internal Revenue Code (or in such other statutory provision as shall correspond thereto at the time of my death);
“ (b) The references to 'the value of my adjusted gross estate ’ and to ‘ the value of property passing to my said wife ’ mean, in each case, the value thereof as finally determined for the purpose of fixing the Federal Estate Tax on my estate; and,
“ (c) ‘ Marital deduction ’ means the marital deduction provided for in said Section 2056.
“ It is my intention to obtain the maximum marital deduction allowable to my estate under the provisions of Section 2056, and the provisions of this, my Will, shall be construed so as to give full effect to my said intention.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The Surrogate followed this language precisely and decided that as finally determined by the Federal tax authorities, the adjusted gross estate amounted to $1,036,959.16 and that the fixed amount of the maximum marital deduction was $518,479.58 (one half of the adjusted gross estate). There was deducted therefrom $32,000, assets passing outside of the trust to the widow and not pertinent to the issues herein. After deduction of the amount payable to the marital trust and the payment of all other charges, there remained a balance of $99,090.18 which constituted the rest, residue and remainder of the decedent’s estate for the establishment of separate trusts for his two children.

This apparently inequitable result was due to the following adjustments made by the Internal Revenue Service at the time of the final audit fixing the Federal estate tax:

(a) The decedent within three years prior to Ms death made transfers to his children valued at $155,883.12, and upon audit of the estate tax return, the transfers were found tp have been [157]*157made in contemplation of death, and accordingly that amount was added to the gross estate as computed by the executors and the adjusted gross estate for tax purposes was enlarged by that amount.
(b) From the total amount claimed for funeral and administration expenses there was disallowed $80,618.91.
(c) Under the schedule of debts of the decedent [$628,756.23], which included personal income tax assessments, the Internal Revenue Service disallowed therefrom the sum of $183,509.75 as it did not appear “from the evidence on file that they represented obligations incurred for an adequate and full consideration in money or money’s worth ”.

These figures total $420,011.78, which together with other charges, not necessary to be enumerated, account for the substantial variation between the amount of the marital deduction trust fund and the residuary amount for the establishment of the children’s trusts.

While it might be argued that these tax allowances and charges were not anticipated and ordinarily not to be expected, where a testator elects to use a definitive tax formula as the dispositive control for the distribution of the assets of his estate, he assumes whatever inherent risk may attach to the strict interpretation given to his intended and elected formula.

In the interpretation of a will, the intention of the testator, as gathered from the language of the will, is, of course, controlling. (Bigelow v. Percival, 162 App. Div. 831.) The fact that events happened subsequent to the probate of a will which were not foreseen by the testator cannot change the meaning of the language used. "When the purpose of a testator is reasonably clear by reading his words in their natural and common sense, the courts have not the right to annul or pervert that purpose upon the ground that a consequence of it might not have been thought of or intended by him.” (Matter of Tamargo, 220 N. Y. 225, 228.) “ [W]e cannot make a new will or build up a scheme for the purpose of carrying out what might be thought was or would be in accordance with his wishes.” (Tilden v. Green, 130 N. Y. 29, 51.)

Matter of Inman (22 Misc 2d 573) is strikingly similar to this case where the testator therein directed that the marital trust be based upon the “adjusted gross estate ”. The Surrogate decided that the trust in the will had to be given the operative effect that the testator intended, namely, that the marital trust be fixed hi an amount equal to one half of the adjusted gross estate determined for tax purposes.

[158]*158The executors rely upon Matter of Walsh (14 Misc 2d 1012, affd. 8 A D 2d 831) where the value of the gifts were deducted from the trust, but the distinguishing feature in that case is that the inter vivos gifts were made to the wife and not, as here, to the children.

Here, the testator probably did not foresee that the finally determined adjusted gross estate would be so inflated but his resorting to such drastic and unequivocal language in expressing his intention to obtain the maximum marital deduction prevents the granting of any relief.

II. The expenses of maintenance of the house, as provided in paragraph “ Eight ”' of the will, should be charged to income rather than principal assets.

Paragraph “Eight” of the will provided that the widow might remain in the house for “ two (2) years, without any rent or charge for occupancy, and that all taxes, assessments * * * and normal upkeep * * * shall be borne by my estate * * * and not charged specifically against the interest which I have given to my said wife.”

The Surrogate decided it was the intention of the testator that these expenses should be charged to principal rather than income. The general rule provides that carrying charges on nonproductive real property are payable from income in the absence of a contrary intent in the will. (Matter of Albertson, 113 N. Y. 434, 439;

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18 A.D.2d 154, 238 N.Y.S.2d 624, 1963 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-intermediate-accounting-of-wemple-nyappdiv-1963.