In re the Judicial Settlement of the Account of Halsted

9 Mills Surr. 333, 77 Misc. 82, 137 N.Y.S. 433
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedMay 15, 1912
StatusPublished

This text of 9 Mills Surr. 333 (In re the Judicial Settlement of the Account of Halsted) 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 Judicial Settlement of the Account of Halsted, 9 Mills Surr. 333, 77 Misc. 82, 137 N.Y.S. 433 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1912).

Opinion

Fowler, S.

William A. Halsted died September 7, 1889, leaving a last will and testament, which was duly admitted to probate September 21, 1889. James N. Halsted and Chauncey Stillman qualified as executors and trustees thereunder.

The will contained several legacies, which have long since [335]*335been paid, and two trust funds. The two trust funds are the only provisions of the will which come in question on this accounting.

One of these trust funds was for the benefit of Harriet B. Bokee, the income of $25,000 to be paid to her during her life, with remainder over in equal shares to the testator’s niece and nephew, Catherine Crane Halsted (afterwards Ewing) and James Maver Halsted, when they respectively attained the age of twenty-five years. On the death of either of them before attaining that age, his or her issue to take and, in default of issue, the surviving brother or sister to take.

The life tenant, Harriet B. Bokee, is still living, and the income of the trust fund is still being paid to her by the above named trustees. The remainderman, Catherine Halsted Ewing, died July 26, 1903, at twenty-five years of age. She left her surviving her husband, James Ewing, and James Ewing, Jr., her infant child. The other remainderman of this fund, James Maver Halsted, is still living.

The second trust fund, and the one principally in question in the accounting, was for the benefit of the testator’s brother, Charles Stockton Halsted, he to receive the income for life of $25,000, but provided, however, that should his wife, Sarah Ann Halsted, die during his lifetime, the trustees were empowered to pay over the fund to the said Charles Stockton Halsted, absolutely, free and clear of any trust.

By the seventh clause of the will the mother of the testator, Catherine Crane Halsted, is given all the rest, residue and remainder of the estate. The following are the provisions of the will in regard to this second trust fund:

Sixth. I give and bequeath to my executors, in trust, for the benefit of my said brother, Charles Stockton Halsted, during his life, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, to be invested and kept invested by my said executors in good interest [336]*336bearing or dividend paying securities, the net income whereof shall be paid to my said brother during his life. If, however, Sarah Ann Halsted, the present wife of my said brother, shall die at any time during his life, I hereby authorize and empower my said executors, at his election, to pay over to him the principal sum of said trust, to be thereafter held by him for his own use, in absolute property, free, clear and discharged of and from said trust.

Seventh. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, of every kind and description and wheresoever situated, I give and bequeath to my beloved mother, Catherine Crane Halsted, and to her executors, administrators and assigns forever.”

Catherine Crane Halsted, the above named residuary legatee, died June 89, 1890, leaving as her only heir at law her son, Charles Stockton Halsted, the above named life tenant. Her will, with the codicils, was duly admitted to probate on July 22, 1890, and by the fifth clause of the first codicil, after directing the payment of certain legacies, she gave all the rest, residue and remainder to her son, Charles Stockton Halsted, in trust, however, he to receive the income during his life, and the principal at his own election, should his wife die. The fifth clause of the first codicil reads as follows:

Fifth. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate of every kind and description and wheresoever situated, not disposed of in and by the first sixteen articles of my said will, I give, devise and bequeath to my said executors, in trust to the benefit of my son, Charles Stockton Halsted, during his life, to be invested and kept invested by my said executors in good interest bearing or dividend paying securities, the net income whereof shall be paid my said son during his life. If, however, Sarah Ann Halsted, the present wife of my son, shall die at any time during his lifetime, I hereby authorize and empower my said executors, at his election, to pay over to him the principal [337]*337sum of said trust, to be thereafter held by him for his own use, in absolute property, free, clear and discharged of and from said trust.”

This clause in the codicil of the will of Catherine Crane Halsted follows almost word for word the sixth cause of the will of William A. Halsted, and no other attempt appears to have been made, either in her will or codicil, to dispose of her residuary estate, to wit, the trust estate the income of which was given for life to.her said son, Charles Stockton Halsted, under the will of William A. Halsted. Therefore, by her failure to dispose of that residuary estate which she was' to receive under the will of William A. Halsted, after the death of her son, Charles Stockton Halsted, as to that she died intestate, and her son, Charles Stockton Halsted, her only heir at law and next of kin, became the absolute owner of the residuary estate subject to his own life estate.

Charles Stockton Halsted died September 25, 1911, leaving a last will and testament which was duly admitted to probate on the 30th day of January, 1912, and George W. Carr was appointed his executor. Sarah Ann Halsted, the wife of Charles Stockton Halsted, and upon whose death the trust in favor of her husband could be destroyed, is still alive, and hence Charles Stockton Halsted never could and did not destroy the trust, and the money is still in the hands of the trustees of the estate of William A. Halsted; and Charles Stockton Halsted’s executor claims the same and asks that the decree direct the payment to him.

In the accounting in question the trustees show that they" were appointed executors on the 25th day of September, 1889, and that on or about the 6th day of March, 1891, they rendered an account of their proceedings as such executors, and thereafter, on or about the 25th day of April, 1891, a decree was duly entered in this court whereby the said account was judici[338]*338ally settled and allowed. That they received as trustees the legacy of $24,405.68 (representing the $25,000 legacy less the transfer tax), which they were directed to invest and keep invested for the benefit of Harriet B. Bokee.

They also show that they received as trustees the legacy of $25,000 which they were directed to invest and keep invested for the benefit of Charles Stockton Halsted, the testator’s brother, to pay the net income thereof to him during his life; and that the said wife of said Charles Stockton Halsted being still alive, under the provisions of this trust fund, they have not paid the same over to Charles Stockton Halsted absolutely, free and clear of the trust; that they continued to act as trustees, and on or about the 6th day of May, 1907, they rendered an account of their proceedings as trustee, and a decree was duly entered in this court on the 7th day of January, 1908, whereby the said account was judicially settled and allowed.

This present account is of the proceedings of the trustees from May 6, 1907, the date of the last accounting, to February 27, 1912, the date of the filing of this account.

The objections to the account filed by George W.

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Bluebook (online)
9 Mills Surr. 333, 77 Misc. 82, 137 N.Y.S. 433, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-judicial-settlement-of-the-account-of-halsted-nysurct-1912.