In re the Judicial Settlement of the Account of Proceedings of Ziegler

16 Mills Surr. 153
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJuly 9, 1915
StatusPublished

This text of 16 Mills Surr. 153 (In re the Judicial Settlement of the Account of Proceedings of Ziegler) 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 Proceedings of Ziegler, 16 Mills Surr. 153 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1915).

Opinion

Clarke, J.

—William Ziegler died on the 24th of May, 1905, leaving a last will and testament made on the 31st of March, 1905, which was duly probated. He left annuities to six relatives of $2,400 -each. He gave to his wife his city house and stable and his country home at Horoton with all household effects, etc., for her life and $50,000 annually, and directed the executors to pay her necessary household -expenses and also to pay all the repairs, taxes, assessments and expenses of said houses, grounds and stable in lieu of dower. '

His will provided further that “ All the rest and residue of [155]*155my estate, I give, devise and bequeath to my son, William, after and subj ect to1 the following provisions:

“ 6. I appoint my said wife,'William S. Ohamp, William J. Gaynor, and also my said son at the age of Twenty-one years, my executors under this will. They shall take, care for and invest my estate in safe securities, collect all the rents and incomes, pay out of the same all necessary charges und expenses, and all annuities or sums given by this will, - and also for the support and education of my son William what may be necessary. The balance of income they shall invest in safe securities and keep with the corpus of my estate, until my said son comes twenty-one years of age. After he comes of age he shall receive the entire net income. When he comes twenty-five years of age they shall turn over to him one-quarter of the said corpus. They shall turn over to him another quarter thereof at the age of thirty, another at the age of thirty-five, and the last quarter at the - age of forty. If he should die before me without, lawful issue, or before he gets the said corpus, then the corpus, or the part of it he has not received, to go to my brothers and sisters and their heirs.

“ 7. I authorize niy executors to leave my estate invested in the properties, stocks, bonds and mortgages, etc., in which I may leave it.

“ 8. I authorize my executors or those of them who serve, their survivors or survivor, upon the consent of my said wife during her life, and also- of my said son after he comes of age, to sell, to sell (sic) and convey any property, I leave, real or personal.”

The appellant is William Ziegler, Jr. On his coming of age July 21, 1912j claiming the net income of the estate which had accumulated during his minority, he brought a proceed- " ing primarily to secure an accounting of the income received and disbursed during that period and payment over to him of [156]*156the net income so shown to he in the hands of the accounting parties.

A proceeding by the accounting parties was brought for the settlement of their accounts for the period from ETovember 30, 1911, to ETovember 30, 1912. They declared themselves as holding and managing the real property of the estate as executors and the personal property as trustees, and they proposed for settlement their account as executors in respect to real estate and their account as trustees in respect to personal estate. They also, as trustees, presented for settlement an account of income received and disbursed during the minority of William Ziegler.

These proceedings were consolidated and came on for hearing in April, 1912, and on July 23, 1913, the surrogate rendered his decision and a decree in conformity therewith was offered for signing and entry in August of 1913, but was not signed whvn in September, 1913, one of the accounting parties, William J. Gaynor, died. These proceedings were revived and continued, the Kings- County Trust Company, executor under Mr. Gaynor’s will, being brought in as a party. A new decree was then proposed, which decree was signed May 1, 1914, and entered May, 2, 1914. By that decree the account of the accounting parties as executors in respect to the real estate was settled and the survivors were directed to pay over to themselves as trustees the balance of proceeds from sale of real estate which were so found to be in their hands .as executors, less one-half commissions awarded to each of the surviving executors and to the Gaynor estate for receiveing those proceeds, and one-half commissions awarded to each of the survivors, and to the Gaynor estate, for payment of - such proceeds by the survivors to themselves as trustees. •

The decree further directed that, as trustees, each of the surviving parties and the Gaynor estate should receive one-half commission for the receipts of proceeds from sales of real [157]*157property from themselves as executors as directed by the decree upon the prior accounting to Rovember 30, 1911.

The decree also settled their account as trustees in respect to personal estate and their account in respect to the income received during the minority of William Ziegler, Jr., and directed payment by the surviving trustees to William Ziegler, Jr., of the accumulated net income so shown to be in the hands of the survivors, less one-half commissions awarded to each of the surviving trustees and to the Gaynor estate upon such payment.

The appellant claims that the accounting parties were not entitled to act in the two capacities, namely, as executors in respect to the real property and as trustees in respect to the personal estate, and accordingly appeals from so much of the decree, first, as adjudges the accounting parties to act in those two capacities, and second, as awards to them the double commissions, namely, one-half commissions to them as executors on payment over to themselves as trustees of the proceeds from the sale of real property, and to them as trustees one-half commissions for receiving those proceeds from themselves as executors.

The appellant also claims that as the decree which settled these accounts and directed payment was not made until subsequent to the death of Mr. Gaynor, and since Mr. Gaynor did not participate in the execution of the trusts created by the will by payment of balances directed to be made by the decree, his estate was not entitled to commissions thereon. Accordingly he appeals from so much of the decree as awards one-half commissions to the Gaynor estate upon payments directed to be made by the decree.

First. In their petition upon this accounting these accounting parties show that they commenced their administration as executors and that at the close of the year subsequent to the probate of the will, in 1906, they presented their account as executors and proposed to divide this estate and to continue to [158]*158deal with the real estate as executors and with the personal estate as trustees. Upon the settlement of that account a decree was entered which directed such division of the estate. In the account now presented they set up- a separate executors’ account in respect to the proceeds froin sales of real property, and by this decree that account is settled and they are directed to pay over the balance with which they are so charged to themselves as trustees and as executors to take a commission upon such payment. Also in this account they charge themselves as trustees with the payment received from themselves as executors, which was a payment of the balance of proceeds from sales of real estate established to be in their hands on the settlement of their account as executors for the year previous to this accounting, and which payment was directed to be made by the decree which settled that executors’ account. The account in this proceeding awards them as trustees a commission for receiving that payment.

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

Related

In Re the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts of Worthington
35 N.E. 929 (New York Court of Appeals, 1894)
Johnson v. . Lawrence
95 N.Y. 154 (New York Court of Appeals, 1884)
Stagg v. . Jackson
1 N.Y. 206 (New York Court of Appeals, 1848)
In Re the Final Judicial Settlement of the Annual Accounts of Hoyt
55 N.E. 282 (New York Court of Appeals, 1899)
In Re the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts McAlpine
27 N.E. 475 (New York Court of Appeals, 1891)
Bowditch v. . Ayrault
34 N.E. 514 (New York Court of Appeals, 1893)
In re the Judicial Settlement of the Account of Proceedings of Todd
64 A.D. 435 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1901)
Wagstaff v. Lowerre
23 Barb. 209 (New York Supreme Court, 1856)
Palmer v. Dunham
6 N.Y.S. 262 (New York Supreme Court, 1889)
Stagg v. Jackson
2 Barb. Ch. 86 (New York Court of Chancery, 1847)
Meeker v. Crawford
5 Redf. 450 (New York Surrogate's Court, 1882)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 Mills Surr. 153, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-judicial-settlement-of-the-account-of-proceedings-of-ziegler-nysurct-1915.