In re the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts of McDowell

17 Mills Surr. 515, 97 Misc. 306
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 17 Mills Surr. 515 (In re the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts of McDowell) 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 Accounts of McDowell, 17 Mills Surr. 515, 97 Misc. 306 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1916).

Opinion

Swartwood, S.—

This proceeding was commenced February' [518]*51811, 1916, by the filing of a petition by John G. McDowell, the son of the testator.

On April 3, 1916, Boyd McDowell, one of the executors, filed an account setting forth in detail all the transactions had by him with reference to the estate, both, as he claims, as executor and as trustee.

On the same date Casper G. Decker and Jervis Langdon, the other two executors, filed separate verified statements in which they declare, in substance, that on the issuing of letters testamentary to the executors named in the will said Boyd McDowell caused an inventory of the personal estate to be filed; that thereupon the said Boyd McDowell took possession of the personal property left by the deceased, including bank deposits, certificates of deposit, cash, securities, etc., together with the keys to the safety deposit box, and that the said Boyd McDowell has had sole access thereto from that time on, and that all checks drawn on funds deposited to the credit of the estate of said deceased were drawn by said Boyd McDowell; that all books of account and everything in relation to the estate have been at all times in the possession of said Boyd McDowell, and they deny any connection with the management of the estate, except that they each, one or the other, countersigned the ch'ecks drawn by said Boyd McDowell, as executor.

On April 3, 1916, John G. McDowell, Clara B. McDowell and Elizabeth R. Boyd filed objections to the account as filed by executor Boyd McDowell. They also filed objections to the verified statements filed by executors Casper G. Decker and Jervis Langdon.

On April 6, 1916, executor Boyd McDowell, by his attorneys, filed an answer to the aforesaid objections.

On April 22, 1916, a supplemental citation was ordered issued by the surrogate to be served on all the remaindermen named in the will of the testator bringing them into this proceeding.

[519]*519Ho other or previous account has ever been filed by the execu;ors herein.

The testator died on July 4, 1909. His will was probated md letters testamentary were issued to the three executors, ¡vho thereupon qualified as such on July 8, 1909. The inven;ory was filed on September 4, 1909. The time within which creditors might present claims, pursuant to notice published, expired on January 15, 1910. The inventory showed the value >f the personal property of the testator at the time of his death x> be $148,980.49.

The will of the testator, dated July 29, 1907, first provided :or the payment of debts and funeral expenses, and, second, nade certain specific gifts of varying amounts to several persons and corporations. Paragraph 3 provided: “ All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, property and rights, legal and equitable, of which I may die seized or own or have at the time of ,my decease, I give, devise md bequeath unto Casper C. Decker,. Jervis Langdon and Boyd McDowell, all of Elmira, N. Y., to have and to hold the same into themselves and to their successors in trust to the uses and tor the purposes herein declared, that is to say:

That they hold, manage, invest and re-invest all of said crust property as they shall deem wise and judicious and for the best interests of the beneficiaries hereinafter named, said trustees being to that end hereby empowered to sell, grant,- exchange, lease, hold or otherwise dispose of the same or any part thereof, subject to the limitations and provisions hereinafter contained (the avails or property into which the same may in any wise be lonverted being subject to -all the conditions hereof applicable to the original property or fund), and to lease, loan and invest the same as they shall deem discreet, and out of the rents, interests, income and profits thereof, first to pay the necessary expenses incident to the property, taxes thereon, expenses of insurance and repairs, and the full maintenance thereof, together [520]*520with all other expenses attending the execution of the trust, and then to pay out of such rents, interest, income and profits, as the same shall accrue annually, as follows:

“ 1st. I hereby direct said Trustees to set aside and properly invest the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), to be known as the McDowell Cemetery Trust Fund,’ the annual income of which shall be annually expended in the care and maintenance of what is known as Riverside Cemetery ” '(with certain provision that the said $1,000 is to be eventually turned over to the county treasurer to be held by such officer for said purposes).
“ 2d. I direct said Trustees to pay to my sister-in-law, Elizabeth R. Boyd, of Elmira, N. Y., the income of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), as long as she shall live, and at her death the principal of said fund * * * shall be treated the same as the residue of said trust fund for the support of my son John G, and his wife Clara * * *.
“ 3d. Out of the remainder of the annual income derived from said Trust Fund I direct said Trustees to pay to my son John G. McDowell, and his wife Clara during the life of my son, such sums in such manner and proportion for each beneficiary as said Trustees shall deem judicious and necessary for the support and maintenance of my son and his wife, Clara B. * * * "

The remainder of the provisions of the trust relates to the disposition of the fund after the death of John G. McDowell (the testator’s sole heir-at-law and next of kin). Lastly, he appoints Boyd McDowell, Casper G. Decker and Jervis Lang-don as executors of bis will.

The first of the objections filed to the account of Boyd McDowell, together with Mr. McDowell’s answer thereto, raises the question whether these executors ever transferred to themselves as trustees the rest, residue and remainder of the estate of the deceased and administered it as such trustees, or whether they still are, and at all times have been, acting simply in the [521]*521capacity of executors. Counsel for executor Boyd McDowell claims that his responsibility as executor ceased because, as he claims, the funds in his hands are held by him as trustee and the question as to what has become of them is totally immaterial in this proceeding against him as executor. In his claim that the office of executor, its duties and responsibilities, is separate and distinct from .the office of trustee I agree, but in his assumption that funds of the estate are in the hands of the trustees as such and not as executors, and that they are not accountable for them as executors in this proceeding, I do not agree.

At the outset, it is well to carefully consider the will to the end that we may be able to judge the intention of the testator in making it as he did. The first two sections thereof deal with acts confessedly to be performed by his executors only, but by the 3d section he gives the rest, residue and remainder of his property to the three persons therein named as trustees for certain uses and purposes; that is to say, after his executors had carried out his wishes, expressed in the first two' paragraphs of his will, then their duties as executors were at an end and as his trustees they were to take charge of what was left and administer the trust as his will directs. As was held, in substance, in the case of Olcott v. Baldwin (190 N. Y.

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In re the Judicial Settlement of the Second Intermediate Account of Decker
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17 Mills Surr. 515, 97 Misc. 306, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-judicial-settlement-of-the-accounts-of-mcdowell-nysurct-1916.