Jones Estate

29 Pa. D. & C.2d 437, 1962 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 239
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Allegheny County
DecidedApril 6, 1962
Docketno. 855B of 1939
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 29 Pa. D. & C.2d 437 (Jones Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Allegheny County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones Estate, 29 Pa. D. & C.2d 437, 1962 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 239 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1962).

Opinion

Wolk, J.,

Benjamin F. Jones died testate on May 19, 1903, having made his last will and testament dated January 15,1903. He was survived by his wife, Mary McM. Jones and four children, to wit, Mary F. Laughlin, Elizabeth M. Horne, Alice J. Willock, and Benjamin F. Jones, Jr.

William C. Robinson, Benjamin F. Jones, III, and William R. C. Ford, surviving and successor testamentary trustees of the estate of Benjamin F. Jones, deceased, in trust for Franklin J. Horne, now deceased, filed an eleventh and final account which came before this court for audit on June 16, 1960. William C. Robinson did not sign the account or the petition for distribution because of advanced age and illness, and he has since died at the age of 94. All parties involved agree that the account and the supplemental accounts are properly stated and are true and correct.

This case involves the question of the violation of the rule against perpetuities in the one equal fifth part or portion of the residuary estate under which testator’s daughter, Elizabeth M. Horne, is given the income for life and upon her death provision is made for each of her children for equal portions of said one-fifth part for life or in remainder upon marriage and issue born, as more particularly set forth hereinafter.

Elizabeth M. Horne died January 10, 1939. She was born September 29, 1862. She was survived by three children, the only children born to her and all born in the lifetime of testator.

One child is Madelaine Horne Austin, born in 1893, and who died June 2,1951. When her mother died, she had married and had issue born of her marriage, and she was awarded her one-third portion of the corpus of the one-fifth part of testator’s residuary estate. Mrs. Austin was survived by four children, all now living.

Another child is Elsa Horne Voss, who was born in 1895, and is still living. When her mother died, she [439]*439had married and had issue born of her marriage, and she was awarded her one-third portion of the corpus of the one-fifth part of testator’s residuary estate. Mrs. Voss had one child who is still living.

Franklin J. Horne, a son, was born April 22, 1899, and he died July 25, 1959. At his mother’s death, he was unmarried but since her death he married but had no issue born, and he is survived by a wife, Mrs. Frances H. Horne, who is also executrix of his estate, and an adopted son, Laurent Novikoff Horne, who was adopted at the age of 21, on March 9, 1959.

The question of the violation of the rule against perpetuities with respect to Franklin J. Horne’s one-third share was not raised at the audit of the account. A serious question later arose in a discussion with this court as to whether Mrs. Voss, alone, was entitled in remainder to the one-third portion from which Franklin J. Horne received the income during his life, or whether the one-third portion should be divided equally between Mrs. Voss and the estate of Mrs. Austin; and the further question arose as to whether the four children of Mrs. Austin should take her share directly without that share passing first through her estate. The Mellon National Bank and Trust Company and Philip S. P. Fell are executors of Mrs. Austin’s estate in New York. After considerable time and extensive negotiations, a settlement was made, as more particularly set forth in a petition for approval of settlement agreement, which petition was presented to this court on December 22,1961.

A hearing date to pass upon the petition for approval of the settlement agreement was set for January 24, 1962, which was continued to February 15, 1962. David B. Buerger, Esq., representing the estate of Franklin J. Horne, deceased, raised the question of the violation of the rule against perpetuities and asserted that if there was a violation the estate of Franklin J. [440]*440Horne, deceased, was entitled to the entire balance for distribution, or at least an intestacy would result from said violation.

The hearing on February 15, 1962, was continued to March 16, 1962, when all briefs and reply briefs were to be in the hands of the court. An argument was held on February 15, 1962, as well as on March 16, 1962.

The court raised the question that only six days’ notice was given for the February 15, 1962, hearing, rather than ten days, and the hearing on March 16, 1962, was continued to April 6, 1962, and the trustees were directed to properly notify all the parties in interest of the April 6, 1962, hearing giving at least ten days’ notice. This was done.

Now let us examine the will of testator, in order to determine what the reported cases refer to as the testator’s “plan of distribution”, or the “organic plan of the testator.”

Under paragraphs first, second and third, testator gave, devised and bequeathed to his wife certain real estate and certain personal property.

Under paragraph fourth, he gave his wife $10,000.

Under paragraph fifth, he bequeathed to his wife certain real estate for life.

Under paragraph sixth, he gave to his wife for life dividends, interest, and income in certain stocks and bonds.

Under paragraph seventh, he gave his wife the power to sell and reinvest stocks and bonds set forth in paragraph sixth and to continue to receive the interest and dividends.

Under paragraph eighth, the trustees thereinafter named, after the death of testator’s wife were to hold the real estate and the stocks and bonds enumerated in paragraphs fifth and sixth, as well as the stocks and bonds purchased and held during the lifetime of his [441]*441wife in lieu thereof, and to pay the net income of said real estate and stocks and bonds, or the proceeds there-' of, unto his four children, to wit, Mary F. Laughlin, Elizabeth M. Horne, Alice J. Willoek, and Benjamin F. Jones, Jr., in equal shares for and during the full time and period of each of their natural lives.

Paragraph eighth further provides, as follows:

“Should any one of my said children die before their Mother, or during the continuance of this trust, leaving issue surviving, then such issue shall take and receive, in equal shares, the share and portion of said net income of such deceased parent, to be enjoyed by such issue until the death of the last one of my said four children. The share and portion of said net income of any of my said children dying either before their Mother or before the expiration of this trust, without issue surviving, him, her or them, shall go to and belong to my surviving child or children in equal portions for and during the period of his, her or their natural life or lives.” . .

Paragraph ninth provides as follows:

“Ninth: When the last of my said four children shall die, the said pieces or parcels of real estate, enumerated in the Fifth Paragraph and the stocks and bonds enumerated in the Sixth Paragraph of this my Will, or the principal of the proceeds of said real estate, if the same be sold in the meantime, or the stocks and bonds purchased in lieu of those named, or the principal of the proceeds thereof, if the same be sold in the meantime, I give, devise and bequeath unto all my grandchildren living at the time of the death of the last one of my said four children, to be divided among all my said grand children in equal parts or portions.”

Paragraph tenth gives an annuity of $1,000, for life, to his brother, G. A. Jones.

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Related

Jones Estate
190 A.2d 120 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1963)

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Bluebook (online)
29 Pa. D. & C.2d 437, 1962 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-estate-paorphctallegh-1962.