Kirchner v. Kirchner

71 Misc. 57, 127 N.Y.S. 399
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1911
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 71 Misc. 57 (Kirchner v. Kirchner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kirchner v. Kirchner, 71 Misc. 57, 127 N.Y.S. 399 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1911).

Opinion

Morschauser, J.

The will of Charles Kirchner, deceased, was duly admitted to probate in the Surrogate’s Court, in Dutchess county. Otto Kirchner and -Charles Kirchner qualified as executors and trustees.

The scheme of the will was that, after making certain bequests, all the rest of the real and personal property was devised and bequeathed to the executors in trust, they to pay one-third of the net income to the widow during her life, and the remaining two-thirds of the net income to be paid equally to the seventeen nephews and nieces, mentioned in article if of said will, during the widow’s life.

After the death of the widow, $1,000 "was given to each [59]*59of the legatees, Belle Hey and Caroline Eckert. A valuable piece of real estate, known as the Kirehner Hall ” property, subject to the trust provision of the will, was given to Otto Kirehner, Wilhelmina Kirehner and Philip Kirehner absolutely. The remainder of the estate was given to the testator’s seventeen nephews and nieces mentioned in article 11 of the will equally.

The widow having elected to take her dower instead of the property devised by the will brought an action for ad-measurement thereof; and she has been paid, as provided by the decree, out of the residuary estate, and no part was taken from the property known as Kirehner Hall;” and the residuary estate was thereby diminished.

The persons entitled to the remainder, pursuant to the terms of the will at the termination of the widow’s life estate, are ascertainable, and the devisees under the will are determinable.

The following questions are submitted for determination:

(1) Are the legatees Belle Hey and Caroline Eckert entitled to be paid their legacies now, or are the legacies payable upon the death of the widow?

(2) Does the election of the widow terminate the trust as to the property known as Kirehner Hall,” and are the remainders accelerated so as to entitle the devisees, Otto Kirehner, Wilhelmina Kirehner and Frederick Kirehner, to immediate possession; and, if it does, shall there be any deduction or charge made against this property, either for dower or for life use ?

(3) Does the election of the widow terminate the trust as to the remainder of the estate; that is, are the remainders accelerated by the refusal of the widow to accept the provisions of the will for her benefit; and shall such remainder of the estate be distributed at this time, or shall distribution be delayed until the death of the widow? -

(4) Is the assessment for the new cement sidewalk upon the' Kenyon property to be paid out of the life use of the widow, or to be paid out of the residue ?

The same rule applies to the questions first and second.

Where a trust is created, for the benefit of the widow and [60]*60others, her share to be in lieu of dower, it is held that her election not to take under the will does not defeat the operation of the trust for the benefit of other parties in interest. Page Wills, 874; Portuondo Estate, 185 Penn. St. 472.

As the dower of the widow has been paid out of the residuary estate, as directed by the decree, it would he manifestly inequitable to terminate the trust without charge for dower and to deprive the residuary legatees of the use of the Kirchner Hall ” property during the widow’s life, and of the use of the $2,000 given to the Hey and Eckert legatees; while, if the trust is continued until the death of the widow, the legatees and devisees mentioned in questions one and two will receive the same benefits intended by the testator, while the residuary legatees receive, not only the two-thirds provided by the will, but an additional one-third, being the net income from the Kirchner Hall ” property. They will, in effect, receive the same benefits intended for them by the testator, and the additional one-third of the income'compensating for the widow’s dower, which has been paid from' their residuary.

Where the widow by her election causes a diminution of the estate devised to others, determinable under the will, then, whatever she renounces by her election of necessity results to the indemnity and inures to the benefit of those who are injured by her acts.

Justification for the foregoing construction and disposition is found in some of the cases in this and other jurisdictions.

In the case of Sarles v. Sarles, 19 Abb. N. C. 322, this question was carefully considered by Lawrence, J.; and it was held, where the widow of a testator declined to accept the provisions of the will in lieu of dower, and elected to take her dower in the real estate of which her husband died seized, the devisees of the real property upon which such dower interest became charged might have recourse to the property rejected by the widow to indemnify them against their loss by reason of their devised property being subject to the charge for dower.

The renunciation of the widow could not defeat the gift [61]*61of the remainder, hut the latter becomes immediately accelerated, but charged, however, with the equity in favor of disappointed devisees. .See also author’s notes at the end of this case.

The Sarles case was cited with approval in Tehan v. Tehan, 83 Hun, 368—371, citing:

In Gallagher’s Appeal, 87 Penn. St. 200, the testator devised certain lands to his sister; and, after making provisions for his widow, left the remainder of his estate to nephews and nieces. The widow refused to take under the will, and it was held that the sister was entitled to have the assets marshaled and a sufficient amount set apart to relieve the land devised to her from the burden of the widow’s dower.

In Sandoe’s Appeal, 65 Penn. St. 314, the widow refused to take under the will. It was held that a court of equity would sequester the devises and bequests intended for her to secure compensation to those whom her election disappointed. Citing also McCallister v. Brand, 11 B. Mon. (Ky.) 370; Firth v. Denny, 2 Allen (Mass.), 468; McReynolds v. Counts, 9 Gratt. (Va.) 242; Dean v. Hart, 62 Ala. 308; Worth v. Atkins, 4 Jones Eq. (N. C.) 272; Story Eq. Juris. (13th ed.) 415, 465; Pom. Eq. Juris., § 1083; Jarman, Wills, 683.

In Firth v. Denny, 2 Allen (Mass.), 468, where a testator by his will, after absolute devises and bequests, directed a certain sum to be invested and the income thereof to be paid to his wife during life and after her death to be distributed among various legatees in certain specified sums and gave the rest of his estate to his residuary legatees; and where he left no issue and his widow waived the provisions in the will in her behalf and thereby became entitled to a larger estate than the will gave her, it was held that the residuary legatees were entitled, during the life of the widow, to the income of the fund provided for her and, after her death, the principal should go to the legatees named in the will, in like manner as if the widow had accepted the provisions therein made for her. Plymton v. Plymton, 6 Allen (Mass.), 178.

[62]*62In the case of Matter of Lawrence, 36 Misc. Rep.

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Bluebook (online)
71 Misc. 57, 127 N.Y.S. 399, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kirchner-v-kirchner-nysupct-1911.