Kneedler Estate

95 A.2d 530, 373 Pa. 284, 1953 Pa. LEXIS 302
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 23, 1953
DocketAppeal, No. 31
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 95 A.2d 530 (Kneedler Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kneedler Estate, 95 A.2d 530, 373 Pa. 284, 1953 Pa. LEXIS 302 (Pa. 1953).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Chidsey,

This is an appeal from a decree of the Orphans’ Court of Montgomery County which dismissed excep[286]*286tions to an adjudication sur the second and final account of Land Title Bank and Trust Company and the schedule of distribution in accordance therewith.

The decedent, Jacob E. Kneedler, Jr., died on February 12, 1932, leaving a will and codicil thereto. The pecuniary legacies and trusts established by the will totaled $49,550. The first and final account of the executors and the adjudication thereon showed a balance of principal of $46,065.22, which was composed mainly of unconverted securities. Since there was a deficiency of assets, it was stated in the adjudication that the pecuniary legacies must abate proportionately.

The will established a trust of $30,000, the income from which was to be paid to the decedent’s son, Eugene S. Kneedler, for life, and upon his death the principal was to revert to the residuary estate. Certain real estate was also placed in trust for Eugene S. Kneedler for life, and upon his death it was to be sold and the proceeds added to the residuary estate. A trust of $15,000 was established for the decedent’s grandson, Robert K. Todd, one of the appellants. The terms of this trust were that the income was to be paid to Robert K. Todd until he reached the age of 30 years, at which time the trust was to terminate and the principal was to be paid over to him. A trust of $500 was also established for the decedent’s great-grandson, Eugene G-. Kist, the principal of which was to be paid over to him when he reached the age of 21 years.

On June 3, 1935, all of the parties in interest entered into an agreement. At that time the balance of principal for distribution, after adjustment for income and expenses and disposition of specific bequests, was $46,581.02. The agreement set forth the inventory value of the estate, and recited that the balance of principal of the personal estate was insufficient to pay all the legacies ánd set up the trusts in accordance [287]*287with the will of the testator, and that the parties in interest had agreed to the schedule of distribution attached thereto. With respect to the three trusts the agreement provided: “That the several Trusts directed to be created by the Will of decedent, namely the trust for Eugene S. Kneedler, son, Robert K. Todd, grandson, and Eugene George Kist, the great-grandson, shall be taken, from the Personal Property Principal at the aforesaid values, for the time being, and so remain to and until the values thereof shall, in the discretion of the Trustees, or their successors in Trust, justify and warrant a sale or disposition thereof, and a reinvestment as is authorized by the powers granted to the said Trustees by the Will of the decedent; . . The agreement then continued and provided for the postponement of payment of certain legacies until the termination of the trusts for Eugene S. Kneedler, part payment of other bequests, and payment of income to the cesti qui trustents in proportion to their interests therein. The schedule of distribution attached to the agreement appeared as follows:

“To Mt. Vernon Cemetery Co. In Trust for perpetual care of Cemetery lot; Item second of Will 150.00
To Charles B. Harding and the Integrity Trust Co. of Philadelphia In Trust for son, Eugene S. Kneedler; Item sixth of Will 30.000. 00
To Charles B. Harding and the Integrity Trust Co. of Philadelphia In Trust for grandson, Robert K. Todd; Item eighth of Will 15.000. 00
To Josephine Kist, Iterb. ninth of Will, $1,000.00 on a/c 165.51
To Charles B. Harding and the Integrity Trust Co. of Philadelphia In Trust for [288]*288great-grandson, Eugene George Kist; Item tenth of Will 500.00
To Northern Home for Friendless Children, Item twelfth of Will, $500. By Agreement attached hereto, legatee consents to postpone payment until termination of the Life Estate to son Eugene S. Kneedler and the distribution of the remainder of the Estate
To the Salvation Army, Item thirteenth of Will $500.00. By agreement attached hereto legatee consents to postpone payment until termination of the Life Estate of son Eugene S. Kneedler and the distribution of the remainder of the Estate
To Kensington Hospital for Women, 136 Diamond St., Philadelphia, Item fourteenth of Will 300.00
To the Home of the Merciful Saviour for Crippled Children, Item fifteenth of Will $300.00. By agreement attached hereto, legatee consents to postpone payment until termination of the Life Estate of son Eugene S. Kneedler and distribution of the remainder of the Estate.
To Philadelphia Home for Incurables, Item sixteenth of Will 300.00
To Miriam Roberts, Executrix of the Estate of Ella Ogram (now deceased) legacy by codicil to Will, directed to be paid to. Exécutrix; of decedent $1000.00- - '.. on.a/c . ■ 165.51
46,581.02”

Under this- schedule of' distribution' the entire amount of principal then available was distributed.' This dis[289]*289tribution was approved by the court and filed of record on April 7, 1937.

On October 14, 1939 appellant Todd assigned a one-half interest in his legacy to Emil Levitt, who is the other appellant.

On January 28, 1941, the surviving trustee filed an account which showed the balance of principal of the three trusts to be $44,312.87. At this time appellant had attained the age of 30 years and claimed to be entitled, subject to his assignment, to distribution of 150/455ths (the proportion $15,000 bears to $45,500) of the principal of the combined trusts. Such distribution was ordered in the adjudication of the account filed January 28, 1941. The adjudication also ordered that the assets be reappraised as of the date of the adjudication (April 2, 1941), and appointed Land Title Bank and Trust Company as substituted trustee.

There was considerable depreciation of the unconverted securities and after reappraisal there was available for distribution $17,259.83. 150/455ths of this total after the reappraisal, amounting to $5,690.04, was awarded in cash and an undivided interest in the securities, to appellant Todd and his assignee. The balance of $11,569.79 in cash and unconverted securities was awarded to the substituted trustee since the trusts for Eugene S. Kneedler and Eugene G. Kist still continued. No exceptions were filed to this schedule of distribution.

On January 30, 19.48 Eugene. G. Kist, having arrived at the age of. 21,. was. awarded 5/455ths of the principal of the combined trust, .or $204.77.

Eugene S. Kneedler died on June 13, 1950, and the unexpended portion-of the-$30,000 trust for him (which was $12,376.03) as-well as the proceeds of the real estate in which he had a, life estate (amounting to $9,-[290]*290014.91) became part of the decedent’s residuary estate under the terms of the will.

At the audit of the second and final account of the substituted trustee, appellants claimed that they were then entitled to receive out of the residuary estate the sum of $9,309.96, which is the difference between $15,-000 and the $5,690.04 awarded them in the distribution pursuant to the adjudication of April 2, 1941.

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Related

Wanamaker Estate
39 Pa. D. & C.2d 350 (Philadelphia County Orphans' Court, 1966)
Marshall Estate
103 A.2d 420 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1954)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
95 A.2d 530, 373 Pa. 284, 1953 Pa. LEXIS 302, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kneedler-estate-pa-1953.