Mary J. Drexel Home Petition

13 Pa. D. & C.2d 371, 1957 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 92
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Montgomery County
DecidedJuly 19, 1957
Docketno. 58,655
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 13 Pa. D. & C.2d 371 (Mary J. Drexel Home Petition) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Montgomery County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mary J. Drexel Home Petition, 13 Pa. D. & C.2d 371, 1957 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 92 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1957).

Opinion

Taxis, P. J.,

Mary J. Drexel Plome and Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses (hereafter called Drexel Home) on March 16, 1956, filed its petition asking for authorization to transfer to its general account two funds which are described as (1) Children’s Hospital Fund, and (2) The Free Bed Fund by application of the doctrine of cy pres “In accordance with the provisions of the Act of 1855, P. L. 328,, as amended, and the Act of 1947, P. L. 100”.

The record establishes that the Free Bed Fund amounts to $105,293.75, plus accrued income, and the Children’s Hospital Fund amounts to $9,878.22, plus accrued income. From their inception, both of these funds have been segregated from the general assets of the Drexel Home and have been kept in separate accounts. Hearing on the petition was set by the court for April 25, 1956, and public notice of the hearing to all claimants was ordered by preliminary decree dated March 16,1956.

On April 25, 1956, the hearing date, two claimants appeared, viz: (1) the Drexel Home, and (2) the Lankenau Hospital, each claiming the funds. A full hearing was held.

Oral argument and written briefs on the merits were submitted. After extensive deliberation, serious doubts were raised in the court’s mind on the question of jurisdiction and venue of the subject matter, and on March 27,1957, counsel for both petitioner and respondent were requested to submit written briefs on the subject. Subsequently, oral argument was scheduled for June 18, 1957, at which time counsel presented their views and submitted briefs.

[373]*373At the hearing on April 25, 1956, an answer to the petition of the Drexel Home was filed by the Lankenau Hospital, admitting all the material averments, but by way of new matter respondent “asked the court to award the funds to the Lankenau Hospital” . . . “in view of the historical background, the intimate identification of hospital and petitioner, and the intimate identification of the Children’s Hospital, formerly operated by the petitioner with hospital”.

From the petition, answer, new matter and the evidence, both oral and documentary, the following facts appear:

Drexel Home was incorporated on December 12, 1887, for the establishment, maintenance and management of (1) a home for aged couples of German birth or descent, and (2) of a motherhouse for the maintenance, religious instruction and education of deaconesses, who shall become members of the Lutheran Church. On April 29, 1893, the charter of the Drexel Home was amended to empower it to maintain and manage a hospital for children and a high school for girls.

From the date of incorporation until November 17, 1953, Drexel Home conducted its corporate affairs at 2100 South College Avenue, Philadelphia, and from December 16, 1893, until August 15, 1952, it maintained and operated a hospital for children at that address. On August 15, 1952, Drexel Home discontinued the operation of the Children’s Hospital, and on November 17, 1953, moved from 2100 South College Avenue, Philadelphia, and conducted its remaining corporate affairs at 801 Merion Square Road, Gladwyne, Montgomery County, and 238 Belmont Avenue, Bala-Cynwyd, Montgomery County. The Home for the Aged is at the Belmont Avenue address, and the Motherhouse for Deaconesses at 801 Merion Square Road. Both are in Lower Merion Township.

[374]*374For many years, Drexel Home was closely associated with the Lankenau Hospital. Both were founded by John P. Lankenau. The Lankenau Hospital was incorporated on April 12, 1860, originally under the name of “The German Hospital of the City of Philadelphia”, which was later changed, on February 4, 1919, to “The Lankenau Hospital”.

Shortly after the Lankenau Hospital was chartered, John D. Lankenau realized the need for excellent nursing care for the patients of the hospital, and invited seven deaconesses to come from Germany to Philadelphia to take charge of the nursing care in the hospital. Subsequently realizing the need for a home for these deaconesses, Mr. Lankenau constructed a beautiful, large building on grounds leased from “The German Hospital”, to serve as a deaconess mother-house. It was at this time that the Drexel Home came into being and was incorporated. Mr. Lankenau paid for the construction of the building to be given to the home, and for the leasing of a portion of the property owned by the German Hospital for use of the motherhouse.

Lankenau Hospital and Drexel Home for many years operated, cooperated and functioned not only in close proximity to each other, but also in harmony and intimate association. By agreement of March 21,1899, the Lankenau Hospital and Drexel Home covenanted to continue the operations of the two institutions “in a spirit of fraternal union, generously cooperating with each other in the upbuilding, maintenance and advancement of the objects of the said institutions”. Their charter functions, however, remained separate and distinct. Lankenau Hospital was incorporated for the purpose of operating and maintaining a hospital, whereas Drexel Home was incorporated to establish, maintain and manage (1) a home for aged couples; and (2) a home and motherhouse for the maintenance, [375]*375religious instruction and education of teachers; and (3) a hospital for children and a high school for girls. The bylaws of the hospital provided that three of the trustees of the Lankenau Hospital would at all times be members of the Board of Trustees of the Drexel Home.

The operation of the Drexel Home for the aged and the training of the deaconesses and the operation of the high school for girls was, indeed, foreign to the purposes and operations of the Lankenau Hospital. However, with regard to the Children’s Hospital, which was conducted by the home as a separate entity, members of the medical and surgical staff of the Children’s Hospital also served on the hospital staff of Lankenau Hospital.

Sometime in 1952, Lankenau Hospital’s facilities had become antiquated and the hospital was confronted with the decision either to spend a large sum rebuilding and reequiping the old hospital or building an entirely new hospital. Lankenau Hospital decided on the latter course, sold its premises and moved to Montgomery County. As a result of this decision, after August 13, 1952, the continuation of Children’s Hospital by the Drexel Home was rendered impossible. The Drexel Home is not now operating a children’s hospital, and the discontinuance of this service gives rise to the present petition.

The Children’s Hospital Fund, $9,878.22, plus accrued income, is composed of testamentary gifts of varying amounts from five different estates. A list of these bequests indicating the name of the donor and the amount of the bequest appears in exhibit “C” appended to the petition of the Drexel Home. Certified copies of the wills of four of the donors were submitted in evidence. The will of the fifth testator was not submitted, the gift amounting to only $93. All four of the wills were probated in Philadelphia Coun[376]*376ty. One testatrix (Emily L. Heyer) appears to be a resident of New Jersey.

The Orphans’ Court Act of August 10, 1951, P. L. 1163, sec. 301(2) states:

“The orphans’ court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of: ... (2) The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of testamentary trusts whether created before or after the effective date of this act. . .”.

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Bluebook (online)
13 Pa. D. & C.2d 371, 1957 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mary-j-drexel-home-petition-paorphctmontgo-1957.