Matter of Kohler

132 N.E. 114, 231 N.Y. 353, 1921 N.Y. LEXIS 645
New York Court of Appeals·Decided May 31, 1921·Published·Cited by 67 cases

Opinion

Chase, J.

Charles Kohler died June 4, 1913, having made his last will and testament July 15, 1912, less than a year prior to his death. He left him surviving Veronica M. Kohler, his widow, and three daughters, Olga B., Vera N., and Rita M., then aged, respectively, about nineteen, twelve and ten years. He was engaged in the manufacture of pianos and parts and appliances *361 of and for pianos. He left a large estate. He conducted a manufacturing business in which he was solely and individually interested. He was also the owner of a controlling amount of the stock of each of seven corporations engaged in similar or allied business with that conducted by him individually. The plant where he conducted his individual business and the plants of the several corporations were located in the same general part of the city of New York. The corporations were conducted severally through a board of directors as prbvided by law,, who were elected by and reported to the stockholders of the corporations. There was also a committee or board of governors composed of the representatives of the several corporations, that acted and advised in the interest of the several corporations. Kohler by his will gave legacies to several of his relatives, employees in his business, and in the business of the corporations in'which he was largely interested as stated, and also to certain charities, which aggregated $78,000. He also gave, bequeathed and devised to his wife certain real and personal property. He made his wife testamentary guardian of his daughters, and named her, his legal adviser, and one of his business associates, the executors of and trustees under his last will and testament. The parts of his will material on this appeal are paragraphs eight, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and eighteen thereof, as follows:

“ Eighth. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, and of whatever description, and wheresoever situated, I give, devise and bequeath unto my trustees hereinafter named, in trust as follows:

“First. To set aside out of my said residuary estate a share or portion thereof sufficient for the purpose, and to hold the same in trust for my daughter, Olga V., investing and reinvesting the same from time to time and paying over the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per annum, payable semi-annually during her *362 natural life, and in addition thereto when she arrive at the agé of twenty-five (25) to pay over to her the sum.of One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000); when she arrive at the age of thirty-five (35) a further sum of One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000); and when she arrive at the age of forty-five (45) a further sum of One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), and upon her death, to pay over the balance remaining unpaid of the share or portion of my said residuary estate so set aside for her benefit as aforesaid, to such of her issue as shall be living at her death, share and share alike. Should any of her issue die before her, leaving issue at her death, then such issue shall take in equal shares the share the parent would have received had he or she survived her death. Should my said daughter, Olga, die leaving no issue surviving her, then, in that event, the said share or portion herein provided for her shall pass into and become part of my residuary estate. * * * ”

There follows in said eighth paragraph of the will a second and third subdivision exactly the same in every respect as the first subdivision except that the second provides for a trust for his daughter Vera M., and the third for his daughter Rita M. instead of for his daughter Olga V., as in the first subdivision of the paragraph.

“ Fourth. To set aside out of my said residuary estate, a share or portion thereof sufficient for the purpose, and to hold the same in trust for my wife, Veronica M. Kohler, investing and reinvesting the same from, time to time and paying over the sum of Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per annum payable semi-annually during her natural fife. * * *

“ Eleventh. I hereby give my said Trustees hereinafter , named, their survivors and successors in trust, as full power and authority over my said personal and real estate as I myself now possess, to sell the same for cash or on-mortgage at public or private sale; to mortgage, lease, hold and manage the said realty until in their discretion *363 a sale thereof is made, and meanwhile to receive and collect the rents, issues, and profits thereof, and to care for, repair, insure, and in case of destruction by fire or otherwise, to rebuild, remodel, or repair any building on said real estate in their care, and to receive, collect, invest and reinvest the said personal property, and to receive and collect the interests and profits as fully and freely as I myself might do in my lifetime, and to pay the same over as hereinbefore directed.

. “ Twelfth. I hereby authorize and empower my trustees hereinafter named at their discretion to retain the investments of my property in the form in which they may be at my death, and I also hereby authorize and empower my trustees to continue any business now owned and carried on by me in the City of New York or elsewhere during such period of time as in their discretion they consider it to be of benefit to my estate. Should the continuing of said investment or the continuing of my said business by my said trustees as aforesaid prove to be unprofitable to my estate, I hereby direct that upon no account shall they be held liable for any loss or damage my estate may sustain by reason of such continuance.

“ Thirteenth. In the continuing of my business as herein directed, if the shares or portions set aside for my daughters as hereinbefore directed are already invested in such business, then it is my desire that they so remain until the business is sold by my trustees and I so direct.

“ Fourteenth. And I hereby direct that while such business is being carried on by my trustees as aforesaid, and while the shares or portions set aside for my daughters remain in said business as aforesaid, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in half yearly payments shall be yearly paid to each of my daughters out of said business, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in half yearly payments shall be yearly paid to my wife also out of said business. The said yearly payments of *364

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Matter of Kohler, 132 N.E. 114, 231 N.Y. 353, 1921 N.Y. LEXIS 645 (N.Y. 1921).

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