McCoy v. Hoff

30 N.W.2d 213, 251 Wis. 576, 1947 Wisc. LEXIS 437
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 1947
StatusPublished

This text of 30 N.W.2d 213 (McCoy v. Hoff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCoy v. Hoff, 30 N.W.2d 213, 251 Wis. 576, 1947 Wisc. LEXIS 437 (Wis. 1947).

Opinion

Rosenberry, C. J.

The case can be best understood by stating the principal facts in chronological order.

June 21,1925: Ralph W. McCoy died.

June 30, 1925: Will admitted to probate.

September 18, 1931: Final judgment entered assigning the estate to Ruth J. McCoy and the Bank of New Richmond, as trustees of the two trusts described in the will.

March 9, 1933: Bank of New Richmond was stabilized and thereafter a stock assessment was made against the stockholders of the bank.

December 12, 1936: An order was issued by the county court directing Ruth J. McCoy, as executrix, not as trustee, to execute a note to the trustees of the segregated assets of the Bank of New Richmond for the sum of $22,000 in payment of the stockholders’ liability.

*578 September 18,1938 : An order was issued authorizing Ruth J. McCoy, as executrix, to turn over to the trustees pf the segregated assets of the bank securities of the value of $18,500 in full payment of the note given by her as executrix.

The securities were thereupon turned over by said Ruth J. McCoy as per order.

Article VI of the will is as follows :

“I give and bequeath all of the capital stock of the bank of New Richmond of which I shall die possessed, except the shares hereinbefore disposed of, to my said wife, and the Bank of New Richmond, as trustees, to hold the same in trust for the uses and purposes, with the rights and powers and subject to the conditions following and none other, to wit:
“(a) To collect the income thereof and to pay the same, less the reasonable expenses of the trust, semiannually or oftener, to my widow during her life or until the termination of this trust as hereinafter provided, one half (J4 ) to be applied'to her supporf and maintenance and one half ( ) to the support, maintenance and education of my children during their minority. . . .
“(b) To divide said trust into as many equal portions as I shall leave sons me surviving, and on each son attaining the age of twenty-five (25) years, if my widow shall have predeceased him, or upon her death thereafter, to assign and transfer to him his portion, or, if my widow shall then be living, such portion shall be so assigned and transferred in whole or in such parts and at such time or times during her life as she may in writing direct, and upon the transfer of the whole thereof, this trust as to such son’s portion shall cease and determine. ...”
“(c)” Makes provision in the event that all of the sons shall die before having attained the age of twenty-five years, (not material.)
“(d)” Provides for appointment of trustee for sons under twenty-five years of age in event of her dying before some reach that age.

Article VII provides:

“I give, devise and bequeath all of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, of whatever kind or nature and where- *579 ever situated, to my said wife and to the Bank of New Richmond, as trustees, to hold the same in trust for the uses and purposes, with the rights and powers, and subject to the conditions following, and none other, to wit:
“(a) To sell and convert into personalty any real estate whenever such conversion shall in their judgment be wise.
“(b) To invest and reinvest the trust funds as they shall deem wise in interest-bearing trust securities, provided, however, that they may in their discretion continue to hold any securities of which I may die possessed, whether the same are ' lawful investments for trust funds or not, and that they may also in their discretion purchase and sell stock of the Bank of New Richmond, and they shall not be held responsible for any loss in connection with such investments except for breach of good faith.
“(c) To collect the income thereof and to pay the same semiannually or oftener to my widow during her life or until the termination of this trust as hereinafter provided, one half (J4) to be applied to her support and maintenance and one half Q4) to the support, maintenance and education of my children during their minority in such manner and amounts as she may deem fit. . . .” (Other matter not material here.)
“(d) ” Not material.
“(e) On the assignment and transfer to any of my sons of his portion of the stock of the Bank of New Richmond under the provisions of the trust created in Article VI of this my will, or of any part thereof, if my widow shall sooner die, or if my widow be- then living, then upon her death, to pay to such son a sum equal to the par value of the shares so assigned and transferred, and to pay to each of my surviving daughters, and to the children of any deceased daughter, per stirpes, a sum equal to the par value of the shares so assigned and transferred to said son, and a further sum equal to one half () of any amount in excess of par at which the shares so assigned and transferred shall have been appraised at my death. . . .” (Provision for payment before death of widow.)

There was a codicil to the will which is not material.

As ground of recovery tire plaintiff alleges that the assignment and delivery of securities of the value of $18,500 to the trustees of the segregated assets of the Bank of New Richmond *580 was made by the plaintiff with the mistaken idea of the law and facts involved for the following reasons, viz.:

(a) That on September 18, 1931, the final judgment rendered in the matter of the will of said deceased, assigned to Trust A (Article VI) the bank stock in the Bank of New Richmond. That thereafter Trust A contained absolutely no other assets, other than such bank stock.

(b) That the securities used by the trustee to pay such stock liability were taken from Trust B (Article VII) and the stock assessment was in no manner a lien against the assets in Trust B.

(c) That the final judgment rendered in the will of said deceased on September 18, 1931, while it contained a provision for making assignment in accordance with the terms of the will, failed to specifically provide for the assignment of the bank stock in the Bank of New Richmond to the trustees under Trust A, and the residue in said estate to the trustees under Trust B. That the failure of such judgment to show such specific assignments was not caused by the neglect or carelessness of the plaintiff to this action.

It appears from the foregoing that the estate of the deceased was assigned by the final judgment to Ruth J. McCoy as trustee. The plaintiff contends that the will created two distinct trusts. It is considered that the will created but a single trust.

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Bluebook (online)
30 N.W.2d 213, 251 Wis. 576, 1947 Wisc. LEXIS 437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccoy-v-hoff-wis-1947.