McIntyre Estate

18 Pa. D. & C.2d 1, 1959 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 295
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County
DecidedApril 20, 1959
Docketno. 1246
StatusPublished

This text of 18 Pa. D. & C.2d 1 (McIntyre Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McIntyre Estate, 18 Pa. D. & C.2d 1, 1959 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 295 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1959).

Opinion

Bolger, J.,

Decedent died November 25, 1926. This trust arose under his will dated January 12, 1926, a copy of which is annexed.

Decedent gave his residuary estate in trust to pay one-third of the income' each to his wife,' Clara, his daughter, Nellie, and his daughter, Edith, and upon the death of the wife, to divide the income equally between his two daughters for life. He then directed:

“EIGHTH: All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real, personal and mixed, of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situate, I give, devise and bequeath to my executors and trustees hereinafter named IN TRUST, to hold and invest the same as hereinafter provided, and the net income arising therefrom to pay as follows:

“One-third (1/3) thereof to my wife, Clara Louise McIntyre, for and during the term of her natural life.

“One-third (1/3) thereof (and after the death of my wife 1/2 thereof) to my daughter, Nellie Iva Alber, wife of Charles Alber, for and during the term of her natural life.

“One-third (1/3) thereof (and after the death of my wife 1/2 thereof) to my daughter Edith Irene McIntyre, for and during the term of her natural life.

“In case either of my said daughters shall die leaving to survive her a minor child or children or issue of deceased children who are minors, I authorize and direct my executors and trustees to apply per stirpes the income payable to my said daughter at the time of her death to and among said minors for their maintenance, education and support.

“As the said minor child or children or said issue of deceased children of my daughters shall successively reach the age of twenty-one years, I direct that the proportion of the principal of said trust fund pre[4]*4viously supporting the share of income payable to them be paid and distributed to such child or children or such issue of deceased children.

“In case either of my daughters shall die without leaving to survive her a child or children or issue of deceased children, I give, devise and bequeath the residue of my estate to such persons and in such proportions as would have taken the same in case I had survived my daughters and died immediately after the death of the survivor of them intestate, unmarried and without issue.

“Provided, however, that I hereby give to either of my said daughters who may leave surviving them children or issue of deceased children the power to appoint in her last Will and Testament that proportion of the principal and interest of this Trust fund to and among such children and such issue of deceased children upon such terms and in such proportions as may to either of them seem fit.”

Clara, testator’s wife, died in 1952. The two daughters survived her.

The account has been filed because Edith died unmarried and without issue. Nellie is living and has issue. The collateral heirs of testator are two nieces. On behalf of the nieces, it is contended that the death of either daughter without issue results in the termination of one-half of the trust and that distribution must be made to them since they qualify as “. . . such persons and in such proportions as would have taken the same in case I had survived my daughters and died immediately after the death of the survivor of them intestate, unmarried and without issue.” On behalf of the surviving daughter, Nellie, it is contended that testator proposed a stirpital distribution of his estate and that the direction to distribute “residue” upon the death of a daughter without issue was intended to become effective upon the extinction of [5]*5his lineal descendants. At the time the will was executed, Edith was unmarried. Nellie was married and had two children then living.

The language employed in this will is ambiguous, therefore artificial rules of construction must be invoked in order to ascertain the intent of testator from the words he used, and not to isolate any particular paragraph of item eighth from the entire context in which his distributive intent is spelled out. It is to be noted that testator considered that upon the death of either daughter, she might be survived by minor children. In such an event he directed the continuation of the trust and a stirpital distribution of income among such grandchildren until each should attain age 21 and as each grandchild attains age 21, there is a direction to distribute the share of principal from which each such grandchild had been receiving income. At the death of either daughter, if all of her children had attained their majority and there was no issue of a deceased child who was a minor, distribution of principal supporting her income would be made upon the death of the life-tenant-parent to said adult children.

Testator then goes on to provide for disposition of principal should either daughter die without issue. His language is inept and ambiguous because upon the death of either daughter without issue “the residue of my estate” is given to his intestate (collateral) heirs who are to be ascertained supposititiously as though testator had survived his daughters, both of whom had died without leaving issue, and he had died immediately thereafter, intestate, unmarried and without issue.

In the concluding paragraph he gives to either of his daughters who might leave issue her surviving “. . . the power to appoint in her last will and testament that proportion of the principal and interest of [6]*6this trust fund . . .” to her issue. To which trust fund does this clause refer? It is important to note that he does not identify it as he did in the earlier paragraph directing the gifts of principal in remainder to his children: “I direct that the proportion of the principal of said trust fund previously supporting the share of income payable to them . . . ,” as each attained age 21. The clause is subject to two possible interpretations: That such power of appointment shall apply to the share only of such daughter as dies leaving issue; or to the share of a daughter dying without issue. It is evident and it is therefore concluded that testator had in mind the share of principal from which a childless daughter had been receiving income during her life. This is evident when you consider that, as stated, he had already made a direct gift of the share of a daughter who might die leaving issue stirpitally to such issue. To construe the disputed clause otherwise would create a conflict between it and the prior provision, a result certainly not intended by testator. It follows that the disputed clause must relate to another fund than that to which the earlier gift applies, viz., the share of a daughter dying without issue.

This proviso would otherwise be meaningless and would, therefore, be regarded as surplusage. However, in ascertaining the intent and purpose of a testator, as expressed by his will, we should, if possible, harmonize the language so as to give effect to what apparently might be inconsistent and repugnant clauses or provisions. We are not at liberty to disregard plain words and say that they are meaningless, unless after a careful consideration of the entire instrument, it is not possible to give them any meaning: 2 Hunter, Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Commonplace Book, 1422, Wills, §2 (d), “Inconsistencies: irreconcilable provisions.”

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Bluebook (online)
18 Pa. D. & C.2d 1, 1959 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 295, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcintyre-estate-paorphctphilad-1959.