Mearkle Estate

23 Pa. D. & C.2d 661, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 243
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County
DecidedJune 3, 1960
Docketno. 3481 of 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 23 Pa. D. & C.2d 661 (Mearkle 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
Mearkle Estate, 23 Pa. D. & C.2d 661, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 243 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

Bolger, J.,

Decedent died February 20, 1936. This trust arose under his will dated August 25, 1934, a copy of which is annexed.

[663]*663Testator gave his residuary estate in trust to pay three-fourths of the income to his widow, Charlotte H. Mearkle, for life, and the remaining one-fourth of income to his adopted daughter, Alice Mearkle Satterthwaite, for life. Upon the death of his widow, which occurred January 2, 1959, three-fourths of the principal is to be divided, one-half thereof to be paid as the widow might appoint by will and the other half to be added to the trust for the adopted daughter. Should the widow fail to appoint one-half of her share, the said share is to be paid to those persons who might become entitled thereto under the Intestate Laws of the Commonwealth. “. . . and in the same proportions as provided by such laws, had I died at the time fixed for the said distribution, seized and possessed thereof, unmarried, intestate and without issue;”.

Letters of administration c. t. a. have been granted to Alice Mearkle Satterthwaite and Harland O. Mearkle by the Register of Wills of Philadelphia County.

Alice Mearkle Satterthwaite, the adopted daughter, survives.

By an instrument dated October 26, 1951, Charlotte H. Mearkle, the widow, released her right to exercise the power of appointment in favor of herself, her estate, her creditors and creditors of her estate.

By her will, since duly probated in the office of the Register of Wills of Philadelphia, she failed to expressly exercise the power of appointment, but by item 17th of her will provided:

“All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real, personal and mixed, of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situate, I give, devise and bequeath unto Raymond A. Sarkees, absolutely and in fee, Provided however, if he should predecease me, then I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, as aforesaid, unto my daughter, Alice M. Satterwaite.”

[664]*664Raymond A. Sarkees survived Charlotte H. Mearkle and by a writing dated April 6, 1959, assigned all of his interest in the principal over which Charlotte H. Mearkle had power of appointment to Harland O. Mearkle and Alice M. Satterthwaite.

At the death of Charlotte H. Mearkle, numerous individuals, descendants of brothers and sisters of testator, were living arid would have inherited from testator had he died at that time intestate, unmarried and without issue.

It is stated that the estate of Charlotte H. Mearkle is insufficient to pay in full the cash legacies provided for in her will.

By decree dated October 26, 1959, Daniel I. Murphy, Esq., was appointed trustee ad litem for all unborn and unascertained persons, including such as may be minors, who are the issue of deceased brothers and sisters of Harry L. Mearkle. His reports will be considered hereinafter.

The statement of proposed distribution suggests the following questions for adjudication, viz.: (1) Do the pecuniary legacies contained in the will of Charlotte H. Mearkle and the residuary clause of that will effectively exercise the power of appointment by virtue of section 14(14) of the Wills Act of April 24, 1947, P.L. 89, despite the partial release of the general testamentary power? (2) If the power is not effectively exercised, are the collateral heirs of testator entitled to distribution of the three-eighths of principal which is now to be distributed or is Alice M. Satterthwaite, the adopted daughter of testator, to receive the entire share?

The auditing judge finds that this case is controlled by Jeffers Estate, 394 Pa. 393 (1959), in which case a release had been executed and delivered reducing objects or classes of persons in whose favor the power might be exercised. The will also contained [665]*665a residuary clause. The general power given by the donor became a special power and in the absence of a specifically expressed intention by testatrix, the power was not exercised under section 14(14) of the Wills Act of April 24, 1947. The facts are almost identical with the facts in the present case.

The claim has been asserted by executrix of the estate of Charlotte Mearkle that the power has been exercised pro tanto to the extent that the estate of Charlotte Mearkle is insufficient to pay legacies given thereunder.

In view of Jeffers Estate, supra, which carefully reviews the decisional law which preceded the Wills Act of 1947, this contention by executrix is entirely without basis and the request that $10,000 be awarded to executrix is dismissed.

The next question for determination involves an interpretation of the will. Having found that Charlotte Mearkle did not exercise her power of appointment, we must now consider testator’s express intention concerning the disposition of the three-eights of his estate which is now to be distributed in default of the exercise of the power by his widow. Testator said that in default of the exercise of the power given to his wife, the three-eights of the corpus was to be paid “. . . to those who would have become entitled thereto under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania and in the same proportions as provided by such laws had I died at the time fixed for said distribution seized and possessed thereof unmarried, intestate and without issue .** .” (Italics supplied).

In construing this will it is important to consider that testator gave to his sister or her surviving children $6,800; to his brother or surviving children, $10,-000. He also made substantial cash legacies to various designated nieces and nephews. He refers to his adopted daughter as “my adopted daughter, Alice [666]*666Mearkle Satterthwaite,” and he provided for her by giving one-fourth of the income from the entire corpus even during the lifetime of his wife, Charlotte, and upon the death of his wife directed that one-half of the corpus which had been producing income for the benefit of his wife be added to the share of income to be paid to Alice for life and finally provided that, upon her death, principal supporting the income to which she may be entitled for life is to be paid to the descendants of Alice Mearkle Satterthwaite per stirpes and should there be no such descendants, gave her a general testamentary power of appointment and then stated “. . . but in default of such appointment, then to those who would have become entitled thereto under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and in the same proportions as provided by such laws had I died at the time fixed for said distribution seized and possessed thereof intestate, unmarried and without issue.” (Italics supplied.)

Testator was not unmindful of his collateral heirs.. In the disposition of his estate he clearly intended that his adopted daughter would receive a life estate in. one-fourth of income during his wife’s life; that she might receive principal under the will of Charlotte Mearkle if his wife so provided. Testator further intended that Alice’s children would ultimately receive whatever might remain of at least five-eighths of principal, but provided that in default of the exercise of either power, his collateral heirs would be his ultimate beneficiaries.

To hold that the adopted daughter was to be the substituted heir in default of the exercise of the power by his wife is to ignore the plain, unambiguous meaning of the words used in describing the class which is to receive principal.

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Bluebook (online)
23 Pa. D. & C.2d 661, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 243, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mearkle-estate-paorphctphilad-1960.