Meeker v. Breintnall

38 N.J. Eq. 345
New Jersey Court of Chancery·Decided May 15, 1884·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

The Chancellor.

Sophia Augusta Breintnall, of the city of Newark, died November 20th, 1880. By her will, which is dated April 29th, 1876, after giving a legacy to a hospital, and providing for the payment of an annuity to a servant for life, she directed that the residue of her estate be divided into four equal parts, and gave one to her son, John H. Hobart Breintnall, and another to . her son, Reginald Heber Breintnall. She then directed that another be retained by her executors and securely invested, and the income and interest paid by them to her grandson, George Kinney Breintnall, until he shall attain to the age of thirty years, and that on his arrival at that age, the principal be paid to him; and she directed that the remaining one-fourth part be also retained by them and securely invested, and that the income and interest thereof be paid her daughter, the complainant, half-yearly, during her natural life. She then provided for the distribution' of the principal of the annuity fund, on the decease of the annuitant, among the residuary legatees, in the same manner; the complainant’s share to be held and invested, and the interest paid to her for life, as before provided with regard to her share of the residue. After a provision limiting over the share of the grandson, in case of his death before attaining the age of thirty years, she directed that in case of the complainant’s death without a child or children surviving, the principal sum of which she had given to her, the income should be paid to the testatrix’s sons and her before-mentioned grandson, in equal shares. She then provided that should the grandson die-without issue surviving him, his share should go to her two sons, and that should the complainant die leaving lawful issue surviving her, the share of which testatrix had given her the income should go to the issue. She then authorized and empowered her executors, or the survivors or survivor of them, to sell and convey all her real estate, whenever in their judgment it might be deemed best for the interest of her estate, or whenever it might be necessary for the purpose of settling the estate; her children or either of them to have the preference over other parties to purchase it, or any part thereof. And to enable the executors to make proper convey[347] anees of that real estate, she thereby vested in them the fee simple thereof. And she directed that the proceeds arising from the sales be distributed and held as thereinbefore provided, with regard to her estate in the residuary section.

The testator’s father, George Nelson, died in Newark in 1828-. He had three children, George Horatio,' Sidney Smith and Sophia Augusta (Breintnall), the testatrix. By his will, after certain specific bequests, he gave his entire estate to his executors and trustees therein named, or the survivor of them, in trust for the purposes of the will. He directed that his estate be divided into four equal parts, and that the income of one be paid to his wife, so long as she should live and remain unmarried. On her death, that part was to be divided into three equal shares and held by the trustees; one share for each of his children on the same trusts and conditions which were declared in the w.ill to govern the remaining three shares given to his children. Another of those shares was to be held in trust for his son George, to pay him an annuity of $800 out of the income, until he should attain the age of twenty-eight years, when the trustees might, in the exercise of the discretion given them, transfer and convey all or any part of it to him, or they might continue to hold it and only pay him the annuity. Another share was to be held in trust for his son Sidney, to pay him an annuity of $600 out of the income, until he should attain the age of twenty-one years, when it and its increase were to be paid or conveyed to him. The remaining share was to be held in trust for Mrs. Breintnall so long as she should live; she to receive the entire income thereof for her own use, free from any control of her husband, and, on her death, the trustees were to pay or transfer it to her children or child, if any she should leave surviving her, in equal shares if more than one, or in such manner and portions as she, by her last will and testament, or by any writing in. the nature thereof, duly executed under her hand and seal in the presence of at least two credible witnesses, notwithstanding her then or any future coverture, might appoint and direct. In a subsequent part of the will, the testator amplified this provision by declaring it to be his will and inten[348] tion, that she, in case she should die leaving issue surviving her, might, by such will or appointment, dispose of all or any part of the property and estate thereby given to or in trust for her, as she should think proper, to and among her children and grandchildren or some of them. The full text of the provisions ■of the will material to the consideration of this case, is as follows:

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Meeker v. Breintnall, 38 N.J. Eq. 345 (N.J. Ct. App. 1884).

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