Menken v. Brinkley

31 S.W. 92, 94 Tenn. 721
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedMay 14, 1895
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 31 S.W. 92 (Menken v. Brinkley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Menken v. Brinkley, 31 S.W. 92, 94 Tenn. 721 (Tenn. 1895).

Opinion

Wm. M. SMITH, Sp. J.

On December 10, 1887, Robert C. Brinkley, a young man of improvident and extravagant habits, executed a conveyance, by' which he transferred a large amount of real estate therein described, part of which is in Shelby County, Tennessee, to his half brother, Hu. L. Brinkley, and his brother-in-law, C. C. Currier, upon certain trusts specifically defined and set out in said instrument.

As the contest in this cause is over this deed, it is necessary that its contents be stated, and it will perhaps be more satisfactory to set out the deed in full. It is as follows:

££This indenture, made between Robert C. Brinkley, party of the first part, and C. C. Currier and Hu. L. Brinkley, trustees, parties of the second part, wit-nesseth, that upon the trusts and for the purposes hereinafter set out, the party of the first part has bargained and sold, and by these presents does grant, bargain, sell, and convey, unto the parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, as trustees, the following described real estate, situated in Shelby County, in the State of Tennessee, to wit: * * * To have and to hold, with all of the improvements and appurtenances, all of the real estate so herein-before described to the parties of the second part, [723]*723their heirs and assigns, in fee simple. And the party of the first part, for himself, his heirs and personal representatives, does hereby covenant with the parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, that he will forever warrant and defend the title to the property so conveyed against the legal claims of all persons whomsoever.
“But this conveyance is made upon the trusts and conditions following: The party of the first part is now considerably in debt. It is not the purpose of the party of the first part to acknowledge hereby any specific debts, nor in any way to estop himself or the parties of the second part from contesting the validity of any claim that may be made, or from making any legal defense thereto, but it is desired that his just debts shall be paid out of the property hereby conveyed, or its proceeds, and the payment of such debts is one of the trusts and purposes of this conveyance. The property hereby conveyed is mostly unimproved and unproductive, and another purpose and trust is, that it may be improved, and provision made for the payment of the taxes, insurance, and other costs and expenses attaching to it. A further trust and purpose is, that the parties of the second part shall control, manage, protect, and preserve the property, and have full power and discretion ,to deal with it in all respects as to them may seem best for the efficient discharge of the trusts. Therefore, the parties of the second part are hereby vested with the absolute title to all [724]*724of said property, and with full power to sell and convey it, or any part of it, or to exchange it, or any part of it, for other property, in their own discretion, whenever and however they may deem best, and no purchaser from them is required to look to the application of the purchase money. Said parties of the second part are further clothed with full power and discretion to use any portion of said property, or the proceeds of any of it when sold, or any property acquired by exchange, or its proceeds, in improving other portions of the trust by erecting such buildings or making such other improvements as the parties of the second part may deem best, and also to use the same in paying the just debts of the party of the first part, and in reimbursing the parties of the second part for any advances made, and for paying debts which the parties of the second part may find it necessary or expedient to make, as trustees, upon the faith of the said property, or to incur and raise by mortgages or liens upon said property. The parties of the second part may also, in their discretion, make advances from said property, or its proceeds, from time to time as they may choose to do so, to the party of the first part, provided that they shall not, in any one year, advance or pay to him more than the sum of six hundred dollars, until the net annual income from said property shall amount to the sum of six hundred dollars per annum, and, if its net annual income shall ever exceed that amount, [725]*725then the parties of the second part may increase such advancements in their discretion. The discretion to make such advances or payments, whenever it may to them seem best, is not limited, however, to advances out of the income or profits of the property, hut extends to the corpus or its proceeds.
‘£ It is expressly hereby provided that the parties of the second part are to be under no obligation whatever to advance or pay to the party of the first part anything Avhatever out of said property or its proceeds, and that the party of the first part shall have no right to assert any claim therefor, nor to anticipate or alienate any claim therefor, nor in any way to interfere with the control or management of the said property, nor to incumber it. The power to sell and convey hereby conferred upon said trustees includes the power to mortgage for the purpose of the trusts; and the general scope of the powers shall include leasing, renting, insuring, paying taxes, and doing any and all things which said trustees shall consider proper. If at any time said trustees shall deem it advisable to advance their own money, or use their own credit in raising money, for the purposes of the trusts, the property held in trust shall be bound in their hands for such advances, or for debts or obligations so incurred. As compensation for services rendered in the execution of this trust, said trustees shall be entitled to, and may retain out of any moneys coming into their hands, a commission [726]*726of ten per cent, upon all the money that shall pass through their hands as such trustees. If they shall acquire other property by purchase or exchange, they will take title as trustees, .subject to the trusts, powers, and discretions, and to all the provisions of this conveyance. This trust is to continue during the life of the party of the first part; but it is hereby expressly provided that the said trustees may, at any time after two years from the date hereof, at their discretion, and solely at their discretion, put an end to it by a reconveyance of their trust property to the party of the first part; and, also, that the said trustees may at any time, with the concurrence of the party of the first part, appoint some other person or persons as trustee or trustees, and convey the trust property to such person or persons, to be held under the trusts and provisions of this conveyance. Whenever there is more than one trustee, in the case of the death, resignation, or refusal to act of one, the trust shall survive and be exercised fully by the other. ■
“The party of the first part expressly reserves the power to appoint, by his last will and testament, the person or persons who shall take the property held under this trust at his death, and to provide for and control the destination of said property. In 'the event that he shall die without exercising this power of appointment, the property then held under this trust shall go, at his death, absolutely and in fee, under the laws of descent and distri-[727]*727button of the State or States in which it shall be situate, as if he had owned it at the time of his death, and had died intestate in regard to it.

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Bluebook (online)
31 S.W. 92, 94 Tenn. 721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/menken-v-brinkley-tenn-1895.