Moss v. Brown

44 So. 2d 561, 253 Ala. 380, 1949 Ala. LEXIS 241
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedDecember 1, 1949
Docket6 Div. 837.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 44 So. 2d 561 (Moss v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moss v. Brown, 44 So. 2d 561, 253 Ala. 380, 1949 Ala. LEXIS 241 (Ala. 1949).

Opinion

BROWN, Justice.

This appeal is from the final decree of the circuit court sitting in equity construing the last will and testament of Clarence L. Moss, deceased, who died December 15, 1942, leaving surviving his widow Flossie Lee Moss, two daughters Louise and Elizabeth and two sons Howard and Clarence L. Moss, Jr.

The will was duly probated and at the time the bill was filed, more than four years after the death of the testator, the administration was pending in the Probate Court of Jefferson County. The widow and the eldest son Howard were nominated in the will for appointment as executors of said will and were appointed as such.

After qualifying as such and receiving letters testamentary, they proceeded to collect the assets and to administer the estate under the terms of said will as they construed it. Among other assets, in fact the major asset from the standpoint of the devisees named in said will, was one-'half of the capital stock of the Moss & McCormack *382 Coal Company, a corporation, of the par value -of $100,000. The business of the corporation was active at the time of the testator’s death and up to that time was ■being operated by said testator and the personal representative of the late G. B. McCormack, deceased, who before his death owned the other half interest in the stock of said corporation.

After the death of the testator hi-s eldest son Howard became president of the corporation and became active in the conduct of the business of said corporation in connection with the representative of the McCormack interest. The earnings of the estate’s interest were applied by the executors of the will to the business and the maintenance of the widow and Clarence, Jr., who was a minor and in college. Elizabeth had been paid nothing from the estate but had received $10,000, the proceeds of an insurance policy in which she was the beneficiary. The bill in this case was filed by her to remove the administration of the estate from the probate court to the circuit ■court, in equity, for a construction of Item Three of said will and to that end the bill •alleges:

“ * * * that respondents Flossie Lee Moss, Howard Moss and Clarence L. Moss, Jr., by Item Three of said Will, were constituted trustees of a large portion of the estate of said 'Clarence L. Moss, which portion was devised and bequeathed to said Flossie Lee Moss, Howard Moss and 'Clarence L. Moss, Jr., in trust upon the terms and conditions set forth in said Will; that •by said Item Three of said Will the beneficial interest in said trust estate was devised and bequeathed as follows:

“Twenty-six per cent to be held in trust for Flossie Lee Moss; twenty-five and one-half per cent to be held in trust for Howard Moss; twenty-five and one-half per cent to be held in trust for Clarence L. Moss, Jr., and twenty-three per cent to be held in trust for the Complainant, Elizabeth Moss Brown. The Complainant has never received any money, or' property, under the Will of said Clarence L. Moss, from the Executors or Trustees named and constituted by said Will, and complainant has never received anything whatsoever from the estate of said Clarence L. Moss under said will or from the trust -created by said Will.

“That Section 8, Item Three, of said Will •provides that upon the death of Flossie Lee Moss the trust fund held in trust for sai’d Flossie Lee Moss shall become a part of the trust fund held in trust for Howard Moss, Clarence L. Moss, Jr., and the complainant, and shall be divided and held equally among Howard Moss, Clarence L. Moss, Jr. and the complainant; but there is no- express provision in said will that the fund held in trust for Flossie Lee Moss shall be divided upon the death of Flossie Lee Moss; nor is there any express provision in said will as to when or upon what contingency or event, subsequent to the death of Flossie Lee Moss the fund held in trust for her shall be divided among Howard Moss, Clarence L. Moss, Jr., and the complainant; nor is there any express provision in the will stating that at the time Flossie Lee Moss’ share in the trust fund is divided, the remainder of said trust fund shall be divided; nor is there any express provision in the will stating when, or upon what contingency or event, the whole trust fund shall be distributed and divided.”

A copy of the will is attached to the bill and made a part thereof and we quote therefrom pertinent provisions.

“Item Three: I give, devise and bequeath unto my wife, Flossie Lee Moss, my son Howard Moss, my son Clarence L. Moss, Jr., effective when he reaches the age of twenty-one (21) years or earlier if qualified through appropriate legal .process, said Flossie Lee Moss and Howard Moss- to have full power and authority to act hereunder, unti-l Clarence L. Moss, Jr., is qualified, jointly as Joint Trustees, my business, and all the rest and residue of -my property, real, personal and mixed, which I may own or to which I may be entitled at the time of my ■death or to which my estate may become entitled after my death, in trust, however, for the uses and purposes and with the -powers hereinafter set forth, to-wit:

“1. The Trustees shall take charge of, manage and control all of the trust property, operating, leasing, selling, improving or otherwise handling the same, including *383 the making of coal and other contracts, renewal of leases, making new leases, purchase of .property and the doing of any and all things or acts necessary for operating the properties, as the Trustees deem 'best and shall collect all income derived therefrom. * * *

“2. The Trustees shall have the power and authority to sell at private sale, without order of court, and convey any or all of the trust property at such time or times as the Trustee may deem to be to the interest of the trust estate, and if in their discretion said trustees shall deem it to the advantage of the ¡beneficiaries hereunder to dispose of all of the trust property, the proceeds shall be divided in accordance with the terms and conditions of this instrument and the trust terminated and closed. The proceeds of such sales, as well as any other funds belonging to the estate which are not necessary to be otherwise used in the administration of this trust, may be by the Trustees from time to time invested in such class of securities or investments as the Trustees may in their discretion deem advisable, * *

“4. Any and all distribution of capital stock of corporations issued to the estate as stock dividends, and all dividends from partial or complete liquidation shall be treated by the Trustee as part of the corpus of the trust estate.

* * * * * *

“8. Twenty-six (26%) .per cent of the trust estate shall be held in trust by the Trustees for my wife, Flossie Lee Moss, during the term of her life. Upon the death of my wife, the said trust fund held in trust for her shall become a part of the trust fund held in trust for my children and shall be divided and held equally among my three children, Howard Moss, Elizabeth Brown, and Clarence L. Moss, Jr. My daughter Louise Moss^ has been provided for by insurance (trust) policies in the Mutual and New York Life Insurance Companies, but should such insurance fail or for any reason be not available for her maintenance and support, I direct my Executors and Trustees to provide for her comfort, support and maintenance out of the income from my said estate, and/or the trust herein created.

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Related

Black v. Black
238 So. 2d 861 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
44 So. 2d 561, 253 Ala. 380, 1949 Ala. LEXIS 241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moss-v-brown-ala-1949.