NATIONAL AGR. COLLEGE v. Lavenson

237 P.2d 925, 55 N.M. 583
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 17, 1951
Docket5409
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 237 P.2d 925 (NATIONAL AGR. COLLEGE v. Lavenson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
NATIONAL AGR. COLLEGE v. Lavenson, 237 P.2d 925, 55 N.M. 583 (N.M. 1951).

Opinion

McGHEE, Justice.

David Winternitz died in San Miguel County, New Mexico, on April 21, 1923, leaving a last will and testament. After making certain specific bequests the bulk of the estate was left in trust to pay the net income to testator’s widow, Carrie Winternitz, for life and then to her daughter, Edna Lavenson, for life, and upon the death of the survivor the trust was to terminate and the balance of the trust was directed to be distributed to specified charities, one of which is the appellant. Certain codicils were executed changing- the trustees .and also providing their compensation should be fixed by the Judge of the Fourth Judicial District. Letters testamentary were issued to Carrie Winternitz on the 3rd day of July, 1923; shortly thereafter she filed her inventory, and the estate was appraised at $136,483.28. Carrie Winternitz died on April 15, 1948, leaving an estate appraised at more than $81,000. Thereafter Edna Lavenson was appointed administratrix de bonis non of the estate of David Winternitz and her final report was filed September 6, 1949. The estate was handled by the executrix and administratrix as such and it does not appear the trustees ever functioned.

Upon the filing of the final report by the administratrix de bonis non the appellant filed its objections and exceptions to expenditures aggregating the sum of $61,724.34. Following the final hearing it filed its requested findings of fact and conclusions of law in which it asked that the following expenditures made from the corpus of the estate be disallowed:

a. Executor’s commission to.

Carrie Winternitz $ 5,279.41

b. Secretarial service to Edna

Lavenson 21,000.00

c. New Mexico Succession

Tax 4,269.83

d. Judgment of First Nation-

al Bank against Estate (including costs) 4,861.83

e.Repairs and Improvements to premises at 7th & Main, Las Vegas, New Mexico :

Wall in Cellar $ 213.60

Toilet & Bath 185.00

New Roof 185.00

Sewer Assessment 177.32

' Total: ' $ 760.92

Repairs and Improvements to Bridge St. Store, Las Vegas, New Mexico:

• Roof 1,050.00

It attempts here to enlarge the above items which the trial court was asked to hold should have been paid out of income rather than the corpus of the estate. It would be manifestly unfair to the opposing party and the trial court to permit appellant to enlarge upon the items which, after a hearing, it then asked to be held illegal. See Rule 52, sub-paragraph (B) (6), Rules of Civil Procedure, Sec. 19-101, N.M.S.A., 1941 Comp., and some of our more recent cases declaring this fundamental rule, to-wit: Rubalcava v. Garst, 53 N.M. 295, 206 P.2d 1154; Teaver v. Miller, 53 N.M. 345, 208 P.2d 156; Chavez v. Chavez, 54 N.M. 73, 213 P.2d 438.

In its brief the appellant continually refers to the compensation allowed the executrix as trustee’s fees. The record, however, shows this to be the statutory allowance for the fees of the executor as provided in Sec. 33-1001, N.M.S.A., 1941 Comp., and we hold the allowance was proper.

We come now to the allowance of $21,000 'made to Edna' Lavenson for secretarial work, of which $10,605 was charged by the trial court to the corpus of the estate and the balance to income.

Paragraph 16 of decedent’s will provides: “I hereby order and direct that my said 'Trustees shall pay over every three months tthe net profits and income of my said trust ■•estate to my said wife Mrs. Carrie Winter■.nitz during her lifetime, and upon her 'death to pay over in like manner the said income to her daughter, Edna Lavison as long as she remains unmarried, who although she has not been adopted by me has since my marriage with her mother not accepted my name, and. is known as Edna Wintemtre Lavirison.” Even absent a provision that only the net income should go to the life tenant, it is the rule that ordinary expenses, of management and carrying charges must be deducted from income and only the amount remaining thereafter goes , to such a beneficiary. The Restatement of the Law, Trusts, Sec. 233, states:

“(1) Except as otherwise provided by •the terms of the trust, if property is held in trust to pay the income to a beneficiary for a designated period and thereafter to pay the principal to another beneficiary, (a) the former beneficiary is entitled to, and only to, the net income during such period, and
“(b) the latter beneficiary is entitled to the principal on the expiration of such period.
“(2) The net' income is ascertained by subtracting expenditures allocable to income' from receipts allocable to income.”

And Comment e thereunder is as follows: “Current expenses. Ordinary current expenses in connection with the administration and management of the trust are payable out of income * * Vol. 3 Page on Wills, Sec. 1158, contains this statement, at pp. 437, 438: “In the absence of language in the will which, when read in connection with the rest of the will and with the surrounding circumstances shows that testator means to charge certain expenses upon the income of certain property and to free the income from other property from the burden thereof, a gift of income generally means a gift of the net income from the property, fund and the like after deducting periodic recurring taxes and other expenses which are necessary to the preservation of the property from which the income is derived or which are necessary to earn the income, to keep account of it, and the like.” See also, In re Chapal’s Will, 269 N.Y. 464, 199 N.E. 762, 103 A.L.R. 1268; Robert’s Estate, 316 Pa. 472, 175 A. 487; Spencer v. Spencer, 219 N.Y. 459, 114 N.E. 849, Ann.Cas.1918E, 943.

Where the will contains a provision that the life beneficiary is to receive the “net income” the conclusion that the income shall bear the ordinary expenses of administration is inescapable. In the case of In re Brooklyn Trust Co., 92 Misc. 674, 157 N.Y.S. 547, a hfe tenant complained that certain expenses were improperly charged to income instead of principal. The court said:

“ * * * The rule is that the just and proper expenses of carrying any of the assets of .the trust, if incurred in a just and proper administration, must be borne by the income.
“Where the trust is that the life beneficiary shall have the net income, all that the will assures to him is the income, less all the necessary expenses of mere maintenance. He then receives all which the will gives. His only misfortune is that the testator did not put into the trust in his behalf more or other property. Unless it be found in the will, there can be no departure from this rule. * * * ”

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Related

Chavez v. Chavez
244 P.2d 781 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1952)

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