Pender Estate

68 Pa. D. & C.2d 265, 1974 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 154
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County
DecidedSeptember 20, 1974
Docketno. 51426
StatusPublished

This text of 68 Pa. D. & C.2d 265 (Pender Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pender Estate, 68 Pa. D. & C.2d 265, 1974 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 154 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1974).

Opinion

TAXIS, P. J„

The first account of G. Ruhland Rebmann, Jr., and The First Pennsylvania Banking and Trust Company, testamentary trustees, was examined and audited by the Court on March 6, 1974.

The reason for the filing of the present account is the death of the last surviving life beneficiary, Dorothy Clark Brewer, on November 12, 1971.

The account as filed and the supplemental bring-down account show a balance of principal of $111,580.48 and income of $11,660.58 and invested income of $10,284.33, composed of the securities set forth on page 2 of the account. By supplemental stipulation of counsel filed on May 1, 1974, the court was advised that the actual corpus of the trust as of the close of business on February 28, 1974, was $176,941. A list of the assets and their market value on that date was also submitted.

The transfer inheritance tax assessed has been paid.

[267]*267All parties having, or claiming, any interest in the trust, of whom the accountants have notice or knowledge, are stated to have received written notice of the audit in conformity with the rules of court.

Accountants have submitted claims for commissions and compensation as follows:

1. The accountants claim interim commission from principal in the amount of $5,707.42 which is based on the present account value of the principal to be divided if allowed by the court, $3,804.95 to the corporate trustee and $1,902.47 to the individual trustee.

2. In the event the court does not allow interim commissions, G. Ruhland Rebmann, Jr. is tendering his resignation as trustee and the claim is made in that event in the amount of $3,170.78 for his terminal commission.

3. In the event the court grants the request of the Pennsylvania Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital, both trustees claim terminal commissions in the amount of $9,512.36, or five percent of the value of the corpus of the trust.

Requested' Requested Interim Terminal Compensation Compensation Total
Bank $3,804.95 $ 9,512.26 $13,317.21
Mr. Rebmann $1,902.47 $ 3,170.78 $ 5,073.25
Total $5,707.42 $12,683.04 $18,390.46

Counsel for the parties have filed with the court a stipulation of facts and the facts herein recited are taken from that stipulation.

Alice M. Pender died on December 31, 1947, leaving a will dated April 16, 1937, which was duly probated, and G. Ruhland Rebmann, Jr. and The Pennsylvania Banking and Trust Company (formerly The Pennsylvania Company for Banking and Trusts) qualified as executors. By Item Fifth of her will, testatrix [268]*268directed that her residuary estate be held by her trustees in trust for the benefit of Dorothy E. Clark (later Brewer) for her lifetime subject only to an annuity of $40 per month to the brother of testatrix, Miles L. Matthews, for his lifetime. Miles L. Matthews died on September 12, 1948, and Dorothy E. Clark Brewer, the life tenant, died on November 21, 1971. Her death was the occasion for the present account. Item Fifth of the will, in parts here pertinent, provides as follows:

“(c) Upon the death of the said MILES L. MATTHEWS and the said DOROTHY E. CLARK, I do direct that the trust shall continue but that all of the income shall then be paid to the INSTITUTE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL which is now maintained at 49th and Market Streets in the City of Philadelphia, to be used, however, exclusively for research along the lines of emotional maladjustment, with particular reference to the period from forty to sixty years, in the lives of men, or if this line of research has been exhaustively followed, then the income may be used for any other line of scientific inquiry which may be recommended by the Director.”

The will contained no reference to compensation for the trustees. Moreover, no separate inter vivos agreement between testatrix and the trustees exist as to their compensation.

Mr. Rebmann and the bank were awarded compensation for their services upon the executors’ first account in the amount of $4,080 principal commission and $65.34 income commission. By adjudication of Holland, P. J., dated October 21, 1948, the residuary estate in the approximate amount of $60,000 was awarded to Mr. Rebmann and the bank as trustees of testamentary trust and from October 1948 to the present the trustees have administered the trust [269]*269pursuant to the terms of the will. During the period of the trustees’ management, the corpus has grown from approximately $60,000 to its present value of over $176,000.

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Bluebook (online)
68 Pa. D. & C.2d 265, 1974 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pender-estate-pactcomplmontgo-1974.