Philp v. Trainor

100 So. 2d 181
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedFebruary 7, 1958
Docket264
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 100 So. 2d 181 (Philp v. Trainor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Philp v. Trainor, 100 So. 2d 181 (Fla. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

100 So.2d 181 (1958)

Mary Beeman PHILP, Appellant,
v.
Mary Elgin TRAINOR, and G. Ben Fishback, as trustee, Appellees.

No. 264.

District Court of Appeal of Florida. Second District.

February 7, 1958.
Rehearing Denied February 24, 1958.

Smith & Tipton, Walter E. Smith, Orlando, for appellant.

Maguire, Voorhis & Wells, Raymer F. Maguire, Orlando, for appellee, Mary Elgin Trainor.

Fishback, Williams, Davis & Dominick, Orlando, for appellee, G. Ben Fishback.

ALLEN, Judge.

This is an appeal from a final decree entered in an action by Mary Beeman Philp against Mary Elgin Beeman (now Mary Elgin Trainor) and G. Ben Fishback, as trustee, to have a certain assignment of trust funds by plaintiff to defendant Beeman set aside, which decree upheld the assignment and dismissed the suit.

The appellant assigns the following points of law as involved on the appeal:

1. Whether or not Mary Beeman Philp had the right to assign the income of the Harry L. Beeman trust.

2. Whether or not plaintiff's motion to strike the pleading of estoppel in defendant's answer should have been granted.

3. Whether or not defendant Mary Elgin Trainor proved by competent substantial evidence that Mary Beeman Philp was estopped from questioning the validity of the assignment dated April 1, 1952, in which Mary Beeman Philp as beneficiary of the Harry L. Beeman Trust assigned one-half of the trust income of said trust to Mary Elgin Trainor, not to exceed the sum of $9,000.00 in any one year if plaintiff's proffered exhibit "G" was admissible in evidence.

*182 4. Whether or not Mary Elgin Trainor was estopped from claiming the trust income of the Harry L. Beeman Trust assigned to her by Mary Beeman Philp as beneficiary of said trust under assignment of December 20, 1943, and the assignment of April 1, 1952.

Questions 2, 3, and 4 are important in this appeal only if the lower court was in error in holding that the trust income involved in this appeal was assignable. We are of the opinion that the lower court should be affirmed so we will not further allude to points 2, 3, and 4 hereinabove set forth.

This Court is of the opinion that the only parts of the Beeman trust that may be applicable in consideration of this case are as follows:

"Whereas, The said Trustor is the owner and holder of Five Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety-nine (5899) shares of the Capital Stock of the Beeman Investment Company, a Florida Corporation, and is desirous to make a provision and settlement for the benefit of Mary Beeman, a minor of Orange County, Florida, now aged six years, by a conveyance in Trust of the property hereinafter described, subject, however, to the restrictions, trusts and powers herein contained:
"Whereas, No consideration was given by said Trustee for the designation of it as Trustee but that it has been so designated so that it may receive, collect and disburse all payments made to it as Such Trustee and to manage and administer the trusts, uses and benefits hereinafter specified. The real consideration of this instrument being the love and affection Trustor herein bears for Mary Beeman, minor, grand-daughter and only child of Edwin P. Beeman, deceased, his son.
* * * * * *
"* * * to collect, receive and disburse the proceeds therefrom for the term of this Trust, and to apply the same in its full and uncontrolled discretion for the use and benefit of the said Mary Beeman, minor, for and during her natural life and to the heirs of her body at her death, if such there be. Should she die without issue during the life of her Mother, Mary Elgin Beeman, shall then become the beneficiary of this Trust Estate on the same terms for her life and to the heirs of her body at her death.
"Should the said Mary Elgin Beeman die without such issue, or should she predecease Mary Beeman, minor, who should then die without issue then this estate shall descend to the lawful heirs of Trustor, herein according to Florida Laws of Descent and Distribution.
* * * * * *
"For the term that said Mary Beeman shall remain under legal age the Trustee shall pay over to her legal guardian, or to Trustor herein, the net income received as it may determine, and the receipt of either shall be sufficient acquittance and release of said Trustee for sums so paid. Authority is hereby given said Trustee to regulate the expenses of the beneficiary hereunder so as to provide for proper maintenance of the property and the corpus of this Trust; pay the expense, legal and otherwise, incident to its protection and administration, and to set up, if necessary, in its sound discretion, a reserve fund for the education and any unusual need that might arise. However, the Trustee shall at all times pay over monthly, if convenient, if not all the net income, a sum sufficient for the needs, comfort and maintenance of the beneficiary in the style she has been accustomed, or according to the means in hand."

The General Master, in his report, said in part as follows:

"The language of the Trust Indenture clearly discloses the intention of the Trustor. There is no occasion to *183 resort to parole evidence to ascertain what his intention was. It is clear from the language above quoted from the Trust Indenture that the interest of the beneficiary, Mary Beeman, in the income of the trust during her life time is not limited to her needs for support. The mere expression of the motive of the Trustor to create a trust for her support would not prevent the beneficiary from assigning her interest or her creditors from reaching it. Where the whole of the income is to be paid to the beneficiary or applied to his use, his interest is alienable even though the settlor provides that the trust is created for the support of the beneficiary, unless the settlor manifested an intention that the interest of the beneficiary should not be alienable. The Trust Indenture clearly discloses that it was trustor's intention that the entire net income of the trust should be applied or paid for the use and benefit of Mary Beeman for and during her natural life, and to the heirs of her body at her death, if such there be. The Trustee is directed to apply the whole of the net income for the use of Mary Beeman and not just so much thereof as is necessary for the support of the beneficiary. * * * It is clear from this language that for the term that Mary Beeman shall remain under legal age the Trustee is required to pay to her legal guardian, or to the Trustor, the entire net income of the Trust, and that the receipt of either shall be a sufficient acquittance and release of the Trustee for sums so paid. The discretion vested in the Trustee relates to which of the two persons he shall pay the income, the Trustor or the legal guardian. He has no discretion as to the amount but must pay the entire net income. The second sentence in the paragraph giving the Trustee authority to regulate the expenses of the beneficiary is strictly limited to the accomplishment of stated objectives.

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Bluebook (online)
100 So. 2d 181, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/philp-v-trainor-fladistctapp-1958.