Rotch v. Loring

47 N.E. 660, 169 Mass. 190, 1897 Mass. LEXIS 46
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedSeptember 29, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 47 N.E. 660 (Rotch v. Loring) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rotch v. Loring, 47 N.E. 660, 169 Mass. 190, 1897 Mass. LEXIS 46 (Mass. 1897).

Opinion

Field, C. J.

This is a bill for instructions, brought by the administrator with the will annexed of the estate of Benjamin S. Botch, who died on August 19, 1882. The bill relates to the $100,000 which was placed in the care of the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company for the benefit of Arthur Botch, the testator’s son, pursuant to the directions contained in the fourth article of the will. Arthur Botch died testate on August 15,1894, leaving no issue, and the executors of his will are made defendants. Of the other children of the testator who survived him, Edith, Aimée, Annie L., and Abbott Lawrence were living at the time of the filing of the bill, and are made defendants. Edith never married; Aimée has no issue; and Thomas Lamb and Aimée Lamb, the only issue of Annie L., are made defendants, and have appeared and answered by their guardian ad litem. The testator’s wife, Annie B., survived him, but died before the death of Arthur Botch, and the administrator of her estate is made a defendant. The trustees under the will of Benjamin S. Botch are also made defendants. The $100,000 has been paid to the complainant by the Life Insurance Company, and the various claims made upon the complainant are stated as follows. The executors of the will of Arthur Botch contend that whether the $100,000 goes directly to the heirs of Benjamin S. Botch or becomes a part of the residue to be distributed under the residuary clause of his will, one fifth of it vested in Arthur Botch, as of the time of the death of the testator, and that they as such executors are entitled to this one fifth. The administrator of the estate of Annie B. Botch contends that the fund should be distributed among the heirs of Benjamin S. Botch as of the time of his death, and that as such administrator he is entitled to one third of it as the distributive share of the widow of Benjamin S. Botch. The other defendants contend that the fund should be distributed among the heirs of Benjamin S. Botch who were living when Arthur Botch died, the three daughters contending that the fund does not fall into the residue, but that their shares should be paid to them outright, and the trustees under the will of Benjamin S. Botch contending that the fund falls into the residue, and that the shares of the daughters should be paid to the trustees.

The general scheme of the will is as follows. The testator, [193]*193Benjamín S. Botch, makes no pecuniary bequest to his wife, and he gives in the will the following reason therefor: “ As my beloved wife Annie is possessed of an estate sufficient for all her wants, I do not deem it necessary to make her any pecuniary bequest.” He gives to her, in the second article of the will, for her life, or so long as she shall desire to occupy it, his mansion house in Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, and substantially all the household furniture and everything pertaining to the household establishment, to be her absolute property. He also gives to her for her life, or so long as she desires to occupy it, his house and the lot of land surrounding it, in Milton, Massachusetts, with its appurtenances and the household furniture contained in it. He directs that these provisions for the benefit of his wife are to be in lieu of dower, and provides that at and upon the decease of his wife the property given her for life “ is to be disposed of as part of the residue of my estate in the manner hereinafter directed concerning the same ”

In the third article of the will the testator directs his executors to deposit with the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company $100,000 for each of his daughters, Edith, Aimée, and Annie L., each deposit to be held by the company during the life of the daughter for whose benefit it is deposited, the income to be paid annually to the daughter during her natural fife, for her sole and separate use, without the interference of any husband, and without being subject to his debts or control. Then follows this provision: “ Upon the decease of each of my said daughters, the deposit made as aforesaid for her benefit shall be transferred, conveyed, assigned, and paid over to her children then living, and the issue of any deceased child by right of representation ; to have and to hold the same to them and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever. And, in default of any lawful issue then living of such daughter, then the same shall be conveyed, assigned, transferred, and paid over to my heirs at law, as part of the residue of my estate in the manner hereinafter directed concerning the same.”

In the fourth article of the will the testator directs that $100,000 be deposited with the same Life Insurance Company for each of his two sons, Arthur Botch and Abbott Lawrence Botch, to be held by the company “ for the benefit of each son [194]*194respectively, upon the following trusts, namely,” etc. Then follows a provision for the accumulation of the income of the trust fund for his younger son, if he should be a minor at the time of the deposit for his benefit. After the younger son attains full age, the provision for him is the same as that for his older brother, and is substantially as follows. The income of each fund is to be paid to each son during his life annually, for his own use and benefit, free from the control or interference of creditors and from liability in any way for his debts, and without the power of anticipation “ by any sale, pledge, or assignment thereof.” There is a provision “ at and after the decease of each son,” in the event that the son “ shall have left no will, and shall have left a widow,” for the benefit of the widow of such son, which need not be noticed, as Arthur Rotch died testate, and the agreed facts show that his widow is not within the provision. If each son “so dying shall leave a will,” etc., then the direction is, “ in trust to convey, assign, transfer, and pay over the whole of the said trust fund held for the benefit of such son so dying to the children of such deceased son then living, and to the issue of any deceased child by right of representation ; to hold to them, their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever. And in default of any issue or children of such son then living, then in trust to convey, assign, transfer, and pay over the whole of the said trust fund, or the residue, as the case may be, after deducting therefrom such amount, if any, as may be payable to his widow as aforesaid, to my heirs at law, as hereinafter provided ; to have and to hold the same to them, their respective heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever.”

The first paragraph of the fifth or residuary article of the will is as follows: “ All the rest, residue, and remainder of the estate, real and personal, of which I may die seised and possessed, or to which I may at the time of my decease be in any way entitled, of whatsoever the same may consist or wheresoever situated, not herein otherwise disposed of, including all real estate purchased or acquired after the date of this will, and also all such estate, property, funds, and moneys as shall from time to time become part of the residue of my estate, under the provisions of this my will, I give, devise, and bequeath in the manner following,” etc.

[195]*195Before considering the disposition made by the will of this residue, it may be said that the will abounds in superfluous words, and that the style generally is diffuse.

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Related

Thompson v. Clarke
161 N.E. 889 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1928)
Warren v. Morris
143 N.E. 271 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1924)
Rotch v. Lamb
232 Mass. 233 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1919)
Brownell v. Briggs
54 N.E. 251 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1899)
Rotch v. Rotch
53 N.E. 268 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1899)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 N.E. 660, 169 Mass. 190, 1897 Mass. LEXIS 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rotch-v-loring-mass-1897.