Ryan Estate

30 Pa. D. & C.2d 409
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County
DecidedJune 18, 1963
DocketNo. 2; no. 3447 of 1949
StatusPublished

This text of 30 Pa. D. & C.2d 409 (Ryan Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ryan Estate, 30 Pa. D. & C.2d 409 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1963).

Opinion

Klein, P. J.,

Helen K. Cambios Ryan died on February 22, 1949, without issue, leaving a will which was duly admitted to probate. Letters testamentary were issued to Marie Cambios Kalteyer, testatrix’ sister, who was named executrix and trustee.

Testatrix was survived by her husband, William J. Ryan, who, by writing dated November 30, 1949, elected to take under testatrix’ will, which provided, inter alia:

“4th. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate both real and personal of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situate I leave in trust to my huband William J. Ryan, the income to be paid to him quarterly by my sister Marie Cambios whom I appoint trustee and executrix of my estate.
“5th. At my husband’s, William J. Ryan, death I direct my trustee to pay one half of the principal of my residuary estate to my sister Marie Cambios absolute, and the income from the remaining half of principal to my nephew by marriage William J. Cotter in quarterly payments. If William J. Cotter should die without issue before my sister Marie Cambios then I direct my trustee to pay Marie Cambios his share of principal excepting $50.00 (Fifty Dollars) a month, which if his Mother Mary Ryan Cotter still lives I wish her to receive during her lifetime, the principal to revert to my sister Marie Cambios. If my nephew William J. Cotter leaves issue they shall receive the principal of his share of my estate when the youngest child has attained the age of twenty-one.
[411]*411“5th. (sic) I direct that all payments of principal or income, rents, dividends or profits held in trust shall be held by my trustee and paid only to the beneficiaries mentioned herein so that the same shall at all times be free and clear from the control, debts, liabilities, assignments and engagements now existing or hereafter incurred of the beneficiaries or any of them and of the spouse or spouses they or any of them may now have or hereafter take. Neither principal or income shall be subject to assignment by, nor execution against the beneficiary or beneficiaries of any of them. The receipts of the respective beneficiaries shall be the sole discharge and release of my said trustee.”

An account was filed by the executrix on November 1, 1949, which was confirmed by me by adjudication dated December 20, 1949, in which the residuary balance was awarded “to Marie Cambios Kalteyer in trust for William J. Ryan under the terms and provisions of the will.”

Marie Cambios Kalteyer married Sebastian A. Rudolph on February 7, 1959. She died January 31, 1960, leaving a will, under the provisions of which her entire estate, with the exception of three legacies totalling $1,700, was given to her husband, Sebastian A. Rudolph, who was named executor.

By decree of Shoyer, J., dated July 13, 1960, The First Pennsylvania Banking and Trust Company and W. Horace Hepburn, 3rd, Esq., were appointed substituted trustees under the will of the present testatrix.

On April 28, 1960, Sebastian A. Rudolph, as executor under the will of his wife, the deceased trustee, stated an account which came on for audit before Shoyer, J.

On August 3, 1960, William J. Ryan, testatrix’ surviving husband filed a petition for a citation to show cause why he should not receive an allowance from [412]*412principal under section 2 of the Estates Act of 1947, in which he alleged that he was 85 years of age, “that he is entitled to be made comfortable for the few remaining years of his life,” and that, with “the passing of years and changes in economic conditions, the income to be derived from the trust and other available income is not sufficient to maintain him.” He averred, further:

“12. . . . that the trust has totally failed of its purpose which was to provide him with an income which would permit him to live comfortably for life. Unless the trustees are allowed to expend principal sufficient to maintain him, he will be forced to look to private and governmental charity.”

He therefore requested that he be awarded “from the principal of the trust sufficient principal over and above income so that the amount paid him will be a minimum of $4,378.40, annually.”

In his adjudication, bearing date January 13, 1961, Shoyer, J., said:

“The Auditing Judge is satisfied that the primary purpose of the trust, namely the support and well-being of testatrix’s husband, William J. Ryan, cannot be carried out because the income is inadequate, and that an allowance out of principal will more nearly approximate testatrix’ intention. Accordingly, the trustee is directed to pay William J. Ryan, in addition to the net income, the following amounts out of principal: $250., forthwith and $100 per month, and in addition thereto to pay such medical, nursing and hospital expenses as may reasonably be necessary for his comfort and well-being.”

Exceptions were filed to this adjudication, which were dismissed in an opinion by Saylor, J., filed March 10, 1961, in which, however, the payments allowed out of principal were limited to a total of $25,000, as provided in the Estates Act of 1947. See 24 D. & C. 2d 41. [413]*413An appeal was taken to the Supreme Court. The decree appealed from was affirmed per curiam on Judge Saylor’s opinion, reported in 404 Pa. 230 (1961).

On February 19,1963, a decree was entered by Judge Shoyer upon petition filed by the surviving husband, with the consent of counsel for the trustees, increasing the allowance to him from $100 to $200 per month.

William J. Cotter, testatrix’ nephew by marriage and cestui que trust of one-half of the principal in remainder, died July 11, 1962, leaving no issue, his mother, Mary Ryan Cotter, also entitled to a share of income in remainder, if William J. Cotter should predecease her, having predeceased him on April 25,1950.

In December, 1962, William J. Ryan, the surviving husband, filed another petition in which he alleges:

“12. There are no cestui que trustents who take after the death of your petitioner. Wherefore, the trust has become a dry trust. The remainder of the trust would fall into the Residuary Estate of Helen K. Cam-bios Ryan, of whom the sole surviving heir is your petitioner.”

Accordingly, a citation was issued to the substituted trustees to show cause “why they should not file an account and the trust be terminated.”

After the filing of preliminary objections, answers, reply to new matters and answer to reply, the trustees were directed to file an account.

An account was filed on April 2, 1963, which was called for audit by me on May 13,1963, and is the fund presently accounted for.

The principal thrust of the argument of counsel for the husband appears to be that, by reason of the death of Mary Cambios, decedent’s sister, and William J. Cotter, her husband’s nephew, without issue, as well as of his mother, Mary Ryan Cotter, in the lifetime of the husband, who is alive, all of the beneficiaries who had an interest in the estate are now dead, and, con[414]*414sequently, in spite of the spendthrift limitations, the trust is a dry one and should be terminated and the principal awarded to said husband, the surviving life tenant.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Zoller Estate
96 A.2d 321 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1953)
Brumbach Estate
95 A.2d 514 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1953)
Hope Estate
159 A.2d 197 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1960)
DeAngelis v. Burns
171 A.2d 762 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1961)
Bosler Estate
107 A.2d 443 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1954)
Heyl Estate
43 A.2d 130 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1945)
Baughman's Estate
126 A. 53 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1924)
Rehr v. Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Co.
165 A. 380 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1933)
Van Syckel's Trust
179 A. 721 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1935)
Harrison's Estate
185 A. 766 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1936)
Bowers' Trust Estate
29 A.2d 519 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1942)
Dodson v. Ball
60 Pa. 492 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1869)
Shower's Estate
60 A. 789 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1905)
Morgan'S Estate
72 A. 498 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1909)
Henderson's Estate
102 A. 217 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1917)
Moser's Estate
113 A. 199 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1921)
Sheasley Trust
77 A.2d 448 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 Pa. D. & C.2d 409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ryan-estate-paorphctphilad-1963.