San Antonio Loan & Trust Co. v. Hamilton

283 S.W.2d 19, 155 Tex. 52, 4 Oil & Gas Rep. 1557, 1955 Tex. LEXIS 589
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 20, 1955
DocketA-4974
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 283 S.W.2d 19 (San Antonio Loan & Trust Co. v. Hamilton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
San Antonio Loan & Trust Co. v. Hamilton, 283 S.W.2d 19, 155 Tex. 52, 4 Oil & Gas Rep. 1557, 1955 Tex. LEXIS 589 (Tex. 1955).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Smith

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The will of John B. Hildebrandt was duly probated in Bexar County, Texas. The will contained the following provision:

“I give, devise and bequeath to my wife, Barbara Hilde-brandt, the entire income of all my property, both real and personal, to. be used by her and for her benefit during her lifetime, * * * and, upon the death of my said wife, I desire that all the remainder of my property, real, personal and mixed, be divided between the following named persons or their survivors, share and share alike * * * .”

Eighteen persons were named as remaindermen. Four of these [54]*54died prior to the death of the life tenant, Mrs. Hildebrandt, who died testate on October 28, 1952. The respondents, Leslie J. Hamilton and Frances Hamilton, were and are the sole beneficiaries under the last will and testament of Mrs. Barbara Hilde-brandt. Leslie J. Hamilton is the independent executor of the will and estate of Barbara Hildebrandt.

After the will of John B. Hildebrandt was probated a suit was filed in the District Court of Bexar County, Texas, by Barbara Hildebrandt, the life tenant, against the fourteen surviving remaindermen, and on May 5, 1924, a judgment was entered appointing the San Antonio Loan & Trust Company as Trustee of “all the notes, money and personal property set apart to the estate of John B. Hildebrandt, deceased, in said decree to invest, manage, and control the same for and during the natural life of Barbara Hildebrandt, the life tenant under the will of her husband, John B. Hildebrandt, deceased; said decree provided that, after retaining out of the income from the same the fees allowed executors by law, said Trustee shall pay the remainder of the entire income of the property in its hands as such Trustee to the said Barbara Hildebrandt for her use and benefit, and after her death said Trustee shall dispose of said notes, money and personal property in accordance with the terms of the last will and testament of the said John B. Hildebrandt, deceased, and as heretofore ordered by this Court.”

The San Antonio Loan & Trust Company filed this suit against the two named beneficiaries under the will of Mrs. Barbara Hildebrandt, and the fourteen remaindermen alleging that a controversy existed between the beneficiaries of the life tenant and the remaindermen as to the ownership of certain property in possession of the Trustee and that it was necessary that this issue be determined in order that it could make a final distribution of such property, and it further requested the court to approve its “accounting as Trustee” and that the trust be terminated.

The cause was tried to the court without the intervention of a jury on an agreed statement of facts. The trial court entered its judgment awarding the property to the remaindermen and directed the Trustee to deliver to said remaindermen all of the property, real and personal, then in the possession of said Trustee.

The judgment allowed the Trustees to retain the sum of $676.21 to cover income taxes theretofore paid by the Trustee, [55]*55and the further sum of $500.00 as attorney’s fees. All relief sought by the parties and not specifically decreed was denied, and all costs was adjudged against the defendants, Leslie J. Hamilton, individually, and as independent executor of the estate of Barbara Hildebrandt, and Frances Hamilton. This judgment has been reversed and remanded by the Court of Civil Appeals. 272 S.W. 2d 384.

The judgment of May 5, 1924, appointing the San Antonio Loan & Trust Company trustee, placed in trust a certain note in the sum of $1,300.00. That note was secured by liens on a tract of land consisting of 97.7 acres situated in Colorado County, Texas, which is fully described in the judgment of the trial court. On the 11th day of January, 1932, the Trustee filed suit in the District Court of Bexar County against the makers of the $1,300.00 note. The agreed statement of facts in the present case recites that “the case was not disposed of until the 16th day of March, 1937, at which [time] judgment was entered for the sum of $2,557.83, of which $1,300.00 was principal and $1,257.83 was interest.” The stipulation further recites that the judgment contained the following: “* * * but no personal judgment is rendered herein for any sum of money against the defendants or any of them; and it is hereby ordered, adjudged and decreed that said deed of trust lien as it existed February 1, 1923, and at all times since said date is hereby established and foreclosed as against all of said defendants.” It was further stipulated that “sale was made under this judgment, and at the Sheriffs sale the said tract of 97.7 acres of land in Colorado County, Texas, was bid in by San Antonio Loan and Trust Company, Trustee, upon a bid of $1,500.00. The Sheriff’s deed is dated May 4, 1937, * * * that the Trustee of the Estate of John B. Hildebrandt in 1937 paid out of principal the following items in connection with the foreclosure suit * * * :

“1937
April 3 Denman, Franklin & Denman
May 13 U. S. Revenue Stamps on Sheriff’s Deed
May 13 Sheriff, Colorado County
May 15 County Clerk, Colorado County
May 24 District Clerk, Bexar County
$50.00
1.50
42.80
1.50
21.50
$117.30”

Since obtaining title to the land the Trustee has executed [56]*56two oil and gas leases thereon and received $9,770.00 in bonus payments. The bonus payments have been invested in United States Savings Bonds, and the interest thereon and the rentals received, as provided in the leases, were paid to Mrs. Barbara Hildebrandt. The Trustee has fully discharged its duty by paying all income to the life tenant in accordance with the last will and testament of John B. Hildebrandt. The Trustee admittedly has in its possession the tract of land above mentioned as well as the bonus payments now in the form of United States Savings Bonds.

The petitioners contend that the rule announced in the cases of Re West’s Estate, 289 N. Y. 423, 46 N.E. 2d 501; 149 A.L.R. 1365; Equitable Trust Co. v. Swoboda, (1933) 113 N. J. Eq. 399, 167 A. 525 and Van Vleck v. Lounsberry, 1885, 34 Hun., N. Y. 569 should control, and under authority of those cases this Court should hold in the case at bar that when a mortgage in default is foreclosed and title to the property is acquired by the trustee, the original mortgage investment is at an end and a salvage operation is initiated. The real property thus acquired is substituted for the mortgage in the hands of the trustee and takes on the character of personality. The petitioners further contend that the life tenant had no interest in or title to the note, and that the tract of land, which took the place of the note, remained at all times a part of the corpus of the estate ; that the life tenant was paid all the income received by the trustee, and that upon her death, the petitioners-remaindermen were entitled to all the property, including the tract of land involved as well as the bonus payments.

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

Related

Berthelot v. Brinkmann
322 S.W.3d 365 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
VanAlstine v. Swanson
417 N.W.2d 516 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1987)
Interfirst Bank Dallas, N.A. v. Risser
739 S.W.2d 882 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Estate of Lee v. Ring
734 S.W.2d 123 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Estate of Oldham v. Campbell
217 F. Supp. 819 (N.D. Texas, 1963)
Robinett v. Commissioner
1962 T.C. Memo. 103 (U.S. Tax Court, 1962)
R. O. De Witt v. W. H. Sorenson
288 F.2d 455 (Fifth Circuit, 1961)
San Antonio Loan & Trust Co. v. Hamilton
283 S.W.2d 19 (Texas Supreme Court, 1955)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
283 S.W.2d 19, 155 Tex. 52, 4 Oil & Gas Rep. 1557, 1955 Tex. LEXIS 589, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/san-antonio-loan-trust-co-v-hamilton-tex-1955.