Satterfield v. Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co.

272 A.D.2d 127

This text of 272 A.D.2d 127 (Satterfield v. Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Satterfield v. Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co., 272 A.D.2d 127 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

Harris, J.

Submission of a controversy pursuant to sections 546-548 of the Civil Practice Act.

The parties hereto have entered into a stipulation of admitted facts, which facts are summarized as follows: John Satterfield, paternal grandfather of John P. Satterfield (known herein, as the plaintiff), died April 5, 1894, leaving him surviving his widow, the grandmother of the plaintiff, Matilda M. Satterfield, and the only issue of their marriage John Martin Satterfield, father of the plaintiff, and Marie Q-retchen Satterfield, later known as Marie Saunderson (who died February 27,1946), sister [129]*129of John Martin Satterfield. John Satterfield, the grandfather, left a last will and testament which was duly admitted. This last will and testament, among other matters, left to his widow, Matilda M. Satterfield, a power of appointment (in article Seventh thereof) as to a certain portion of his estate. Under such last will and testament of John Satterfield, certain other portions of his estate through the death of John Martin Satterfield, which predated that of his mother Matilda M. Satterfield, became distributable to the plaintiff and to his sister, Elaine Satterfield Cook. Elaine Satterfield Cook died December 23, 1939, leaving her surviving Charles Beckwith Cook, her husband, and their only issue Charles Beckwith Cook, Jr., and Rachel S. Satterfield Cook, both being now minors in age. Matilda M. Satterfield, the plaintiff’s grandmother, to whom thé power of appointment was given under the will of her husband, John Satterfield, died September 11, 1944. Early in the year 1932, and subsequent to the death of the plaintiff’s father, John Martin Satterfield, the grandmother Matilda M. Satterfield expressed to the plaintiff and to his sister Elaine Satterfield Cook, her deep concern because, due to the fact that their father, John Martin Satterfield, had predeceased the grandmother, that portion of certain properties which John Martin Satterfield would have taken if he had survived his mother, passed to the plaintiff and to his sister, Elaine Satterfield Cook, and thus Rachel P. Satterfield, the mother of John P. and Elaine, would be left without provision unless the grandmother, Matilda M. Satterfield, exercised the power of appointment given her by the will of her husband, John Satterfield. She stated to these two grandchildren that she was considering exercising the power of appointment in order to make provision for their mother, Rachel P. Satterfield. As an inducement to Matilda M. Satterfield so that she would not exercise the power of appointment, and in order to make proper provision for Rachel P. Satterfield, their mother, the two children each executed a separate trust agreement transferring to the defendant, as trustee, all of his and her right in the estate of the grandfather, John Satterfield. The court is concerned here with the trust agreement made by the plaintiff to the defendant. Such trust agreement entered into on the 14th day of May, 1932, between the plaintiff and the defendant, recited that it was made “ without reservation or power of revocation,” and further provided that during the lifetime of Rachel P. Satterfield the income and profits from such trust should be paid [130]*130by the defendant, the trustee, to Eachel P. Satterfield, in quarterly installments or of tener, and that “ Upon the death of Eachel P. Satterfield this trust shall cease and the Trustee shall distribute and pay over the trust funds and securities remaining in its hands unto the Donor if he be then living, and, if not, then to the issue of the Donor, per stirpes; and if there be no issue of the Donor, then to the heirs at law of the Donor in accordance with the statutes of the State of New York as the same exist at the date of the execution of this instrument.” Matilda M. Satterfield was informed of the creation of the two trust agreements, one by John P. Satterfield, and the other by Elaine Satterfield Cook, and, thereafter, provided in her will, which ivas probated after her death, as follows: I hereby elect not to exercise the power of appointment vested in me by Article Seventh of the Last Will and Testament of my late husband, John Satterfield, and declare it to be my intention that I shall die intestate as to the property referred to in said Article.” At the time of the execution of this trust agreement, the plaintiff was twenty-six years of age, a resident of the State of New York, unmarried and without issue. He has since married and lives with his wife in the State of Connecticut, but has no issue.

Eachel P. Satterfield is now upwards of sixty-six years of age. Under date of September 23, 1946, there was addressed to and delivered to the defendant, the Trustee, an instrument in writing, signed by John P. Satterfield, which contained the following: “ Dear Sirs: In accordance with the provisions of Section 23 of the Personal Property Law of the State of New York, and upon the written consent of Eachel P. Satterfield, the only person beneficially interested in a certain trust made by me as donor with the M & T Trust Company, now known as the Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, under a trust agreement dated May 14, 1932, I do hereby revoke the said trust as to the whole thereof and I do hereby further demand from the said Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company the delivery to me of all property heretofore by me assigned, transferred and set over for the purposes of the said trust. Very truly yours, Johkt P. Satterfield ” and another instrument dated October 3, 1946, signed by Eachel P. Satterfield, which contained the following: Dear Sirs: Pursuant to Section 23 of the Personal Property Law of the State of New York, I, Eachel P. Satterfield, beneficiary under a trust agreement dated May 14, 1932, made by John P. Satter[131]*131field, donor, and the M & T Trust Company, now known as Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, do hereby consent to the revocation of the said trust as to the whole thereof. Very truly.yours, Rachel P. Satterfield.” By these instruments John P. Satterfield, the plaintiff, and his mother, Rachel P. Satterfield, named beneficiary under the trust agreement of May 14, 1932, desired to and did consent to the, revocation of the said trust agreement made by John P. Satterfield for the benefit of his mother, Rachel P. Satterfield. The defendant-trustee has refused to comply with the demand for revocation of such trust agreement, but would not be unwilling to comply with the same providing the trust could be revoked without the consent of the minor children of Elaine Satterfield Cook, Charles Beckwith Cook, Jr., and Rachel S. Cook, who, due to their minority in age, may not consent to any attempted revocation of the trust agreement.

The controversy submitted for a decision is whether upon the foregoing stated facts the plaintiff, John P. Satterfield, is entitled to judgment that the trust agreement dated May 14, 1932, in which Ms mother, Rachel P. Satterfield, is designated as beneficiary, and the trust thereunder has been validly revoked, and whether the plaintiff is entitled to the delivery to him of the principal of such trust as demanded by him from the defendant and consented to by Rachel P. Satterfield.

It is to be noted that the stipulation of admitted facts recites that the parties hereto for the purposes of this action and submission only ” submit the same to the court for decision. In such a submission as this before the court, all the facts necessary to a complete determination of a controversy must be stipulated (Haase v. Title Guarantee & Trust Company, 269 App. Div. 319, affd. without opinion, 295 N. Y. 761; Rushing v.

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Bluebook (online)
272 A.D.2d 127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/satterfield-v-manufacturers-traders-trust-co-nyappdiv-1947.