Second National Bank v. First National Bank

289 Mass. 368
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedJanuary 31, 1935
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 289 Mass. 368 (Second National Bank v. First National Bank) 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
Second National Bank v. First National Bank, 289 Mass. 368 (Mass. 1935).

Opinion

Pierce, J.

This is an appeal by The First National Bank of Boston from a decree of the Probate Court for the county of Suffolk on a petition for instructions filed by The Second National Bank of Boston as trustee under the will of Helena M. Kent.

The testatrix died in April, 1917, and her will and one codicil were proved and allowed on May 17, 1917. She was a widow at the time of her death, and her heirs at law and next of kin were Esther H. Baker, a sister; the four children of Ezra H. Baker, a deceased brother; and the [370]*370three children of Sara C. Barstow, a deceased sister. Mary E. Simonds, the life tenant, died in August, 1932.

On October 9, 1930, Ezra B. Barstow executed an assignment of all his interest under the will of Helena M. Kent to The Atlantic National Bank of Boston, which subsequently transferred all its assets to The First National Bank of Boston. The First National Bank of Boston now claims an interest in the bequest under article Tenth, hereafter quoted in part, as successor assignee of Ezra B. Barstow, and otherwise makes no claim to the principal or income, the distribution of which is here involved.

The said Ezra B. Barstow left a will, the executors of which are the Old Colony Trust Company and S. Parkman Shaw, junior. By the fifth article of this will, which was probated and allowed on January 20, 1932, Ezra B. Barstow executed the testamentary power of appointment given him by article Fourth (c) of Helena M. Kent’s will, appointing thereby one half of his interest under the Kent will to his wife and one half to the Old Colony Trust Company and S. Parkman Shaw, junior, as trustees for certain purposes.

Rogers L. Barstow, junior, a beneficiary under the trust created by article Fourth (b) of the will of Helena M. Kent, executed on March 18, 1926, an assignment of his interest under the will to one Mabel J. Martin. The Detroit Trust Company, executor under the will of Mabel J. Martin, claims an interest in said trust fund. The Detroit Trust Company, although named as respondent, did not appear and the bill was taken as confessed as to it.

The testatrix by article Tenth of her will left the residue of her estate to Charles M. Baker and Ezra Henry Baker, as trustees, to pay the net income to one Mary E. Simonds for life, "and upon the death of said Mary E. Simonds to divide the trust fund with all accumulations thereof into two equal parts, and assign, transfer and convey one part thereof to the persons named in Articles Second, Third and Fourth of this my will, and in proportion to the sums therein mentioned.” Articles Second, Third, and Fourth are as follows: "Second. I give to my sister, Esther H. Baker, Fifteen thousand dollars; to my nephew [371]*371Charles M. Baker, Ten Thousand dollars; to my nephew Ezra Henry Baker, Ten Thousand dollars; to my nephew Arthur M. Baker, Ten Thousand dollars; — if they respectively survive me. Third. I give to my niece Esther Mary Hitchcock, Ten thousand dollars. Fourth, (a) I give to my Trustees hereinafter named Twenty-five thousand dollars for my niece Alice R. Barstow, the same to be held and managed and the net income therefrom in each year paid to her semiannually or oftener as most convenient, for and during the term of her natural life, and upon the death of said Alice R. Barstow, the principal of said trust fund with any accumulated income, shall be disposed of according to her last will and testament, if she leaves any will, and if she leaves no will, then to her issue who survive her, if she leaves surviving issue, such issue taking per stirpes and not per capita, and if said Alice shall leave no will and no issue who survive her then said trust fund with all accumulations, shall be paid and transferred to and among her surviving brothers and the issue who survive her of any deceased brother or brothers of hers who may have died before her, taking per stirpes and not per capita.” By subparagraph (b) $10,000 is given to the trustees for the benefit of Rogers L. Barstow, junior, and by subparagraph (c) $10,000 is given to the trustees for the benefit of Ezra B. Barstow, under the same conditions as those set forth in subparagraph (a).

Article Ninth named Charles M. Baker and Ezra Henry Baker trustees under the will, and defined their powers. The Second National Bank of Boston was appointed trustee under said will on June 16, 1927, and qualified by giving bond. This appointment is still in force. The Second National Bank of Boston is also trustee of the trusts created by article Fourth, and in its capacity as such has been named and has appeared as a respondent.

The petition asked for instructions on the following matters: “(a) . . . as to whom and in what proportions your petitioner should distribute the half of the principal of the trust fund which it holds under the tenth article of said will, and which by the terms of said will is to be assigned, transferred and conveyed to the persons named in articles [372]*372Second, Third and Fourth of said will; (b) . . . as to whom and in what proportions it should distribute the sum of $1,238.64, consisting of items of undistributed income as set forth in paragraphs 17 and 18 of this petition.” The undistributed income referred to in paragraphs 17 and 18 consists of the following items: dividends and interest payable and paid prior to Mary E. Simonds’ death — $265.64; dividends declared to stockholders of record prior to Mary E. Simonds’ death but payable and paid thereafter — $38; interest which accrued partly before and partly after Mary E. Simonds’ death, paid after her death — • $935. This last item, if treated as earned from day to day and apportioned as of Mary E. Simonds’ death, would divide as follows: earned prior to her death — $456.55; earned after her death — $478.45.

After hearing, the Probate Court ruled as follows: 1. The remainders after the death of Mary E. Simonds vested at the death of the testatrix. (Citing Brown v. Spring, 241 Mass. 565, 568.) 2. The gifts over to the “persons named” go in the cases of the trusts set up in the fourth article to trustees and not directly to the named cestuis of the trusts. (Citing Worcester Trust Co. v. Turner, 210 Mass. 115, 123.) Since the trustees and not the beneficiaries take under this article the assignments failed. 3. The undistributed income accumulated before and after the death of Mary E. Simonds became a part of the principal of the trust fund, the words “to divide the trust fund with all accumulations thereof” being so construed as to remove the case from the operation of G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 197, § 27. Thereupon the Probate Court ordered, decreed and instructed the petitioner in the manner following: “ (a) The petitioner should distribute the one half of the principal of the trust fund which it holds under the tenth article of said will and which by the terms of said will is to be assigned, transferred and conveyed to the persons named in articles Second, Third and Fourth of said will as follows: fifteen hundredths thereof to Arthur M. Baker, executor of the will of Esther H. Baker; ten hundredths thereof to Edith C. Baker, executrix of the will of Charles M. Baker; ten hundredths thereof to Gertrude [373]*373Baker, executrix of the will of Ezra Henry Baker; ten hundredths thereof to Arthur M. Baker; ten hundredths thereof to Esther Mary Hitchcock; twenty-five hundredths thereof to be held by the petitioner, The Second National Bank of Boston, upon and applied to the trust under subdivision (a) of article Fourth of said will of Helena M.

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Bluebook (online)
289 Mass. 368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/second-national-bank-v-first-national-bank-mass-1935.