Sherman v. Richmond Hose Co.

186 A.D. 417, 175 N.Y.S. 8, 1919 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6420
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 29, 1919
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 186 A.D. 417 (Sherman v. Richmond Hose 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
Sherman v. Richmond Hose Co., 186 A.D. 417, 175 N.Y.S. 8, 1919 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6420 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1919).

Opinion

De Angelis, J.:

The facts in this lawsuit are stipulated. The dispute arises in the application of the law to the facts.

The will of Adelaide Richmond Kenny contained, among others, the following provisions:

Thirtieth: To Richmond Hose Company, No. 2, of Batavia, I give and bequeath Ten thousand dollars, to be kept at all times intact, and the income derived from the safe and judicious investment thereof to be devoted to the reasonable and proper uses of said company, for whatever purposes its members, acting as an organization, may see fit to direct.”
“ Thirty-fourth: If for any reason the legacies contained in this will to any of the church societies, to the Young Men’s Christian Association, The Woman’s Hospital Association, The Trustees of Union Free School District Number Two of the Town of Batavia, the Batavia Cemetery Association, Richmond Hose Co. No. 2, or the bequest of Six thousand dollars to the Holland Purchase Historical Society, or any [one] or more [419]*419of said legacies, shall lapse or fail, or for any cause not take effect in whole or in part, I give and bequeath the amounts which shall lapse or not take effect to Reverend Addison M. Sherman and Edward W. Atwater of Batavia, New York, or to the survivor in case one of them should die before me. In the use of the same I am satisfied that they would follow what they believe to be my wishes as derived from this will. I impose upon them however no conditions, leaving the same to them absolutely and without condition or restriction.”

Adelaide Richmond Kenny, the testatrix, died February 4, 1905. She was a resident of Batavia (now city of Batavia) in the county of Genesee and State of New York. Her will was dated January 28, 1904, and was probated in the Surrogate’s Court of Genesee county March 20, 1905.

On or about May 10, 1906, the legacy of $10,000 was paid by the sole executor of and trustee under the will to the Richmond Hose Company, No. 2.

Such sole executor, and trustee died and thereafter and on or about June 18, 1915, the defendant Bankers Trust Company of Buffalo, N. Y., was duly appointed administrator with the will annexed of the unadministered assets of the estate of Adelaide Richmond Kenny and sole trustee under her will.

The plaintiff is the Addison M. Sherman referred to in the thirty-fourth item of the will above quoted. Edward W. Atwater mentioned in that item survived the testatrix and '"died September 2, 1910, leaving a will which was duly admitted to probate. Edward C. Atwater, the executor of the will, before the commencement of this action assigned and transferred as such executor any and all interest of Edward W. Atwater and of his estate in the fund of $10,000 and the securities in which the same is invested arising from the bequest in the thirtieth item of the will of Adelaide Richmond Kenny above quoted, to the defendants Edward C. Atwater, Alice Atwater Hickox, Frances Atwater Clapp and William L. Atwater, share and share alike.

At the time of her death Adelaide Richmond Kenny was possessed of property of the value of more than $2,000,000, and she disposed of the same by her will. The principal of the legacy given to Richmond Hose Company, No. 2, is intact, asjier will directed, and is invested in bonds and mortgages.

[420]*420On or about March 31, 1883, Richmond Hose Company, No. 2, was incorporated pursuant to chapter 397 of the Laws of 1873, as amended by chapter 250 of the Laws of 1879, “ for the purpose of aiding and assisting in the extinguishing and suppression of fires in the said village of Batavia.” Section 5 of the statute empowered such corporations to take and hold real or personal property bequeathed or devised to them. This statute was amended by chapter 27 of the Laws of 1890 and, so far as material, was repealed when the Membership Corporations Law was adopted by chapter 559 of the Laws of 1895 (Gen. Laws, chap. 43), except sections 5 and 11, which latter section had been added to the original act by the amendment contained in chapter 250 of the Laws of 1879. Sections 65 and 66 of the Membership Corporations Law of 1895 provided the substitute for the former law upon the subject. The present Membership Corporations Law was adopted by chapter 40 of the Laws of 1909 (Consol. Laws, chap. 35) and sections 100 to 105 inclusive, as amended by chapter 595 of the Laws of 1916, take the place of sections 65 and 66 of the former law and of section 5 of the act of 1873.

The city of Batavia superseded the village of Batavia on the ' 1st day of January, 1915, by virtue of the votes of a majority of the qualified electors of the village cast at a special election held June 9, 1914, pursuant to chapter 354 of the Laws of 1914 which act contains the charter of the city. Title VI of the charter (§§90 to 94 inclusive) provided for the establishment of a fire department for the city. Section 92 required the continuance of the use, for the time being, of the fire companies forming the fire department of the village which included Richmond Hose Company, No. 2. Pursuant to section 94, as amended by chapter 249 of the Laws of 1915, the taxpayers of the city adopted an ordinance at an election held February 15, 1916, to establish a paid fire department. Thereafter and on March 15, 1916, the common council passed a resolution, to take effect April 1, 1916, disbanding the volunteer fire organizations of the city which included Richmond Hose Company, No. 2, and instructing the city clerk to notify Richmond Hose Company, No. 2, of the passage of the resolution. The city clerk on the 17th day of March, 1916, gave such hose company notice of such resolution.

[421]*421By virtue of subdivision c of section 3 of the charter of the city of Batavia the village of Batavia was dissolved and the city succeeded to and became vested with all the rights and property of the village.

Subdivision a of section 3 of the charter clothed the corporation with the right to “ take by gift, grant, bequest and devise, and hold real and personal estate in trust or perpetuity for any purpose of education, art, health, charity, * * * or other public use, upon such terms as may be prescribed by the grantor or donor and accepted by said corporation.”

Subdivision 3 of section 20 of the General City Law (Consol. Laws, chap. 21 [Laws of 1909, chap. 26], as added by Laws of 1913, chap. 247) empowers a city “ to take by gift, grant, bequest or devise and to hold and administer real and personal, property within and without the limits of the city, absolutely or in trust for any public or municipal purpose, upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the grantor or donor and accepted by the city.” Section 21 of the General City Law (as added by Laws of 1913, chap. 247) provides that the term public or municipal purpose,” as used above shall include the promotion of education, art, beauty, charity, * * * safety,” etc.

At the time of the dissolution of the village of Batavia its charter was embraced in chapter 140 of the Laws of 1853, as amended by chapter 195 of the Laws of 1884 and various other acts.

On the 26th day of March, 1916, pursuant to a resolution adopted by its members at a meeting held for that purpose in view of the action of the common council, Richmond Hose Company, No. 2, sold substantially all of its personal property except bonds and mortgages.

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Bluebook (online)
186 A.D. 417, 175 N.Y.S. 8, 1919 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sherman-v-richmond-hose-co-nyappdiv-1919.