Starck v. Goodman

6 N.E.2d 503, 288 Ill. App. 347, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 542
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 27, 1937
DocketGen. No. 38,850
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 6 N.E.2d 503 (Starck v. Goodman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Starck v. Goodman, 6 N.E.2d 503, 288 Ill. App. 347, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 542 (Ill. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Hebel

delivered the opinion of the court.

This action comes here on appeal by the plaintiff from a decree dismissing plaintiff’s bill of complaint for want of equity. The proceeding instituted by the plaintiff was to foreclose the lien of a trust deed upon the property therein described securing the payment of a principal promissory note for the sum of $8,000. The note and trust deed was executed by Anna Goodman, a defendant in the proceeding. Anna G-oodman was named a testamentary trustee by the terms of the last will and testament of Max Goodman, deceased.

Anna Goodman, at the time of the execution of the trust deed was indebted to the Forest Park Trust & Savings Bank, the grantee named in the trust deed as trustee, in the sum of $2,900, this amount being the personal indebtedness of Anna Goodman. The note and trust deed were sold by the bank to the plaintiff, and out of the proceeds from the sale the personal obligation was paid, and the balance credited to Anna Goodman’s account in this bank.

Certain of the defendants were served by publication and thereafter defaulted.

Upon reference a hearing was had before a master in chancery of the superior court of Cook county, and a decree was entered by the court for the amount due because of failure of the defendants or one of them to pay.

The decree provides that a sale may be had and that the described real estate be sold according to the terms of the decree.

Subsequent to the entry of the decree of sale, Pearl Clair and Frances Platt, by consent of the court, filed their intervening petition, which was later amended. The petitioners prayed that they be given leave to file their appearance; that the decree of sale be vacated and that their interest in the real estate be held prior and superior to the rights of the plaintiff, who together with the Forest Park Trust & Savings Bank, is a defendant to the intervening petition. The plaintiff in this action is the holder and owner of the note secured by the trust deed in question. The defendant bank is the owner and holder of the note secured by a second mortgage upon the same real estate and signed by Anna Goodman, as trustee.

At a later date, in the foreclosure proceeding, Samuel Goodman, Jacob Goodman, Albert Goodman, Kate Goodman Cohen, Ida Goodman Keif and Margaret Goodman, also filed an intervening petition, praying for the same relief as that asked for by the original interveners.

To the intervening petitions answers were filed. The petitions were referred to a master in chancery of the court to take testimony and to report the same to the court, together with his conclusions of law and fact. After hearing the evidence submitted, the master filed a report recommending that the intervening petitions be dismissed by the court.

The plaintiff and the intervening petitioners filed objections to the master’s report, which were overruled by the master. The several objections filed were considered by the court as exceptions, and upon consideration the court sustained the exceptions of the intervening petitioners and overruled the objections of the plaintiff.

On February 18, 1936, a decree w.as entered by the court granting the relief prayed for by the intervening petitioners and finding that their interest in the real estate was superior to the rights of the plaintiff and the defendant, receiver, and dismissing the bill of complaint for want of equity. The note and trust deed in question were sold by the bank to the plaintiff before maturity and for a consideration.

The material portions of the last will and testament of Max Goodman, now deceased and who in his lifetime was the husband of Anna Goodman, are as follows:

“Third: I devise and bequeath all my estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever, both real and personal, to which I may be entitled, or which I may have power to dispose of at my decease, unto my dear wife, Anna Goodman, in trust for the following uses and purposes :

“(a) To have absolute and unconditional control and management of all my property, at her best discretion to rent, lease, mortgage or sell any of the real estate and invest and re-invest the proceeds of any sale of real estate and to sell any of the personal property and to invest and re-invest the proceeds of any sale of the personal property.

“ (b) I hereby direct my beloved wife, Anna Goodman, to hold in trust either in cash, or in property, as she may see fit during her lifetime, the following- sums out of my estate, to be paid to my beloved children at her decease by her successor in trust, as set forth in the list headed ‘Bequest to My Beloved Children as Follows. ’ However, it is my desire and I so direct, that all of the income of the following bequests to my beloved children during the lifetime of my beloved wife, Anna Goodman, go to my wife, Anna Goodman, to be held, and to be used as she may see fit for her own comfort, use and benefit.

“Bequests to My Beloved Children as Follows:
To my beloved son Samuel.................$5,000.00
To ray beloved son Jacob...................$5,000.00
To my beloved son Albert..................$5,000.00
To my beloved daughter Fannie Platt.......$3,000.00
To my beloved daughter Pearl Clare........$3,000.00
To my beloved daughter Kate..............$5,000.00
To my beloved daughter Ida................$5,000.00
To my beloved daughter Margaret..........$5,000.00

‘‘ Seventh : I hereby direct that Maurice P. Golden, the successor as Executor and trustee of my dear beloved wife, Anna Goodman, to immediately upon the decease of my beloved wife, or as soon as conveniently may be thereafter, to call in and convert all of the property held by my beloved wife, Anna Goodman, in trust for my beloved children, into cash, and to distribute the same unto my various children, . . .

“Eighth: It is my desire, and I therefore direct and empower my beloved wife, Anna Goodman, to use her discretion in the manner in which to hold the sums provided for my beloved children in trust, and she may hold the same in real property or personal property, or in any other manner at her best discretion. ’ ’

The plaintiff submits that under the terms of the will Anna Goodman, as trustee, took the fee simple title to the real estate owned by the deceased in his lifetime. In support of this position plaintiff relies upon the case of Olcott v. Tope, 213 Ill. 124, and cites excerpts from this opinion, where the court said:

“The estate of a trustee in real estate is commensurate with the powers conferred by the trust and the purposes to be effected by it. ‘If a trustee is required to grant a fee, the fee must be conferred upon him.’ (Lawrence v. Lawrence, 181 Ill. 248-251; Lash v. Lash, 209 Ill. 595-605.) In Kirkland v. Cox, 94 Ill. 400-412, it is said, quoting from Perry on Trusts, sec.

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Bluebook (online)
6 N.E.2d 503, 288 Ill. App. 347, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 542, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/starck-v-goodman-illappct-1937.