State v. Colman

187 Wash. 312
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 20, 1936
DocketNo. 25995
StatusPublished

This text of 187 Wash. 312 (State v. Colman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Colman, 187 Wash. 312 (Wash. 1936).

Opinions

Tolman, J.

George A. Colman died testate in the city of Seattle on January 10, 1933, being then of the age of seventy-one years. His will was duly admitted to probate, an inventory was filed, and an appraisal of the assets of the estate was duly made.

Thereafter, William H. Pemberton, as supervisor of the inheritance tax and escheat division of the state government, filed in the cause what is denominated as “Exceptions to Appraisement and Petition for Order Adjudicating Amount of Inheritance Tax.” By this pleading, specific objections were made to the valuation placed upon certain common stock belonging to the estate and charges were made to the effect that the inheritance tax report filed by the executor showed, [314]*314(a) too great deduction for executors’ fees, (b) a deduction for Federal estate tax paid under the 1932 act, (c) that certain property passing under the will had not been inventoried or appraised, and (d) that, previous to his death, the decedent had transferred certain properties in contemplation of death, or intended to take effect after his death, (1) to a charity trust, the gift being of the value of $257,556.30 distributable to an institution or institutions without the state, and (2) a gift of the value of $643,890.75 to Kenneth B. Colman, a nephew, in trust for the benefit of himself and others.

The answer to the petition consists of appropriate admissions and denials, together with certain affirmative allegations not now requiring special mention. The issues thus represented were tried to the court, resulting in an order and decree which is adverse to the four principal and important claims set forth in the petition.

The superviso]? has appealed, and by his assignments of error he attacks so much of the decree as exempts from the inheritance tax the gift to Kenneth B. Col-man, or to the so-called family trust and the gift to the charity trust. The authorized deduction of twenty thousand dollars as executor’s fees and the deduction of the amount paid as Federal estate tax are both likewise questioned.

Whether or not the gifts referred to are taxable, is, to a considerable extent, a question of fact. Therefore, a brief, but, so far as possible, comprehensive, statement of the established facts must be attempted.

The deceased was born December 10, 1861, and was therefore two months past sixty-eight years of age at the time the first gift was made. He was a bachelor, very much devoted to his immediate family, which consisted of his mother, who survives him, his brother Laurence, his nephew Kenneth, and his niece Isabel. [315]*315Mr. Colman was a man of large means, but apparently of simple tastes and habits. His life was devoted to his duties as an officer and stockholder in the J. M. Colman Company, a family corporation, and his wealth apparently arose from the interest in that business which he inherited from his father, plus the increase due to the industry and ability of himself and his brother.

The nephew, Kenneth Colman, was the only young man in the family, and he became connected with the family corporation as an employee immediately after leaving college, working in close association with his uncle, the decedent. On two previous occasions, Mr. Colman had given to Kenneth five shares of stock and a similar amount to his niece Isabel.

On February 10, 1930, just two months after he became sixty-eight years of age, Mr. Colman called his nephew Kenneth into his office and presented him with one hundred fifteen shares of the capital stock of the J. M. Colman Company, saying to the young man, in effect, that he had been with the company quite a while, was now acquainted with its business and with its aims and standards, and had learned to make proper use of money so that, as invested capital, it might be of value, not only to the owner, but to those to whom it might furnish employment and to the community in which the industry was located. He then said:

“I am transferring 115-more of my shares to you, which makes you holding 125, and gives you a real interest in the company; and I believe a man always works better for a thing he has an interest in or part ownership in. And I think you are able to carry out the same purposes that your father and I have carried out. . . .You have been here some time, and you will be taking more responsibility as time goes on. Now you will have a real part in it, and you will show more interest in it. ’ ’

[316]*316He also indicated that, being a bachelor, he had less exemption from the Federal income tax, and that the nephew, a married man, would be more fortunate in that respect. At that time, a certificate for this stock was made out and delivered to Kenneth, and it remained in his possession and standing in his name upon the books of the corporation until the September following. At the time the gift was made in February, no conditions were imposed and no mention was made of any trust. There is no ground for holding that the gift was not an outright and absolute one at the time when made.

Later on, a suggestion came from outside the family that, if the stock were placed in trust for the benefit of Kenneth for life and then to his children and other beneficiaries, such an arrangement would decrease the inheritance taxes at the time of the death of Kenneth. Acting upon this plan, a declaration of trust was prepared and executed on September 16,1930, by George A. Colman, as donor, and Kenneth Colman, as trustee. Kenneth then endorsed and surrendered the certificate for the 115 shares which his uncle had previously given him, and a new certificate therefor was issued to him as trustee.

The instrument recited that, on or about February 10, 1930, the stock had been transferred in contemplation of the trust agreement. This recital appears to be untrue in fact and probably was placed in the instrument by the scrivener without a full understanding of the facts. If a trust was thus established, it drew its existence not from, any act of George Colman, but wholly from the acts of Kenneth.

At the same time and on September 16, 1930, Laurence J. Colman, the decedent’s brother and business associate, created what is known as the Colman charity fund by executing a declaration of trust, as donor, [317]*317to himself, his brother George, and his son Kenneth, as trustees. The instrument provided that other members of the immediate family might thereafter make gifts to the charity fund. At the time this instrument was executed, the donor Laurence transferred one share of his stock of the J. M. Colman Company to the trust and the mother of George and Laurence transferred forty-six shares of her stock to the trust.

Thereafter, on January 27, 1931, George Colman transferred to the charity fund, from his holdings, forty-six shares of stock of the J. M. Colman Company, leaving him the owner of sixty-nine shares of capital stock of that company, which he continued to hold until the time of his death. A few months later, the deceased executed his last will, by the terms of which he left all of his property to his mother.

Thus, it will be seen that the gift to Kenneth Colman was not made within two years prior to the decedent’s death, but that the so-called family trust was established and the contribution by him to the charity fund both occurred within two years prior to the decedent’s death; and, under the terms of Rem. Rev. Stat., § 11201-a [P. C.

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

Related

State Ex Rel. McCoske v. Kinnear
261 P. 795 (Washington Supreme Court, 1927)
In Re Culver's Estate
53 P.2d 302 (Washington Supreme Court, 1936)
In Re Brookes' Estate
52 P.2d 307 (Washington Supreme Court, 1936)
In Re Carvill's Estate
44 P.2d 768 (Washington Supreme Court, 1935)
Padden v. Thatcher
196 P. 10 (Washington Supreme Court, 1921)
State v. Spokane
211 P. 734 (Washington Supreme Court, 1922)
Batchelor v. Palmer
224 P. 685 (Washington Supreme Court, 1924)
Stetson-Post Mill Co. v. Brown
59 P. 507 (Washington Supreme Court, 1899)
In re Donnellan
95 P. 1085 (Washington Supreme Court, 1908)
Bradley Engineering & Machinery Co. v. Muzzy
103 P. 37 (Washington Supreme Court, 1909)
State v. George
146 P. 378 (Washington Supreme Court, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 Wash. 312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-colman-wash-1936.