State v. the Cleveland Trust Co., Admr.

15 N.E.2d 640, 58 Ohio App. 16, 26 Ohio Law. Abs. 340, 11 Ohio Op. 420, 1937 Ohio App. LEXIS 274
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 31, 1937
DocketNo 15630
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 15 N.E.2d 640 (State v. the Cleveland Trust Co., Admr.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. the Cleveland Trust Co., Admr., 15 N.E.2d 640, 58 Ohio App. 16, 26 Ohio Law. Abs. 340, 11 Ohio Op. 420, 1937 Ohio App. LEXIS 274 (Ohio Ct. App. 1937).

Opinions

OPINION

By GUERNSEY, J.

This is an appeal on questions of law from a judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Albert J. Gilchrist died testate in 1926. His will was probated in the Probate Court oi Cuyahoga County, Ohio, on September 22. 1.926, and on the same day The Guardian Trust Company, an Ohio corporation with trust powers, was appointed executor.

At the time of his death the decedent was the owner of one hundred shares of The Guardian Trust Company stock. Fifty shares was paid to his wife as a legatee, leaving fifty shares remaining in the estate. These fifty shares remained in the estate continuously at all times material hereto.

In 1929 there was a twenty-five percent stock dividend on these shares and as a result thereof the estate received twelve and one-half additional shares. Due to the existence of the fractional share a remaining one-half share was purchased from Mrs. Gilchrist, the decedent’s widow and the life tenant in the estate.

At the same time the owners of stock were given right to purchase stock and in accordance with this right The Guardian Trust Company, as representative of the estate, purchased twenty additional shares at three hundred dollars per share, making a total of eighty-three shares. The market price at the time of purchase was between lour hundred and five hundred dollars per share, and the obtaining of the shares at three hundred dollars a share at this time was presumably an advantageous purchase by the estate.

The Guardian Trust Company continued to be executor of said estate until May 31, 1934, as hereinafter mentioned but on the 15th day of June, 1933, The Guardian Trust Co., pursuant to the provisions of §710-39 et seq. GC was taken over by the Superintendent of Banks of Ohio because of its unsound condition, and notice thereof posted and given as provided in §710-90 GC.

The Probate Court did not at any time allow additional time for the collection of assets of said estate.

On July 15, 1933, the Superintendent of Banks ascertained that it was necessary to assess super-added liability upon The Guardian Trust Company stock and made such assessment on August 1, 1933, due and payable September 15,' 1933.

Pursuant to the provisions of §710-91, GC, the Superintendent of Banks in his official capacity took possession of the assets of said estate, and no administrator in the meanwhile having been appointed to succeed The Guardian Trust Company as executor of said estate, continued in the custody thereof from July 15, 1933 until May 31, 1934, at which time The Guardian Trust Company was formally removed as executor of said estate and The Cleveland Trust Company was appointed and qualified as administrator de bonis non with the will annexed, of said estate.

On August 6, 1934, being more than two months after the appointment and qualification of The Cleveland Trust Company as administrator d.b.n.w.w.a., claim was made by S. H. Squire as superintendent of banks of Ohio, in charge of the liquidation of The Guardian Trust Company of Cleveland, Ohio on The Cleveland Trust Company as such administrator for the amount oi the assessments on the stock of said Guardian Trust Company standing on the books of said company in the name of said decedent and said estate, being a total of 83 shares made up as follows:

(1) 50 original shares.

(2) 12% shares stock dividend.

(3) % share purchased from Mrs. Gilchrist, life tenant.

(4) 20 shares purchased as a result of rights.

The Cleveland Trust Company on August 18, 1934, rejected the claim and on August 23, 1934, action was instituted by the State of Ohio on relation of S. H. Squire, as Supt. of Banks of Ohio In charge of the liquidation of The Guardian Trust Company of Cleveland, Ohio, as plaintiff, against The Cleveland Trust Company, administrator d. b.n.w.w.a. of the estate of Albert J. Gilchrist, deceased, as defendant;, to recover *342 the amount of said assessment and claim, to-wit. the sum of $8300.00 plus interest from September 15, 1933.

In its answer, supplemental answer and answer to the amended petition, the defendant, among other defenses, pleaded that the action is barred by the period of limitation provided in §10509-144 GC, by reason of the fact that the action was' not brought within the time allowed by law as provided in said statute.

A 'jury having been waived, the cause was submitted to the trial court, upon stipulation of facts supplemented by some oral testimony. The trial court found for the defendant on all issues raised and motion lor new trial, having been filed and overruled, judgment was entered in favor of defendant accordingly, and it is from this judgment that the appeal on questions of law is taken.

There are a number of assignments of error but as in the view we take of the case the consideration of the first assignment ol error disposes of the entire case we have limited our consideration of the case to this assignment of error and have only stated such facts in connection with the case as relate to this assignment of error.

The assignment of error referred to is:

(1). The Court of Common Pleas erred in holding as a matter of law that said action of the plaintiff was barred by the probate claims statutes and particularly §10509-144 GC.

It will be noted from the statement of facts that Gilchrist died in 1926 and his will was probated and The Guardian Trust Company was appointed and qualified as executor thereof on September 22, 1926 and continued to act as such executor until the 15th day of June, 1933, when The .Guardian Trust Company was taken over for liquidation by the Superintendent of Banks of Ohio; and that the Supt. of Banks took possession of the assets of said estate in the hands of The Guardian Trust Company as executor thereof on July 15, 1933 and continued in the custody thereof until May 31, 1934, at which time defendant, The Cleveland Trust Company was appointed administrator de bonis non with the Will annexed and as such administrator took possession thereof and proceeded with the administration of said estate. The period elapsing between the appointment of The Guardian Trust Company as executor and the date The Guardian Trust Company was taken over for liquidation by the Superintendent of Banks was almost nine years. The assessment of stockholders’ liability by the Superintendent of Banks was ascertained on July 15, 1933, and assessed on August 1, 1933, passable September 15, 1933, and occurred during the period the Superintendent of Banks had the custody of the assets of said estate, in conformity with the provisions of §§710-89 and 710-91 GC.

In this situation it is necessary to determine the status of the estate during its custody, under the provisions of said sections, by the Superintendent of Banks, preliminary to determining the applicability of the statute of limitations provided in §10509-144 GC.

In Hogart, Trusts and Trustees, Volume 3, §531, page 1685, it is stated that trustees, receivers or other officials appointed to wind up the affairs of a corporate trustee have no authority to execute the trust.

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Bluebook (online)
15 N.E.2d 640, 58 Ohio App. 16, 26 Ohio Law. Abs. 340, 11 Ohio Op. 420, 1937 Ohio App. LEXIS 274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-the-cleveland-trust-co-admr-ohioctapp-1937.