Thompson v. Remsen

32 Misc. 552, 67 N.Y.S. 307
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1900
StatusPublished

This text of 32 Misc. 552 (Thompson v. Remsen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. Remsen, 32 Misc. 552, 67 N.Y.S. 307 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1900).

Opinion

AndRews, G. P., J.

This action is brought to procure the partition of the real estate described in the complaint, wherein it is alleged that the plaintiff is seized in fee of an undivided one hundred and twentieth part thereof, and that he also has an estate in remainder in an undivided one-fifteenth part thereof, of which [553]*553his mother, the defendant Jane Remsen Thompson, is the life tenant. Whether the plaintiff, by reason of such alleged ownership, or upon any other ground, is entitled to maintain this action, depends upon the construction to be given to the will of his grandfather, William Remsen. Said testator left five children, and his will, after providing in the second paragraph thereof for several specific bequests, continues as follows: “ Third. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, of whatsoever kind or nature, and wheresoever situate, of which I may die seized or possessed, or be in any way entitled to, and whether held by me solely, of in common with others, I give, devise and bequeath unto my executors, hereinafter named, and the survivors and survivor of them, upon the trusts, and to and for the uses and purposes following, that is to say: 1st. In trust, to divide the same into five equal parts or shares, and to allot to my children, Robert George Remsen, Charles Remsen, Jane, wife of Joseph T. Thompson, Elizabeth Remsen, and Sarah, wife of William Manice, each, one of said five parts or shares; 2d. And as to each of such parts or shares to continue seized of the same for and during the life of the child to whom such part or share is allotted, upon the trust, to collect and receive the rents, issues, profits, dividends, interest moneys and income arising therefrom, and after paying all the taxes, assessments, repairs, charges, costs and expenses thereon, to apply in the case of my son Robert George Remsen the net annual income arising from the part or share allotted to my said son Robert George Remsen to his use, maintenance and support, for and during his life, and in the case of my other son, Charles, and of my daughters, to pay over to them respectively the net annual income of the share or part allotted to them, and on the death of each of the children mentioned in this third clause of my will, to convey, pay over and distribute the whole capital of the part or share allotted to the child so dying, with all accumulations thereof, to and among the lawful issue, if any, of such deceased child, and if such child leave no lawful issue then surviving, then to divide, distribute and pay over the said capital and accumulations in equal portions to and among the children then living of any surviving brothers and sisters, including the children then living of any deceased brother or sister mentioned in this third clause of my will per capita and not per stirpes.” The will also conferred upon the children limited powers of appointment, and [554]*554upon the executors and trustees the power to make investments, and to lease, sell or partition any or all of the testator’s real estate, and to purchase other real estate for investment. The testator left a large estate, consisting partly of real and partly of personal property. It appears by the record, which was put in evidence on the trial of this action, that the executors, Charles Remsen and William Manice, brought an action in this court, in which the plaintiff herein was a defendant, and that the judgment in that action, after providing for the retention of a large amount of personal property to meet any liability which might grow out of the litigation then pending, in which the executors were parties defendant, directed the distribution of the personal property between four of the children and the nieces and nephews of Robert George Remsen, one of the five children of the testator, who had died prior to the rendition of such judgment. It also appears that the executors have never executed the power given them in trust, to divide the estate into five equal parts or shares, and to allot to each of said five children one of said five parts or shares. The testator, at the time of his death, owned a great number of pieces of real estate situated in the city of New York, and was part owner of a number of several others. The property described in the complaint was one of the latter class, and was owned one-third by the testator and two-thirds by the defendant Henry Hart; and the plaintiff claims, as above stated, that although the executors have never exercised the power given them by said will, to divide the real estate into- five equal parts, and to allot the same to the children of the testator, he is seized in fee of an undivided one-one hundred and twentieth part of the real estate described in the complaint, and has an-estate in remainder in an undivided one-fifteenth part thereof, of which his mother is the life tenant; and it necessarily follows, if this contention. is well founded, that he has the same interest in- all the real estate which was owned by the testator, in whole or in part, at the time of his death. I have given most careful consideration to the will of the testator, and to the briefs of the various counsel and the other papers submitted, and after such consideration I have reached the conclusion that the claim made by the plaintiff of ownership- in the property described in the complaint, is not well founded, and, as a necessary consequence, that he cannot maintain this action. It is undoubtedly true that the devise to the executors contained in [555]*555the third paragraph of the will, of all his estate, both real and personal, except such personal estate as had been specifically bequeathed, in trust, to divide the same into • five equal parts or shares, and to allot one of said five parts or shares to each of his children, did not create a valid trust so far as the real estate was concerned, but such devise, in connection with the other provisions of the third paragraph, which provided that as to each of such parts or shares the executor should continue seized of the same for and during the life of the child to whom such part or share is allotted, upon the trust to collect and receive the rents, issues, profits, dividends, interest, moneys and income arising therefrom, and after making certain payments to apply the net annual income arising from the part or share allotted to the son Robert George Remsen to his use, maintenance and support, for and during his life, and in the case of his other son, Charles, and all his daughters, to pay over to them respectively the net annual income of the share or part allotted to them, and on the death of each of said five children to convey, pay over and distribute the whole capital of the part or share allotted to the child so dying, with all accumulations thereof, to and among the lawful issue, if any, of such deceased-child, did create a valid trust under the Revised Statutes of this State, irrespective of whether such) power to divide the estate into shares and allot tire same, should, or should not, be exercised. Such statutes contain the following provision: “Express trusts may be created for any or either of the following purposes: 1. * * * 3. * * * 3. To receive the rents and profits of lands and apply them to the use of any person, during the life of such person, or for any shorter time, subject to the rules prescribed in the first article of this title.” 3 R. S. (9th ed.) 1797, § 55.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
32 Misc. 552, 67 N.Y.S. 307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-remsen-nysupct-1900.