Wait v. Society for Political Study of New York City

68 Misc. 245, 123 N.Y.S. 637
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 68 Misc. 245 (Wait v. Society for Political Study of New York City) 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
Wait v. Society for Political Study of New York City, 68 Misc. 245, 123 N.Y.S. 637 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1910).

Opinion

Giegerich, J.

The action is for the construction of the will of Theresa Barcalow, who died in the borough of Manhattan, Hew York city, on June 12, 1908, unmarried and leaving her surviving neither parents, children, issue of deceased children, nor brothers nor sisters, her only heirs and next of kin being nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces. All of the decedent’s property consisted of personalty and amounted to upwards of $7,000, made up as follows: 1. Cash, $29.72; 2. Jewelry, household and personal effects, of nominal value; 3. Pass-book, Ho. 321,701, in Union Dime Savings Institution, in the name of Theresa Barcalow, in trust for Emma B. Cole, the apparent balance on June 12, 1908, being $207.56 ; 4. Pass-book, Ho. 321,700, in Union Dime Savings Institution, in the name of Theresa Barcalow, in trust for Augusta W. Barcalow, the apparent balance on June 12, 1908, being $160.88; 5. Pass-book, Ho. 100,780, in Irving Savings Institution, in the name of Theresa Barcalow, in trust for Carrie F. Lovell, the apparent balance on June 12, 1908, being $395; 6. Pass-book, Ho. 100,779, in Irving Savings Institution, in the name of Theresa Barcalow, in trust for Jeanette S. Otis, the apparent balance on June 12, 1908, being $110.07; 7. Passbook, Ho. 78,799, in Irving Savings Institution, in the name of Theresa Barcalow, in trust for Dimies T. S. Dennison, the apparent balance on June 12, 1908, being $106.12; 8. Four savings bank pass-books, in the name of Theresa Barcalow, showing an apparent aggregate balance on June 12, 1908, of $4,545.68; 9. Four certificates of deposit of debenture bonds of the J. B. Watkins Land Mortgage Com[247]*247pany, issued by the Farmers’ Loan and Trust •Company of New York, as follows: No. 2257, $200; No. 2222, $200; No. 132, $2,000; No. 133, $2,000; these certificates of deposit had attached thereto certain coupons representing portions of the principal of the bonds represented by each certificate, respectively, which coupons became payable when and as the Farmers’ Loan and Trust Company were able to dispose of the lands held as security for the bonds; on December 8, 1908, the executor collected coupons from these certificates, $1,540; whether any further amounts will be paid on these certificates the executor is unable to determine. By clause 2 of her will the decedent bequeathed the money standing in her name as trustee, in the Union Dime Savings Bank, and evidenced by pass-book No. 321,700, to Augusta Wood Barcalow, the beneficiary named therein. By clause 3 of her will the decedent bequeathed the money standing in her name as trustee, in the Union Dime Savings Bank, and evidenced by pass-book No. 321,701, to Emma B. Cole, the beneficiary named therein. By clause 4 of her will the decedent bequeathed the money standing in her name as trustee, in the Irving Savings Institution, and evidenced by pass-book No. 100,780, to Carrie F. Lovell, the beneficiary named therein. No mention whatever is made in the will of the two savings bank books, numbered, respectively, 100,779 and 78,799, in the Irving Savings Institution, standing in the name of Theresa Barcalow, in trust for Jeanette S'. Otis and Dimies T. S'. Dennison, respectively. The questions arise as to the fifth, seventh and tenth clauses of the will, which read as follows: “ 5. I give to my executor in trust-four debenture bonds of the J. B. Watkins Land Mortgage Company, numbered 904, series A9, for $2,000; 905, series A9, for $2,000; 995, series A9, for $200; 2401, series A18, for $200; together with the four certificates of deposit for the said bonds of the Farmers’ Loan & Trust Company of New York City held by me, and numbered respectively 132, 133, 2222 and 2257, the proceeds from the principal and interest derived from the said bonds to be distributed as follows: One-half to the Woman’s Health Protective Association of New York City, and one-half to the Society for [248]*248Political Study of Hew York City. I hereby empower my executor to take any action in regard to the said bonds, and the proceeds and income therefrom before the distribution of the same, that he may deem proper. 7. I give and bequeath to the Sorosis Carol Club the sum of $200, provided the said club is in existence at the time of my decease. 10. All the rest and residue of my estate I give as follows: One-third to the said the Woman’s Health Protective Association, one-third to the said the Society for Political Study, and one-third to the said the Society for Providing Evangelical Religious Literature for the Blind, for its permanent fund, as per item 8.” It is unnecessary to determine whether the deposits in the savings banks constituted perfect express trusts during the lifetime of the decedent. She died without revoking them, and there is nothing in the case to overcome the presumption which thereupon arose, that the trusts were absolute as to the balances on deposit at the time of her death. Matter of Totten, 179 N. Y. 112, 124. The persons named as beneficiaries in the five pass-books, therefore, take as cestuis que trustent of the respective trusts and not as legatees under the will. The Society for Political Study of Hew York City, having been an unincorporated association at the time of the death of the testatrix, cannot take the bequests intended in its favor. Downing v. Marshall, 23 N. Y. 366, 382; Fralick v. Lyford, 107 App. Div. 543; affd., 187 N. Y. 524; Matter of Scott, 31 Misc. Rep. 85. I think it is immaterial that it has since been organized as a corporation. This is clearly so as to the residuary bequest, but it is urged that as the legacy contained in paragraph 5 of the will gives the bonds to the executor in trust, and provides that the proceeds thereof are to be distributed to the persons designated, and as the society had been incorporated before the executor had collected the entire principal and before he had distributed or was ready to distribute any of it, the society is now capable of taking the bequest and is entitled to receive it. This contention is based upon the rule that where a devise or bequest is intended to be vested in the beneficiary, not at the death of the testator, but at some later time, it is immaterial whether [249]*249the beneficiary is capable of taking at the time of the death, provided he is capable at the time when the gift is intended to become vested. Lougheed v. Dykeman’s Baptist Church, 129 N. Y. 211. It is urged in support of this claim that the bequest here is to the executor, and that the only gift to the society is to be found in the direction to the executor to distribute one-half of the principal and interest to the society. Consequently the rule is invoked that where the only gift is one expressed in a direction to the executor to distribute at a future time, the time of vesting in the beneficiary will be taken to be the time fixed for the distribution, and not the time of the testator’s death. Schlereth v. Schlereth, 173 N. Y. 444, 449. But that is merely a rule of construction intended to aid in ascertaining the intention of the testator (Matter of Tienken, 131 N. Y. 391, 409; Matter of Young, 145 id. 535, 538), and it only applies to those cases in which the intention to postpone a distribution until some future time is an essential part of the testamentary provision. Matter of Baer, 147 N. Y. 348, 354, and cases cited. In the present case, it is true, the only gift to the society is found in the direction to the trustees to distribute to it a certain part of the trust fund. But no intention to postpone such distribution to any fixed or determinate future time is apparent, nor is the interest of the society made to depend upon any contingency.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 Misc. 245, 123 N.Y.S. 637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wait-v-society-for-political-study-of-new-york-city-nysupct-1910.