Walsh v. Chase Manhattan Bank

28 Misc. 2d 1025, 216 N.Y.S.2d 103, 1961 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2841
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMay 26, 1961
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 28 Misc. 2d 1025 (Walsh v. Chase Manhattan Bank) 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
Walsh v. Chase Manhattan Bank, 28 Misc. 2d 1025, 216 N.Y.S.2d 103, 1961 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2841 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1961).

Opinion

William C. Hecht, Jb., J.

This article 79 (Civ. Prac. Act) proceeding was brought by the beneficiary of an inter vivos trust to direct the trustees to account. The trust was created in July, 1946 by petitioner’s grandmother and uncle. The trustees were petitioner’s mother and the bank.

The income was to be paid to petitioner until she reached the ago of 31; thereafter, the income and specified portions of the principal were to be paid to her annually until she became 50 years of age, at which time the balance of the principal was to be paid to her. If petitioner died before attaining 50 years, whatever remained in the trust was to be distributed to her distributees under the laws of New York. The trust res was created and administered in New York County.

Respondent trustees allege that on August 4, 1960, in New York County, petitioner executed a deed of trust. In such deed she transferred to her mother and father, as trustees, all her interest in the principal and accumulated income of the 1946 trust. The trustees were to receive the same and hold it until petitioner reached the age of 50, subject only to payment to her [1026]*1026by them, in their discretion, of such sums as they may decide. On her reaching the age of 50, the corpus and accumulated income were to be paid to petitioner.

If she was not then alive, the fund was to be distributed ‘ ‘ to her issue, in equal shares per stirpes”; if she left no issue, “then to such parties in such shares and upon such terms as she shall by her last will and testament appoint, and in the default of such appointment or insofar as such appointment shall be void or fail to take effect, then to such parties as loould be entitled to inherit the same under the laws of intestacy of the State of Connecticut, then in effect.” (Italics supplied.)

This 1960 trust deed does not recite petitioner’s residence; it was acknowledged by her in the State of New York. She is now a resident of this State.

Petitioner alleges that she has no recollection of having executed this 1960 trust deed and the accompanying assignment for her interest in the 1946 trust; that she is wholly unaware of their purported execution; and that if they were in fact executed by her, such execution was procured by the fraud and duress of her father.

Petitioner is married but has no issue. She has no brother nor sister and never had any.

Petitioner alleges that on March 14, 1961, subsequent to the filing of the petition herein, she delivered an acknowledged instrument to her mother and father and the bank. In this writing, she disavowed having executed the 1960 trust deed and assignment, but if nevertheless they are valid instruments, “ I hereby, pursuant to Section 23 of the Personal Property Law and Section 118 of the Beal Property Law, ” * * revoke the said alleged trust agreement and assignment * * * and hereby declare the same to be of no force or effect whatsoever.” This instrument does not bear the consent of petitioner’s mother or father or husband.

Bespondents admit that the bank received a copy of the foregoing 1961 instrument, but deny that any copy was received by petitioner’s mother or father. They allege further that petitioner was unable to comprehend the nature and effect of that instrument and lacked the capacity to execute it.

The first question to be determined is whether the 1961 instrument, if executed by one having capacity to do so, effectuates a revocation of the 1960 trust deed and assignment. The section on which petitioner relies originally read as follows:

“ § 23. Revocation of trusts upon consent of all persons interested.

[1027]*1027“ Upon the written consent of all the persons beneficially interested in a trust in personal property or any part thereof heretofore or hereafter created, the creator of such trust may revoke the same as to the whole or such part thereof, and thereupon the estate of the trustee shall cease in the whole or such part thereof.”

By chapter 180 of the Laws of 1951, the following paragraph was added: “ For the purposes of this section, a gift or limitation, contained in a trust created on or after September first, nineteen hundred fifty-one, in favor of a class of persons described only as heirs or next of kin or distributees of the creator of the trust, or by other words of like import, does not create a beneficial interest in such persons.”

As I indicated in Matter of Decker (13 Misc 2d 121, 122) this provision would undoubtedly authorize the revocation here if the petitioner had merely used the words “ next of kin ”, inasmuch as the trust was created subsequent to September 1, 1951. Respondents argue, however, that this does not apply here because the settlor used the words such parties as would be entitled to inherit the same under the laws of intestacy of the State of Connecticut, then in effect.”

The foregoing amendment was enacted on the recommendation of the Law Revision Commission in order to carry out ‘ ‘ the legislative policy favoring the easier revocation of inter vivos trusts.” (Matter of Peabody, 5 N Y 2d 541, 545.)

The recommendation was embodied in the 1951 Report of the Law Revision Commission, the pertinent parts of which read (pp. 84-86):

Many trusts contain provisions purporting to create an interest in the ‘ heirs or next of kin,’ or in the persons who would be entitled to take distributive shares of the estate of the creator of the trust in the event of his death intestate. Thus, in a large number of cases, the revocability of the trust depends upon a judicial determination whether the trust created a reversion or a remainder. The determination, however, is often extraordinarily difficult, depending on a finding of the intention of the creator of the trust as expressed in the particular trust instrument. In Matter of Richardson, 298 N. Y. 135 (1948), the Court of Appeals reviewed a number of previous decisions and indicated the factors which had previously been found to evidence an intent to create a remainder interest. In Matter of Burchell, 299 N. Y. 351 (1949), however, the Court pointed out the impossibility of formulating a universal rule. Bromley, J., said:

[1028]*1028“In analyzing an instrument and attempting to explore the almost ephemeral qualities which go to prove the necessary intent, many single factors may be considered. Some considered significant in one case may be deemed minimal in another, since their effect may be counteracted by the presence of other factors. It is impossible to set up absolute criteria to serve as a measuring standard for all cases. In the last analysis, the ultimate determination rests on the particular instrument under consideration, aided by the rule which has grown out of the old common-law doctrine and developed over a long line of cases as a rule which allows the language of the instrument creating a remainder to take effect provided some additional evidence pointing the intent of the grantor is present to buttress the language which would create the remainder.

“ Judge Fuld, dissenting, said:

“ Reversion or remainder, however, the volume of litigation on the subject, the diversity of opinion, not to mention the difficulty, frequently, of decision, point the advisability, if not the urgency, of clarifying legislation.

“ Judge Bromley, writing for the majority of the Court in

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Related

Warren v. Cropsey
29 A.D.2d 290 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1968)
Warren v. Cropsey
51 Misc. 2d 399 (New York Supreme Court, 1966)
Walsh v. Chase Manhattan Bank
28 Misc. 2d 1030 (New York Supreme Court, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
28 Misc. 2d 1025, 216 N.Y.S.2d 103, 1961 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2841, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walsh-v-chase-manhattan-bank-nysupct-1961.