Wells v. Wells

24 N.Y.S. 874
The Superior Court of the City of New York and Buffalo·Decided November 24, 1892·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

McADAM, J.

The action is brought for a judicial construction of the will of James N. Wells, deceased, and for instructions to plaintiffs, the executors and trustees under such will. The testator was at the date of his will, and at the time of his death, the owner of a residence at Biverdale, in the northern extremity of the city of New York, and of three adjoining houses situated on Ninth avenue, in said city, and known as Nos. 189, 191, and 193. The Biverdale property was subject to a mortgage of $15,000, and 191 [875]*875Ninth avenue to two mortgages for $8,000 each, all of which had been made by the testator as collateral to bonds given by him to secure borrowed money. He also had outstanding at the time of his death his bond to secure $5,000, which was not secured by the mortgage or pledge of any particular property. This bond was made subsequent to the date of the will. The testator owned no personal property of any value, having disposed of all his personal effects from time to time during his lifetime by gift to different members of his family. He was not engaged in any business or venture requiring or involving the incurrence of pecuniary liability, but was, and had during his entire life been, an agent, factor, and trustee, managing and controlling large landed estates. He was a man of large experience in all matters connected with the ownership and management of real property, and exercised extraordinary particularity in all matters of detail. His will was written with his own hand. At the date of the will, and at his death, he was a widower. His family consisted of three married children, James N. Wells, Jr., William J. Wells, and Mrs. Hall, all of whom were living in their own homes; an unmarried daughter,, Kate Wells, who had always lived with testator, and three infant grandchildren, of the ages, at his death, of from 15 to 20 years. They were the children of testator’s deceased son, David, and had lived in testator’s family until the remarriage of their mother, some six years ago. Only the most cordial and affectionate relations existed between the testator and every member of his family. The will is set out in the complaint in extenso, and need not be repeated here. Acting under the directions of the will, the executors sold the Biverdale property for $22,000. Of this, $15,000 was deducted for the mortga'ge on the property. Of the $7,000 received by the executors, they applied $5,000 to- the payment of the bond referred to. They stiff have a sum of about $2,000 to be applied under the direction of the second paragraph, as it shall be construed by the court.

The first question submitted is whether the provisions of the second paragraph of the will, directing the payment from the proceeds of the sale of the Biverdale property of “my just debts, both funded and otherwise,” include the two mortgages on 191 Ninth avenue, and whether it is the duty of the executors to apply the balance of about $2,000 now in their hands on account thereof. This, of course, depends upon the intention of the testator as indicated by the will. At common law the mortgage debt was primarily payable, like other debts, out of the personalty, by the executor in exoneration of the devise. But under the Bevised Statutes, where real property which is subject to a mortgage executed, by the testator passes to a devisee, the latter must satisfy it without resorting to the executor, unless there be an express direction in the will that the mortgage be otherwise paid. 1 Rev. St. p. 749, § 4. A mere direction in the will to pay debts is not enough to-relieve the land from the burden of the mortgage. Rapalye v. Rapalye, 27 Barb. 610; Taylor v. Wendel, 4 Bradf. Sur. 824; Meyer [876]*876v. Cahen, 111 N. Y. 270, 18 N. E. Rep. 852. A direction in a will to pay all of testatrix’s debts, “whether on bonds and mortgages or otherwise,” has been held, in accordance with the apparent intent of the testatrix, to include mortgages on property included in deeds of gift executed by testatrix in her lifetime, as well as a nfortgage on property devised. Waldron v. Waldron, 4 Bradf. Sur. 114. It was held before the Revised Statutes that a testator might, by dispositions and language tantamount to express directions, charge his personal estate with the payment of an incumbrance subject to which he had purchased lands. The intent gathered from the whole will was sufficient. Cumberland v. Codrington, 3 Johns. Ch. 272. So a mortgage given to secure an accommodation indorser for future indorsements does not charge the mortgaged lands in exoneration of the personal estate. Cochrane v. Hawver, 54 Hun, 556, 7 N. Y. Supp. 907. Where there is an express direction in the will that a mortgage be otherwise paid than from the mortgaged lands, so as to take the case out of the statute, (1 Rev. St. p. 749, § 4,) such mortgage debt is as obligatory upon the executor as is the payment and discharge of any other debt of the testator. In re Hopkins, 57 Hun, 9, 10 N. Y. Supp. 264. The use of the words, “both funded and otherwise,” necessarily includes the debts secured by bond and mortgage, or the words become meaningless,—a result not permissible, because contrary to the cardinal rule that the intent must prevail. The sense in which terms are used by a testator must, when ascertained, 0be adopted by the courts as controlling, apd given proper effect. The term “funded” is not ordinarily used in connection with the debts of an individual, hut, if so used, must necessarily refer to debts which are embodied in securities of a permanent character, and to the payment of which certain property has been applied or pledged. See Imp. Dict. tit. “Fund,” and Webst. Diet. “Fund;” Ketcham v. City of Buffalo, 14 N. Y. 356. The court must construe the language of the will so as to give effect to all of its terms. Unless the “funded” debts are mortgage debts, the use of the word in this instance is mere surplusage, as there is nothing to which it can be applied. The testator evidently intended to include something more than would have been indicated by the use merely of the words “just debts.” This intent can only be effectuated by including the mortgage debts in the additional words used. The surplus arising from the sale of the Riverdale property must therefore be applied, on account of the “funded” debt represented by the Hinth avenue mortgages.

The next question is whether the rents of testator’s property are also intended to be applied to the payment of the mortgage ■debts, if the proceeds of sale of the Riverdale property are insufficient. The second clause of the will says, at its end:

“But, if there is not enough derived from the proceeds of said sale to pay all of my said debts, that then for my said executors, or the survivor of them, to apply the net income from what other property I may die possessed of towards the payment of said debts, until all my said debts are paid in full.”

[877]*877This clearly shows the intent of the testator to apply the rents to the same class of debts as the Biverdale property, and to make up any deficiency ih their payment.

The court is next asked to pass upon the validity of the provision of the sixth paragraph of the will, directing the executors to lease the previously devised property until the net amounts derived therefrom shall amount to enough to pay all the debts, and then to convey to the devisees. The provisions of the Bevised Statutes regulating the accumulation of rents and profits, and the creation of perpetuities, are as follows: It is provided in 1 Rev. St. p. 726, as follows:

“Sec. 37.

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

Wells v. Wells, 24 N.Y.S. 874 (superctny 1892).

24 N.Y.S. 874 (Wells v. Wells) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

In re the Estate of Pierce
9 Mills Surr. 118 (New York Surrogate's Court, 1912)