Wilmington Trust Co. v. Sloane

54 A.2d 544, 30 Del. Ch. 103, 1947 Del. Ch. LEXIS 70
CourtCourt of Chancery of Delaware
DecidedAugust 12, 1947
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 54 A.2d 544 (Wilmington Trust Co. v. Sloane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Chancery of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilmington Trust Co. v. Sloane, 54 A.2d 544, 30 Del. Ch. 103, 1947 Del. Ch. LEXIS 70 (Del. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

Harrington, Chancellor:

This case involves the validity of the exercise of a power of appointment by the last will and testament of Blanche Travers Edison, deceased, and raises important questions relating to the conflict of laws.

Thomas A. Edison, by an agreement with Central Union Trust Company of New York, dated October 2, 1925, assigned and transferred to that corporation, as trustee, certain United States Treasury bonds with the direction that the entire net income therefrom be paid to his son, William L. Edison, during his lifetime. That instrument provided:

“Upon the death of the Beneficiary the said trust fund shall be assigned by the Trustee to such persons and in such shares, interests, and proportions absolutely or in trust as the Beneficiary shall, by his last will and testament, designate and appoint, and in default of such appointment the said fund shall be distributed among his next of kin as the same shall be determined according to the laws of the State of New York.”

Thomas A. Edison died a resident of the State of New Jersey on or about October 18, 1931, leaving a last will and testament which was duly proved and allowed as such, after his death, by the proper court in that State. By the seventh paragraph of that instrument he authorized and empowered his executors “to transfer and convey to a trust company to be selected by them” certain specified securities, in trust, however, to divide the income therefrom equally among his six named children for their respective lives. His will also specifically provided that “as to each of such beneficiary the trust shall be terminated on his or her death.” He further authorizes and empowers each of the income beneficiaries of said trust to “dispose of his or her share of the principal of the trust estate by will or, in case of intestacy, such share shall become part of his or her estate; [107]*107* * That provision was subject to the proviso, however, that “each such beneficiary who shall not leave lawful issue him or her surviving, may dispose by will of one-third of his or her share of the trust estate or, in case of intestacy, such third shall form a part of his or her estate * *

Thomas A. Edison’s executors designated Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company, of New York, the trustee of the funds bequeathed in trust by the seventh paragraph of his will.

While the language of the deed was more specific, under each of the trust instruments, William L. Edison, therefore, had a general testamentary power of appointment over certain funds of which he was the life beneficiary of the income. Wilmington Trust Co. v. Wilmington Trust Co., 25 Del. Ch. 121, 15 A. 2d 153; Equitable Trust Co. v. James, 29 Del. Ch. 166, 47 A. 2d 303. He was a resident of the State of Delaware at the time of the creation of both of the trusts and continued to be until the time of his death. He died April 10, 1937, without issue, having first executed his last will and testament, dated January 13, 1932, which was subsequently probated as such by the Register of Wills for New Castle County. The fourth item of that instrument, in part, provides:

“In furtherance of my intention fully to exercise the powers of appointment given me under various trusts created for me by my father, Thomas A. Edison, during his lifetime, and by his last Will and Testament, I do hereby exercise said powers of appointment, as follows:
“(a) I direct that the proceeds of the said various trusts, after deducting therefrom the sum of Two Hundred Twenty-six Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-six Dollars ($226,666.00), shall fall into and become a part of my residuary estate.
“(b) I give, devise and bequeath the said sum of Two Hundred Twenty-six Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-six Dollars ($226,666.00) unto The Union National Bank of Wilmington, a corporation of the United States of America, its successors and/or assigns, to have and to hold the same forever, but in Trust, nevertheless, for the following uses and purposes;
[108]*108“(3) During the trust term, after first deducting all expenses attendant upon the execution of the trust, to pay over the net income thereof to my wife, Blanche Travers Edison, in quarterly instalments of equal amount or as nearly equal as possible.
“(4) Upon the decease of my said wife, Blanche Travers Edison, to convey, transfer, deliver, pay and set over the capital of such trust fund as it shall then exist, with all gains and increases of capital, absolutely and in fee simple, to such person or persons and in such shares and proportions as my said wife, Blanche Travers Edison, shall by her Last Will and Testament, or her Codicil thereto, elect and appoint; and in default of such trust appointment, or in so far as such trust or appointment shall be ineffectual, then and in that event to convey, transfer, deliver, pay and set over the capital of such trust estate as it shall then exist, with all gains and increases of capital thereof, to my next of kin then living, who would be entitled to share in my estate, under the statutes now in force in the State of Delaware regulating the distribution of the property of intestate decedents.”

The Union National Bank of Wilmington qualified as trustee under item fourth of the last will and testament of William L. Edison, deceased.

Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company also became the successor trustee under the agreement executed by Thomas A. Edison dated October 2, 1925. On May 2, 1938 the Supreme Court of the State of New York, for New York County, settled the account of the trustee under that agreement and signed an order which stated that William L. Edison, deceased, had duly exercised the power of appointment over the property held- by Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company, as trustee, and directed it to transfer and deliver the trust estate to the Union National Bank of Wilmington as ancillary executor of the last will and testament of William L. Edison, deceased. The order further provided that upon the delivery of the trust corpus as aforesaid ($121,000 face amount U. S. of America Treasury 4%% bonds), the trustee should be discharged from any and all liabilities under the said indenture.

Marion Oser, Madeleine Sloane, Charles Edison and Theodore Edison, defendants in this proceeding, were re[109]*109spondents in that petition and appeared, and apparently consented to the order entered by the court.

On or about May 7, 1938, the Union National Bank of Wilmington, executor and trustee under the will of William L. Edison, deceased, executed and delivered its receipt for the principal of the said trust estate created by the deed of October 2, 1925, and the accumulated income thereon, in satisfaction of the order of the New York court.

Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company, the trustee selected by the executors of the estate of Thomas A. Edison under the provisions of the seventh paragraph of his will, also paid over and delivered to the Union National Bank of Wilmington the portion of the estate of the said Thomas A. Edison, deceased, over which William L. Edison had the power of appointment; and the said Union National Bank as executor and trustee executed and delivered its receipts therefor on or about June 30, 1939 and February 7, 1941. Since then both trust funds have been held and administered in this State.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
54 A.2d 544, 30 Del. Ch. 103, 1947 Del. Ch. LEXIS 70, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilmington-trust-co-v-sloane-delch-1947.