Wilmington Trust Co. v. Wilmington Trust Co.

15 A.2d 665, 25 Del. Ch. 193, 1940 Del. Ch. LEXIS 28
Court of Chancery of Delaware·Decided October 16, 1940·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

The Chancellor :

Mary A. B. duPont Laird, widow of William Winder Laird, deceased, was the life beneficiary of the income from both of the trust funds involved in these actions. During her lifetime cash dividends, payable to stockholders of record on specified dates, were declared on certain shares of corporate stock, which were owned on the requisite dates by either one, or the other of said trust estates. By the provisions of the resolutions passed by the corporate boards declaring these dividends, they were not payable, however, until'certain specified future dates. They [198]*198were duly paid to the trustee at the proper times, but Mrs. Laird had died prior to the receipt of them. The question to be determined, therefore, is whether these dividends are payable to Mrs. Laird’s executor as income belonging to her estate, or whether they are payable to the beneficiaries of both trust funds after her death.

Interest accrues from day to day, and in apportioning income of that nature between the equitable life tenant and those entitled in remainder, it is ordinarily calculated to the date of the death of the life tenant. Wilmington Trust Co. v. Chapman, 20 Del. Ch. 67, 171 A. 222, affirmed by the Supreme Court on Appeal, Massey v. Wilmington Trust Co., 20 Del. Ch. 454,180 A. 927. A different rule usually applies, however, to dividends on corporate stock held by the trust estate. There, the general rule is that thé estate of the life beneficiary of the income is entitled to all regular cash dividends that have been declared during her lifetime, for the benefit of stockholders of record on dates prior to her death, though such dividends are not actually payable or received by the trustee until dates subsequent thereto. In re Northern Cent. Dividend Cases, 126 Md. 16, 94 A. 338, 339; Ward v. Blake, 247 Mass. 430, 142 N. E. 52; Wright v. Tuckett, 1 J. & H. 266, 70 Eng. Rep. 747; 2 Scott on Trusts, § 236.2; Restat. Trusts, § 236. This is apparently because of the theory that when a dividend is declared, it is, in effect, set aside by the corporation, as money in hand, for the benefit of the stockholder entitled, though it is not then payable. Wheeler v. Northwestern Sleigh Co., (C. C.) 39 F. 347; Cogswell v. Second Nat. Bank, 78 Conn. 75, 60 A. 1059; 38 Harv. Law Rev. 247. This creates a debtor and creditor relation, and if such dividend is not paid when due it may be recovered in an appropriate action by the stockholders. Id. -

The children of William Winder Laird and Mary A. B. duPont Laird, the parties in interest under both trusts after the death of the life tenant, do not deny that this is a correct statement of the general rule. They contend, however, that [199]*199a different rule applies in this case because of the language of the particular instruments creating the trusts. But I am unable to agree with that contention.

It is pointed out that “Item 4” of the last will and testament of William Winder Laird contains two consecutive sentences in the same paragraph:

1. “I direct that the principal or corpus of the residue of my estate and the income therefrom, so long as the same are held by my trustees, shall be free from the control, debts, liabilities and engagements of any one beneficially interested therein and shall not be subject to assignment by them, nor to execution nor process for the enforcement of judgments or claims of any sort against them.”
2. “I further direct that all payments of income under the provisions of my will shall be made only as the same accrues and not by way of anticipation.”

It is likewise pointed out that “Paragraph (6)” of the trust deed executed by Mary A. B. duPont Laird contains three consecutive sentences:

1. “No part of the principal or income of the original trust estate nor of any of the new trust estates hereinabove provided to be carved out of the same shall be subject to the control, debts, liabilities and/or engagements of any of the beneficiaries thereof, and no part of such principal or income shall be subject to assignment or alienation by them, or any of them, nor to execution nor process for the enforcement of judgments or claims of any sort against such beneficiaries or any of them.
2. • “All payments of income from said original trust estate or any of such new trust estates shall be made only as the same accrue and not by way of anticipation.
3. “It is hereby expressly understood and agreed that any attempt to so anticipate, alienate or assign shall not be binding upon the trustee and shall be wholly disregarded by the trustee.”

Each instrument, therefore, contains what is known as a spendthrift trust provision and a provision prohibiting the anticipation of income by any beneficiary. But in this case, the precise question to be determined is the meaning of the latter clause.

[200]*200The anti-anticipation clause of the will of William Winder Laird directs that “payments of income” shall be made only as the same “accrues,” and “not by way-of anticipation.” A similar direction, with respect to the payment of “income” is, also, inserted in the trust deed, though the sentence is so phrased that the word “accrue” is necessarily used instead of the word “accrues.” While the language used in these provisions is not identical, it is, nevertheless, so similar that they were apparently intended to have the-, same meaning.

As commonly understood, the word “anticipation” is “the act of doing or taking a thing before its proper time.” 1 Bouv. Law Dict., (Rawles Third Revision) Anticipation, p. 205; 3 C. J. S., Anticipation, p. 1396. It has, therefore, been said to be “used in the present for what is to accrue; dealing with income before it is due.” Gray v. Board of School Inspectors, 231 Ill. 63, 83 N. E. 95, 99 (quoting from Anderson’s Law Dictionary)-.

In considering the meaning of the word “anticipation,” Bouvier’s Law Dictionary, supra, points out that “In deeds of trust there is frequently a provision that the income of the estate shall be paid by the trustee as it shall accrue, and not by way of anticipation.” The author further adds “A payment made contrary to such provisions would not be considered as a discharge of the trustee; Bisp. Eq., 104.” The truth of that statement must be conceded, but it is contended that it does not determine whether any rights had vested in Mrs. Laird prior to her death.

In Webster’s New International Dictionary, (2d Ed.) the word “accrue” is said to mean “to come into" existence as an enforceable claim; to vest, as a right; as a cause of action has accrued when the right to sue has become vested; also, to arise or to spring as a growth or result.”

' In Penington v. Commonwealth Hotel Construction Corporation, 17 Del. Ch. 394, 155 A. 514, 519, 75 A. L. R. 1136, the majority of the Supreme Court pointed out that [201]*201the word “accrued” was derived from the latin words “add” and “cresco,” meaning to grow to. The minority of the court did not differ from that conclusion.

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

Wilmington Trust Co. v. Wilmington Trust Co., 15 A.2d 665, 25 Del. Ch. 193, 1940 Del. Ch. LEXIS 28 (Del. Ct. App. 1940).

15 A.2d 665 (Wilmington Trust Co. v. Wilmington Trust Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

McIlvaine v. Amsouth Bank, N.A.
581 So. 2d 454 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1991)
Grand Metro. Public Ltd. v. Pillsbury Co.
558 A.2d 1049 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1988)
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. v. Panhandle Eastern Corp.
545 A.2d 1171 (Supreme Court of Delaware, 1988)
Caleb & Co. v. E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co.
615 F. Supp. 96 (S.D. New York, 1985)
G. Burton Liese v. Jupiter Corp.
241 A.2d 492 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1968)
Wyckoff v. Garrison
237 A.2d 139 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1967)
Wilmington Trust Co. v. Carpenter
75 A.2d 815 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1950)
In Re Trust Estate of Richard Sellers, Dec'd.
67 A.2d 860 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1949)
Langfelder v. Universal Laboratories, Inc.
163 F.2d 804 (Third Circuit, 1947)
Lewes Trust Co. v. Smith
37 A.2d 385 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1944)