First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. v. Barnes
First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. v. Barnes
Opinion of the Court
No question is raised by anyone involved in this litigation with respect to the procedure adopted. We assume that the action is brought under the provisions of G.S. 1-253.
Before we get into the merits of the appeal, we think it appropriate to note that we agree with the trial court that the only justiciable issue of the issues set out in the complaint is the one answered by the trial court.
The correct interpretation of the provisions of testator’s will presently before us is far more difficult of determination.
General principles applicable in construing a will are set out by Justice Branch in Kale v. Forrest, 278 N.C. 1, 5, 6, 178 S.E. 2d 622 (1970) :
“The intent of the testator is his will, and such intent as gathered from its four corners must be given effect unless it is contrary to some rule of law or is in conflict with public policy. (Citations omitted.)
The intent is ascertained, if possible, from the testator’s language and in light of conditions and circumstances existing at the time the will was made. (Citation omitted.) In considering the language used, technical words will be presumed to have been used in their technical sense unless the other language of the will evidences a contrary intent; however, when testator obviously does not intend to use words in their technical sense, they will be given their ordinary and popular meaning. (Citation omitted.) In any event, the use of particular words, clauses or sentences must yield to the purpose and intent of the testator as found in the whole will. (Citations omitted.)”
There is one intention in the will before us which is not laden with ambiguity, and that is that the testator did not intend that the corpus of trusts bequeathed to the trustee for the benefit of his grandchildren be equal. He very clearly provided that the net income from 8.97% of his stock in Maola should be held in trust for the use and benefit of his three grandsons and that the net income from 10.65% of the stock should be held in trust for the use and benefit of his four granddaughters.
He goes on to provide that in the event of the death of “each of” his sons, the “stock held for the benefit of the one so
To us that intent is further evidenced by his provision in the event of the death of a grandchild without lineal descendants. He specifically and without equivocation provided that in: that event, the “share” of the one dying should “go to the surviving grandchildren for their lives in the same proportions as set out in paragraph 2 of Item V.” We think the testator clearly intended that the share of Eleanor Barnes in the trust must now be divided in the same proportions as the corpus was divided between the two trusts for the grandchildren in paragraph 2 of Item.V—i.e., 54.28% to the trust for granddaughters-and 45.72% to the trust for the grandsons. There is no technical language used which must be considered.
We reach a different result with respect to the accumulated'income. The testator used the word “jointly” in directing income distribution to the granddaughters. That the word was not intended to apply to eventual corpus distribution is evidenced by specific provisions for that in section 6 of the same Item. However, nowhere else in the will does there appear the word jointly. Actually, in other portions of the will where the testator refers .to income distribution, he uses the words “share and share alike” and “per capita.” Of primary importance in determining testator’s intent with respect to income distribution within the trusts set up is his language in the second paragraph of paragraph 2 of Item V, the portion of the will by which he established the trusts. After he had directed the trustee “to apply the net income from ten and 65/100 (10.65%) percent of said stock after any; sale under Item III hereof, in trust for the use and
The cause is, therefore, remanded for the entry of a judgment in accordance with this opinion.
Modified and remanded for judgment.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.