Bruere v. Gulick
Bruere v. Gulick
Opinion of the Court
By the third section of the will of William Gulick, deceased (the instrument is dated July 30th, 1855), he devised to his executors, and to the survivor of them, certain lands, in trust to receive the rents, issues and profits thereof, and pay them to his son, William A. Gulick, and his son’s then wife, Sarah, each and every year during their lives, and, after their death, the property was to go to their children. By the residuary clause, he gave one-fifth of the residue of his estate to William. By the codicil (dated February 14th, 1863), he revoked that gift, and gave the fifth to his executors thereinafter named, and the survivor of them, in trust for the use and benefit of William’s before-mentioned wife for life, and, after her death, it was to go to their children. By the codicil, he directed the executors to retain William’s indebtedness to his estate out of the share, and if there should be any residue thereof after payment of that indebtedness, they were to invest it and pay the interest to William’s before-mentioned wife for life, and the principal, after her death, was to go to the children. He revoked the appointment of executors made by the will, and appointed his son Alexander and Job S. Olden, and the survivor of them, executors. The inventory amounted to $151,393.08. By the first account (which was filed by Alexander Gulick alone, and ran from July 31st, 1865, to January 10th, 1867), the accountant charged himself with $164,082.21, and was allowed $3,461.64 as commis
By the will the share in question was given to the executors, and the survivor of them, in trust, and they were tas executors)to collect the indebtedness due the estate from William A. Gulick by retaining the amount of it from the share (and to that end the power to convert the share into cash if they should deem it necessary or advisable was conferred upon thém), and they were (as executors) to hold the balance in trust, to pay the interest to William A. Gulick’s wife for life, and at her death the principal was to go to the children. The provision for the slave was that
There is no evidence in the provisions of the will that the testator intended that the executors should hold the balance, not as executors, but in a different capacity, as trustees. He clearly intended that the trust should be executed by the executors in that capacity. Where, as in this case, the trust is inseparable from the executorship, the executor is not entitled to double commissions, first as executor and then as trustee. Everson v. Pitney, 13 Stew. Eq. 539, and eases there cited. The supplement of 1882 to the orphans court act (P. L. of 1882 p. 230) supports this view of the subject. It provides that whenever, upon the settlement of the accounts of executors or trustees under a will, or of commissioners in partition, the usual commissions shall have been allowed them according to law, and in pursuance of the provisions of the will, or of the directions of the court, any money shall remain in the hands of or to be intrusted to any such person or persons for investment, the interest of which is required to be paid to any legatee or other person that may be entitled thereto, it shall and may be lawful, upon any subsequent accounting, for the court before which said account shall be presented for settlement and allowance to consider the actual pains, trouble and risk of such accountant, and to allow such commissions upon the interest or income received as to [by] the said court shall be deemed fair and just; provided, that said allowance shall not exceed the sum of five per centum on such interest or income. It will be seen that that act embraces such cases as this, and it is quoted to show that the legislature, when its attention' was drawn to the subject, provided, not that there shall be double commissions on the principal, but that the accountant, where he shall once have had the usual commissions, shall receive his compensation for his further pains, trouble and
The decree of the orphans court (which merely adjudges that the exceptions to the allowance of commissions on the principal of the trust fund be overruled, and that the accountants be allowed a commission at the usual rate upon such principal), will be reversed. No costs, either above or below, will be awarded to either side.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Joseph R. Bruere, trustee &c. v. Almira R. Gulick, administrators &c.
- Cited By
- 1 case
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- Published