Freeman's Estate
Freeman's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The testator gave his estate to a trustee, the income therefrom to be paid to his four sons and two daughters, in equal shares for life, with the further direction, “from and after the death of either of my sons or daughters and until the death of all of them, to pay the income which he or she would, if living, have received to such person or persons of kin to such son or daughter as he or she may by will have appointed and in default of such appointment to the child or children of such son or daughter that may then be living, or the issue of any child or children of such son or daughter that may then be dead, leaving issue, in equal shares equally, as however that such issue shall take per stirpes only a parent’s share, and if there be no children or issue of such son or daughter then such person or persons as would take from, through or under me had I lived until then and died intestate.
“In trust when and so soon as the longest, liver of them, my sons and daughters, shall be dead, to make partition, allotment and division of my entire estate, real and personal
It is contended, however, that the decree cannot be sustained because a gift of personal property for fife will vest in the legatee an absolute interest in the subject of the bequest when no trust is interposed or there is no bequest over, and this is said to be a rule of law and applicable here because the income bequeathed by Henry G. Freeman arises in part from personal estate. Because of this fact it is claimed that the appointment to the widow of Charles D. Freeman gave her an absolute estate in so much of the income as was derived from personal property. It cannot properly be said to be a rule of law that a bequest of personalty for life gives to the first taker an absolute title to the property even where there is an express power to consume, sell and dispose of the subject of the bequest. The general rule that an absolute title is granted is not a rule of law but one of construction to aid in ascertaining
The decree is affirmed.
Reference
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- Status
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- Syllabus
- Wills — Vested and contingent estates — Remainder—Power of appointment. A remainder should always be considered vested rather than contingent if the words of the will creating it are capable of such construction. The interest vests immediately, and the enjoyment only is postponed. In the absence of an expressed contrary intention, a legacy received in default of appointment, vests in the legatee on the death of the testator, subject to be divested by the exercise of the power of appointment. This is so because the power of appointment does not create an estate, nor hold it in abeyance. Its effect is to divest an estate which, but for the exercise of the power, would remain in the devisee or legatee. The general rule that a gift of personal property for life will vest in the legatee an absolute interest in the subject of the bequest, is not a rule of law, but one of construction to aid in ascertaining the intention of the testator. Where a different intention is apparent, the rule does not apply; and where the gift for life blends real and personal estate, the presumption is that the testator intended to give a life estate only in the personalty. Testator gave his estate to a trustee, the income therefrom to be paid to his four sons and two daughters,, in equal shares for life, with the further direction, “from and after the death of either of my sons or .daughters and until the death of all of them, to pay the income which he or she would, if living, have received to such person or persons of kin to such son or daughter as he or she may by will have appointed . and in default of such appointment to the child or children of such son or daughter that may then be living, or the issue of any child or children of such son or daughter that may then be dead, leaving issue, in equal shares equally, as however that such issue shall take per stirpes only a parent’s share, and if there be no children or issue of such son or daughters then such person or persons as would take from, through or under me had I lived until then and died intestate.” After the last surviving child died the estate, real and personal, was to be divided among the persons receiving, or entitled to the income thereof immediately prior to such death. Before the division of the estate one of the sons died leaving a will by which he gave all his real and personal estate, and also the interest in his father’s estate over which he had power of appointment, to his wife to take and use the same and the net income thereof during her natural life. A child of the deceased son died before a division of the estate, leaving a will by which he gave everything to his wife. Held, that the widow of the son took a life estate only under the will of her husband, and that as to the remainder of the income from the son’s share not disposed of by the power of appointment, the title was in the children of the son and the widow of their deceased brother.