McBride's Estate
McBride's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It appears from the appellee’s paper book and from the undisputed statement of their counsel on the argument at bar, that the only objection made to their claim before the auditing judge was that the time for the distribution of the trust fund had not arrived. It is not denied in the exceptions which were dismissed by the orphans’ court in banc, or in the specifications of error filed in this court, that the appellees are members of the Roman Catholic Church, but it is contended that inasmuch as this conceded fact does not specifically appear in the adjudication the decree should be reversed. If it be true, as now intimated by the counsel for the appellant in their his
The material and controlling question to be considered under the remaining specifications is whether the learned judge erred in ascertaining the time appointed by the will for the distribution of the trust fund. The conclusion reached by him in a clear and able opinion was, that the words, “ the youngest surviving of these children,” refer to the children of John named in the will and living at the time of its execution, and that the persons entitled to the fund at the time of distribution are such of John’s children or their issue, as then answer the testator’s description of the primary objects of his bounty. This construction gives the fund in equal shares to the five children of John, now living, and harmonizes best with the obvious purpose of the testator in the creation of the trust and the disposition of its principal and accumulations. It was plainly his intention that John’s children or their issue having the requisite qualifications, should have the full benefit of this trust, but it is clear that they cannot if the construction contended for by the appellant prevails. The statutory limit of a trust for accumulation to take effect at the death of the creator of it is twenty-one years, and such a trust for any period beyond this limit is void as to the excess. Act of April 18, 1853, P. L. 503 ; Brown et al. v. Williamson’s Executors, 36 Pa. 338. A trust to accumulate until the youngest surviving of the chib
Decree affirmed and appeal dismissed at the cost of the appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- McBride's Estate. St. John's Orphan Asylum's Appeal
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Will — Trust for accumulation — Period of distribution. Testator by will four years before his death gave to a trustee a fund for the use of three children of his son, John McBride, naming them, “ and such other children lawful issue which he may have, the said sum to accumulate until the youngest surviving of these children shall have attained the age of twenty-one years.” Held, that the words “the youngest surviving of these children ” referred to the children of John named in the will, and living at the time of its execution, and that the persons entitled to the fund at the time of distribution were the children of John or their issue living when the youngest survivor of the three children mentioned in the will attained the age of twenty-one years. Such a construction saves the will from transgressing the act of April 18, 1853, P. L. 503, limiting the period of a trust for accumulation to twenty-one years after the death of the testator. Conditional gift — Absence of specific finding. A gift was made by will to several persons, provided that at the time of distribution they should be members of a religious denomination, and if any were not members their shares were to be equally divided among those who were members, and if none of them were members then a fund was given to a charity. The auditing judge did not specifically find that any of the children to whom distribution was made were members of the church. It was not denied in the exceptions filed in the orphans’ court, or in the specifications, of error, that the distributees were members of the church. Held, that the decree of distribution should not be reversed because the auditing judge failed to find as a fact that the distributees were members of the church.