Steinmetz's Estate
Steinmetz's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Although the testator’s direction that his daughter’s portion
The claim that the widow took a fee in one third of the realty cannot be sustained. The whole estate is left in an active trust to keep it together, collect rents, make repairs, pay incumbrances, etc., “ as though I myself acted in the premises,” and the widow was to get one third of the residue, that is, of the net income. Not only is this all that is given in terms to the widow, but the direction that after her death the joint administration of the whole may be continued by the children, or in case they determine to make partition, the daughters’ portions shall be put in separate use trust, shows that it is all the testator intended to give.
Decree affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Daniel Steinmetz's Estate. Martha S. Duffield's Appeal
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Will — Trusts and trustees — Separate use trust. Where the purpose to create a separate use trust is clear, no particular form of words is necessary. Testator by -his will directed that during the life of his wife his real estate should remain undivided and unapportioned, and that one third of the net income should be paid to her and the remainder divided equally among his children, naming them. He further directed as follows: ‘ ‘ This arrangement I desire to continue during the life of my wife .... At her decease it is my will that my children do as they think best. It is, however, my will (should my children agree to a division of my estate after the death of my wife) that the separate portions of my daughters .... shall be separately secured to them and to their use beyond the dictation of the husband of either of them.” The daughters were all married at the date of the will. Held, that the daughters took a valid separate use trust which went into effect upon the death of the widow. The intent of the testator was to secure the shares of his daughters to their separate use, and the contingency of the widow’s death, and the partition by the children of the common estate did not go to the creation of the separate use but to the time and occasion for putting it into formal execution.