Massey's Estate
Massey's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
William Massey died testate February 18, 1891. After directing that the income from his entire estate should be paid to his widow for life, he gave one-third of his residuary estate to his son, Walter S., absolutely, and the balance was disposed of as follows: “The remaining two-thirds of my estate (subject to the said life estate of income to my said wife) I give, devise and bequeath unto my executors hereinafter mentioned and their heirs in trust to pay the net income thereof equally to my two daughters Margaret R. Massey and Helen F. Massey for their sole and separate use respectively for their respective lives so that the same shall not be liable for their debts and contracts or for the debts or contracts of any husband that they may take, and from and after their respective decease upon the further trust to assign their respective shares of said residuary estate to and among their respective child or children or their issue for such share interest or estate as my said respective daughters whether married or single may respectively by will or writing in the nature thereof direct limit or appoint to and among their children, and in default of such appointment upon the further trust to assign and convey the shares of my said daughters respectively to their respective child or children equally. But, if my said daughters shall die without leaving any child or children living at the time of their respective decease, or, if leaving such then living, all should die during minority without leaving issue to survive them, then the share of such so re
The auditing judge awarded to Walter’s estate one-half of the fund held in trust for his sister Margaret, on the ground that his estate had a vested interest in her trust estate under the term's of his father’s will. In overruling the exceptions to the adjudication and confirming it the court below avoided a decision as to what interest Walter had during his life in the fund held in trust for his sister, holding that the only question before it was what interest, if any, in that fund had passed to his estate upon her death.
If the testator had directed that, upon the death of his daughter Margaret without issue, the share held in trust for her should go to his heirs at law, the heirs to
Decree affirmed, with costs to the appellee.
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- Wills — Construction—Vested and contingent remainders. After a gift of the entire income of his estate to his wife for life testator gave one-third of the residue of his estate to his son absolutely, and the remaining two-thirds to his executors in trust to pay the net income thereof equally to his two daughters M. and H., for their respective lives, and from and after their respective deaths to assign their respective shares of the residuary estate to and among their respective child or children, or their issue, for such share interest or estate, as the respective daughters might appoint by will, and in default of such appointment to assign the shares of said daughters to their respective child or children equally. “But if my said daughters shall die without leaving any child or children living at the time of their respective decease, or, if leaving such then living, all should die during minority without leaving issue to survive them, then the share of such so respectively dying shall accrue to and belong to my other children mentioned in this my will and to the issue of any of them being then deceased, such issue to take equally the share their parent would have taken if living, the share coming to any daughter to be held by my executors upon the trusts above mentioned.” Testator’s widow died, and thereafter the son died without issue, but leaving a widow. By his will he bequeathed all of his property to his sister H. The widow elected to take against his will. Subsequently testator’s daughter M. died intestate, unmarried and without issue. Held, (1) that the testator’s son’s estate had a vested interest in one-half of the trust estate held for M. for life; (2) that one-half of this one-half should be awarded to the son’s widow, and the other one-half thereof to H. under the son’s will.