TaiLexi AI U.S. Case Law

Estate of Bruch

Estate of W. J. H. Bruch, Appeal of Elizabeth Knecht

Estate of Bruch, 39 A. 813 (Pa. 1898)
Download
Format
Include

Star paging (*137) is kept for pin cites.

Court
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · State Highest Courts
Decided
March 21, 1898
Docket
Nos. , No. 436
Judges
Dean, Gheen, McCollum, Mitchell, Williams
Citations
39 A. 813185 Pa. 1941898 Pa. LEXIS 691
Disposition
Affirmed.
Syllabus
Wills — Legacies—Restraint upon marriage. A bequest of the income of $5,000 to Elizabeth Hamlin “ so long as she remains single bearing the name of Elizabeth Hamlin, ” is not upon a condition in restraint of marriage, but merely on a limitation as to time; and if the legatee marries, her right to the income ends. Trusts and trustees — Execution of trust — Bequest of interest — Limitation —Remainder. Where a trust is unnecessary to protect any interest in remainder, the estate is executed by the statute in the remainderman. A bequest of the interest of the fund without limitation is a bequest of the fund itself. Testator directed as follows: “I bequeath five thousand dollars to Elizabeth Hamlin, that is the yearly income as long as she remains single bearing the name of Elizebeth Hamlin and after her death to go to the ‘ Sematary ’ fund to keep my ‘ graven ’ in repair.” Held, that upon the marriage of Elizabeth Hamlin, the principal sum of $5,000 vested immediately in the cemetery fund.
Summary
Appeal, No. 436, Jan. T., 1897, by Elizabeth Knecht, from decree of O. C. Northampton Co., dismissing exceptions to adjudication. Exceptions to adjudication. From the report of William Beidelman, Esq., auditor, it appeared that W. J. H. Bruch executed a codicil to his will which read as follows : “ Codicil to will I bequeath Five Thousand Dollars that is the yearly income as long as she remains single bearing the name of Elizebeth Hamlin and after her death to go to ‘ Sematary ’ fund to keep my ‘ graven5 in repair. My Executors will have no right to have any claim on any property that I gave to the said Elizabeth Hamlin outside of the five thousand dollars I am satisfied with my previous will this being only codicil to my will.” Elizabeth Hamlin married Evan Knecht on January 29,1896. Before the auditor, the cemetery company claimed the fund, upon the marriage of Elizabeth Hamlin. Elizabeth Hamlin claimed that the Interest upon the fund continued to her until her death. The auditor awarded the fund to the cemetery company. Exceptions to the auditor’s report were dismissed by the court, in an opinion by Scott, J. Error assigned was in awarding the fund to the cemetery company.

Syllabus and headnotes are prepared by the reporter or publisher, not the court, and are not part of the opinion.

Opinion of the Court

Text extracted by OCR from a scanned original; check the original for exact wording.

Per Curiam,

It is perfectly clear, and is established by numerous authorities, that the bequest in favor of Elizabeth Hamlin was not upon a condition in restraint of marriage. She was to enjoy the income of $5,000 so long as she remained single and bore the name of Elizabeth Hamlin. When she ceased to be single and to bear the name of Elizabeth Hamlin her right to the income was simply ended. The words of the bequest were merely a limitation of the time of enjoyment. Hotz’s Est., 38 Pa. 422 , is precisely in point and rules this question. Many other cases cited in the appellee’s argument are in the same line. The other question as to the vesting of the principal is equally free *197 from doubt. The “cemetery fund ” was well defined in the will and there was no uncertainty as to its import. By the express terms of the codicil that fund was to be increased by the principal fund of 65,000 after the death of Elizabeth Hamlin. There was no other use to which this sum was to be put in any event. The use of the income of this identical fund having terminated by the marriage of Elizabeth Hamlin, and the only limitation over being to the cemetery fund, there is no other right 'either to the income or the principal than the right of the cemetery fund. It is clear the appellant cannot have the income, but the income is a certain incident of the principal, and necessarily goes with it. There is no possible reason for delaying the vesting of the principal in possession at the moment the right of the donee of the income ceases. It is somewhat like the line of cases in which where there is a gift of the income to one and no gift over of the principal, we hold that the legatee of the income takes also the principal. A bequest of the interest of a fund without limitation is a bequest of the fund itself: Garret v. Rex, 6 W. 14 ; Campbell v. Gilbert, 6 Whart. 72 ; Van Rensselaer v. Dunkin, 24 Pa. 252 ; Insurance Co.’s Appeal, 83 Pa. 312 ; Millard’s Appeal, 87 Pa. 457 . Here there is a limitation over of the principal of the fund, there is no person to take the income after the marriage of the legatee of the income, the succeeding income is a necessary incident to the principal and lienee passes with the principal, and there being no object to subserve by postponing the reception of the principal it becomes due at once.

Where a trust is unnecessary to protect any interest in re mainder, the estate is executed by the statute in the remainder-man : Bradley’s Appeal, 36 Leg. Int. 38 ; McAleer’s Appeal, 99 Pa". 139. The latter case in its facts is quite analogous to the present.

Judgment affirmed.

How later courts describe this case

No later court has written an explanatory parenthetical about this case yet.

1934: 11943: 11951: 11967: 119342026peak 1934 · 1

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Suttner Estate34 A.2d 483 (Pa. 1943)
  2. Osborne's Petition21 Pa. D. & C. 293 (1934)
  3. Earle Estate75 Pa. D. & C. 433 (1951) · Dissent
  4. de Krafft Estate43 Pa. D. & C.2d 760 (1967)

Most recent

  1. de Krafft Estate43 Pa. D. & C.2d 760 (1967)
  2. Earle Estate75 Pa. D. & C. 433 (1951) · Dissent
  3. Suttner Estate34 A.2d 483 (Pa. 1943)
  4. Osborne's Petition21 Pa. D. & C. 293 (1934)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 6

DepthCaseCited by
Millard's Appeal, 87 Pa. 457 (1878) 13
Van Rensselaer v. Dunkin's Executors, 24 Pa. 252 (1855) 6
Hotz's Estate, 38 Pa. 422 (1861) 3
Campbell v. Gilbert, 6 Whart. 72 (1841) 3
Appeal of the Pa. Co. for Insurances on Lives & Granting Annuities, 83 Pa. 312 (1877) 2
In re Moore, 17 F. Cas. 667 (1878) 2

Keyboard shortcuts

/Focus the search box
j kNext / previous result
EnterOpen the selected result
xAdd / remove the selected result from the download list
n pNext / previous search term in a case
cCopy the citation of the current case
+ −Larger / smaller reading text
?Show this list