In re Shailer Estate

172 Mich. 600 | Mich. | 1912

Brooke, J.

{after stating the facts). We will consider the claimed items of credit in their order. At the outset it is pertinent to observe that the powers conferred upon the trustee by the instrument creating the trust are peculiarly broad. The beneficiaries are each to receive from the trust fund—

“One-third of the income thereof, or so much as may be necessary to be used for their support and education, and if the income shall be insufficient, then so much of the principal as may in the discretion of said trustee or his successor in office be necessary for that purpose, and to this end I do hereby devise and bequeath to said trustee all the residue of my estate aforesaid, vesting in said trustee full power to sell, exchange all or any portion of said property and to reinvest the same as will in his judgment be for the interest of said legatees.”

Acting under the powers conferred by this instrument, the trustee, who was the sister of the grandmother of the cestui que trust, allowed Mrs. West, her ward, to persuade her to make the Cleveland investment in December of the year 1905. At the time the investment was made, Mrs. West was between 20 and 21 years of age. As soon as the business was purchased, Mrs. West and her husband went into possession and management thereof, and so continued until about July of the year 1906. In the meantime Mrs. West became of age on May 30, 1906. Upon reaching her majority, Mrs. West did not attempt to disaffirm or repudiate the act of her grandaunt and\ trustee, but by continuing in possession and control of the business thereafter tacitly affirmed the transaction. It is to be noted, further, that though her trustee, Mrs. Daglish, lived about 2£ years after she (Mrs. West) became of age, no steps were taken to question the transaction. The relationship between Mrs. West and her trustee was of a peculiarly intimate character. They lived together from the time Mrs. West was nine years old until the death of Mrs. Daglish, and during all that period, even after the marriage of Mrs. West, Mrs. Daglish contributed largely to the support of Mrs. West and her children. When Mrs. Daglish died, it was found that she had made Mrs. West the sole beneficiary under her will; the inventory of the estate showing it to be of the value of about $1,000. These two people seem to have sustained toward each other the sentiments of a fond and perhaps overindulgent mother and a loving daughter. Had Mrs. Daglish continued to live, it is only fair to Mrs. West to say that it is believed no steps would ever have been taken by her or in her behalf to compel her aunt and trustee to pay to her again money which had once been paid at her earnest solicitation, and the benefit of which she had enjoyed. The fact that Mrs. Daglish is now dead should not be permitted to weigh in the consideration of the question. It should be treated exactly as if Mrs. West herself were now seeking to recover from her trustee this sum which she has already succeeded in persuading that trustee to turn over to her in person and which she has used.

In Quimby v. Uhl, 130 Mich. 198, at page 212 (89 N. W. 722), it is said:

“ Where beneficiaries either expressly or impliedly assent to the action of their trustee in managing their property not in strict accord with the terms of the trust, they will be held to have acquiesced in such action ” — citing cases. .

See, also, Skelding v. Dean, 141 Mich. 143 (104 N. W. 410), and authorities there cited and reviewed.

It is urged that, when the Cleveland investment was made, Mrs. West was an infant, and therefore incapable of consenting to an- unlawful use of the trust estate. This is true, but, as already pointed out, she became of age a few months later, and by her acts thereafter clearly implied her consent. Her failure to disaffirm the acts of her trustee during the 2£ years following, while said trustee was alive, is also significant. We must hold that the $2,000 constituting the Cleveland investment should have been allowed as a credit in the account of Mrs. Daglish. It necessarily follows that the item of $400.99 paid out by the trustee as interest upon the loan from the proceeds of which this advancement was made should likewise have been allowed.

The Omer limekiln item of $2,600. We are unable to discover from the record that the trustee advanced for this purpose more than $1,400, either from her own estate or that of her cestui que trust. The balance of $1,200 was raised by hypothecating a mortgage for $2,000 upon the property itself. This investment was unquestionably made by the trustee for the benefit of Mrs. West and at her request. Mrs. West was at the time about 23 years of age, and knew that her estate was being used for the purpose of raising the money. This item to the amount of $1,400 should have been allowed.

Touching the demand for an allowance for compensation of the trustee, we are of opinion that it should he denied. During the years the trustee acted she made no demand for compensation for her services in that capacity, and, considering the facts in the case, we have no doubt she had no intention of ultimately making such a demand. In any event, the allowance of a claim to compensation by a trustee is a discretionary matter, and we have no disposition to disagree with the finding of the learned circuit judge upon this point. Henderson v. Sherman, 47 Mich. 267 (11 N. W. 153). The item of $47.20, costs in the suit of Miller, Trustee, v. Commercial Bank, should have been credited. We think the other claimed credits were properly denied. Deducting from the balance found by the circuit judge the sum of the credits above allowed will leave a balance of $1,983.72.

The judgment is reversed, and'the case is remanded to the circuit court, with directions to enter a judgment in accordance with this opinion. Appellant will recover costs of the appeal.

Moore, C. J., and Steere, MoAlvay, Stone, Ostrander, and Bird, JJ., concurred.