This matter comes before the court upon petition of Gertrude Reid, cestui que trust, under the last will and testament of her father, J. Frank Hoover, deceased, asking for the removal of Robert E. Malick, the testamentary trustee in said will. To this petition, respondent, Robert E. Malick, filed his answer denying the material allegations which petitioner alleges warrant his removal.
The proceedings were brought under the Fiduciaries Act of June 7, 1917, P. L. 447, sec. 53 (a), 20 PS §921.
“1. When such fiduciary is wasting or mismanaging the estate or property under his charge, or is likely to prove insolvent, or has neglected or refused to exhibit true and perfect inventories, or render full and just accounts of such estate or property, come to his hands or knowledge;
“8. When, for any reason, the interests of the estate or property are likely to be jeopardized by the continuance of any such fiduciary;
“9. When all the cestuis que trust, or a majority of them, having the life estate under any trust, shall desire the removal of the trustee or trustees upon any substantial ground not hereinbefore enumerated, and the court, upon petition filed by them or any of them, shall be satisfied that such substantial ground for removal exists; in which case the court may remove said trustee or trustees, and appoint another or others as chosen by said parties;”
Stripped of all unessential facts, the present case discloses that J. Frank Hoover, a resident of Shamokin, Pa., died April 13,1934, and by his last will and testament, duly probated, provided, inter alia, as follows:
“ITEM: I give, and bequeath unto my trustee hereinafter named, and to his successor or successors, all my shares of the capital stock of the News Publishing and Printing Company, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with its registered office in the Borough of Shamokin, County of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, in trust nevertheless to pay over the net income thereof in quarterly or other convenient payments [italics supplied] unto my beloved wife
In a subsequent provision in his will, testator provided the principal and income from this trust, estate, so long as the trust continues, shall be free from the control, debts, liabilities and engagements of either of the beneficiaries, and shall not be subject to assignment, nor to execution or process for the enforcement of judgments against either of the said beneficiaries. Robert E. Malick, respondent in this case, was named both executor and trustee under this will. The widow, Elizabeth R. Hoover, died December 24,1942, and petitioner, Gertrude Reid, then became, and is now, the active beneficiary under the trust. The trust res, at the time of the testator’s death, consisted of 197% shares of the capital stock of the News Publishing and Printing Company, hereinafter referred to, for convenience, as “the company”. This company has, for years, published the local newspaper and has done job printing in this community. The shares in the trust fund were reduced, by agreement, to 196%, which
The grounds on which the removal of the trustee is sought are grouped, for the purpose of this discussion, as follows:
1. Loss of confidence in the trustee arising from his conduct in the management of the trust estate.
2. Hostile and adverse interest of the trustee.
3. Use by the trustee of his office for his personal benefit.
1. The record discloses that the trustee did not set. up the trust estate until May 5,1942, a period of more than eight years after the death of testator, but permitted the shares of stock, the subject of the trust, to remain in the name of J. Frank Hoover. Respondent, likewise, did not open a bank account as trustee until August 31,1946. This is but a technical violation of his duty as trustee and in our judgment, in itself, is not sufficient ground for removal: Mathues’s Estate, 322 Pa. 358. The record discloses, too, that the income from this trust estate was paid at the rate of $45 per week, by checks drawn on the treasury of the company, to both Mrs. Hoover, the former beneficiary, and Mrs. Reid, the present beneficiary. This procedure was followed for a period of about 11 years. To this manner of paying the income, there can be no complaint, for the reason that this plan was followed at the request of both beneficiaries, and for the additional reason that the will of testator provides that the income from the trust investment shall be paid in quarterly or other convenient payments.
Petitioner alleges that the trustee conspired with the remaining directors of the board in. an effort to
It was sought to show, by the testimony, that respondent entered into contracts for purchases, and contracts with the union, personally, without consultation with the members of the board of directors. It is true that the record shows that these matters were not taken up at a regular board meeting and passed by a resolution. The testimony also shows, in many of these cases, the contracts were renewed automatically, from year to year, and in all cases, the questions of renewing contracts were discussed with members of the board and agreed upon by them.
Another alleged example of mismanagement of the trust estate is the transferring to surplus of more of the net profits from the operation of the company than is prudently necessary. It is true substantial depreciation and reserves for replacements and repairs, as well as reserve for expansion of the business, have been set up annually. The company showed a net profit each year, varying from $22,019.03, in 1934, to $32,512.22, in 1945, and in addition, dividends have been paid during these years, varying from $5,880, in 1934, to $10,500, in 1945. The record also shows that prior to the death of testator, and before the
“Mere differences of opinion or judgment between the trustee and the cestui que trust are not enough to justify the removal of the former.”
2. Petitioner, under date of July 30, 1946, wrote respondent a letter, in which she outlined a number of questions' concerning the trust estate which she. desired to have answered for her own information. Most of these questions were pertinent to the management of the trust estate. To this letter respondent replied, answering some, but not all, the questions asked by petitioner. One of the important questions not answered was what happened to the stock of the Scott estate which was purchased by the company and placed in its treasury. Then followed a series of exchanges of correspondence between petitioner and an attorney employed by petitioner, and trustee. Peti
3. The complaint that the trustee used his office for his personal benefit presents a most serious question for consideration. The specific contention here is that the trustee used the voting capacity of the trust shares to enhance his own interest at the expense of the trust. This is an attempt to invoke the rule that a trustee
Of equal importance are the actions and conduct of this trustee upon his visit to Emporium in June of 1940. The testimony shows that there were 60 shares of stock of this company for sale, which were owned by the Clayton Scott estate. At this meeting, the trustee discussed with testator’s widow, Mrs. Hoover, who was the then life beneficiary under the trust, with Mrs. Reid, the present life beneficiary, and her husband, the purchase of this stock. It was the desire of the life beneficiary to buy additional stock, which, when added to the trust shares, would eventually give the family control of the company. It appeared that the life beneficiary did not have sufficient money to
Even more serious are the actions and conduct of the trustee in his attempts to terminate this trust. Beginning with the meeting at Emporium in June of 1940, and continuing at a meeting in the fall of 1944, in the month of November, discussion was had between the trustee and the life beneficiary concerning his purchase of the stock in the trust estate. The assets of the company were discussed, as was its general financial condition, for the purpose of arriving at the value of the stock held in trust. The next meeting between the trustee and petitioner was in the spring of 1945. The trustee again went to the home of petitioner. At this time, petitioner advised the trustee that if she could use the money herself as she saw fit, she would sell the stock in the trust estate. The negotiations developed to the place where the trustee made a definite offer of $80,000, which was refused. The trustee then increased the offer to $100,000, exclusive of income tax. Petitioner’s husband testifies: “Mr. Malick always brought this matter up.” (Meaning the purchase, of the trust shares.) It is to be remembered
The conduct of the life beneficiary, petitioner in this case, is not to be approved, but rather, condemned. In response to a question of whether or not she was trying to find ways and means, in her negotiations with the trustee, to terminate this trust, whereby she could get control of the money in the trust estate, she answers in the affirmative, and says this was her thought. Petitioner testifies she thought over the matter of the sale of the shares of stock and concluded it would be good if she could invest the money . . . then it would not be under the trust any more. She further testifies that even though she had been advised she could not terminate the trust legally, she was still willing to sell at a good price. The picture, as it is now developed, presents on one hand, a trustee attempting to buy from the life beneficiary the trust estate, and on the other hand, a life beneficiary, not only willing but eager, to dispose of the trust estate — her sole condition precedent being that she must have the money to invest as she pleased. Neither the life beneficiary nor the trustee, in our judgment, show any concern for the interest of the ultimate beneficiaries, to say nothing of the expressed wish in the will of testator that he wanted
It is urged upon us, by counsel for the trustee, that even though there were technical breaches of this trust, it did not occasion financial loss, and while the trustee was responsible for these breaches, they were brought about, perhaps ignorantly. It will not suffice to attempt to explain the errors admitted by respondent by saying they were attributable to ignorance. He is a man whose life has been spent in newspaper work, which requires more than ordinary intelligence and acuteness of understanding. A letter written by the trustee to petitioner also negatives the defense of ignorance. This letter says: “You should realize that I have had legal advice and counsel from the inception of my trusteeship 12 years ago.”
When we consider the actions of the trustee in this case, in the light of the familiar principle of law, that the removal of a trustee is a drastic action and one which should only be taken when the estate is actually endangered and intervention is necessary to save the trust property (Crawford’s Estate, 340 Pa. 187. Hartman’s Estate, 331 Pa. 422, 428), we might conclude that any single act of the trustee amounting to a breach of his trust, or proof of an isolated instance of a breach of the trust may not be sufficient to warrant his removal: Bailey’s Estate, 306 Pa. 334. Our duty does not permit us to consider aloné isolated instances or technical breaches of the trust, but rather, an overall view of the entire picture. This consideration of the case presents to us, from undeniéd testimony, a trustee who failed to set up the trust fund; neglected to open an account as trustee; proposed to the life beneficiary that he would buy and place in the treasury of the company certain shares of stock of the company for the benefit of the ultimate beneficiaries (which he did actually buy and place in the treasury) and which he subsequently purchased from the company in his own
If the confidence reposed in the trustee by the creator of the trust has been abused and the interest of the beneficiaries is liable to suffer thereby, the court should act promptly and effectively in affording adequate relief: Neafie’s Estate, 199 Pa. 307. When a court is called upon to remove a trustee, the question in each case is whether the circumstances are such that the continuance of the trustee in office would be detrimental to the trust. In this case, respondent has shown unusual ability and exceptional qualities in the management of this company. The financial progress of the company, due to his managerial skill, has undoubtedly increased the value of the trust shares. Even though these facts weigh heavily in the scales against the wrong conduct proved against him as trustee, neither such ability nor such qualities excuse his conduct as trustee. We therefore make the following:
Order
And now, to wit, April 30,1947, after due consideration, the prayer of the petition is granted. Respondent, Robert E. Malick, is removed as trustee under the last will and testament of J. Frank Hoover, late of the Borough of Shamokin, deceased. Costs to be paid by petitioner.
