Case ID: nys_1/html/0788-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Dykman, J. Pratt, J.,", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Scott v. Harbeck et al.
    
    
      (Supreme Court, General Term, Second Department.
    
    June 25, 1888.)
    Trusts—Action to Establish—Deposit of Monet as Trustee.
    A person deposited money in a bank to her credit as trustee for plaintiff, but subsequently drew it out, and converted it to her own use. Plaintiff had no knowledge of the deposit until after such person’s death. Held, that plaintiff was entitled to recover the amount of the deposit from the estate of deceased, since, by the act of depositing the money, plaintiff being named as the beneficiary, it became the latter’s property.
    Appeal from circuit court.
    Action brought by Mary Scott against John H. Harbeck and others, as executors of the will of Elvira Harbeck. Verdict and judgment for plaintiff, and defendants appeal.
    
      Argued before Pratt and Dykman, JJ.
   Dykman, J.

This action was brought to recover the amount of a deposit in a savings bank to the credit of the plaintiff, who was then unmarried, and named Mary Barker. The complaint stated that prior to July 30,1884, there was on deposit in the Bowery Savings Bank in the city of Hew York to the credit of Elvira Harbeck, in trust for the plaintiff, the sum of $986; that about that time Elvira Harbeck^drew such money out of the bank, and converted the same to her own use. Mrs. Harbeck is dead, and the action is brought against her executors. Upon the trial of the cause, the defendant’s counsel made an admission of the foregoing facts stated in the complaint. Upon the trial the counsel for the defendant sought to prove, by way of defense to the action, that the plaintiff was ignorant of the deposit so made for her benefit until after the death of the depositor. A verdict was directed in favor of the plaintiff for the amount claimed, and the defendants have appealed from the judgment, and from the order for costs, against the defendant. Under a long line of decisions by the courts, it was quite immaterial whether the plaintiff had knowledge of the deposit in her favor or not. Such deposit was an executed trust, depending upon no act of the plaintiff to make it valid or available to her. The case of Martin v. Funk, 75 N. Y. 134, seems to be decisive of this case. In that case a deposit was made in a savings bank of a sum of money belonging to the depositor in trust for the plaintiff, who was ignorant of the deposit so made until after the death of the depositor. In an action to obtain possession of the pass-books, and to recover the deposits, it was held by the court of appeals that the transaction was a valid and sufficient declaration of trust, and passed the title to the money deposited to the beneficiaries, and constituted the depositor a trustee. It seems to be plain, therefore, that the judgment should be affirmed. There was no question made in the argument before us respecting the allowance of costs, and we assume that the point was abandoned. The judgment should be affirmed, with costs.

Pratt, J.,

(concurring.) Upon the conceded facts, we think the plaintiff was entitled to have the jury instructed to find a verdict. Elvira Barker deposited money in bank in 1860 in her own name, as trustee for tlie plaintiff. In 1884, she drew it out, and converted it to her own use. it was immaterial whether the plaintiff knew of the deposit or not. When the money was deposited in her name as cestui que trust, it became her property. Martin v. Funk, 75 N. Y. 134; Mabie v. Bailey, 95 N. Y. 206; Willis v. Smyth, 91 N. Y. 297. None of the acts of the trustee afterwards had any tendency to prove a valid defense to the action. Mabie v. Bailey, supra. The legal title was in the trustee, but she could not convert the money to her own use without being liable to account. By the act of depositing the money, (assuming it was the money of testatrix at the time,) it became an executed gift, and thereafter it was a trust fund; so that, in no view of the case, was there any question of fact for the jury to determine. The judgment is right, and must be affirmed, with costs.