Case Name: In the Matter of the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts of J. Monroe Palmer, as Executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, Deceased, as Executrix and Trustee, etc., of John E. Chase, Deceased. John S. Smith, as Executor, etc., of Obadiah Chase, Deceased, Appellant; J. Monroe Palmer, as Executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, Deceased, and Others, Respondents
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1903
Citations: 85 A.D. 117
Docket Number: 
Parties: In the Matter of the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts of J. Monroe Palmer, as Executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, Deceased, as Executrix and Trustee, etc., of John E. Chase, Deceased. John S. Smith, as Executor, etc., of Obadiah Chase, Deceased, Appellant; J. Monroe Palmer, as Executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, Deceased, and Others, Respondents.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 85
Pages: 117–122

Head Matter:
In the Matter of the Judicial Settlement of the Accounts of J. Monroe Palmer, as Executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, Deceased, as Executrix and Trustee, etc., of John E. Chase, Deceased. John S. Smith, as Executor, etc., of Obadiah Chase, Deceased, Appellant; J. Monroe Palmer, as Executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, Deceased, and Others, Respondents.
Will — when notwithstanding words of trust and limitation an absolute estate passes under a will.
The disposing clauses of the will of John E. Chase provided as follows:
“First. I give and bequeath to my wife, Elizabeth Chase, all of my property, both real and personal, to and for her own individual use and benefit, after the following manner.
“Second. I give and devise all my real and personal estate of what nature and kind soever to my friend Isaiah Smith, 2d, and my wife, Elizabeth Chase, Executor and Executrix of this, my last Will and Testament, hereinafter nominated and appointed in trust for the payment of my just debts and the legacies above specified, with power to sell and dispose of the same at public or private sale at such time or times and upon such terms and in such manner as to them shall seem meet, and that the money so raised to be put at interest by my Executor and Executrix, so that my wife, Elizabeth, may have the avails thereof, and if a,t any time- such interest shall not be sufficient for her use, then she is to be paid so much of the principal as is necessary for her use as she may need the same.”
The testator was survived by his widow and by his father, who was his sole next of kin.
Meld, that the property passed absolutely to the widow.
Parker, P. J., and Houghton, J., dissented.
Appeal by John S. Smith, as executor, etc., of Obadiah Chase, ■ deceased, from a decree of the Surrogate’s Court of the county of Schuyler, entered in said Surrogate’s Court on the 19th day of November, 1902, determining that certain moneys belong to J-Monroe Palmer, as executor, etc., of Elizabeth Farrington, deceased, and refusing .to compel him to account therefor to the appellant.
In 1.870 John E. Chase, of Schuyler county, died, leaving a last will and testament which reads as follows :
“ Will.
“In the name of God, Amen. I, John E. Chase, of the Town ©f Hector, in the County of Schuyler and State of New York, at -the age of Thirty-five years, and being of sound mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this, my last Will and Testament, in manner following, that is to say :
“First, I give and bequeath to my wife, Elizabeth Chase, all of my property, both real and personal, tó and for her own individual use and benefit, after the following manner. ■
“ Second, I give and devise all my real and personal estate of what nature and kind soever to my friend Isaiah Smith, 2d, and my wife, Elizabeth Chase, Executor and Executrix of this, my last Will and Testament, hereinafter nominated and appointed in trust for the payment of my just .debts and -the legacies above specified, with power to sell and dispose of the same at public or private sale at such time or times and upon such terms and in such manner as to them shall seem meet, and that the money so raised to be put at interest by my Executor and Executrix, so that my wife, Elizabeth, may have the avails thereof, and if at any time such interest shall not be sufficient for her. use, then she is to be paid so much of the principal as is necessary for her use as she may need the same.
“Lastly, I do hereby nominate and appoint my friend, Isaiah Smith, 2d, Executor, and my wife, Elizabeth Chase, to be the Executrix, of this, my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former Wills by me made.
“In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 22nd day of March, 1862.
“JOHHE. CHASE, [l. s.]”
He left him surviving his widow, Elizabeth Chase, and his father, Obadiah Chase, as his sole next of kin. Isaiah Smith did not qualify as executor, but Elizabeth Chase was appointed executrix and trustee under the will. Thereafter, and in the year 1871, Elizabeth Chase married John R. Farrington. ' In December, 1900, Elizabeth Farrington died. J. Monroe Palmer was appointed and qualified as executor of her will. In or about 1885 Obadiah Chase died, and John S. Smith was duly appointed and qualified as executor of his last will and testament.' At the death of Elizabeth Farrington there was of the moneys received from John E.- Chase unexpended by her the sum of about $3,000. The surrogate has determined that said moneys belonged to the executor of Elizabeth Farrington, and has refused to compel him to account therefor to the executor of Obadiah Chase. From the decree upon this determination John E. Smith, as executor of Obadiah Chase, here appeals.
William 'Hazlitt Smith, for the appellant.
F. S. Curtis and Frederick Collm, for the respondents.

Opinion:
Smith, J.:
The real intent of the testator does not seem to me difficult of ascertainment. His father was his sole next of kin. By fair presumption he would not outlive the widow. There can be no reasonable probability that what remained of the property after the death of the widow was reserved for his benefit, or for the benefit of any other party. His intention clearly was that the property should belong to his widow. He endeavored, however, to restrict the use of the property during the life of the widow. Whether or not he was successful in that endeavor is immaterial to the question here for determination. If it be held that her life use was limited to her needs, it must, nevertheless, be held that sufficient title was given to her to be disposed of either by will or which would pass to her next of kin in case of intestacy. The presumption of law against a contemplated intestacy on his part as to part of his property is reinforced not only by the fact that his sole next of kin was his father, for whom he could not reasonably have intended a reservation, but also by the first provision of his will, which is an explicit declaration of gift to his wife of all his property, both real and personal. The succeeding clause in no way attempts to limit the amount of property given. The only attempt is to limit its use during the life of the widow. I am of opinion, therefore, that the property passed absolutely to Elizabeth Chase under the will of John E. Chase, and that the determination of the surrogate was right.
All concurred, except Houghton, J., dissenting in opinion, in which Parker, P. J., concurred.