Opinion ID: 1567095
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Gifts to Subclasses

Text: It can easily be seen that the interests sought to be created in children of members of Class One (Subclasses Two, Three and so on), born after the creation of the trust, do violate the rule against perpetuities. For example, the daughter who is the life tenant, might by possibility, give birth, after the trust was created, to a child, who would become a member of Class One. The mother, and all her other children, and all other possible lives in being, might by possibility die when this child was a year old. There would then no longer be any lives in being. By possibility this one surviving child might have a child, a member of a subclass, at twenty-four and then die. Thus, even if it be assumed that this member of the subclass would then take his interest immediately, he would take beyond the time of any life in being and twenty-one years and the gift to him would thus be invalid. For this reason the trust is invalid as to any subclasses comprised of children of members of Class One who were born after the trust indenture was executed. However, as to subclasses comprised of children of members of Class One in being prior to the creation of the trust a different result obtains. Those members of Class One were lives in being at the time the trust was created. Any children that any one of those members have, will of necessity, therefore, be born within a life in being. Should such a member of Class One die before attaining twenty-five then the subclass of his children will be ascertainable at his death. The gift to members of this subclass is not violative of the rule against perpetuities for the same reasons that the gift to members of Class One was not invalid. And this is true of all the subclasses comprised of children of the members of Class One living when the trust was executed. Their interests must vest, if at all, within lives in being, their parents.