Court Opinion

ID: 9877586
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-27 16:10:32.573011+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:47:24.892370
License: Public Domain

Lynch, J.
(dissenting). I respectfully dissent. In 2007, Margaret E. Gurney (hereinafter decedent) established a revocable living trust, including specific bequests and a residuary clause that distributed the remainder of her estate to three charitable institutions in the City of Oneonta, Otsego County as follows: 40% each to respondents A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital and Hartwick College, and 20% to respondent St. Mary’s Roman Catholic School at “5588 State Route 7 in Oneonta, New York 13820” (hereinafter the school). There is no dispute that the closure of the school in June 2011 rendered the gift “impracticable or impossible” within the meaning of EPTL 8-1.1 (c) (1). As such, Surrogate’s Court was authorized to provide cy pres relief, as requested by the school only if “the instrument[ ] establishing the gifts revealed a general charitable intent” (Matter of Lally, 112 AD3d 1099, 1100 [2013]; see Matter of Syracuse Univ. [Heffron], 3 NY2d 665, 670-671 [1958]; Matter of Hummel, 30 AD3d 802, 804 [2006], lv denied 7 NY3d 713 *1125[2006]; Matter of Post, 2 AD3d 1091, 1092-1093 [2003]). To answer that question, we must consider the entire trust instrument and not just the specific gift provision that can no longer be implemented.
Doing so here, I read the trust as reflecting a general charitable intent on decedent’s part. Not unlike the trust in Matter of Hummel (30 AD3d at 804), decedent left her residuary estate to three charitable institutions. She also made a specific bequest to the Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta. The record confirms that the bulk of her estate passed through the residuary clause, evidencing an overall charitable intention (see Matter of Othmer, 12 Misc 3d 414, 421 [2006]). Notably, there is no specific language qualifying the gift should the school cease operations (compare Matter of Syracuse Univ. [Heffron], 3 NY2d at 670). Nor does providing the school address in the bequest evidence any such specific limitation. The school was not a separate legal entity, but was operated by respondent St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, New York (hereinafter the parish), situated in Oneonta. Moreover, decedent had a history of providing financial support to both the school and the parish both before and after the trust was established. This history runs counter to petitioner’s deposition testimony— quoted by the majority — that decedent had “satisfied” her obligations to the parish prior to establishing the trust. Also of consequence is the representation in the moving affidavit of the parish pastor that the parish has continued the school’s mission “through the parish Faith Formation education program.”
Given that these factors evidence a general charitable intent, the case should be remitted for a hearing to determine the proper distribution of the funds to “ ‘most effectively accomplish [decedent’s] general purpose! ]’ ” (Matter of Wilson, 59 NY2d 461, 472 [1983], quoting EPTL 8-1.1 [c] [1]; accord Matter of Hummel, 30 AD3d at 804; see Matter of Chamberlin, 135 AD3d 1052, 1053 [2016]).
Ordered that the order is affirmed, with one bill of costs.