Court Opinion

ID: 9564236
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:56:32.503027+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:18.273635
License: Public Domain

Justice Branch
dissenting.
I am of the opinion that the property devised and bequeathed to the First Presbyterian Church of Reidsville by the will of Susan E. Pinnix created estates in fee simple, unencumbered by a trust.
In Williams v. Thompson, 216 N.C. 292, 4 S.E. 2d 609, certain real property was devised to the Methodist Episcopal Church, “to be used by the stewards or legal representatives of the said church in the Town of Plymouth, as a parsonage for the minister and for no other purpose . . . . ” The Court held that this will devised a fee in the land and reasoned that the effect of the language in the will was only to express the wish of the testatrix as to the future use of the land.
In Hall v. Quinn, 190 N.C. 326, 130 S.E. 18, certain lands were conveyed to the Trustees of the James Sprunt Institution, an institution controlled by the Wilmington Presbytery, “to be used for the purposes of education, and for no other purposes.” This Court held that the language of this conveyance created an estate in fee.
In the landmark case of St. James v. Bagley, 138 N.C. 384, 50 S.E. 841, a deed was executed to the Vestry and Wardens of St. James Church containing the following language:
"... the said parties of the first part, for the purpose of aiding in the establishment of a Home for Indigent *304Widows or Orphans or in the promotion of any other charitable or religious objects to which the property hereinafter conveyed may be appropriated by the said parties of the second part, . '. . do by these presents grant, bargain, and sell to the said parties of the second part, . . . . ”
: ■ This Court held, that such language did not create a trust, and, in part stated:
“ ... By all of the canons of construction and the rules laid down by the courts for ascertaining the intention of the donor, we are brought to the conclusion that no trust is created by the language in this deed. ...”
It is recognized, however, that no particular words are necessary to create a trust if the intent to create a trust is evident. Ultimately, construing a will involves finding the intent of the testator, and when found, giving this intent effect unless contrary to public policy or some rule of law. Y.M.C.A. v. Morgan, 281 N.C. 485, 189 S.E. 2d 169.
Examination of the provisions of this will in light of the circumstances known to the testatrix reveals an intent on her part to memorialize her brother. Such examination, however, reveals no intent to restrict the gifts or any indication that the testatrix wished to abandon her desire to commemorate the memory of her brother if it could not be accomplished by the erection of a church on the site indicated in the will.
The will of Susan E. Pinnix was obviously drawn by a competent lawyer. Yet, the pertinent items of the will do not contain language generally used by the legal profession in creating a trust. Further, the scrivener could have easily made the bequests and devises defeasible upon failure to perform conditions which testatrix might have imposed. The will, nevertheless, contains no clause of forfeiture upon conditions broken or clause of reentry.
I believe, that the testatrix intended to devise and bequeath the property to the First Presbyterian Church, Reidsville, North Carolina, in fee simple, to express the motive which prompted her to make the gifts, and to indicate her wishes concerning the future use of the property.
*305With knowledge of the primary motive of the testatrix, the church, in all probability, would use the property to memorialize her brother in some appropriate way.
Finally, we note that the Consent Judgment entered in the Superior Court of Rockingham County on 6 October 1961 did not attempt to adjudicate the rights of the parties or to construe the will of Susan E. Pinnix. This judgment did no more than continue the cause for a period of ten years and provide that in the event defendants did not within that time erect a church in memory of M. F. Pinnix within a radius of five miles of the Burton Street property, that the plaintiff be “authorized by motion in this cause to reaffirm her claim to the corpus of the trust.” In the present action, plaintiffs seek “to reaffirm their claims,” if any they have.
I vote to reverse and remand to Rockingham Superior Court for entry of judgment declaring the First Presbyterian Church of Reidsville to be the absolute owner of all of the property, both real and personal, which was devised or bequeathed to it by the will of Susan E. Pinnix.
Chief Justice Bobbitt joins in this dissenting opinion.