Scallan v. Brooks — 54 A.D. 248

Majority

p. 248

John T. Scallan, Respondent, v. John Brooks, as Executor, etc., of Bridget Steggels, Deceased, Substituted in Place of the Bowery Savings Bank, Appellant.

Headnote

A deposit in a savings bank-“ intrust for John T. Seallan” creates a trust in Ms favor—possession by a trustee of a muniment of title.

Evidence that one Bridget Steggels opened a savings bank account “ in trust for John T. Scallan,” and personally received the pass book and retained it in her possession until the day before her death, when she handed it to the person, named as executor in her will, and that she made declarations that she had constituted a trust for the benefit of John T. Scallan, warrants a finding that, such trust was created. .

The retention of the pass book by Mrs. Steggels is to be regarded, as the possession by a trustee of a muniment of title.

Appeal by the defendant, John Brooks, as executor, etc., of Bridget Steggels, deceased, substituted in place of the Bowery Savings Bank, from a final judgment' of the Supreme Court in favor of the plaintiff, entered in the office of the clerk of the county of New York on the 17th day of July, 1900, upon the report of a referee,, adjudging that certain moneys deposited by Bridget Steggels in the-Bowery Savings Bank was a valid gift to the plaintiff, and ordering that the same be paid over to him.

K. C. McDonald, for the appellant.

William J. Barr, for the respondent.

The defendant .appeals from a judgment entered upon the report-of a referee in favor of the plaintiff in an action brought to recover an amount on deposit in a savings bank in an account opened by one Bridget Steggels “in trust for John T. Scallan.” The contest is between Scallan and Brooks, the executor of the last will and testament of Bridget Steggels. The real question in. the case relates to-the ownership of this money on deposit. Does it belong to the= plaintiff or is it assets of the estate of Mrs. Steggles passing to her executor ?

From the evidence it is quite clear that Mrs. Steggels opened, the account with the savings bank and personally received the pass book, which she retained in her possession until the day before liei"

p. 249

death, when she handed it to the person named as executor in her will. From the form in which the account was opened by Mrs. Steggels and- the fact of her acceptance of the pass book with the nature of the account and of the deposit stated in it and from the evidence of two witnesses of statements and declarations made by Mrs. Steggels, that she constituted the trust for the benefit of the plaintiff, the referee was authorized to find, as he did, that a trust for the plaintiff was created.

The devotion of the money to a trust for the benefit of Scallan must be deemed under the authorities cited in Farleigh v. Cadman ( 159 N. Y. 169 ) and in Williams v. Brooklyn Savings Bank ( 51 App. Div. 332 ) to constitute an irrevocable trust. The retention of the pass book by Mrs. Steggels can only be regarded as the possession by a trustee of a muniment of title. If the deposit in trust is to be regarded as a gift, no question can arise of incompleteness of that gift by reason of the non-delivery of the subject of it to the donee, for the trust existing, possession and title necessarily would be in the trustee. There is no question of revocation of the trust by will or otherwise.

The judgment appealed from should- be affirmed, with costs.

Van Brunt, P. J., Rumsey, O’Brien and McLaughlin, JJ., concurred.

Judgment affirmed, with costs.

Cases cited

Farleigh v. Cadman 159 N. Y. 169 N.Y. 1899-05-12 p. 249