1878 Supreme(Cal) 112
CALCUTTA HIGH COURT
Pontifex, J.
Maseyk - Appellant
Versus
Fergusson & Ors. - Respondent
Decided On : 09-07-1878
Headnote:
Will Construction - Residuary Gift - Vesting - Succession Act - Section 98 - [Succession Act, Section 98] - The court interpreted the will to find that the residuary gift vested at birth, despite the direction for payment at age 21, as the testator intended to avoid intestacy and the survivorship clause indicated a vested interest. Section 98 of the Succession Act was held to apply only to vested interests, not to contingent interests.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff claimed as one of the next-of-kin of the testator, alleging that the residuary gift under the will was void for remoteness due to the Succession Act's limitation on the period within which a legacy could vest. The will directed the trustees to invest the residuary estate and pay, transfer, or divide it among the children of the testator's brothers, with the share of each son being double that of each daughter, and payment to be made upon attaining the age of 21 or marriage.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the residuary gift vested at birth, despite the direction for payment at age 21. The court interpreted the will to find that the testator intended to avoid intestacy and the survivorship clause indicated a vested interest. The court also held that Section 98 of the Succession Act applied only to vested interests, not to contingent interests.
Issues: Whether the residuary gift under the will vested at birth or at the age of 21, and whether the gift was void for remoteness under the Succession Act.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the residuary gift vested at birth, based on the construction of the will, the testator's intention to avoid intestacy, and the survivorship clause. The court also held that Section 98 of the Succession Act applied only to vested interests, not to contingent interests.
Final Decision: The court held that the residuary gift vested at birth and was not void for remoteness.
JUDGMENT
Pontifex, J. - In this case the plaintiff claims as upon an intestacy as one of the next-of-kin of H. Section Maseyk, alleging that the residuary gift under his will is void for remoteness, in consequence of the Succession Act having confined the period within which a legacy is to vest to a life in being and eighteen years after.
2. Of course if I could not dispose of this case on the construction of the will, it would be necessary to raise an issue as to the domicile of the testator's brothers. But it seems to me that I may now dispose of the case on the construction of the will.
3. The plaintiff insists that under the second clause of the will no share vests in any child of the testator's brothers until he or she attains twenty-one years. The contention is, that the residuary gift in the will is in the direction to pay or distribute at twenty-one, or, in other words, that the only direction to pay is that in which the element of time is mentioned. In this case, if governed by the Succession Act, it is too remote. I am of opinion that this construction is wrong. The testator directs his trustees to invest the residuary estate "upon trust to pay, transfer, or [312] divide the same unto, between, or among the Children of my brothers James Wilfred Maseyk and Charles Blake Maseyk respectively, to be paid, transferred to, and divided-among them in the proportions and at the times hereinafter mentioned; that is to say, the share of each and every son of my said two brothers shall be double that of each and every daughter, and the shares of each son shall be paid to him or them respectively upon his or their attaining the age of twenty-one years, and the share of each daughter to be paid to her or them on her or their respectively attaining that age or previously marrying, with benefit of survivorship between and among all the said sons and daughters."
4. Looking merely at the language of the clause, it seems to me that the proper way of reading it is to split it up into two divisions,--the first clause being "to pay, transfer, or divide the same unto, between, or among the children of my brothers James William Maseyk and Charles Blake Maseyk respectively." It seems to me that in construing this will one would be entitled to pause there, as Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruck paused in the case of Williams v. Clark (4 De G. &. S. 472), The second division will be of the rest of the clause as split up: but that again is divided into two sub-divisions, one of which deals with proportion and the other deals with payment; the clause will run thus,--each son takes a share double that of the daughter's and the shares to be paid at twenty-one or marriage.
5. I see no difference between the first part and the words "in trust for children of my brothers." The plaintiff argues that there is a distinction, but there is nothing to show in what proportion: the proportion being shown in the first division of the clause, what could he necessary to find out the subdivision? I take it that if there was a sub-division among the brothers directing payment only pending enjoyment at a certain time, the explanation I have given would make them tenants-in-common, whereas under the first words they would be joint tenants. Material principles not being shown by the plaintiff, I am against him as to construction. As to the other point, I am fortified by the context: it is a residuary clause and always construed [313] so as to avoid intestacy. At the end of the clause we find these words "with benefit of survivorship between and among all the said sons and daughters." The plaintiff was asked the meaning of these words, and his answer was, if after the oldest child attained twenty-one any of the younger children died under twenty-one, his interest would pass to the others. This is clearly wrong. In fact this clause of survivorship deals with the shares of those only who have died. If the share is not vested at birth, it would be dealing with a share upon which th