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IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA
IN RE:
ESTATE OF SARA MCCREA CHAPMAN
JONES
ORPHAN'S COURT DIVISI~ ~ ~ '~`~~'
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Case No
21-09-0329
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COMMONWEALTH'S RESPONSE AND OBJECTIONS
The Commonwealth, by its Acting Attorney General, William H. Ryan, Jr, acting in his
capacity as parens patriae, responds to the Petition for Citation as follows:
1. After reasonable investigation, the Commonwealth is without knowledge of the particular
facts and circumstances surrounding the administration of this trust. As such all factual
averments are denied. All documents involved speak for themselves and any assertion to
the contrary of plain language in those documents is denied.
2. The allegations in the petition indicate the need for a filed, partial accounting.
3. The Commonwealth objects to the invasion of principle, beyond the current trust terms,
or modification of this trust to allow for further invasion principle because the trust, as
stated, is irrevocable and clearly worded that it will pay only 5% of the trust corpus
annually.
4. The Commonwealth objects to the Petition as modification of this in-evocable, yet
charitable remainder, trust may result in severe and adverse tax consequences. As
drafted, this trust satisfies the requirements for tax benefit pursuant to I.R.C. §664.
Modification of this trust to an admiiustration that is contrary to IRS requirements may
jeopardize principle and incur penalties.
5. Upon information and belief, the Commonwealth understands that the life tenant does not
benefit from government assistance; however, an invasion of principle could well
jeopardize, on resource grounds, any opportunity for benefits thus further contradicting
the plain testamentary intent.
WHEREFORE, the Commonwealth respectfully requests that this Honorable Court
deny the request to modify this trust or invade principle further than the trust already allows.
Respectfully Submitted:
WILLIAM H. RYAN, JR
Acting ~-tto e
By:
MICHAEL T. FOERSTER
Senior Deputy Attorney General
Pa. Attorney No.: 78766
Office of Attorney General
Charitable Trusts & Organizations Section
14`~ Floor -Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120
717-783-2853
MARK A. PACELLA
Chief Deputy Attorney General
March 31, 2011
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA
IN RE:
ESTATE OF SARA MCCREA CHAPMAN
JONES
ORPHAN'S COURT DIVISION
Case No. 21-09-0329
21-78-0442
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Michael T. Foerster, counsel for the Commonwealth, hereby certify that on March 31,
2011, I caused true and correct copy of the foregoing document titled COMMONWEALTH'S
RESPONSE AND OBJECTIONS to be mailed first class,~postage prepaid, to all other parties of
record as follows:
Jeffrey R. Boswell, Esquire
315 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
For the petitioner No V. Otto, III, Esquire
10 East High Street
Cazlisle, PA 17013
For the trustee M&T
Bank Dickinson School of Law
c/o Patricia L. Roenigk, Esq.
7 Old Main
University Pazk, PA 16802-1502
Bene cia
John McCrea, III Dickinson College Beverly E. Ledbetter
P.O. Box 341 P.O. Box 1773 Vice President and General Counsel
Newville, PA 17241 Carlisle, PA 17013 Brown University
Co-trustee Beneficiary 110 South Main Street
Campus Box 1913
Providence, RI 02912
Bene cia
James D. Flower, Esquire Episcopal Diocese of The National Trust for Scotland
26 West High Street Central Pennsylvania Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road
Cazlisle, PA 17013 P.O. Box 11937 Edinburgh, Scotland
For the beneficiary church Harrisburg, PA 17108 United Kingdom EHl l 4DF
Bene cia Bene cia
Office of Attorney General
Charitable Trusts & Organizations Section
14~' Floor -Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120
CHAEL T. FOERSTER
Senior Deputy Attorney General