Taxation & Estate Planning

Estate Planning and Boston's Freedom Trail

By Joel A. Schoenmeyer

Last week my family visited Boston for a little spring break R&R (is it really spring break when the temp barely breaks 50? better than snow, I suppose).

I'd never been to the city before, and we had a nice time visiting friends and seeing the sights along the Freedom Trail. Surprisingly, a couple of estate planning issues impacted the makeup of the city. The following quotes are from the nice walking guide entitled The Complete Guide to Boston's Freedom Trail, by Charles Bahne:

1. "The [Massachusetts] State House stands on land once owned by John Hancock.... Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.... Hancock's elegant mansion stood on what is now the west lawn of the State House. Hancock wished to give his home to the state, for use as a governor's mansion, but he died before he could sign his will. Year later, his heirs offered to sell the old house to the state, but the price was considered too high. Much to the dismay of all Bostonians, the Hancock mansion was demolished in 1863." (page 8) Ah, the irony of one of the world's most famous "signers" failing to sign his Will.

2. Faneuil Hall is "Boston's town meeting-hall [] where the colonists first dared to speak publicly against British rule.... The building was a gift to the town from Peter Faneuil, 'the topmost merchant in all the town'.... Peter Faneuil inherited his fortune from his uncle Andrew, a prosperous merchant whose ships called at ports around the Atlantic. But Andrew's bequest was subject to one unusual provision: like his uncle, Peter had to remain a bachelor. If he ever married, he would forfeit the money!" (pages 30-31) Peter Faneuil was known around Boston as "the jolly bachelor," which is also a name he gave one of his ships. These days, a "no marriage" provision would possibly be declared void as against public policy.

Full post as published by Death and Taxes Blog on March 31, 2008 (boomark / email).