A customary form for the department check is shown in Figure 82. The bookkeeper gets the debit items for entry in the books of this department from the stubs of this check-book. He obtains the credit items from credit slips, one form of which is shown in Figure 83. Statements of accounts required by the courts are usually made on ordinary journal-ruled statement paper, the entries being made in chro ESTATE OF No 755 Camden, NJ. April 12 $300 P, ample TRUST ACCOUNT, 1900 Dollars George Washington nological order, items for principal account not being separated from those for income account. In monthly or annual statements to beneficiaries or to the makers of trusts, however, the items on the two accounts should be shown separately. Figures 84, 85 and 86 show different forms for statements to beneficiaries, designed, as will be seen, to show separately the items in principal and income accounts. That shown in Figure 86 is arranged for use in connection with the individual trust journal shown in Figure 14. The statement, it will be noted, is practically a copy of the journal; and the stenographer simply copies the entries from the journal without intermediate copying by the bookkeeper. It is a growing custom for individuals to deposit their wills with trust companies, especially in cases where the trust company is made executor. In receiving wills the trust company undertakes to safely keep same and to deposit them with the proper authorities as soon as possible after the decease of the testator. Figure 87 shows a form for the Record of Wills on File. This is a card form, the cards being kept in a case in the vault, and being arranged in alphabetical order. THE CLEVELAND TRUST COMPANY, Trusice for the Estete of Hiram A. Heines In the above pages the writer has attempted to give the principal kinds of records and forms used by the average trust company to record the history of its business in the trust department. There are of course companies undertaking special lines of work which call for varieties of forms not included in the above sketch; and besides forms for such special lines of work, the individual preferences of the officers in different companies add many forms of greater or less utility which from the nature of the case it would be neither possible nor useful to attempt to include here. There is also a class of forms, legal or semi-legal in character, which the trust company uses constantly in its trust department, but which it has not seemed best to discuss in the present articles. These include forms of bonds, stock certificates, voting trust certificates, certificates of participation and so forth. The exact form of such documents depends in the first instance upon the particular contract involved, and in the second instance upon the individual views and preferences of the lawyer or lawyers who prepare them. And while there is of course a general similarity in the forms used, the considerations just named result in such differences in details in documents of this character that it would be difficult to fix upon what could be called standard forms. CHAPTER VIII. FORMS AND RECORDS FOR THE SAFE DEPOSIT DEPARTMENT. HE necessary forms and records for the safe deposit department comparatively few in The business of involves the renting of individual safes or boxes, and the caring for packages left for safe-keeping. In theory, the business is simple; but experience demonstrates that complicated situations are apt to arise; and it is important that the few forms needed should be prepared with care, and those affecting the contract into which the company enters should be approved by competent counsel. The Trust Company Section of the American Bankers' Association in 1904, and again in 1905, appointed a special committee to report on various matters affecting the safe deposit department, and including a compilation of forms. The reports of the two committees, bound under one cover, have been issued by the association, and contain valuable information. The forms there given, thirty in number, provide for the needs of the largest companies, but of course include many that are not needed by the safe deposit department of the average trust company. A few of these forms, together with others collected from different sources, are given here. The identity of prospective customers of this department should be established with care. When the applicant is an entire stranger, some companies send to persons named as references a printed letter reading as follows: whose signature is attached, as an honest has mentioned you as a reference. If you consider and reliable person, will you kindly affix your signature and return to us at your earliest convenience? It is understood and agreed by us that this will in no way make you liable for any damages. Yours very truly, Sign here Manager. Whatever the method used for the purpose, the company should satisfy itself that every applicant for a box in the vaults is the person he claims to be. Should he rent a box under an assumed name, in case of his death the company might be put to considerable expense and certainly would be put to some trouble, in determining to whom the box should be surrendered. It is also important that the customers of this department as of all departments, for that matter-be known to be persons of ordinary honesty; for while every precaution is taken to conduct the business with care, the possible presence in the vaults of a designing and dishonest person involves too much risk for the company. Assuming a prospective customer of this department to have been identified as a proper person to become a renter of a box in the company's vaults, the first forms needed are the receipts mutually given by the company and by the renter. The company gives a receipt for the payment of the rent of the box, a form of which with stub is shown in Figure 88. Upon the back of this form are printed the rules and regulations of the department, which the renter, by the acceptance of this receipt and by the terms of the receipt which he gives to the company (see Figure 89), agrees to abide by. Some companies prefer not to print the rules and regulations on the back of the receipt, but simply to include in the receipt some such words as these: "Subject to the rules and regulations made by this company." This is intended to include not only the present rules and regulations, but also any that the company may see fit to make in the future. Jannidry 3. -190 3.. -190 from Time l Expires 1/20/07 Charge, $500 Dollars, for ref of a safe in the Vault of this Company. 30 -_190 10 during which term, subject to the rules and regulations endorol hereon, it shall be the property of the lessee. DILIGENCE TO PREVENT THE OPENING OF SAID SAFE BY ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE LESSEE OR HIS DULY FIG. 88.-RECEIPT FOR SAFE RENT. When the keys are turned over to the renter, a receipt is taken from him, in which he acknowledges the receipt of the keys and agrees to the rules and regulations of the company. His signature to this receipt also serves as a means of identification in the future. For many obvious reasons, however, this should not be relied upon as the only means of identification; and it is customary to record other information for this purpose. Such information may refer to personal appearance-height, complexion, color of hair and eyes and especially any visible scars or marked peculiarities. In the case of a person who continues to be a customer for a long term of years, however, such information may become a source of confusion, because one's personal appearance may change. Of more value are such facts as the date and place of birth, father's name and mother's maiden name. Many companies also give to each renter a password, although such passwords are rarely used, being easily forgotten, and of doubtful utility. Except in the cases of those who rarely visit their boxes, the attendants soon become familiar with the customers, so that resort to special means of identification is not needed. |