Articles Posted in Manhattan

Plaintiffs motion pursuant to CPLR § 1015 seeking to substitute the law firm of K&K as temporary Administrator for the Estate of Mrs. C is denied. A Probate Lawyer said that instead the Public Administrator of Richmond County is hereby appointed as the Temporary Administrator of the Estate of Mrs. C.

On October 7, 2006, defendant Mrs. Z died. Mrs. Z’s attorneys K&K became aware of the passing of their client on or about October 13, 2006 and thereafter notified the court and all parties. K&K contacted Mrs. Z’s surviving family members in an attempt to ascertain the name of the Estate’s Administrator and obtain a certified copy of Mrs. Z’s death certificate. Mrs. Z’s surviving family informed K&K that no administrator would be appointed. Mrs. Z’s family did not cooperate in turning over a certified copy of the death certificate until October 2, 2007. On that same day K&K sent a copy of decedent’s death certificate to plaintiffs’ attorney via overnight mail.

An Estate Lawyer said the plaintiffs now move the court to have K&K appointed Temporary Administrator for the Estate of Mrs. Z for the purpose of defending the personal injury claims brought against Mrs. Z.

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A Probate Lawyer said the plaintiff-Claimant, Mr. W, commenced this day small claims action against defendant, RAL, alleging that owing to the defendant improperly listing the premises claimant purchased as having city sewers when it did not, claimant was forced to incur the cost of installing a sewer line after closing.

Claimant testified that he was induced to initially look at, and then eventually purchase, the premises because the house was listed as having city sewers. Defendant is a licensed real estate broker and was the listing broker on the sale. Claimant stated that he was only interested in homes that had a city sewer and was shown the house by another real estate brokerage firm. Claimant asserts that after he closed on the house in March 2013, he learned that the property did not have city sewers but in fact had a septic tank system. Because the City of New York installed sewers in Woodrow Road at that time, claimant was required to spend $4,200.00 to run a sewer line from the city line in the street to his house.

A New York Estate Lawyer said that there are several problems with the claimant’s allegations. First, he testified that he worked for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and does sewer maintenance as part of his job. Second, both he and the defendant broker’s witness testified that there were contractors installing sewer lines in the Woodrow Road area when the house was listed and when the claimant visited the premises on more than one occasion. Yet no one thought to make inquires to why the streets were being dug up. Third, claimant hired a structural engineer to prepare a report prior to entering into the contract. That report was not put into evidence. Fourth, claimant did not produce the contract of sale which he entered into with the seller which may have had a representation as to the existence of city sewers, private sewers, septic tanks or cesspools. Fifth, claimant did not produce his title report which if done in the standard manner as prepared in Richmond County, would have included municipal searches marked for information only disclosing any city related water and sewer charges assessed against the property. The lack of this information in the title report should have triggered an inquiry by all parties to the transaction. A certificate of occupancy search which may have contained information in that regard, is also a customary document provided by a municipal search.

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A Probate Lawyer said sources revealed that in the instant case, the decedent died insolvent, leaving a last will and testament, which has been duly admitted to probate as a will of real and personal property. The executor and executrix of the deceased, as creditors, petitioned the surrogate’s court for the sale of the real estate of which the decedent died seised, for the purpose of the payment of their debts. The decedent was also owing the Bank, for money loaned in his lifetime and used in the business of the Knitting Company. The bank appeared in this proceeding and interposed an answer setting up a provision of the will of decedent, and demanding that the real estate known as the ‘Knitting Mill’ be excepted from any decree of sale which might be made in the proceedings. The provision of the will referred to devises and bequeaths the knitting mill property to a son-in-law of the testator, but subject to the following provision that the devise and bequest, however, is upon the condition that all the debts and obligations of every name and nature owing by the said Knitting Company, and which has been contracted by or on account of that branch of his business, is assumed and paid by said the son-in-law; and decedent hereby impress a trust and lien upon the said real and personal property hereby devised for the payment of such debts and obligations, and make such payments of those debts a lien thereon. The son-in-law was appointed sole executor of the estate. Upon the death of the testator he took possession of all of the property of the estate, and carried on the mill business under the same name of the Knitting Company. He subsequently failed and became insolvent, and failed to pay the claim of the Bank or the other creditors of the estate.

The issue is whether or not the surrogate court’s ordering the sale of the property should be affirmed.

A Manhattan Probate Lawyer said the jurisdiction of the surrogate’s court in proceedings to dispose of the real property of a decedent for the payment of his debts is prescribed by the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure. In the transmission of the property of a deceased debtor to his heirs at law or next of kin, or to his devisees or legatees, it becomes charged with his debts, and it may be appropriated in payment thereof in the manner provided by the Code. These provisions carefully prescribe the order of the payment of the debts, including funeral expenses and judgments docketed against the decedent in his lifetime, and prohibit preferences over others of the same class. The rights of creditors thus provided for attach to the real estate of the decedent immediately upon his death, and continue during the period of three years after the issuing of letters testamentary or of administration upon his estate. These rights which so attach are superior to those acquired by any devisee or legatee under the will. A solvent testator may undoubtedly make certain debts a charge upon a parcel of his real estate. He may devise a part of his real estate to a particular person upon condition that he pay the whole or a specified portion of his indebtedness, but an insolvent testator cannot prefer one creditor over another in such a way as to deprive the general creditors of their right to have his real estate sold and distributed among them after the personal estate has been exhausted.

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Probate Lawyers said that records show that this is a proceeding in eminent domain to acquire title to real property required for the widening of an Avenue from one Road to another. This proceeding involves matters of the estate, not pertaining to probate but which affects the estate by the City’s road widening project. It is undisputed that the claimant owned a parcel 100 feet by 100 feet on the specific Avenue upon which is a building approximately 40 feet in depth and 100 feet wide, fronting on the Avenue and on or close to the building line. It consists of 5 stores. The City has taken 1,852 square feet of the claimant’s 10,000 square feet. This 1,852 square feet includes 1,340 square feet on the front of the building. In short, some 14 feet must be sliced off the front of the building for its entire width. The entire parcel, including the building, was purchased from the City of New York at public auction by the fee claimant in 1957.

The issue presented is whether the claimant fee owner is entitled to One Dollar or substantial damages resulting from the acquisition of a portion of the building. The determination of this issue requires a construction of this ‘One Dollar Clause’. Such clause appears also in the brochure of sale which gave a description of the property, its location, the upset price and the terms and conditions of sale.

An Estate Lawyer said the City of New York maintains that the purchaser had full knowledge of the proposed acquisition, as shown on the damage map; that the deed stated that the claimant ‘shall only be entitled to compensation for such acquisition to the amount of One Dollar’; that the above language in the deed is clear and unambiguous; that the claimant knew that the front part of the building would eventually be chopped off, damaging the remainder and that damages would be limited to One Dollar. The claimant fee owner agrees that the language of the deed is clear and unambiguous but contends that the award of One Dollar applies only to the land and the portion of the building within the bed of the mapped street; and claimant requests an award for consequential damage to the portion of the building not within the bed of the mapped street.

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A New York Probate Lawyer said that before the court is a motion for summary judgment filed in connection with petitions for the removal of fiduciaries in the related estates of the decedents. For the reasons set forth below, the court declines to entertain those portions of the motion seeking the removal of fiduciary in any and all of his fiduciary capacities or seeking relief from the other, and denies the balance of the relief, except that the request for an order compelling compliance with discovery demands will be held in abeyance pending the court’s review of all of the relevant documents in camera.

A Kings County Estate lawyer said that Decedents were a husband and wife who tragically died together in an automobile accident on April 22, 2005. They were survived by their three adult sons, movants herein. Both decedents executed wills on November 19, 1986, and both wills provide that in the event that the sons is not survived by a spouse, then the brother shall serve as Executor.

A New York Estate Lawyer said the wills were filed for probate on October 13, 2005 and admitted to probate on March 1, 2006. Letters testamentary in each estate issued to the son on March 3, 2006. At the same time, the son received letters of trusteeship in the father’s estate.

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A New York Probate Lawyer said in this proceeding to settle an intermediate account of a bank as trustee of two trusts, the appeals are from two decrees of the Surrogate’s Court, Kings County, entered October 27, 1972 and July 30, 1973, respectively. The trustee appeals from so much of the first decree as (1) adjudged that the trustee was guilty of gross neglect with respect to one of the trusts, the one established for the benefit of the testator’s two daughters, in failing to make the trust productive; (2) surcharged the trustee $23,298.27; (3) adjudged that a certain 1946 consent and release (referred to in the decree as made in ‘1947’) executed by the daughters was ineffective to bind them with respect to the conduct of the trustee subsequent to the date thereof; and (4) adjudged that the In terrorem clause in a certain probate compromise agreement of 1926 had no legal force and effect upon the daughters, who in 1926 were infants.

A Kings County Estate attorney said that the trustee, a remainderman and the executor of the estate of another remainderman appeal from so much of the second decree as (1) authorized and directed the trustee to invade the principal of the daughters’ trust by transferring it equally to the daughters and (2) terminated that trust. The trustee also appeals from the further portion of this decree which ‘confirms’ the $23,298.07 surcharge; said remainderman and executor of a remainderman’s estate also appeal from so much of this decree as failed to deny the relief requested in a petition by one of the daughters, and the daughters cross-appealed from another portion of this decree.

A New York Estate Lawyer said the appeals by the daughters dismissed, without costs. The daughters have abandoned their appeals, their briefs asking only for affirmance of both decrees.

A New York Probate Lawyer said this action stems from plaintiff’s attempt to purchase certain real property, located at Bronx County (“subject property”), in August 2005, from four members of a family.

One of the members, a lady, died testate in February 1986. Under the terms of her Will, her husband had a life interest in certain properties, but not the subject property, only access to its garage. Article Sixth of the Last Will and Testament provided that their son had a life income interest in the subject property which was to be held in Trust by Trustees. The son’s daughters were allowed to occupy the first floor and second floor, respectively, and, upon the son’s death, the subject property was to be transferred jointly to the daughters, decedent’s granddaughters. The Will also provided that, upon the husband’s death, the son would substitute as Co-Executor and Co-Trustee in his place. The other Co-Executor and Co-Trustee attorney was never a party to the sale of the subject property. Further, the husband and the lawyer never obtained Letters of Co-Trusteeship for the Article Sixth Trust, and only the husband took action as an unauthorized Trustee with regards to the subject property.

A New York Estate Lawyer said that Probate Petition and Notice of Probate were filed with the Surrogate’s Court in April 1988, naming the husband and the lawyer as Co-Executors and Co-Trustees. It also requested that Letters of Testamentary be issued to them and that Letters of Trusteeship be issued to them under the Article Third and to the lawyer under the Article Eleventh. Thereafter, the Surrogate’s Court issued Letters of Co-Testamentary and Co-Trusteeship to the Petitioners. However, the Letters of Trusteeship were limited to Articles Third and Eleventh Trusts. The Surrogate’s Court provided a letter to the GAL stating that no application for Letters of Trusteeship was issued under Article Sixth of the Will.

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This is a probate matter which comes on by motion of petitioner following the suspension of a hearing pursuant to SCPA 1404 held at the law office of respondent’s attorney by agreement of the parties.

A New York Probate Lawyers said that Petitioner requests three substantive orders related to the examination of witnesses before resuming the hearing: (1) to continue the hearing at the County Courthouse under the supervision of the Surrogate or other designee; (2) permission to question witnesses regarding events prior to the three-year period before the date the propounded instrument was executed; (3) that the witness and the attorney who drafted the decedent’s last three wills, fully produce all of his files relating to the three wills, the last of which is the propounded will, including files dated prior to the three-year period from the date the propounded instrument was executed.

Petitioner alleges that the decedent, who died on August 31, 2003, had made three wills, all with different or differing provisions as to the disbursement of his estate.