This is the probate proceeding of a deceased man’s last will and the objection filed by the counsel of the executor of the estate on the request from the court. The counsel of the executor has objected to a request from the court’s accounting department for the payment of an additional fee of $625.00 upon the executor’s required filing of the inventory of his List of Assets. The additional payment was requested based upon the addition of the real property located in North Carolina of his completed form. The executor of the property excluded that asset from the gross value of the assets as reported on the validation petition when it was initially calculated. The form for the petition required that improved and unimproved real property be listed only if it is located in New York State.
The Uniform Rules for the filing of the inventory of List of Assets shows no basis for excluding non-New York real property from the assessment of the gross properties passing by will, except with respect to a proceeding for ancillary validation. The part of the rules stated that the attorney of record shall provide the court a list of assets compose of the gross property for tax purposes but separately listing the assets that were either owned by the deceased individually including those in which the deceased has partial interest, or were payable or transferrable to the properties of the deceased and those properties held in trust. Also to be listed separately are those properties over which the deceased had the power to designate to a beneficiary, jointly owned property, and all other non validation property of the deceased. The section specifically requires the collection of the additional fee upon the filing of the inventory list, a requirement clearly contemplated by the enabling the law.
In the event such list of assets is not filed, A New York Probate Lawyer said the court may refuse to issue certificates, or may revoke the letters and may refuse to issue new ones until the list has been filed and the fees have been paid as provided. Failure to voluntarily file the list of assets may also constitute grounds for disallowance of commissions or legal fees. In case any additional filing fees are due, they shall be paid to the court at the time of the submission of any of the documents described.