New York City

Published on: August 7, 2012

Guardian ad Litem Contends Undue Influence

by Stephen Bilkis

This is a probate proceeding that questions the will of Vito DeMarco, the deceased. The case involves the administrator of the estate, Christina Matozzo versus the Trustee of the Vito DeMarco Living Trust, Anthony DeMarco. Mr. DeMarco is seeking to declare that the trust is invalid. The case is being heard in the Surrogate’s Court of the State of New York.

Proceedings

There are currently three different proceedings that are pending in regard to the Vito DeMarco estate. The first is the proceeding that seeks to assert that the Vito DeMarco Living Trust that is dated the 19th of March, 2001 as invalid.

Published on: August 6, 2012

Multiple Parties Seek to be Executor of Estate

by Stephen Bilkis

This is a matter of probate concerning the will of Evelyn May Hoelzer. The case is being heard in the Surrogate Court of the City of New York in Nassau County. The judge overseeing the hearing is John B. Riordan.

Probate Applications

This is a pending probate proceeding involving the will of Evelyn Hoelzer. There are currently two applications set before the court for preliminary letters testamentary. A New York Probate Lawyer said tne application is from Jeanne Schieck and the other is Richard Hoelzer. Jeanne is the decedent’s niece and Richard is the decedent’s brother.

Published on: August 2, 2012

Respondent Claims Petitioner Lacks Standing

by Stephen Bilkis

A 19 years old woman was at the hotel located at Staten Island, New York. The said hotel is approximately one half mile from the woman’s residence where she resided with her mother. While at the hotel, the woman made her way to the roof of the hotel where she plunged to her death. Consequently, the woman’s mother’s attorney, who has an office in Staten Island, New York, filed for limited letters testamentary in order to bring an action for a potential wrongful death action.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the complainant mother apparently changed attorneys to one who has offices in Brooklyn and commenced the legal action by filing a summons and complaint with the Kings County clerk’s office. The summons stated that the venue was based on the mother’s residence at Brooklyn however the mother’s verified complaint stated that she was a resident of the County of Richmond. The verified complaint contains allegations of fact in support for a single cause of action for damages due to wrongful death and the woman’s conscious pain and suffering up until her death.

The hotel served an answer to the revised verified complaint that includes thirteen affirmative defenses. A Brooklyn Probate Lawyer said the third affirmative defense states that the mother’s complaint filed in Kings County are at improper venue, and that the place of trial of the action should be changed to a proper venue, a Richmond County. Submitted along with the opponents’ answer was a demand to change venue. When the mother did not respond to the demand to change venue to a proper county, the hotel filed the underlying notice of motion to change venue with the Richmond County clerk’s office.

Published on: July 29, 2012

Court Says Testator has Right to Choose Who Settles Their Estate

by Stephen Bilkis

In a probate proceeding, a New York Probate Lawyer said that the petitioner, Joanne Zaccaria, appeals from so much of a decree of the Surrogate’s Court, Kings County, denied that branch of her cross motion which was for the issuance of preliminary letters testamentary to her for the estate of Paula M. Venezia, and granted those branches of the motion of the objectant, Edward Hayes Pennington III, which were to deny the issuance of preliminary letters testamentary to the petitioner for that estate, to disqualify the petitioner from service as executrix, and to issue letters of administration to Edward Hayes Pennington III.

The issue in this case is whether the Surrogate Court in this probate proceeding erred in denying petitioner’s cross motion for the issuance of preliminary letters testamentary on the estate of the testator, and granted that branch of the motion of the objectant, Edward Hayes Pennington III, to issue letters of administration to him.

The Court reversed the decision insofar as appealed from, on the law and in the exercise of discretion, without costs or disbursements, and the matter is remitted to the Surrogate’s Court, Kings County, for an evidentiary hearing in accordance herewith, and thereafter, a new determination on that branch of the cross motion which was for the issuance of preliminary letters testamentary to the appellant, and those branches of the motion which were to deny the issuance of preliminary letters testamentary to the appellant, to disqualify the appellant from service as executrix, and to issue letters of administration to Edward Hayes Pennington III.

Published on: July 28, 2012

Court Decides Executor Commission

by Stephen Bilkis

In a probate proceeding case, the decedent died on July 3, 2003, leaving a will dated November 22, 1971. The petitioner-executor was an attorney admitted to practice in this state and drafted the will offered for probate. Thereafter he maintained limited contact with the decedent. A New York Probate Lawyer said that, petitioner has submitted an affidavit in which he states that about 1995 he retired from practice and in early 1996 moved to Virginia but then moved back to Owego, New York, in September 1998. Throughout this period he retained his license to practice law until it lapsed at the end of 2000. Since petitioner is no longer licensed to practice he has retained separate counsel to represent him in his capacity as executor.

Thereafter, SCPA 2307 was enacted effective August 2, 1995 the said statute is applicable to the estates of decedents dying after January 1, 1996. It provides that an attorney-draftsman of a will in which he is named as executor can receive full commissions only if the written disclosure of dual fees required by the statute was executed by the testator. In this case there is no written disclosure from the testator. Alternatively, the statute permits full commissions with respect to wills executed prior to January 1, 1996, if the attorney-executor establishes to the satisfaction of the court reasonable grounds to excuse the absence of a written acknowledgment. A Kings Probate Lawyer said that, in his affidavit submitted herein, petitioner argues that after he retired from practice in 1995, “I was unable to remain knowledgeable of current changes to New York State law, including changes to the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act.” Petitioner’s affidavit does not indicate any attempt to make the required disclosure. Nevertheless, petitioner was licensed to practice as an attorney, both in 1971 when the will was drawn and in 1995 when the law changed.

The issues in this case are whether petitioner-executor is entitled to his full commission, notwithstanding the failure of the testator to make written disclosure of dual fees as required by the statute; and whether the fact that petitioner had retired from the practice of law and has hired separate counsel to represent him as executor of the estate are reasonable grounds to excuse the absence of the written acknowledgement.

Published on: July 27, 2012

Court Decides Sales Tax Question

by Stephen Bilkis

The Facts:

On 20 December 1979, the Audit Division of the State Tax Commission issued a Notice of Determination and Demand for Payment of Sales and Use Taxes Due for the period 1 June 1976 through 31 August 1979. Petitioner filed a petition for revision of that determination and for refund of sales and use taxes under Articles 28 and 29 of the Tax Law.

A New York Probate Lawyer said on 21 November 1985, a hearing was held. On 28 May 1986, a decision was made which modified the Determination but left an amount due of $83,884.58. On 28 May 1986, the Commission notified petitioner of the Decision and advised that petitioner had now exhausted his right of review at the administrative level.

Published on: July 25, 2012

Court Decides on Payments to Ancillary Executor

by Stephen Bilkis

The woman died leaving a Will. At the time of her death, the woman was a resident of Florida and supplementary letters of estate administration were issued to the executor of the estate. The accounting covers the period May 3, 2004 to April 21, 2009. An amended accounting covering the period May 3, 2004 to December 22, 2009 was filed on February 5, 2010. The amended accounting shows principal charges to the accounting party of $829,804.35.

Objections to the accounting and the amended accounting were filed by the $10,000.00 legatee and the beneficiary of fifty percent (50%) of the residuary properties. The ancillary executor is the beneficiary of the other fifty percent (50%) share of the residuary properties. By documents dated December 2, 2010, the executor withdrew his objections to both the first account and the amended account.

A New York Probate Lawyer said with respect to the issue of attorneys’ fees, the court bears the ultimate responsibility for approving legal fees that are charged to an estate and has the discretion to determine what constitutes reasonable compensation for legal services rendered in the course of an estate. While there is no hard and fast rule to calculate reasonable compensation to an attorney in every case, the Surrogate is required to exercise his or her authority with reason, proper discretion and not arbitrarily.

Published on: July 24, 2012

Court Decides Payment of Estate Taxes

by Stephen Bilkis

A woman died and was survived by her five children. Her will, dated September 1, 2006 was admitted for probate on July 2, 2010 and letters of estate administration was issued to one of her children. The Will established a credit shelter trust for her husband, with remainder to her children. It left the rest, residue and remainder of her estate to her husband outright. Her husband predeceased her and she provided in the Will that if her husband predeceased her, she will left all the rest, residue and remainder of her properties, real, personal and mixed and wherever situated to her elder daughter. All the rest and remainder are to be equally divided among her children.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the estate is sufficiently large to generate a New York State estate tax. The will provides that all estate, inheritance, transfer, succession or other similar taxes shall be payable out of the residuary of the estate. The executor asks that the Court construe the gift to real property as a pre-residuary gift and the remainder clause of the Will as the residuary estate. The executor brings the construction proceeding, since he claims that not all of the residuary beneficiaries agree with his interpretation.

The Will in question directs that the payment of estate taxes be paid from the residuary estate. The Will contest claims that the Will contains two residuary clauses. Westchester County Probate Lawyer said the executor asks the Court to construe one of the residuary clauses as the true residuary estate. The effect will be that all estate taxes will be apportioned among the beneficiaries of the residuary clause and the devise of real property under the other residuary clause will pass to the devisee free of New York estate taxes. No objections have been filed to the petition for a construction, although the executor states that not all of his siblings agree with his interpretation.

Published on: July 23, 2012

Court Decides Guardian Ad Litem Fee

by Stephen Bilkis

This case involves the will of Josephine H. Kempisty who is deceased. The case is a probate proceeding being held in the Surrogates Court of the State of New York in Nassau County.

Current Issue

This probate proceeding is a review of a settlement stipulation that was negotiated and crafted by the guardian ad litem that was appointed as a representative of Regina Karasinski, the sister of the decedent.

Published on: July 22, 2012

Court Decides Guardian Ad Litem Fee

by Stephen Bilkis

This is a hearing in the matter of the last will and testament of the deceased Joseph R. Drab. The probate case is being heard in the Surrogates Court of the state of New York in Nassau County.

Probate Proceeding

The decedent of the case was survived by his spouse, his son Richard, who is the petitioner in the case, four grandchildren, and a predeceased child. The spouse of the decedent is disabled and is therefore represented by a guardian ad litem that has been appointed by the court.