New York City

Published on: March 25, 2012

Court Stays Estate Proceedings until Criminal Case is Resolved

by Stephen Bilkis

Three probate proceedings in the estate of the deceased woman moves for an order for a partial stay or a protective order directing that the surviving son’s obligations to respond to all discovery demands that have been served on him temporarily be stayed until related criminal charges pending against him are resolved. The Library and the Museum, two charitable beneficiaries under the wills of the deceased woman oppose the motion. The District Attorney moves for an order granting him the right to intervene in the proceedings and upon intervention, granting a stay of all proceedings pending the resolution of the criminal charges pending against the surviving son. The motion is opposed by the surviving son, the Library and the Museum. The Attorney General of the State moves for an order granting a stay of all proceedings or in the alternative, a stay of all discoveries except document discovery and setting a date for a conference.

A woman was survived by her only child. Three sets of paper writing claiming to be wills of the deceased woman were filed in court. The first paper writing is a will dated January 30, 2002, along with a first, second and third supplement. The second paper writing is a will dated February 2, 2001 with a sole supplement. The third paper is a will dated January 8, 1997, also with a sole supplement.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the trust bank filed a petition for the validation of the 1997 will. The surviving child of the deceased filed a petition for the validation of the 2002 will and the first two supplements only. He also filed a petition for the validation of the 1997 will.

Published on: March 23, 2012

Court Decides Jurisidiction Between Switzerland and U.S.

by Stephen Bilkis

A Swiss national died on July 7, 1941. Prior to his death, he executed a will in New York purportedly to cover his personal properties in this State. The will was executed in 1934. When he died in 1941, the personal properties left by the testator were divided among his widow and three children. The petitioner in this case was not given any share because he was deemed by the testator as having been amply provided for. The estate in New York was divided in such a manner that ½ went to the widow and the other half went to the two children minus the said petitioner. This settlement was finalized in October 25, 1941

Apart from the 1934 will, the testator also executed a hand-written or holographic will which was executed on March 2, 1940. This later will disposed of the properties located in Switzerland, the domicile of the decedent and a decree was issued by the proper court of Switzerland while the New York proceedings was still on-going. A New York Probate Lawyer said he 1940 will did not make any mention of the earlier 1934 will nor was there any express or implied revocation of the same. The later will of 1940 disposed of all properties of the testator without making any reference to the personal properties located in New York because the will was silent on the issue of what securities were to be disposed and where such securities could be located. The only thrust of the 1940 will was to make a disposition of all the properties specifically found in Switzerland and there was no mention about the securities located in the state of New York nor was there any reference to the 1934 will. The said will also stated that all the testator’s securities must be given to the wife and all real properties located in Switzerland be sold and the proceeds must be divided between the widow and the three children which includes the petitioner. Since the estate taxes figured heavily in the picture, there was very little left for the heirs and the surviving spouse to divide. The petitioner in particular received very little amount when all the taxes were factored in the computation of the net estate.

The petitioner, one of the sons of the testator, went to the Court and asked for the issuance of ancillary letters testamentary and to ask the court to vacate an earlier decree excluding him from the partition of the personal properties in New York which was the subject of the 1934 will. He also argued that under Swiss laws, the effect of a succeeding will is to revoke all prior wills executed by the testator and that therefore the probate of the 1934 will was not in order because of the existence of a later will which was executed in 1940. Bronx Probate Lawyers said he claimed that if the 1940 will is to be given effect, he would not have ended up with practically nothing because though there were almost no securities left in Switzerland at the time of the death of his father, there were on the other hand enough securities that can be divided coming from the personal properties located in New York. To all of these arguments, the executor countered that the petitioner is already barred by means of estoppels from pursuing and contradicting the decree because sufficient time has already elapsed between the finality of the estate administration and consequent liquidation and the filing of the proceedings made by the petitioner.

Published on: March 23, 2012

Court Determines Jurisdiction of Conflicting Wills

by Stephen Bilkis

An American citizen who was domiciled in Austria made two wills in 1962 and in 1964. The 1964 will was brought before the Surrogate’s Court in New York for probate by the testator’s lawyer who was also his executor. In this will, the testator revoked all prior wills and he directed that the remainder of his estate after the payment of debts and funeral expenses be shared by his ex-wife and his close personal friend.

The two daughters of the testator filed their objections to the probate proceedings in New York. They claim that because the testator was a resident and domiciliary of Austria, the courts in Austria have jurisdiction over his estate. It was also claimed by them that the Austrian Court has already begun hearing the probate proceedings of the 1962 will of their deceased father which the daughters instituted.

The 1962 will provided that the testator’s estate consisting of 145 common shares in an American telephone and telegraph company be distributed to his ex-wife after deducting the payment of debts and funeral expenses. And, if his ex-wife was dead, then the shares of stock will be divided equally between his two daughters.

Published on: March 22, 2012

Court Determines Jurisdiction Question with French Will and Trust

by Stephen Bilkis

An American citizen who was a successful business man in New York got married to a French woman and thereafter bought a home in France where he lived together with his wife and daughter. Every now and then, he comes back to New York to look after some concerns about the business that he sold particularly because the said payment has not been fully paid. Whenever he was in New York, he would stay from time to time in a Flushing apartment which was especially provided to him by the corporation that he previously owned before selling it to his business partner.

It was also in New York that he executed a will in 1970 covering his estate and stated that the said will must be probated in the courts of New York when the proper time comes. Embodied in the will are provisions ceding to his wife all his personal properties and personal effects as well as a weekly allowance. The will also provided for an allowance to his brother which would come from the residuary trust. The daughter of the testator was also provided in the will and she was supposed to receive the income from a trust fund up to the time that she reaches the age of 35. He named as executor his long-time business partner for whom he sold his entire business interest in New York.

A New York Probate Lawyer said a few weeks before the death of the testator in 1972, he also executed before a French notary public, a deed of donation. Said deed of donation is in the form of inter vivos donation which will take effect upon the death of the donor. In the said Deed of Donation, he is leaving the entire estate administration and ownership to this wife subject to the condition that if there be children of the donor at the time of his death, then the wife as donee shall determine the right amount to be given to said children subject to the rules of the applicable law when that time comes.

Published on: March 21, 2012

Court Rules of Power of Surrogate

by Stephen Bilkis

A man appointed his wife and his daughter as executors of his estate. The bank was designated as the successor executor. In a supplement to his will, he removed his wife as executor and named his daughter as the sole executor and appointed the bank as the successor executor. Following the man’s death, a hearing was ultimately conducted in the Surrogate’s Court to determine whether the daughter’s initial letters of administration should be revoked and whether she was ineligible to be a permanent executor and trustee under her father’s will. The Surrogate decided that the daughter’s removal was justifiable and the court affirmed on the ground that the record supported a finding of inexcusable delay and the intentional refusal to obey the court’s direction. The court also affirmed the appointment of the bank as permanent executor and trustee. In the meantime, the wife who also died and her will were offered for probate in Westchester County.

The Surrogate court issued preliminary letters of administration to the bank being the nominated executor and trustee. Queens Probate Lawyers said the daughter intervened objections to the validation of the will. The law firm which had provided attorneys for the wife during her lifetime regarding the validation proceeding in her husband’s will was retained by the bank as its counsel in both properties.

By order to show cause, the bank applied for a ruling admitting the husband’s Will and its supplement, the letters of administration and trusteeship to validate. The daughter opposed the bank’s application and in a cross-motion, the daughter sought extensive relief which includes the disqualification of the bank from its appointment as executor of his father’s will and the prohibition of the subject law firm from acting as counsel to the bank and participating in the proceedings other than serving as witnesses. The bank objected to the daughter’s cross-motion, but the Surrogate, despite granting preliminary letters of administration to the bank, ruled that a hearing should be held in relation to the eligibility of the bank to be made as permanent executor and trustee. The Surrogate court also ruled that a hearing should be held to determine whether the law firm in question should be disqualified as the bank’s attorneys in the validation proceeding. However, a New York Probate Lawyer said it was an abuse of discretion for the Surrogate to require a hearing under the circumstances herein. The Surrogate directed, and the court affirmed, that the bank will be designated as permanent executor and trustee. The bank promptly complied with the directives of the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act who dealt with the qualification of the executor. In addition, a proposed ruling and counter-ruling, and even the suggested the counter-ruling offered by the daughter which named the bank as the recipient of the letters of administration and trusteeship were submitted to the Surrogate’s Court. Indeed, the daughter failed to throw in any objection until the bank applied by means of the order to show cause for the issuance of the letters after the Surrogate had not acted on the ruling or counter-ruling. Yet, Manhattan Probate Lawyers said her papers do not allege any facts imposing that the bank be declared ineligible.

Published on: March 21, 2012

Court Hears Validation Proceeding for Deceased Priest’s Will

by Stephen Bilkis

A validation proceeding for the will of a deceased priest have two questions presented for determination. The matters to be determined are the right of the respondent to attack the jurisdiction of the Court and the finding of the residence of the deceased at the time of his death.

The Petition for Probate was filed together with an original will of the deceased. Two days prior to the filing, an order to search the safe deposit box of the deceased in a savings bank in New York was signed by the Monroe County Surrogate based upon a petition stating that the deceased had died a resident of the Rochester City New York. The safe deposit box was searched and a will identical to the one filed in Ontario County Court was found it was filed in the Surrogate’s Office of Monroe County Court by an officer of the said bank.

A New York Lawyer said that on the return day of the Citation, a Notice of Retainer and Appearance was filed by an attorney acting for the respondent who is a sister of the deceased. He advised the Court of the existence of what seemed to be a duplicate original will on file in the Monroe County Surrogate’s Office. The matter was adjourned until December 3, 1962, during which period of time the Court personally went to the Monroe County Surrogate’s Office and examined the application for the opening of the safe deposit box and the will which had been filed there as a result of such search. On December 3, 1962, a short hearing was held in the matter. The Court advised the respective attorneys that it had examined the file in Monroe County Surrogate’s Court. The attorney for the respondent requested an adjournment for two weeks with the understanding that he would file an answer with the Court and a copy with opposing counsel by December 10th and that the issues be raised by the answer and should be tried on December 17, 1962. On December 10th, respondent’s attorney filed an answer.

Published on: March 19, 2012

Court Determines Jurisdiction Issue regarding a Will

by Stephen Bilkis

The petitioner is the surviving spouse of the deceased who died a resident in the State of Florida. The deceased man’s Last Will and Testament was executed in the State of Florida and admitted for validation by the Circuit Court of the County of Lee, State of Florida. The will specifically devises the deceased man’s interest in the real property in the Town of East Greenbush Rensselaer County, State of New York, to his former wife and the remainder of his property to his two children. The deceased man’s son is the executor nominated in the will and he was appointed by the Florida Circuit Court. The executor, thereafter, petitioned the Court for supplementary probate of the deceased man’s will and it was subsequently admitted for validation.

All of the deceased man’s assets were located in the State of Florida except for the real property located in the Town of East Greenbush. The petitioner has exercised her elective share under the Florida law since the deceased man’s last will made no provisions for the petitioner spouse. The Florida law does not take into account real property not located in Florida so the petitioner filed a right of election against the deceased man’s New York State real property and has commenced the proceeding for the Court to determine the validity of her right of election.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the deceased man’s former wife has appeared in the will contest proceeding by her attorney and has joined with the executor of the deceased man’s property in denying that the petitioner can exercise a right of election against the East Greenbush property.

Published on: March 17, 2012

Court Decides Will Jurisdiction Issue

by Stephen Bilkis

This case involves the settlement of the estate of a French born individual who acquired American citizenship at the age of 51 and died at the age of 79 in his domicile which was in Switzerland. He was survived by his wife a French national, and an acknowledged illegitimate son also a French citizen. The decedent left a will leaving all of his properties to his widow and leaving nothing to the said acknowledged illegitimate son. At the time of his death, the testator left properties in Switzerland, New York and France. The widow filed with a proceeding with the New York Surrogate court in order to claim the properties left by the testator and presenting the will for determination in the said court. The court admitted the will of the testator and took cognizance of the case and later on made a decree settling the estate administration by ordering that the properties net of any encumbrances and other obligations be released to the widow.

The acknowledged illegitimate son assailed the decision of the Surrogate Court of New York and filed an appeal for the revocation of the decrees made by the said court first when it assumed jurisdiction and second when it distributed the properties to the widow to the detriment of the share that the petitioner-son was supposed to be entitled if the case was tried in the court of Switzerland. The petitioner further alleged that since the decedent was a resident of Switzerland and he had considerable personal properties in the said country and only limited personalty in New York, then the court that has jurisdiction and the laws to be applied should be according to the Swiss law as envisioned in the 1850 Treaty between the United States and Switzerland that envisioned such a scenario happening with their citizens.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the petitioner then is of the opinion that the Surrogate Court of New York had no jurisdiction to try the issues involving this particular case. The petitioner also argued that there were personal properties in Switzerland that was brought by the widow to New York just so that it can be covered by the laws of New York which is according to him highly irregular and should also be struck down as a violation of the law.

Published on: March 17, 2012

Court Determines Formula for Calculating Endowments in a Will

by Stephen Bilkis

In paragraph third of a will, a deceased woman made twenty-seven gifts to individuals and charitable institutions thereto. Each of the endowments was described as consisting of a fixed percentage of her property. The parties are in dispute as to whether the language of gift requires that the legacies be measured in terms of a percentage of the gross or of the net property and, if the latter, as to the formula for determination of its dimensions. The court construes the direction of the woman as requiring division of the property upon its net rather than upon its gross value.

A New York Probate Lawyer said that it is conceded that as a general rule, in the absence of some provision to the contrary, debts and administration expenses are deducted in computing the value of a property when a fraction thereof has been bestowed.

There is nothing to be found anywhere in the will to suggest that the deceased woman entertained any notion of making her endowments in terms of percentages of the gross property and as a consequence, the court cannot concur in the proposition that such was her intention.

Published on: March 16, 2012

Probate of Will Presents Jurisdiction Issue

by Stephen Bilkis

This is a case involving the estate of a decedent who was a national of British Honduras and left properties located in New York and other countries. The decedent left no legitimate heirs and part of the properties he left involved certificates of stocks from 50 corporations and other banks as well as brokerage accounts all found in New York. An action was filed in the Court of New York for the escheat of the said stock certificates and other accounts since there were no legitimate heirs available to lay claim to the said properties. British Honduras, through its representatives also laid claim on the said certificates and other accounts in the name of the State arguing that since the latter died with no heirs, that the State of British Honduras can therefore claim said properties as by law they already belong to the State.

The facts state that the decedent executed a will way back in 1918. This will was admitted to probate by the Supreme Court of British Honduras. Later on, a second will surfaced in 1955 and an action was brought to have the 1918 will revoked because of the existence of a later will. Suffolk County Probate Lawyers said petitions were filed to declare the 1918 will as destroyed or revoked which was timely opposed by the concerned parties. Delays were incurred due to the legal battle and before the Court of British Honduras can finally decide the issue, the Surrogate Court of New York assumed jurisdiction to have the 1955 will probated and appointed to that effect a special guardian for possible infant legatees who are still possibly living in British Honduras.

The government of British Honduras protested the jurisdiction assumed by the Surrogate Court of New York and filed a case in intervention arguing that since the case is still pending in their country, the New York Court has no right to assume jurisdiction. A New York Probate Lawyer said they argued further that since there was effectively only one estate of the decedent and this pertains to all kinds of properties wherever they may be found, and arguing further that the decedent is a citizen of their country, that all other probate or estate administration must originate from the country where the decedent is domiciled and all other proceedings later filled must be treated as only ancillary to the proceedings of the court that first took cognizance of the case.