New York Probate Lawyer Blog

March 5, 2014

New York Guardianship Cases Involve the Payment of Fees

A New York Guardianship proceeding involves the determination of the capacity of an individual. In order for a Court to appoint a property management Guardian or a personal needs Guardian there must be a finding of incapacity.

Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law (“MHL”) provides the statutory provisions for these proceedings. As discussed in previous posts in the New York Probate Lawyer Blog, the case is commenced by the filing of a petition with the Court along with a paper known as an Order to Show Cause. After the Court reviews the petition and finds it to be sufficient to start the case, the Order is then signed. The signed Order contains the date and place for the hearing and the names of persons appointed by the Court as Court Evaluator or attorney for the alleged incapacitated person.

There are a number of fees that are generally associated with Guardianship matters. After a Guardian is appointed, he may be entitled to receive a fee or commissions for carrying out his guardianship obligations. The judgment appointing the Guardian typically sets forth the manner by which such fees are to be computed. The judgment usually provides for fees that are to be paid to other individuals such as the attorney who represented the petitioner and the Court Evaluator or the attorney who represented the incapacitated person. It is common for the Court to direct that these fees be paid out of the assets owned by the incapacitated person.

There are some occasions when the petition for guardianship is denied by the Court or the matter may be discontinued by the agreement of the parties. In these situations the Court has the authority under MHL Section 81.09(f) to direct that the petitioner pay for these fees in addition to the alleged incapacitated person. In a recent Brooklyn Guardianship case entitled “Matter of Brice v. Wilks“, decided by Judge Kathy J. King on February 4, 2014, the Court directed that the petitioner pay the Court Evaluator’s fees after the petition was denied.

It is important for a person considering starting a Guardianship case to consult with a knowledgeable Guardianship attorney who can review the issues that are involved and explain the various fees and costs that may be incurred. Sometimes the facts of a matter may involve a risk that the petitioner could be held responsible for fees that are not otherwise expected.

February 26, 2014

New York Will Dispositions Can Adeem When Not Owned by the Decedent at Death

by Jules M. Haas

New York Will Attorneys are aware that there are many aspects of a decedent’s estate that can result in controversy and estate litigation. A recent case decided by Queens Surrogate Peter J. Kelly on January 22, 2014 entitled “The Matter of Hill” and reported in the New York Law Journal, contains many issues that are common to estate disputes. In Hill, the decedent had executed a Last Will that provided for a residuary clause leaving the balance of the estate equally to the decedent’s two daughters, Brenda and Marcia. The Will also contained a pre-residuary provision which specifically devised real property equally to the two daughters subject to a life estate in favor of Brenda.

Brenda lived at the real property premises with the decedent and became her attorney- in-fact in a power of attorney. Shortly before the decedent’s death Brenda used the power of attorney to transfer the real property from the decedent into Brenda’s sole name.

The transfer of the deed by Brenda as attorney-in-fact to herself is not an uncommon occurrence. Litigation by New York estate attorneys as well as Queens Guardianship Lawyers concerning such circumstances is often commenced to void the deeds in these transfers. Under both the estate laws and the New York Guardianship laws improper transfers of a person’s assets can be invalidated and the property or the proceeds thereof recovered. Moreover, an attorney-in-fact under a power of attorney has an obligation to account for his actions especially where there appears to be self-dealing by having transfers made for one’s own account. The Courts are more likely to find impropriety where a person abuses a confidential relationship by benefiting from his position of trust or authority.

In Hill the Court had previously found that the deed transfer by Marcia was voidable and the estate was able to recover title to the property. However, the dispute in Hill did not end. Since the real property had been transferred before the decedent’s death it was not part of the decedent’s estate when she died. As a result Marcia claimed that the property was subject to the rules of Ademption which effectively provide that when property that is specifically given under a Will does not exist when the decedent dies, the gift is essentially ignored. If the Court in Hill had applied the Ademption rule, then the real estate, once recovered, would have been disposed of under the residuary clause to the two daughters and not by the specific pre-residuary provision. This result would have eliminated Brenda’s life estate.

Notwithstanding Brenda’s improper and voidable transfer of the deed, the Court held that the recovery of the title to the property by the estate although occurring after the decedent’s death, prevented the application of the Ademption rule. The Court also stated that Maria had a fiduciary obligation to the estate to recover the deed and that she should not personally profit by not following the terms of the Will.

I have represented many clients in New York Guardianship cases and estates where it was necessary to recover property that was improperly transferred. As can be learned from Hill, the Courts are receptive to proceedings to rectify a breach of fiduciary duty by a fiduciary and to enforce the disposition of assets in the manner a decedent expresses in his Last Will.

February 19, 2014

New York Fiduciaries Must Retain An Attorney to Represent Them in Surrogate’s Court

by Jules M. Haas

Fiduciaries such as Executors, Administrators and Trustees are frequently required to participate in proceedings in the Surrogate’s Court. There are many different types of cases in the Court such as probate and administration proceedings and accountings. For example a Brooklyn Estate Lawyer might be retained by an Executor to represent the executor in a discovery proceeding to recover assets that are claimed to have belonged to the decedent. Similarly, a Bronx Estate Attorney may be hired by a fiduciary to assist with the interpretation or construction of a Last Will or Trust Agreement that is ambiguous.

There are occasions when the Executor or other fiduciary may find hiring an attorney to be difficult because the estate or the trust either does not have any assets or the assets are not liquid or available to pay counsel fees. A question would then arise as to whether the fiduciary could represent himself pro se in his capacity as a fiduciary. This issue was recently presented to Manhattan Surrogate Nora Anderson in “Matter of Van Patten” which was decided on February 10, 2014 and reported in the New York Law Journal. In Van Patten the non-attorney Executor of the estate of a trust income beneficiary sought to represent herself pro-se in the trustee’s accounting proceeding. The Court found that the Executor, as a fiduciary, had obligations to potential estate beneficiaries and creditors and the pro-se representation by a non-attorney fiduciary would constitute an unlawful practice of law. The Executor was directed to retain an attorney or risk having the estate’s objections to the trust accounting dismissed.

As can be seen from this case, representation of a fiduciary in Surrogate’s Court proceedings can be quite complex. A fiduciary has numerous obligations and must protect the interests of estate beneficiaries as well as other parties such as creditors. As a New York estate attorney, I am familiar with the various duties that estate representatives must attend to as well as the laws and procedures involved with estate settlement. I assist my clients regarding these issues and work with them concerning all matters to finalize an estate.

February 12, 2014

A New York Estate May Have Many Different Assets to Protect

by Jules M. Haas

An estate executor or administrator has the fiduciary duty to locate and collect the decedent’s assets. This obligation is paramount in protecting the beneficiaries’ interests and maximizing the distributions that they will receive upon the settlement of the decedent’s estate. Queens estate lawyers and Brooklyn probate attorneys are familiar with the various steps that estate representatives should take to identify these assets. Items such as bank accounts, real estate, stocks and bonds and other investments that are owned by a decedent are fairly easy to identify and to collect, liquidate and deposit into an estate bank account. Other assets may not be so easy to recognize or to get control over. For example, a decedent may have ownership in copyrights, trademarks and patents. Another interesting property interest may involve what are known as publicity rights. These rights which are recognized in a number of states but not in New York allow a person’s estate or heirs to retain the right to commercially exploit the person’s celebrity after death. The post-death marketing of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson has generated vast sums of money. There have recently been a number of cases dealing with these rights. In an article by Eriq Gardner in hollywoodReporter.com on January 29, 2014 entitled “Jimi Hendrix Estate Wins Appeal Over Unlicensed Merchandise“, it was reported that a Federal appeals court issued a ruling expanding the enforceability of publicity rights. In the case of Jimi Hendrix, even though the rock star’s estate was based in New York which state does not recognize these rights, the Court stated that the estate could take advantage of Washington state’s laws that have broad protection of publicity rights with regard to a dispute in Washington state.

Another interesting rights battle was reported by Eriq Gardner at hollywoodReporter.com on February 7, 2014 in a post entitled “Twitter in Legal War Over @JamesDean“. In this court case the company that manages the late actor James Dean’s licensing rights has sued Twitter to stop the use by an anonymous person who has registered @JamesDean. This case is in an Indian State Court and alleges a wrongful exploitation of the actor’s publicity rights.

In yet another recent case reported by Eriq Gardner on January 30, 2014 at hollywoodReporter.com entitled “Bing Crosby’s First Wife Denied Value of His Publicity Rights“, the court indicated that such rights may not be community rights and, therefore, a celebrity is entitled to the whole of such rights notwithstanding any lifetime spousal claims.

As can be seen from the above discussion, an estate fiduciary may be faced with many complex issues regarding a decedent’s assets during the course of estate administration. As a New York estate lawyer I have represented many executors and administrators and assisted them in collecting and distributing the assets of a decedent.

February 5, 2014

New York Guardianship Cases Often Involve Allegations of Elder Abuse

by Jules M. Haas

Taking advantage of older persons for economic gain is not uncommon. New York Guardianship Lawyers are familiar with many cases where a person who is incapacitated due to a physical or psychological condition is misled and mistreated in order to obtain control of their finances.

Guardianship proceedings under Article 81 of the New York Mental Hygiene Law (“MHL”) often involve situations where a caretaker or close relative or friend misuses their authority through a durable power of attorney or other paper to obtain control or the transfer of a person’s assets. Sometimes these papers include a Last Will that is all of a sudden changed and disinherits the incapacitated person’s family in favor of the wrongdoer. A number of recent blog posts provide examples of this all too frequent occurrence. In a post by Liz Schumer on January 27, 2014 at SpringvilleJournal.com entitled “Elder fraud: one woman’s story, a nationwide epidemic“, the tragic story is told about a Chicago woman who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. In this case various persons conspired to get a power of attorney and guardianship over the woman and estrange her from her daughter. The post describes how the wrongdoers manipulated the woman and provides an excellent set of circumstances that are indicators of the existence of elder abuse such as large withdrawals from bank accounts, changes in the person’s legal documents such as a Will or Power of Attorney and unusual financial activity that the person would not ordinarily engage in.

Another recent post appearing at OrlandoSentinel.com on February 8, 2014 by Rene Stutzman entitled “Jeno Paulucci heirs fight over $150 million“, describes a recent Court filing that alleges that a multi-millionaire businessman who was 93 years old, legally blind and in intensive care transferred control over most of his $150 million estate from his longtime attorneys to other confidants.

Both the New York Guardianship Courts and the Surrogate’s Courts review cases where relatives claim that they were wrongfully deprived of their inheritance or assets which were improperly taken from their incapacitated next of kin. These Courts have the ability under numerous statutes and case-law to undue the abuse that has occurred by voiding powers of attorney or deeds and bank account transfers or denying probate to a Last Will.

I have represented many individuals in proceedings where elder abuse has occurred and the Court is requested to remedy the situation. Guardianship courts such as the Queens Guardianship Court and Manhattan Guardianship Court are vigilant in protecting senior’s rights and providing a remedy for financial manipulation of a person’s assets.

January 29, 2014

New York Fiduciaries Have Many Powers to Administer Estate Matters

by Jules M. Haas

New York Executors and Administrators have the obligation to settle a decedent’s estate. As discussed in previous posts in the New York Probate Lawyer Blog, an Executor is appointed when the decedent dies leaving a Last Will and Testament. An Administrator is appointed when there is no Will and a decedent dies intestate.

The powers of a fiduciary are provided for in a number of ways. New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law Section 11-1.1 entitled “Fiduciaries’ Powers” sets forth the many statutory items that a fiduciary can perform such as investing estate property, collecting rent and paying all reasonable and proper expenses. In addition to the powers provided by the statute, where a decedent leaves a Will, such document can modify or expand the powers given to the fiduciary. Also, when the Court appoints a fiduciary, the appointment may provide a limitation or specification of the powers. In the case of an Executor, the letters testamentary that are issued by the Court after the Will is admitted to probate can provide a limitation that the fiduciary can collect only a certain amount of assets or perform only limited tasks. Similarly, letters of administration that are issued to an administrator can contain similar limitations.

During the course of estate settlement, a fiduciary is going to collect estate assets such as bank and brokerage accounts that were owned by the decedent. In order to obtain these funds for the estate, the bank or brokerage house typically requests that the fiduciary present a certified copy of the letter of appointment which shows that the fiduciary is authorized to act on behalf of the estate. In most cases upon the presentation of the letters and other supporting papers such as a copy of a death certificate and withdrawal forms, the decedent’s funds are then forwarded to the estate for deposit into an estate bank account.

Sometimes the collection of estate assets becomes more complicated and the person or institution holding the decedent’s funds does not cooperate with the fiduciary or turn over the decedent’s assets. In a recent case decided by Bronx Surrogate Nelida Malave-Gonzalez on January 27, 2014, entitled “Estate of Rose Hamilton” and reported in the New York Law Journal, Capital One Bank refused to cooperate with an administrator with regard to providing access to the decedent’s safe deposit box. Notwithstanding that the letters of administration issued to the administrator limited the collection of assets to $38,000.00, the Surrogate held that the fiduciary still had the authority to have access to the safe deposit box.

A Brooklyn Probate Attorney and a Queens Probate Attorney can assist a fiduciary with collecting a decedent’s assets and settling an estate. I have worked with many fiduciaries throughout New York to help with the administration process.

January 22, 2014

New York Estate Statutes Help To Determine the Beneficiaries of an Estate

by Jules M. Haas

The New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (“EPTL”) along with the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (“SCPA”) contain the statutory rules and procedures regarding decedent’s estates. EPTL Section 3-2.1 entitled “Execution and Attestation of Wills; formal requirements” has been discussed in previous blog posts. This section sets forth the rules that control the valid signing of a Last Will. The section provides, for example, that the Will must be signed at the end of the document by the testator. It also states that anything that is placed on the document following the signature as well as any matter that is added to the Will preceding the signature but after the Will is signed, shall be invalid.

New York estate lawyers are familiar with the proper preparation and execution of Wills in order to comply with statutory rules. However, there are occasions when documents appear to lack compliance with the statute and require review by the Surrogate’s Court. In Estate of Thomas a Will was filed for probate that contained numerous handwritten alterations to bequests set forth in the paper. In a decision dated January 7, 2014 and reported in the New York Law Journal, Bronx Surrogate Nelida Malave-Gonzalez reviewed the document and the evidence presented to the Court. The evidence included an affidavit from the attorney who prepared the Will which stated that when the Will was signed it did not contain the handwritten changes that were later found on the document. Based upon his proof and other information, the Surrogate found that the handwritten changes did not comply with the requirements of EPTL 3-2.1 and thus were not valid. The Will was admitted to probate and the alterations were ignored and did not change the original provisions of the Will.

In the event an individual wants to change or amend their Will there are two ways to proceed. A Codicil can be prepared which only revises the provisions that are sought to be amended. Instead of a Codicil, the entire Will can be redone in which the only change is the desired modification. Both the Codicil and the new Will need to be executed in accordance with the statutory requirements. The preferred method is to revise and sign a new Will. This tends to eliminate both any confusion and the need to keep track of a number of separately signed papers.

It is always important to have a Will and other documents such as a Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney and Living Will properly executed. Additionally, in the event a creator wants to amend or change any of the provisions in these papers, it is equally important to do so in a manner that is proper so that the changes can become effective. All testamentary and advance directive papers should be prepared and signed correctly to avoid estate litigation such as Will Contests and to allow easy estate settlement.

January 15, 2014

New York Guardianships May Be Recognized In Other States Under New Law

by Jules M. Haas

The New York Mental Hygiene Law (“MHL”) provides in Article 81 for the appointment of Guardians for personal needs and for property management. MHL Section 81.04 entitled “Jurisdiction” provides that the Court will have the authority to provide relief for someone who is a state resident, or a non-resident that is located in the state or to assist a foreign guardian. MHL Section 81.05 provides that the guardianship proceeding shall be commenced in the county where the alleged incapacitated person resides or is actually present.

Under the present statutes, confusion and controversy often arose when an alleged incapacitated person moved or was taken out of New York to a different state since New York would lose its jurisdiction to determine the need for a Guardian even through the person had lived in New York during his or her life.

Additionally, while New York has its rules regarding Guardianship, other states have their own separate requirements and standards. The appointment of a Guardian in New York would not result in the Guardian having any authority to act in any other state. Therefore, a new guardianship proceeding would need to be commenced if the Guardian wanted to relocate the incapacitated person to another state.

Recently, New York changed its statute to adopt the Uniform Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act (“UAGPPJA”). This new law becomes effective in April 2014. The law provides a mechanism by which a state with a priority of contacts with an alleged incapacitated person would have the primary right to determine the need for a guardianship. Guardianship proceedings could be transferred between cooperating states. Also, states that have enacted this law would be able to recognize out-of-state guardianship determinations. This would eliminate the need to bring new proceedings if it was necessary to relocate an incapacitated person for family or health care needs.

Petitions for guardianship can be a complicated process. In many cases assets and family members are located in different states. If there is a dispute among those seeking a guardianship, the simple act of transporting an alleged incapacitated person from one state to another can disrupt the entire process and put the welfare of the disabled person at risk. The enactment of the UAGPPJA should help alleviate these problems.

January 8, 2014

New York Last Will Should Provide for All Contingent Dispositions

by Jules M. Haas

The New York Probate Lawyer Blog has had numerous posts regarding the benefits of estate planning. When a person dies without a Last Will his estate is subject to the laws of intestacy and is distributed to distributees or heirs at law according to statutory priority. When an estate is planned by the drafting and execution of a Last Will, Living Will, Health Care Proxy and Power of Attorney, a person has the opportunity to specifically designate the individuals that he intends to benefit from his estate and who will make decisions regarding his affairs.

In the case of a Will, it is essential to clearly name and identify the intended beneficiaries such as “my son, John Smith” or “my friend, Mary Jones.” It is equally important that a Will and other documents specify contingent beneficiaries and alternative fiduciaries. Since a Will may be signed many years, even decades, before a person dies, these alternative provisions are likely to become the effective directions at the time of death. Therefore, the naming of substitute beneficiaries should not just be an afterthought but must be fully considered and carefully drafted as part of the Will Planning process. Failure to do so may disrupt estate settlement and result in the failure of the testator’s desires being expressed and complied with.

A recent example of the problems caused by not properly providing for contingencies in a Will is demonstrated in the case of Estate of Beatrice Thompson. In a decision dated December 23, 2013 and reported in the New York Law Journal, Richmond County Surrogate Robert Gigante was presented with motions for summary judgment in a construction proceeding. These types of proceedings are commenced when the Court’s assistance is needed to determine the meaning or effect of unclear or ambiguous terms in a Will. It appears that the decedent wife had written a Will that left her entire estate to her husband. However, the husband pre-deceased the decedent and the Will failed to provide for a disposition of the estate in the event of the husband’s death. The Court denied the motions since it found that questions of fact existed regarding the decedent’s disposition of the estate residue in view of the lack of any specific language disposing of the estate property.

Thompson is a good demonstration of the need for New York Will lawyers to assist their clients and provide documents that explicitly identify contingent beneficiaries. It is equally essential that all Trust and Wills have detailed provisions to cover all assets and dispositions. In a recent case the late Charlie’s Angels star, Farrah Fawcett, left all her artwork to her alma mater. As reported by the Associated Press on December 19, 2013 at HollywoodReporter.com, at the time of her death an Andy Warhol portrait was located in her condominium. However, Ms. Fawcett’s companion, film star Ryan O’Neal, claimed that the portrait really belonged to him. After a trial a jury decided in O’Neal’s favor. The lesson to be learned is that specifying items in a Will or Trust that may belong to others can avoid long and costly Court battles.

January 2, 2014

New York Disqualifies a Person from Inheriting Where the Person’s Conduct Causes Death

by Jules M. Haas

The New York Probate Lawyer Blog has previously discussed cases involving the disqualification of a person from inheriting from a decedent’s estate. Where a person murders another the New York Courts do not permit the murderer to profit from his wrongdoing. The wrongdoer is deemed to lose any inheritance he might receive from the decedent. This basic principal was recently affirmed by Nassau Surrogate Edward McCarty III in the case of Matter of Innocent Demesyeux decided on December 23, 2013 and reported in the New York Law Journal on January 6, 2014. In Demesyeux the Court was faced with the issue of determining whether a mother who killed her children would be disqualified from receiving a share of the wrongful death proceeds resulting from their death. The Court found that the basic principals of equity should prevent the mother from profiting where she apparently had the ability to know that her acts were morally wrong.

Disqualification of a person’s inheritance interests appears in other aspects of New York estate law. Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (“EPTL”) Section 4-1.6 provides that a joint tenant of a bank account forfeits rights of inheritance as to the joint account if convicted of murder in the first or second degree. Also, EPTL Section 4-1.4 provides a number of situations where a parent is disqualified from receiving a distributive share of a child’s estate. For example, under 4-1.4(a)(1) a parent is disqualified if he or she fails or refuses to provide for the child or if the child is abandoned. Similarly, EPTL Section 5-1.2(a)(5) provides that a spouse may lose inheritance rights if he or she abandons the other spouse. Under EPTL 5-1.2(a)(6) such rights may be forfeited if a spouse fails to support the other spouse. There are also instances where in the event a Last Will contains a “no contest” clause a person may forfeit any bequests under the Will if the clause is violated.

New York estate attorneys are aware that estate settlement and distribution often involve many unique and complex issues. The resolution of matters regarding the interests of potential beneficiaries and heirs at law requires the investigation of all facts regarding the decedent and the estate and determining whether and to what extent a Last Will or appropriate estate statutes apply. I have represented many clients including Executors, Administrators and beneficiaries of estates with regard to their responsibilities and entitlements.