This is a case where the State Tax Commission appealed from the order of Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department which order affirmed an order of the Surrogate which on appeal affirmed a pro forma taxing order fixing and assessing the estate tax pursuant to article 10-C of the Tax…
In this proceeding to settle an intermediate account of bank as trustee of two trusts, the appeals are from two decrees of the Surrogate’s Court, Kings County. The trustee appeals from so much of the first decree as (1) adjudged that the trustee was guilty of gross neglect with respect…
The decedent, Ms. DD, died on February 24, 2008, at the age of 92, leaving a duly executed will dated May 14, 1985. At the time of the decedent’s death, all legatees mentioned in the will had predeceased her, and any right to her estate under the will had passed…
Application having been made to this Court by the trustees herein for a construction of the Will of Mrs. ALF, and for instructions regarding the trust for Mrs. VR, and it appearing that Mrs. ALF died a resident of Millbrook, Dutchess County, New York, on December 28, 1939, and that…
The issue before the Surrogate’s Court is whether a testator properly revoked a prior will. As long as he (or she) is not mentally incapacitated, a testator has the right to revoke a will at any time. Under New York EPTL § 3-4.1, there are 3 ways to revoke a…
In a contested probate proceeding, the objectants appeal from a decree of the Surrogate’s Court, dated November 5, 2003, which, after reserving decision on the proponent’s motion pursuant to CPLR 4404 for judgment as a matter of law, made at the close of the evidence, and after the trial ended…
Petitioner Jankowitz is a niece by the half blood of decedent Simms. Jankowitz’s father and Simms were half brothers. Jankowitz and Simms, entered into an antenuptial agreement in 1961 in which Simms agreed to leave her a testamentary gift of $25,000. The two were then married in accordance with the…
This case involves an appeal to a Surrogate’s Court decision related to the accounting filed by an executor. One of the responsibilities of an executor is to keep accurate records of all of the money coming into an estate and all money distributed from the estate. The executor must submit…
In this case the court is asked to enforce an agreement made by spouses in a joint will that required the surviving spouse to leave any property received under the will to the couple’s children. This case involves a dispute over the estate of R. Wagner and T. Wagner. R.…
The executor of the estates of two decedents asks the court to determine whether the proceeds from an insurance settlement should go to the decedents’ residuary estates or if it should go to beneficiary who was supposed to receive the property that was destroyed. Husband and wife decedents F. Zimmerli…