Executor of a moderate estate and legal counsel surcharged for excessive fees and commissions, as well as unexplainable account errors. Donnelly Estate, 4 Fid. Rep. 3d 495 (OC Mont. 2014) (Opinion by Ott, J.) … Continue reading
Category Archives: Opinions
Because a farm cannot be physically partitioned equitably between beneficiaries as tenants in common, the farm must be sold and proceeds divided according to ownership interest. Cremers Estate, 4 Fid. Rep. 3d 484 (OC Chester 2014) (Opinion by Hall, J.) … Continue reading
The Commonwealth Court has affirmed a decision of the Orphans’ Court of Montgomery County that a donor to a foundation lacks standing to enforce the conditions of a loan made by the foundation to a church when there was no … Continue reading
A petition to determine the ancestry of the petitioner, which the petitioner alleged was needed for an application for dual Italian and American citizenship, has been denied for lack of jurisdiction. In re Marino, 62 Ches. Co. L. Rep. 348, … Continue reading
The son of decedent, who was an agent under power of attorney and became executor of his mom’s estate, closed “payable on death” bank account while agent and distributed the money to two of the decedent’s three children and his … Continue reading
Court terminated parental rights of father for two children, because of father’s domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and mental health. In Re B.B. and M.B., 4 Fid. Rep. 3d 429 (OC Berks 2014) (Opinion by Keller, J.) … Continue reading
Decedent with multiple residences was found to be domiciled in Pennsylvania, as all of his mail came to his Philadelphia residence and he wished to return there; undue influence was not proved by either direct or indirect evidence, as the … Continue reading
The Commonwealth (as parens patriae) objected to first and final account of estate and trust with charitable beneficiaries, because the Commonwealth was not given Rule 5.6 notice, and the trust and estate terminated at the death of the lifetime beneficiary, … Continue reading
The Superior Court has affirmed a decree of the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court denying the validity of attempted appointments of a successor trustee (or, in the alternative, removing the successor trustee appointed) by the resigning trustee and by the settlor, and … Continue reading
A beneficiary’s court-ordered child support arrearage should be paid from the estate, notwithstanding the spendthift clause in the will, and the children’s mother had no standing to object to the administration of the estate or seek removal of the executor. … Continue reading