Rubin on Probate Litigation

Mack v. Polsby , --- So.3d --- (Fla. 3d DCA 2014), 2014 WL 54895 The dispute in this case centered around a revocable trust created by an emergency temporary guardian.  The ward, and eventual decedent, had four children.  After he suffered from a stroke and went into a coma, his daughter filed a petition seeking to be appointed as her father's emergency temporary guardian.  The court granted her petition, and also granted a later petition allowing her to create and fund a revocable trust.  Following the court's order allowing her to create the trust, the daughter funded the trust with her father's property in Michigan. When the father ultimately passed away, one of his sons was appointed personal representative of his estate in Michigan.  The son then filed a Complaint against his sister, which sought a declaration that the trust was invalid and that the sister breached her fiduciary duty as trustee and removal of the sister as trustee.  By the tim...

Gren v. Gren , --- So.3d ---, 2014 WL 51640 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014) This case involved a dispute between the ex-wife of a decedent and his surviving spouse who was serving as his Successor Trustee.  Since there was a question regarding the construction of the Trust, the ex-wife filed a Petition for Construction of Trust Instrument to seek clarity from the court.  Since the Trust had a provision requiring arbitration, the trial court granted a Motion filed by the Successor Trustee to compel arbitration. The ex-wife failed to take any action for six months following the court order compelling arbitration, so the Successor Trustee sought to dismiss her lawsuit, claiming that the ex-wife's failure to arbitrate had prevented her from filing tax returns and distributing assets.  The ex-wife responded that any question of delay in her giving notice of arbitration was a question of fact to be determined by the arbitrator, not the trial court.   The Appellate Court a...

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. v. Estate of Neu , --- So.3d ---, 2014 WL 51637 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013) The principle of priority is the idea that where two courts have concurrent jurisdiction over a cause of action, the first court to exercise jurisdiction has the exclusive right to hear all issues or questions arising in the case.  This often results in a "race to the courthouse" for litigants who may have a preference as to which court they want their action heard by.  Here, the Broward court entered an order directing the disbursement of sales proceeds from the sale of a home, while a declaratory action was already pending in Palm Beach County which would resolve the issues.  The Court held that the Broward court should have stayed their action until the resolution of the Palm Beach action.   

In re Guardianship of Klatthaar , --- So.3d --- (Fla. 2d DCA 2014), 2014 WL 51382 In guardianship proceedings, until incapacity is determined and a guardian is appointed, fees of the various attorneys involved and the members of the examining committee may rack up without any method for payment.  Once a guardianship is established, the law is clear about payment of the fees.  But if a guardianship is never established, as the Court correctly points out in this decision, there is a hole in our statute that leaves attorneys and examining committee members with no ability to be paid for their work. In this case, the alleged incapacitated person died before a final determination of incapacity was rendered.  A petition was filed and an ordered was entered for the fees and costs of the attorney for the petitioner, the attorney for the alleged incapacitated person and the members of the examining committee.  The personal representative of the decedent's estate appe...

Geezil v. Savage , 2013 WL 6246205 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013) This case involved a dispute between the decedent's daughter from his first marriage and his second wife.  The decedent apparently drafted his own valid will which divided his property between the daughter and the wife.  Unfortunately, the will had several deficiencies, including devises of non-probate assets and a lack of a residuary clause, which resulted in years of litigation, substantially depleting the estate.   On appeal, the Court was asked to consider the order in which the estate assets would deplete, given that the litigation created larger than expected class 1 expenses.  The wife made a claim for funeral and burial expenses, which was ultimately settled by the co-personal representatives pursuant to F.S. 733.708.  The probate court held that the funeral expenses could be paid to the wife from an investment account that was a general devise to the daughter in the will.  The Appellate...

Pierce v. Pierce , 2013 WL 6438955 My father, Chuck Rubin, recently posted an excellent summary of the Pierce v. Pierce  decision dealing with an attempt by an estate beneficiary and signatory to a settlement agreement's attempt to vacate that settlement agreement: RUBIN ON TAX: FATIGUE, DISTRESS, AND SECOND THOUGHTS NOT ENOUGH ... : Most will and trust disputes in Florida involve at least one mediation attempt – either by order of the trial court or agreement of the part...

Cody v.  Cody , 2013 WL 6171299 In this case, the Appellate Court was forced to overrule a strange and confusing trial court decision regarding the distribution of property from an estate.  In 2007, a husband and wife executed wills.  The wife died shortly thereafter.  The husband's will specifically named his wife's three sons (his step-sons) as his children, and named one of those sons as his PR.  The will also made a devise of real property as follows: "(b) I devise the house and 12.5 acres located at 2800 Myree Lane, Pace, FL 32571, to my husband, Earlier T. Martin, Jr.  Should Earler T. Martin predecease me, then I devise the house and acreage in my son, Buford Cody, to divide between my heirs, as he sees fit and proper." The Court noted that it was clear that this devise included a typographical error copied over from the wife's will, and should have said the house and property were distributable to the wife if she survived him. ...