Blech v. Blech

251 Cal. Rptr. 3d 507, 38 Cal. App. 5th 941
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedAugust 15, 2019
DocketB288074
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 251 Cal. Rptr. 3d 507 (Blech v. Blech) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blech v. Blech, 251 Cal. Rptr. 3d 507, 38 Cal. App. 5th 941 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

LAVIN, J.

*509*944INTRODUCTION

Although a judgment creditor may generally attempt to enforce a money judgment against most assets of a debtor, such a creditor may not reach a debtor's interest in a trust if the trust includes a spendthrift provision. In that event, the creditor must obtain an order under Probate Code 1 section 15301, subdivision (b) ( section 15301(b) ), instructing the trustee to pay the creditor once a trust disbursement is due and payable to the debtor. Related sections of the Probate Code provide additional creditor remedies and protections for trust beneficiaries.

Richard Blech2 is the beneficiary of a spendthrift trust created by his father. The trust provides, among other things, for annual distributions of trust *945principal over the course of 10 years. Four of Richard's judgment creditors (three of his siblings and an unrelated company) obtained an order from the probate court under section 15301(b), directing the trustee to pay a portion of Richard's 2018 principal disbursement to the creditors in partial satisfaction of their money judgments. Richard appeals.

Richard asserts four arguments in this appeal. First, he contends the court should not have considered the creditors' petitions because they were filed before his principal disbursement was due and payable. We conclude section 15301(b) permits the procedure used in this case. Second, Richard argues the court improperly directed the trustee to withhold Richard's January 2018 disbursement until after the court issued its final order on the creditors' petitions. We conclude the court acted within the broad scope of its equitable authority. Third, Richard claims the court erred when it declined to rule from the bench (before his disbursement was due and payable) and instead issued a written ruling a few days later (after the disbursement was due and payable). We see no error in the court's approach. And fourth, Richard contends the trust required the trustee to make all payments directly to him, in contravention of section 15301(b). The trust does not so provide. Accordingly, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

1. Arthur's Estate Plan

Arthur Blech died in 2011, leaving behind a substantial legacy for his four adult children, Raymond Blech, Robert Bleck,3 Richard Blech, and Linda Sue Grear (also known as Jenifer Rush). Arthur's estate plan consisted of the Arthur Blech Living Trust and a will providing that certain of Arthur's assets would be poured over into the trust upon his death. The trust became irrevocable after Arthur died and, pursuant to its terms, was divided among the children into four unequal shares, to be held in trust for 10 years.4 The trust provides for quarterly distributions of income and annual distributions of principal.

Two specific provisions of the trust are of interest here. First, the trust requires the trustee to distribute trust principal annually to each of the four children for 10 years. The trustee is given no discretion in *510this regard, as the trust provides in paragraph 5.7: *946"The following fractional shares of principal after retention of reasonable reserves shall be distributed to each beneficiary out of such beneficiary's share:

"(a) One-tenth (1/10) one (1) year after Grantor's death.
"(b) One-ninth (1/9) two (2) years after Grantor's death.
"(c) One-eighth (1/8) three (3) years after Grantor's death.
"(d) One-seventh (1/7) four (4) years after Grantor's death.
"(e) One-sixth (1/6) five (5) years after Grantor's death.
"(f) One-fifth (1/5) six (6) years after Grantor's death.
"(g) One-fourth (1/4) seven (7) years after Grantor's death.
"(h) One-third (1/3) eight (8) years after Grantor's death.
"(i) One-half (1/2) nine (9) years after Grantor's death.
"(j) The balance ten (10) years after Grantor's death."

Second, the trust contains a spendthrift provision designed to protect trust assets from the reach of the beneficiaries' creditors. Specifically, paragraph 10.1 of the trust provides:

"No interest of any Beneficiary of any Trust created in this Trust Agreement shall be subject to sale, assignment, hypothecation or transfer nor shall the principal of any Trust or the income arising therefrom, be liable for any debt of any Beneficiary or be subject to attachment by or the interference by or control of any creditor of any Beneficiary or be taken or reached by any legal or equitable process in satisfaction of any debt or liability of any Beneficiary, including, without limitation, the process of any court in aid of execution of judgment so rendered. All of the income and principal under any Trust shall be transferable, payable and deliverable only to the designated Beneficiary at the time the Beneficiary is entitled to take under the terms of this Trust. The personal receipt of the Beneficiary may be made a condition precedent to the payment or delivery by the Trustee to that Beneficiary. The Trustee may, however, deposit in any bank designated in writing by a Beneficiary, to his or her credit, income or principal payable to that Beneficiary. This Article shall not restrict any authority of the Trustee to use and disburse funds for the support, maintenance, health and education of a Beneficiary, or to disburse funds to a guardian or conservator as herein provided."

*947Comerica Bank is the current trustee.

2. Money Judgments Against Richard

After their father died, the siblings had several disputes amongst themselves that eventually resulted in litigation. As pertinent here, Raymond, Robert, and Linda entered into a settlement agreement with Richard in 2014, in which Richard agreed to pay from his share of the trust $139,950 to Linda, $93,405 to Robert, and $617,000 to Raymond. The payments were to be made no later than November 15, 2015.

In 2016, after Richard failed to comply with the settlement agreement, the three sibling creditors moved to enforce the settlement agreement and obtained judgments in their favor for the amounts owed under the settlement agreement as well as interest, attorney's fees, and costs relating to the enforcement proceeding.

In January 2017, an unrelated entity, WGC Sports, LLC, obtained a money judgment against Richard in the amount of $560,311.

*5113. Petitions to Enforce the Judgments

After entry of their respective judgments against Richard, the sibling creditors filed petitions to enforce their money judgments under Code of Civil Procedure section 709.010.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
251 Cal. Rptr. 3d 507, 38 Cal. App. 5th 941, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blech-v-blech-calctapp5d-2019.