Buckman v. Buckman

CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedMay 10, 2024
Docket1:24-cv-00129
StatusUnknown

This text of Buckman v. Buckman (Buckman v. Buckman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Buckman v. Buckman, (D. Haw. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF HAWAI‘I

PATRICIA W. BUCKMAN, Civil No. 24-00129 MWJS-KJM Individually, and as Trustee of the PATRICIA W. BUCKMAN ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT REVOCABLE TRUST; PATRICIA W. MARK F. BUCKMAN’S MOTION BUCKMAN REVOCABLE TRUST, TO DISMISS AND GRANTING DEFENDANT JENNIFER Plaintiffs, BUCKMAN’S MOTION TO DISMISS WITH LEAVE TO AMEND vs.

MARK F. BUCKMAN, Individually, and as TRUSTEE OF THE MARK F. BUCKMAN TRUST; MARK F. BUCKMAN TRUST; JENNIFER BUCKMAN; JOHN DOES 1-10; JANE DOES 1-10; DOE CORPORATIONS 1- 10; DOE PARTNERSHIPS 1-10; and DOE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES 1-10,

Defendants.

INTRODUCTION

The pending motions arise out of a rather sordid set of allegations, to the effect that a son defrauded his ailing mother out of one residential property and into a mortgage on another. Filed originally in Hawai‘i state court, the lawsuit has been removed to federal court on the ground that the plaintiffs are citizens of a different state from the defendants. The defendant son and his wife have now filed motions to dismiss the complaint against them.

The Court concludes that the complaint adequately alleges claims against the son, but not against the wife. The Court further finds that it is at least possible that the complaint’s allegations against the wife could be remedied through

amendment. Accordingly, the Court DENIES one motion to dismiss and GRANTS the other without prejudice and with leave to amend. BACKGROUND 1. The aforementioned son and wife are Defendants Mark F. Buckman and

Jennifer Buckman, citizens of the State of California. The Plaintiffs in this action are Patricia W. Buckman—the 88-year-old mother of Mark F. Buckman—and her revocable trust. For ease of exposition, the Court will at times refer to these

individuals by their first names. According to the complaint, since approximately 2016, Defendant Mark “had been essentially estranged from his family,” which includes not only his mother, Plaintiff Patricia, but also his siblings Natalie and Matt. ECF No. 1-1, at

PageID.9 (¶ 7). This was in part because Defendant Mark and his wife, Defendant Jennifer, lived an ocean away in California, while Plaintiff Patricia and her other two children lived in Hawaiʻi. It was also, in part, because Defendant Mark “rarely

came to Hawaii or contacted his family.” Id. One consequence of this estrangement was that Plaintiff Patricia “never intended” for Defendant Mark “to receive any of her real property after her death.”

Id. (¶ 8). Instead, that real property—consisting of a two-lot condominium with homes on each lot, namely, a “Front House” and a “Rear House”—was to be held for Matt and his son Manoa. Id. at PageID.9-10 (¶¶ 6, 8). The remainder of the

trust assets were to be split in equal thirds among Defendant Mark and his siblings Matt and Natalie. Given that Defendant Mark is an attorney, Plaintiff Patricia appointed him to be trustee upon her death. Id. at PageID.10 (¶ 8). Defendant Mark, however, “was unhappy with how the Plaintiff intended to

dispose of her estate.” Id. (¶ 9). In a January 29, 2015 email, Defendant Mark wrote to his mother: Why aren’t you dividing things equally, 1/3 to Matt, 1/3 to me, 1/3 to Natalie? I can see I’m getting the short end of the stick. When you depart from equally dividing things, you’re playing favorites. That makes me feel bad, but it’s your choice. Id. Defendant Mark ended his email by informing his mother that she should choose a “neutral third party, like a trust attorney” to serve as trustee, as he was no longer willing to serve in that role. Id. Sure enough, in 2019, Plaintiff Patricia prepared a new trust, removing

Defendant Mark as trustee and naming Natalie in his place. Id. at PageID.11 (¶ 13). The houses were still to be held in trust for Matt and his son Manoa. Id. Fast forward to September 2022. For some time, Plaintiff Patricia had been receiving “24-hour care and assistance” from her daughter Natalie, who had moved

into the Rear House. Id. (¶ 15); see id. (¶ 14) (alleging that Natalie “began taking care of the Plaintiff, including feeding her, continuing to assist her with her real estate business, and taking her to doctors’ appointments, among other things”). In

recognition of her feelings toward Natalie, Plaintiff Patricia amended her trust to provide that upon her death, Natalie would receive the Front House and Matt’s son Manoa would receive the Rear House. In June 2023, Natalie informed Defendant Mark that she was staying at the

Rear House and would inherit the Front House. Defendant Mark “was furious,” all the more so when he learned “that his only inheritance would be $40,000.00 from a life insurance policy.” Id. (¶ 16); see also id. (alleging that Defendant Mark

exclaimed, “Is that all I’m getting?”). He demanded a copy of the updated trust, which Natalie eventually provided him. “Shortly after receiving the copy,” Defendant Mark called Natalie “and demanded that she give him half” of the Front House, to which Natalie refused. Id.

at PageID.12 (¶ 19). Defendant Mark and his daughter flew to Hawai‘i on July 15, 2023, and for the “next several days,” Defendant Mark “repeatedly pestered” Natalie about the Front House. Id. (¶ 21). On August 3, 2023, Defendant Mark

sent Natalie the following text: “Hi Natalie, please get back to me by Sunday. That gives you time to think about it,” meaning splitting the Front House with him. Id. Natalie responded by text that she was “not in the position to split the house

with [him].” Id. According to the complaint, at this point, Defendants Mark and Jennifer “concocted a plan. If they could not acquire the property by agreement, they

would get it through deception.” Id. (¶ 22). And in furtherance of this plan, Defendants Mark and Jennifer “would attempt to reengage with the Plaintiff, regain her trust, and separate her from both Natalie and Matt,” with the aim of putting Defendant Mark in a position “to trick the Plaintiff into signing over her

property.” Id. (¶ 23). The complaint goes on to allege how Defendant Mark pulled this off. On August 10, 2023, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Defendant Mark picked up Plaintiff

Patricia at her residence with the supposed aim of taking her to physical therapy. Id. (¶ 25). “However, the Plaintiff had canceled the physical therapy because she was sick with an infection, and wanted to stay home.” Id. Defendant Mark nonetheless “insisted that he take the Plaintiff out.” Id.

The complaint alleges that Defendant Mark “knew that because of her age, the Plaintiff tended to get very tired after lunch.” Id. (¶ 26). Defendant Mark “counted on the Plaintiff being fatigued,” and took steps to “ensure[] that he and

the Plaintiff would be alone, with no one to help her.” Id. The outing lasted an astonishing nine hours. Id. at PageID.13 (¶ 28). At the end of the outing, Defendant Mark “told the Plaintiff that she needed to sign some

paperwork.” Id. But “[h]e did not tell the Plaintiff what she was signing; he simply insisted that she sign the documents before he would take her home.” Id. And since Plaintiff Patricia “was tired, feeling ill,” “wanted to go home,” and was

trusting of Defendant Mark, she signed several documents that Defendant Mark gave her. Id. After signing them, she asked for copies, which Defendant Mark refused to provide. Id. (¶ 29). At no time did Plaintiff Patricia intend to deed the Rear House to Defendant Mark. Id. (¶ 31).

But Plaintiff Patricia later discovered—two months later through an anonymous source—that “one of the documents she had signed was a warranty deed on behalf of her trust,” deeding the Rear House to Defendant Mark. Id.

(¶ 30).

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Bluebook (online)
Buckman v. Buckman, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buckman-v-buckman-hid-2024.