Darius v. Darius

245 A.D.2d 663, 665 N.Y.S.2d 447, 1997 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12574
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedDecember 4, 1997
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 245 A.D.2d 663 (Darius v. Darius) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Darius v. Darius, 245 A.D.2d 663, 665 N.Y.S.2d 447, 1997 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12574 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

Peters, J.

(1) Cross appeals from an order of the Supreme Court (Dawson, J.), entered March 6, 1997 in Warren County, which, inter alia, denied plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and partially denied a cross motion by defendant Deborah A. Bassett Darius for summary judgment, and (2) appeal from an order of said court, entered April 4, 1997 in Warren County, which, inter alia, partially denied said defendant’s motion to vacate an injunction.

Plaintiff was a longtime friend of Harold Bassett (hereinafter decedent), who died on January 31, 1993. Decedent’s wife, defendant Deborah A. Bassett Darius (hereinafter defendant), was appointed executor of his estate which was ultimately valued at approximately $6 million including his business, H.B. Slate Company.

[664]*664In March 1993, plaintiff moved back to Warren County and began to assist defendant with the management of the estate and decedent’s business. On April 6, 1993, both parties prepared holographic wills stating that they each left all of their assets to the other. According to defendant, three days later, while she was depressed and intoxicated, they were married by a Justice of the Peace, also intoxicated, in a bar in Vermont. As this was an unanticipated event, none of defendant’s friends or family were present. Thereafter, Paul Pontiff, an attorney in Warren County who had been hired to represent the estate, prepared wills incorporating, inter alia, the terms of the parties’ previously executed holographic wills.

On April 20, 1993, the parties met with Pontiff at which time defendant gave plaintiff a general power of attorney. Thereafter, several bank accounts were opened either jointly or in their individual names listing the same assets. On June 9, 1993, the parties entered into an employment agreement whereby H.B. Slate would employ plaintiff subject to certain terms and provisions regarding termination (hereinafter the employment contract). On June 30, 1993, the parties entered into a postnuptial agreement which provided, inter alia, that the real and personal property owned by the parties jointly or separately would be held equally by the parties as joint tenants or tenants in common.

On November 4, 1993, plaintiff commenced this action seeking, inter alia, a judgment of divorce on the grounds of cruel and inhuman treatment and adultery, as well as specific performance of both the postnuptial agreement and employment contract. Defendant, individually and in her capacity as executor, served an amended answer and counterclaimed for, inter alia, a judgment of divorce on the basis of adultery and cruel and inhuman treatment, an annulment and rescission of the postnuptial agreement and employment contract.

Both parties moved for summary judgment. Supreme Court denied all motions except that portion of defendant’s cross motion declaring the parties’ postnuptial agreement null and void and for an order precluding plaintiff from using the August 2, 1996 deposition transcript of defendant’s treating psychologist, Martin Marrazo, conducted in the absence of defendant’s counsel. Supreme Court also granted partial summary judgment to defendant directing plaintiff to return moneys owed. Both parties appeal.

Prior to plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, plaintiff sought and obtained an order enjoining defendant from transferring or encumbering the different bank accounts [665]*665opened either individually or jointly after April 20, 1993, the date that defendant gave plaintiff the general power of attorney. Supreme Court denied defendant’s cross motion seeking disbursement of only one of those accounts. Defendant thereafter moved to vacate the injunction and sought the distribution of decedent’s estate. Plaintiff cross-moved for, inter alia, an order denying defendant’s request and for a stay of all further proceedings pending resolution of the appeal from Supreme Court’s first order. This prompted defendant to cross-move for an order directing the funds contained in one of the accounts to be disbursed or, alternatively, for an order disbursing the funds in decedent’s account to defendant. Supreme Court vacated the injunction by releasing one of the parties’ joint accounts to the extent that each party could receive one half of such funds, prompting defendant’s appeal from the second order.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Dojce v. 1302 Realty Co., LLC
2021 NY Slip Op 05950 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2021)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
245 A.D.2d 663, 665 N.Y.S.2d 447, 1997 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12574, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/darius-v-darius-nyappdiv-1997.