Fraiman Estate

25 Pa. D. & C.2d 131, 1961 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 257
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Montgomery County
DecidedMay 4, 1961
Docketno. 60,440
StatusPublished

This text of 25 Pa. D. & C.2d 131 (Fraiman Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Montgomery County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fraiman Estate, 25 Pa. D. & C.2d 131, 1961 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 257 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1961).

Opinion

Taxis, Jr., P. J.,

The account shows a balance for distribution of $225,713.37, composed of U. S. Savings Bonds totalling $945.30, U. S. Treasury Bills totalling $29,808.90, a cause of action against Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, inventoried at $35,000, and cash.

Decedent died on February 10, 1959, leaving a will dated January 1, 1959. The will bequeathed $1,000 to Harold L. Rosenberger, then placed the residue in trust for Yeshiva University, New York. Mr. Benjamin Cohen was appointed executor and Melvin Rubin, Esq., was designated as trustee.

The first question requiring determination by this court relates to counsel fees to be paid to Melvin Rubin, Esq., who was counsel for executor. Mr. Rubin requests a fee of $28,205.03, Of which $7,500 has been paid.

Decedent was a scrap iron dealer and had contacted Melvin Rubin, Esq., in November 1958, to prepare his will. After several drafts the present will was executed. Mr. Rubin also advised decedent prior to his death in regard to other matters. After death, Mr. Rubin arranged for decedent’s funeral and the probate of the will.

Collecting the assets for administration was difficult because there was a large inventory of scrap iron on decedent’s premises at South York Road and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Hatboro. Mr. Rubin negotiated a sale of the scrap at a price of $25,090, after contacting many scrap dealers to solicit bids. The purchaser was Mr. Harry Phillips. This sale was made after weeks of negotiation during which Mr. Rubin met with at least 18 different scrap dealers including most of the important scrap dealers in the Philadelphia area. The scrap iron on the premises covered an area of over five acres and the value was discernible only to people familiar with the scrap business. The court is convinced [134]*134that Mr. Rubin adequately handled this rather precarious situation. The first offer was $7,000, and by negotiation Mr. Rubin, by reason of his diligence and industry was able to consummate a sale of the scrap for $25,090. Thus, a highly beneficial result was achieved.

Decedent was a peculiar person and certain peculiarities complicated the administration of his estate. The watchmen and Mr. Rubin made an unsuccessful search for buried gold that was supposed to have been buried by decedent on the premises. Decedent’s papers were scattered at the time of his death. Some papers were found in a safe deposit box in the Philadelphia National Bank branch in Hatboro, some papers were found at decedent’s premises, and other books and records had been entrusted to Mr. Harold Rosenberger. Mr. Rubin had the time-consuming and painstaking task of putting volumes of records and papers in proper order after decedent’s death.

Besides the scrap, decedent owned four bank and savings accounts which were closed out by Mr. Rubin, some U. S. Savings Bonds, a cause of action against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and five parcels of real estate. The exact boundaries of the scrap yard were in doubt and a survey and plan were required. The other properties were occupied by tenants and Mr. Rubin collected rents; secured necessary repairs, heard tenants’ complaints and generally acted as manager. Mr. Rubin kept all of the tenants until the close of his management of the property. One of the tenants on the scrapyard premises objected to the estate’s interpretation of his lease and this matter required negotiation.

The cause of action against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission arose out of the commission’s condemnation of decedent’s land about 1952. The turnpike had condemned a strip through decedent’s scrap[135]*135yard and a building located thereon. The condemnation negotiations prior to decedent’s death were handled by Joseph Knox Fornance, Esq. A jury of view had awarded $40,800, which was reduced on appeal by the commission to $35,000. A motion for a new trial is now pending. Mr. Rubin consulted with specialists in the condemnation field to determine the best course of action in regard to this matter.

There were also difficulties pertaining to an easement granted by decedent to Philadelphia Electric Company, in regard to burning the scrap, which was a prerequisite to preparing the scrap for sale, and in regard to appraising the peculiar property involved. Mr. Rubin negotiated with several people in regard to selling the real estate.

Mr. Rubin testified that he spent between 1,500 and 2,000 hours in administering the estate. A memorandum prepared from Mr. Rubin’s original notes was submitted to the court. This memorandum, noting letters, phone calls, conferences, etc., consumes 66 typewritten pages single-spaced, legal size.

The executor, Mr. Benjamin Cohen, left most of the administration to Mr. Rubin. Mr. Cohen was available only evenings and weekends because of his employment as a tailor by the United States Government Marine Corps.

Counsel fees allowed from an estate must be manifestly just and moderate.

“ ‘The things to be taken into consideration in determining the compensation to be recovered by an attorney are the amount and character of the services rendered, the labor, the time, and trouble involved, the character and importance of the litigation, the amount of money or value of the property affected, the professional skill and experience called for, and the standing of the attorney in his profession; to which may be added the general ability of the client to pay and the [136]*136pecuniary benefit derived from the services’ ”: Huffman Estate (No. 3), 349 Pa. 59, p. 64; Crawford’s Estate, 307 Pa. 102; Davidson’s Estate, 300 Pa. 26.

The disagreement over counsel fees is found in the question concerning the peculiarities of this estate. Did this estate present unusual difficulties or greater responsibilities which justify the fee demanded?

To begin with, this estate is clearly not a “Minimum Fee” estate as generally envisioned by the Minimum Fee Schedule. Therefore, such schedule is of very little assistance to the court.

After considering all of the testimony and the record papers, this case presents a picture of an eager young attorney recently admitted to the bar who became counsel for an individual executor in a large estate, anxious to do a thorough and competent job. This eagerness no doubt accounts for the great number of hours spent by Mr. Rubin in this matter. A more experienced attorney could have accomplished a similar result in much less time. The hours spent by Mr. Rubin therefore have not overimpressed the court on setting the fee but the court commends Mr. Rubin for his diligence and industry. The court finds that Mr. Rubin did a thorough and competent job.

The expert testimony took a wide range. Joseph T. Coghlan, Jr., Esq., a member of the Philadelphia Bar since 1932, testified on behalf of Mr. Rubin that 80 percent of his practice involved decedents’ estates, that he had reviewed the administration of the present estate, had listened to the testimony in court, and that ordinarily the fee requested would be “a high fee”, but that under the circumstances the fee of $28,000 so requested was reasonable. Mr. Coghlan was convinced that this was an extraordinary administration which justified the fee requested.

William F. Fox, Esq.,'a member of the Montgomery County Bar since 1935, testifiéd bn behalf of the es[137]

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

Related

Burke Appeal
108 A.2d 58 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1954)
Garrison Estate
137 A.2d 321 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1958)
Rentschler Estate
139 A.2d 910 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1958)
Voegtly Estate
151 A.2d 593 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1959)
Commonwealth v. Friedman
165 A.2d 678 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1960)
Pruner Estate
136 A.2d 107 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1957)
Wiegand v. the Barnes Foundation
97 A.2d 81 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1953)
Mathues's Estate
185 A. 768 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1936)
Huffman Estate (No. 3)
36 A.2d 640 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1944)
Hartman's Estate
200 A. 49 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1938)
Davidson's Estate
150 A. 152 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1930)
Commonwealth v. Petrillo
19 A.2d 288 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1941)
Crawford's Estate
160 A. 585 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1931)
Crawford's Estate
16 A.2d 521 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1940)
Dundas's Appeal
64 Pa. 325 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1870)
Parsons's Estate
82 Pa. 465 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1876)
Harberger's Appeal
98 Pa. 29 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1881)
Neafie's Estate
49 A. 129 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1901)
Price's Estate
58 A. 280 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1904)
Ehrenstrom v. Hess
105 A. 44 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 Pa. D. & C.2d 131, 1961 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fraiman-estate-paorphctmontgo-1961.