IMO Estate of George Wroten Cordray

• Court: Court of Chancery of Delaware
• Decided: July 11, 2023
• Docket: CA No. 2022-0614-SG
• Status: Published

Opinion

COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE SAM GLASSCOCK III STATE OF DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY COURTHOUSE VICE CHANCELLOR 34 THE CIRCLE GEORGETOWN, DELAWARE 19947

July 11, 2023

Gerald I. Street, Esquire Cynthia L. Maxwell Masters Street & Ellis, P.A. 426 S. State Street Diane Elaine Maxwell Tori Dover, DE 19901 Beverly Anne Maxwell Miller Deirdre A. McCartney, Esquire Sergovic Carmean Weidman McCartney & Owens 25 Chestnut Street PO Box 751 Georgetown, DE 19947

RE: IMO the Estate of George Wroten Cordray and Robert L. Lane, Administrator for the Estate of George Wroten Cordray, C.A. No. 2022-0614-SG

Dear Mr. Street:

At the end of my Opinion of May 19, 2023, I asked for submission of “a form

of order for distribution of George [Wroten Cordray]’s estate consistent with [that]

Opinion.”1 The form of order you submitted on June 16, 2022, does not seem to

address the finding of that Opinion that the heirs were to be determined as of the

date of George Wroten Cordray’s death, June 23, 1988.2

1 IMO Estate of Cordray, 294 A.3d 99, 105 (Del. Ch. 2023). 2 See id. at 101 n.9. Accordingly, I have appended an order, consistent with my Opinion of May

19, 2023, identifying that the appropriate heirs are those descended from George

Wroten Cordray’s grandparents who were alive as of the date of his death, but I have

done so without identifying individuals. If the estate needs further instruction as to

the current individuals entitled to distribution, it should so inform me by 4:30 PM

on July 20, 2023. After that date, my order accompanying this letter order shall be

entered as a final order of the Court and the matter closed.

To the extent the foregoing requires an order to take effect, it is SO

ORDERED.

Sincerely,

/s/ Sam Glasscock III

Sam Glasscock III

cc: All counsel of record (by File & ServeXpress)

2 IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE ) OF GEORGE WROTEN CORDRAY ) and ROBERT L. LANE, ) C.A. No. 2022-0614-SG ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE ESTATE ) OF GEORGE WROTEN CORDRAY )

ORDER

WHEREAS, George Wroten Cordray (the “Decedent”) died intestate on

June 23, 1988;

WHEREAS, the Decedent without spouse or issue;

WHEREAS, the Decedent’s parents, Norris Johnson Cordray and Emma

Leroy Wroten Cordray, predeceased the Decedent on August 4, 1955;

WHEREAS, the Decedent’s only sibling, Norris Johnson Cordray Jr., was

adjudicated deceased on January 31, 2022, with a presumed date of death of

January 1, 2014,

WHEREAS, Decedent’s only sibling, Norris Johnson Cordray Jr.,

repudiated the Decedent’s estate and died intestate without spouse or issue;

WHEREAS, the Decedent’s grandparents, George Cordray, Mary Rebecca

Hayes, Viola E. Graham, and Roy Earl Wroten, all predeceased Decedent;

WHEREAS, descendants of Decedent’s grandparents survived Decedent;

3 IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. That Robert L. Lane, administrator of the Estate of George Wroten Cordray,

distribute the estate of George Wroten Cordray, to the descendants of

Decedent’s grandparents per stirpes in accordance with 12 Del. C. §§ 501 et seq.

Vice Chancellor