In re the Accounting by LeoGrande

13 Misc. 3d 1070
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedSeptember 28, 2006
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 13 Misc. 3d 1070 (In re the Accounting by LeoGrande) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Surrogate's Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re the Accounting by LeoGrande, 13 Misc. 3d 1070 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2006).

Opinion

[1071]*1071OPINION OF THE COURT

John B. Riordan, J.

This is a proceeding by Norman LeoGrande, one of Joseph W LeoGrande, Sr.’s three children and the executor of Joseph W. LeoGrande, Sr.’s estate, to compel an accounting by Joseph W LeoGrande, Sr.’s other two children, Donald LeoGrande and Joseph W. LeoGrande, Jr., as trustees of a trust created by Joseph W. LeoGrande, Sr., as grantor, under trust agreement dated January 22, 1986. The cotrustees have opposed the application. For the reasons that follow, the petition is granted.

On January 22, 1986, Joseph W. LeoGrande, Sr. executed a trust agreement between himself, as grantor, and Joseph LeoGrande, Jr. and Donald LeoGrande, as cotrustees. The trust agreement provided that all of the income of the trust was to be paid to Joseph, Sr. during his lifetime. On Joseph, Sr.’s death, the trust was to be divided into two equal parts, with each part to be held in further separate trust for the benefit of Donald and Joseph, Jr., respectively. The purpose of the trust was to shield Joseph, Sr. from liability concerning environmental claims by the State of New York against corporate entities in which Joseph, Sr. had an interest. The trust was funded with, among other assets, Joseph, Sr.’s interests in Windsor Fuel, Rosselle Building Company, Inc. and Mineóla Fund.

On October 7, 1987, Joseph, Sr. commenced an action in the Supreme Court of Nassau County to overturn the trust alleging, among other things, fraud and undue influence on the part of Donald and Joseph, Jr. On October 17, 1991, a confidential settlement agreement resolving the litigation was executed by and between Joseph, Sr., Joseph, Jr., Donald and other interested parties. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, the trust would remain in existence and Joseph, Sr. would receive during his lifetime the net income of the trust less all expenses properly chargeable to the trust income. According to the petitioner, there was rampant hostility between Joseph, Sr. and Joseph, Jr. and Donald, as evidenced not only by Joseph, Sr.’s commencement of the action to set aside the trust, but also by the settlement agreement which included a specific provision that Joseph, Sr. would not interfere in Joseph, Jr.’s or Donald’s lives.

Moreover, as part of the settlement agreement, the parties also approved an intermediate account for the trust which covered the period from January 22, 1986 through September [1072]*107230, 1988 and a supplemental intermediate account which covered the period from October 30, 1988 through December 31, 1990. With regard to the account for the period January 22, 1986 through September 30, 1988, the parties entered into an additional separate stipulation specifically approving the intermediate account. The intermediate account was then approved by order of the Supreme Court dated December 4, 1991. In connection with the settlement, Joseph Sr. also executed general releases on October 30, 1991 to each of Donald and Joseph, Jr. in their capacity as trustees of the trust and individually. The releases provided that Joseph, Sr. released Donald and Joseph, Jr. for claims through October 30, 1991, the date of the release.

The settlement agreement, in pertinent part, provided as follows:

“WHEREAS, it is the express intention of the parties to avoid further legal fees and expenses by resolving all of the disputes between and among them, and to settle, compromise and merge into this Settlement Agreement any and all past or present claims, known or unknown, which Defendants have or may have against Joseph LeoGrande, Sr. and any and all past and present claims, known or unknown, which Joseph LeoGrande, Sr. has or may have against the Defendants, from the beginning of the world through the effective date of this Settlement Agreement, so as to effect a complete resolution of actual or potential disputes between the above-referenced individual and entities; . . .
“9. Joseph LeoGrande, Sr. will receive the net income from the Trust for life less all expenses properly chargeable to Trust income. For each fiscal year subsequent to 1990, an accounting of the Trust income performed by the independent accounting firm of Joel E. Mitchell & Company and a check for that amount will be delivered to Joseph LeoGrande, Sr. by the subsequent March 15. . . .
“13. This Settlement Agreement is to be executed in full and final settlement of all past and present claims between the Defendants and Joseph LeoGrande, Sr. and shall constitute a waiver by each of them of the right to assert any such claim in any action or proceeding against the other party. In the event of any breach of any provision of paragraphs 10 and 11 hereof, the parties shall have the immedi[1073]*1073ate right to seek, ex parte, a court order to enforce the injunctive relief set forth therein. Additionally, any action brought as a result of any breach of this Settlement Agreement, either in whole or in part, shall be limited solely and exclusively to matters arising under this Settlement Agreement and shall not be based on the underlying claims of the Trust, Pension or Assault Actions.”

Thus, the settlement agreement required annual income accountings to be provided to Joseph, Sr. by March 15th of the following calendar year. The cotrustees have submitted an affidavit from a representative of the accounting firm which prepared the annual accountings stating that, in compliance with the settlement agreement, an annual accounting, tax returns and a check for the net income were personally delivered by her to Joseph, Sr.’s residence on March 15th of each year from 1990 until April 2001, the year of Joseph, Sr.’s death.

The trustees have opposed the application for a compulsory accounting first on the grounds that Norman has brought the petition in his individual capacity and not as executor of Joseph, Sr.’s estate. They argue that Norman, therefore, is not a proper party to the proceeding since he is not a beneficiary of the trust. Furthermore, the cotrustees contend that petitioner, even as executor of Joseph, Sr.’s estate, is not entitled to an accounting of the trust for the period January 22, 1986 through December 31, 1990 in view of the settlement agreement, the execution of the general releases and the Supreme Court order of December 4, 1991. Finally, the cotrustees claim that, by virtue of accepting the annual accountings and based upon the parties’ intention as expressed in the settlement agreement, Joseph, Sr. implicitly waived any and all rights to a judicial accounting for the period 1991 until the date of his death.

The petitioner, in reply, argues that he is acting in his capacity as executor of the estate and that any reference to him in the petition as a “beneficiary” of the trust is merely a scrivener’s error. In addition, petitioner does not dispute that the estate is not entitled to an accounting for the period January 22, 1986 through December 31, 1990. At issue, therefore, are only the accountings for the years 1991 through the decedent’s date of death. As to the period after 1991, petitioner claims that Joseph, Sr. did not waive, either expressly or implicitly, his right to a judicial accounting.

[1074]*1074Standing

Concerning first the issue of standing, the court notes that the petitioner was issued letters testamentary as executor of Joseph, Sr.’s estate by decree of this court dated November 26, 2001.

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Bluebook (online)
13 Misc. 3d 1070, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-accounting-by-leogrande-nysurct-2006.