In re the Estate of Lippner

104 Misc. 2d 819, 429 N.Y.S.2d 839, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2407
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJune 17, 1980
StatusPublished

This text of 104 Misc. 2d 819 (In re the Estate of Lippner) 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 Estate of Lippner, 104 Misc. 2d 819, 429 N.Y.S.2d 839, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2407 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Bernard M. Bloom, S.

This is a motion by one of the nominated executors for summary judgment dismissing the objections to probate filed by Suzanne H. Epstein, daughter and sole distributee of testatrix Sally Lippner.

Testatrix Sally Lippner, an attorney, died January 11, 1980. Her will dated December 1, 1979 has been offered for probate.

THE PROVISIONS OF THE WILL

Mrs. Lippner in her residuary, paragraph four, disposes of her entire estate to five named charities. There are no preresiduary dispositions other than a gift of a few Israeli bonds to the State of Israel.

Paragraph two of the will contains a "negative” will disposition. (EPTL 1-2.18.) It provides — "I make no bequests or other testamentary disposition to my daughter SUZANNE H. EPSTEIN because I have sufficiently provided for her during my lifetime.”

Paragraph seven makes provision for the contingency that any part of her estate may lapse into intestacy. Mrs. Lippner there provides — "In the event that any part of my bequest contained herein shall fail or become ineffectual then in that event [the property shall pass to my trustees pursuant to an inter vivas trust agreement.]”

It is further observed in the above regard that on December 1, 1979, the same date as the execution of the will, Mrs. Lippner executed an instrument creating an inter vivas unfunded trust. The instrument directs that the trust shall be funded with the donor’s property "that shall come into the possession of the Trustees in the event that any gift, devise or legacy made under the Last Will and Testament of the donor shall fail or become ineffectiveThe trustees named in the inter vivas instrument are the same persons named as executors of her will. In essence, the trust instrument provides that the trustees shall pay the income from the fund to the same five named residuary charitable beneficiaries of her will. At the end of a five-year period the five named charities are to receive the then principal in equal shares.

[821]*821Also noted is that paragraph eleven of the will is a "no contest” clause (EPTL 3-3.5, subd [b]) providing — "Any person who shall contest this will for any reason shall forfeit any right that may have accrued to him or her by reason of such contest.”

Parenthetically it is also observed that the moving papers establish that prior to the execution of the will, there has been litigation between testatrix Mrs. Lippner and her daughter Suzanne H. Epstein. The provisions of the will plus the "history” of this litigation are offered, if such is relevant, to establish an intention on the part of Mrs. Lippner to exclude her daughter and sole distributee from any part of the estate.

THE OBJECTIONS TO PROBATE

On February 14, 1980, Suzanne H. Epstein, as sole distributee filed objections to probate. These are (as later amended)—

1. Failure of due execution,

2. Forgery,

3. Lack of testamentary capacity,

4. Fraud and undue influence.

It is observed that at least in her objections daughter Suzanne does not contest as excessive her mother’s dispositions to the charities. (EPTL 5-3.3.) Although the decisions permit such an objection to be included with objections to probate, the courts have uniformly postponed consideration of a charitable objection ("election”) until the probate contest is disposed of. The reason is of course that if the will falls by reason of the other objections, the charitable dispositions will fall with the will.

THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

In the motion for summary judgment, the moving executor contends that daughter Suzanne has no "standing” to contest her mother’s will.

Of course any distributee of the testatrix whose interest is "adversely affected” by admission of the will to probate, may file objections to probate. (SCPA 1410.) Since daughter Suzanne receives the entire estate in intestacy and nothing under the will, her interests are surely "adversely affected” by the admission of the will to probate.

The moving executor contends however that since the terms [822]*822of the will in the event of intestacy deprive daughter Suzanne of any interest whatsoever in her mother’s estate, she has no "standing” to object. Put another way, he contends that since daughter Suzanne receives nothing under the will and nothing in intestacy, she is not a "person whose interest * * * would be adversely affected by the admission of the will to probate” (SCPA 1410).

We discuss these contentions.

I. THE "no CONTEST” CLAUSE

The "no contest” clause in the will does not per se affect daughter Suzanne’s right to contest her mother’s will. If any one of her four objections (due execution, forgery, lack of testamentary capacity, fraud and undue influence) would be sustained by the verdict, the entire will would be denied probate. If the will falls, so will fall the "no contest” clause as well.

(It is observed parenthetically in the latter regard, that a "no contest” clause [EPTL 3-3.5, subd (b)] or a "forfeiture” clause [EPTL 3-3.5, subd (a)] if specifically directed against named issue or a class of issue [rather than in general terms as in Mrs. Lippner’s will] may deny to such issue standing to contest an excessive charitable disposition under EPTL 5-3.3. [Matter of Alexander, 90 Misc 2d 482, affd 63 AD2d 612.] But neither a "no contest” or "forfeiture” clause may under any circumstances deny to a distributee "standing” under SCPA 1410 to contest probate of the will.)

II. THE NEGATIVE WILL DISPOSITION

EPTL 1-2.18 defines the term "will” in relevant part as follows: "A will is [a] written instrument, made as prescribed by 3-2.1 * * * to take effect upon death, whereby a person disposes of property or directs how it shall not be disposed of’. (Italics supplied.)

The italicized phrase (added in 1966) defines a "negative will disposition” as one in which a testator directs to whom or how his property shall not be disposed of. Mrs. Lippner in paragraph two of her will directed that her daughter Suzanne shall not receive any "bequest” or "testamentary disposition” under her will.

A series of cases have held that when a testator directs that any person (or class) named in his will shall receive no "testamentary disposition” or no "further testamentary disposition”, such a direction serves to deprive such person (or [823]*823class) of any share as a distributee should any part of the estate for any reason lapse into intestacy. (Matter of Dammann, 12 NY2d 500, 507; Matter of Weissmann, 137 Misc 113, 116, affd 232 App Div 698; Matter of Potter, 68 Misc 2d 745; Matter of Beu, 70 Misc 2d 396, affd 44 AD2d 774; Matter of Cameron, 80 Misc 2d 174.)

However, while a negative will disposition may so long as the will stands deprive daughter Suzanne of any benefit in her mother’s testate or intestate estate, it cannot deprive her of "standing” under SCPA 1410 to contest probate of her mother’s will.

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Bluebook (online)
104 Misc. 2d 819, 429 N.Y.S.2d 839, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2407, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-estate-of-lippner-nysurct-1980.