In re the Estate of Wilkins

184 Misc. 2d 218, 707 N.Y.S.2d 774, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 134
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedJanuary 3, 2000
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 184 Misc. 2d 218 (In re the Estate of Wilkins) 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 Wilkins, 184 Misc. 2d 218, 707 N.Y.S.2d 774, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 134 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2000).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Amy J. Fricano, J.

The decedent died in an automobile accident on January 25, 1995. Andrea Danielle Schillaci, the purported nonmarital child of the decedent, was born on May 16, 1995 to the petitioner, Christine Schillaci. Andrea Danielle Schillaci (hereinafter referred to as Andrea) was born after a full-term pregnancy. The petitioner, on behalf of her daughter, commenced this action after the decedent’s death to establish the decedent’s paternity of her daughter. If Andrea is determined to be the decedent’s daughter, she would be his sole intestate distributee. If Andrea is not determined to be the decedent’s daughter, then his two surviving parents would be his intestate distributees. The decedent’s mother, Jeanne M. Wilkins, is the administratrix of the decedent’s estate and the respondent in this proceeding. The issue before the court is whether or not the petitioner has met the burden of proof under EPTL 4-1.2 to establish Andrea as the sole intestate distributee of the decedent’s estate.

Paternity was not established during the decedent’s lifetime, nor was any paternity action commenced while he was alive. Accordingly, petitioner must establish paternity pursuant to either EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (C) or (D) for Andrea to inherit from the decedent. EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (C) states a nonmarital child may inherit from his father and his paternal kindred if: “paternity has been established by clear and convincing evidence and the father of the child has openly and notoriously acknowledged the child as his own.”

Petitioner has failed to present any credible evidence that the second prong of this standard has been met. Petitioner, other than by her own testimony, offered absolutely no credible evidence that decedent “openly and notoriously acknowledged the child as his own.” The open and notorious acknowledgments must have been made by decedent, and petitioner offered no credible evidence that decedent made any such acknowledgments prior to his death. Petitioner’s own testimony in this regard is suspect and self-serving, and fails as a matter of law to meet the second prong of EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (C). Although the court allowed the testimony, without objection [220]*220under the Dead Man’s Statute found in CPLR 4519, the court gives very little weight to petitioner’s testimony. Petitioner’s cause of action under EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (C) is dismissed.

Turning next to the requirements of EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (D), that statute provides: “a blood genetic marker test had been administered to the father which together with other evidence establishes paternity by clear and convincing evidence.”

Once again, petitioner has a two-prong burden of proof. The blood genetic marker test must have been administered to the decedent prior to his death to be admissible (Matter of Sekanic, 229 AD2d 76 [3d Dept 1997]; Matter of Janis, 210 AD2d 101; Estate of DeLuca, NYLJ, Jan. 15, 1998, at 37, col 2 [Sur Ct, Suffolk County]), the results must be compelling, and other evidence must exist which when combined with the blood genetic marker test establishes paternity by clear and convincing evidence. This is a strict standard which the court must not lightly apply.

Petitioner offered into evidence petitioner’s exhibit No. 2, without objection, and petitioner’s exhibit No. 5, with objection, which are HLA-A&B test results comparing the decedent, petitioner, and Andrea.1 The decedent’s HLA-A&B results were based upon the results of an earlier paternity blood test taken by decedent, during his lifetime, on October 19, 1994, in which he was conclusively found not to be the father of a different child, unrelated to any of the parties in the current proceeding. Decedent’s results from this earlier test were compared with current blood samples taken from petitioner and Andrea on the basis of this court’s order of May 27, 1997. This May 27, 1997 order also authorized the comparison of the blood of petitioner, Andrea, and decedent’s two parents. This second blood genetic marker test comparison was entered into evidence as petitioner’s exhibit No. 4 over the objection of respondent. It should be noted that the court issued the May 27, 1997 [221]*221order on the consent of all interested parties. The court finds that the use of preexisting blood genetic marker tests and/or blood samples meets the statutory requirement of the first prong of EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (D), which requires blood genetic marker testing on the putative father prior to his death. In this case a preexisting blood genetic marker test on decedent existed; however, his blood samples were apparently no longer available.

Exhibit No. 5 established the probability of paternity as 98.35%. After exhibit No. 5 was admitted into evidence petitioner moved, pursuant to the 95% probability threshold of CPLR 4518 (d), to shift the burden of proof on the first prong of EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (D) to the respondent. CPLR 4518 (d) states, in part, “If such record or report relating to the administration and analysis of a genetic marker test or DNA test or tests administered pursuant to sections four hundred eighteen and five hundred thirty-two of the family court act or section one hundred eleven-K of the social services law indicates at least a ninety-five percent probability of paternity, the admission of such record or report shall create a rebuttable presumption of paternity, and shall, if unrebutted, establish the paternity of and liability for the support of a child pursuant to articles four and five, of the family court act.”

Although not specifically applicable to either the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act, or the EPTL, the court held that CPLR 4518 (d) was applicable to the current proceeding pursuant to SCPA 102, which states, “The CPLR and other laws applicable to practice and procedure apply in the surrogate’s court except where other procedure is provided by this act.” Accordingly, the court applied CPLR 4518 (d) to effectively shift the burden of proof on the first prong of EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (D) to the respondent. The petitioner retained the burden of proof under the second prong of EPTL 4-1.2 (a) (2) (D).

Respondent challenged exhibit No. 5 by arguing that the test itself was inconclusive. The exhibit contained the language: “This report is being furnished at the request of the account and does not meet Micro Diagnostics or the American Association of Blood Banks criteria for an inclusionary report as only one system was tested.”

Upon further testimony, it was determined that the industry standard for inclusion was a 99% test result, and the one system analysis yielded only a 98.35% test result. Respondent then argued that the presumption of CPLR 4518 (d) was rebutted by the fact that the applicable standards of both the lab [222]*222that conducted the test and the industry as a whole is a 99% inclusionary result.2

Petitioner argued that the 95% probability rate is all that CPLR 4518 (d) requires and that a more substantial rebuttal is necessary than that offered. Petitioner overlooks the fact that CPLR 4518 (d) creates only a rebuttable presumption that is contingent upon all of the evidence before the court. Further, as CPLR 4518 (d) was written to deal primarily with the Family Court Act and not the EPTL, it is not the exclusive factor to be considered in the current proceeding. The court’s May 27, 1997 order in this proceeding can be properly considered in the resolution of this matter, as can both the acceptable industry standards and the testing lab’s standards.

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674 F. Supp. 2d 507 (S.D. New York, 2009)
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Bluebook (online)
184 Misc. 2d 218, 707 N.Y.S.2d 774, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-estate-of-wilkins-nysurct-2000.