Zaranco Estate

74 Pa. D. & C. 462, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 91
CourtYork County Orphans' Court
DecidedJune 26, 1950
StatusPublished

This text of 74 Pa. D. & C. 462 (Zaranco Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering York County Orphans' Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zaranco Estate, 74 Pa. D. & C. 462, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 91 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1950).

Opinion

Gross, P. J.,

The first and final account of William W. Wogan, administrator of the estate of Constant L. Zaranco, late of the Township of West Manchester, York County, Pa., deceased, was filed in the office of the Register of Wills of York County, on September 28,1949; and, after due and legal advertisement, was presented to this court for confirmation and audit on November 2, 1949. The audit was continued from time to time in order to ascertain who are entitled to the balance for distribution. Failing to acquire the necessary information with absolute verity, we have declared the audit closed and submit the following report:

Appearances

William W. Wogan, a member of York County bar, and the accountant, was the only person to appear at the audit.

History

Decedent, a national of the Republic of Poland, died intestate on August 29, 1944, at the Township, of West Manchester, York County, Pa.

On May 23, 1918, he filed, in the Court of Common Pleas of York, York County, Pa., a declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States, to which he signed his name as “Constant Leon Zaranco”, and in which he avers that he was born at Wies Zelisna, Russian Poland, on April 10,1886, and arrived in New York March 19, 1913.

[464]*464On April 29, 1940, decedent filed his second declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States in the court, to which he signed his name as “Konstanty Leon Zaranko”, and in which he avers that he was born at Zelizna, Poland, on April 10, 1886, and arrived in New York on March 18, 1913.

In his first declaration of intention, he gave his wife’s first name as “Mary” and her residence in his native country.

In his second declaration, he gave his wife’s first name as “Maryanna”, and the first names, birth places and dates of birth of three children, as follows:

1. “Ludwika, Zelizna, Poland, October 1, 1906.

2. “Marcin, Zelizna, Poland, March 10,1908.

3. “Wladyslaw, Zelizna, Poland, March 1, 1911.”

After an extensive investigation made by the accountant, through correspondence with the Consulate of the Republic of Poland, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Peter Sidelnik, 2997 Hanley Avenue, Hamtramck 12, Mich., a brother of decedent’s wife; Peter Bogaty, director, American Information Office, 1605 Walton Avenue, New York 52, N. Y., and Central Service Bureau, Inc., 5129 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago 9, Ill., credible, but not conclusive, information was obtained, which indicated that the statements of decedent as to his wife and children made in his second declaration of intention were probably true. The correspondence above referred to will be deposited in the file of this estate in the office of the clerk of this court for future reference.

There is also attached to the petition for adjudication an alleged power of' attorney, written in the Polish language, accompanied by an English translation without an affidavit attached, by one, Joseph Jasinski, from which it appears that the wife and decedent’s three children, above named, on March 27, 1947, appeared before one, Antoni Sobolewski, a notary, at Miedzyrzec, Poland, and executed the alleged power of attorney to [465]*465“Pietr Sedelnik”, presumably the same person whose name appears above as “Peter Sidelnik”.

The translation indicates that the power is given only for the management of real estate of decedent and possibly for the administration of decedent’s personal estate. It is certainly not sufficiently comprehensive to warrant this court to award the distributive shares of parties in interest to Sidelnik as their attorney-in-fact. This power of attorney is also fatally defective for the want of authentication by the Polish Consular’s Office, as provided by article XXI of the Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Poland, which became effective July 10, 1933, and which is still in full force.

The record shows that, when this account was filed, the accountant gave notice to the alleged wife and children of decedent, by United States registered mail, addressed to each of them at Zelizna, Poland.

The record shows also that notice of the filing of this account was given, by United States mail, to Peter Sidelnik, addressing him at 2997 Hanley Avenue, Hamtramck 12, Mich., and that notice was also given to the Consulate of the Republic of Poland, at 249 N. Craig Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.

By letter, dated September 29, 1949, the accountant advised the Consulate of the Republic of Poland, at Pittsburgh, of the balance in the account for distribution and of the fact that decedent died seized of real estate, appraised for transfer inheritance tax purposes by the State of Pennsylvania at the sum of $5,750. The notifying letters to the alleged parties in interest of the filing of the account and to Peter Sidelnik and the Polish Consulate will be deposited with the file of this estate in the clerk’s office for future reference.

It also appears in the record that Henry C. Pytell, an attorney, located at 11407 Jos. Campau Avenue, Detroit 12, Mich., had been consulted by Peter Sidelnik with [466]*466reference to this estate; and that, on December 20, 1947, he was fully advised as to the nature and character of the assets of this estate and the attending difficulties in making a safe distribution of the assets.

The last information which we received concerning the heirs of this decedent is contained in a letter from, the Consulate of the Republic of Poland, Pittsburgh, Pa., dated October 1, 1948, in which the consul stated that, as far as he was able to find out, decedent left to survive him the wife and children above named. The letter was signed by Zygmunt Fabisiak, consul.

By letter dated October 8, 1948, the same consul of the Republic of Poland wrote to the accountant, which we quote in part as follows:

“Thank you for your letter of October 7, 1948.

“In the circumstances explained in our letter of October 1, 1948, addressed to you, I would respectfully request that when you file your final account in the matter of the estate of Konstanty Zaranko, you ask the court to award the balance of the estate to the widow and children of the deceased residing in Poland and have the orphans’ court either hold the moneys in court’s deposit until the time the heirs will prove their identity and arrange for their representation, or else have the moneys paid to this consulate as the ex officio representative of the heirs.”

Courts have no right to annul or disregard provisions of a treaty upon any notion of equity, general convenience or substantial justice: King Features Syndicate, Inc., v. Valley Broadcasting Co. et al., 43 F. Supp. 137, 138, affd., 133 F. (2d) 137 (1943). Any State law or public policy which is inconsistent with, or impairs the policy or provisions of a treaty must yield to the supreme Federal policy evidenced by the treaty: Santovincezo, etc., v. Egan et al., 284 U. S. 30, 52 S. Ct. 81 (1931).

[467]

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

Related

Santovincenzo v. Egan
284 U.S. 30 (Supreme Court, 1931)
United States v. Pink
315 U.S. 203 (Supreme Court, 1942)
Rocca v. Thompson
223 U.S. 317 (Supreme Court, 1912)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 Pa. D. & C. 462, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 91, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zaranco-estate-paorphctyork-1950.