Opinion
2013-12-5
Petition for a Compulsory File Accounting and Related Relief in the RUTH BRONNER AND ZWI LEVY FAMILY SPRINKLING TRUST, etc. Petition for a Compulsory Accounting and Related Relief in the Ruth Bronner Trust, etc., et al. Petition for a Compulsory Accounting and Related Relief in the RB and ZL Family Sprinkling Trust created on January 14, 1993 by Zwi O. Levy, etc., et al. In re Ruth T. Bronner, Petitioner–Respondent, v. Warren R. Gleicher, Respondent–Appellant.
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP, New York (Thomas J. Fleming of counsel), for appellant. Law Office of Brendan P. Kearse, New York (Brendan P. Kearse of counsel), for respondent.
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP, New York (Thomas J. Fleming of counsel), for appellant. Law Office of Brendan P. Kearse, New York (Brendan P. Kearse of counsel), for respondent.
Order, Surrogate's Court, New York County (Kristen Booth Glen, S.), entered October 23, 2012, which denied appellant's motion to dismiss compulsory accounting petitions, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
The Surrogate properly found that respondent, the trustee of three trusts of which petitioner was a beneficiary, failed to conclusively demonstrate the integrity and fairness of the transaction which transferred the trusts' assets, or to establish that he fully informed petitioner of the effect and ramifications of the releases and waivers of accounting that she apparently signed (see Matter of Gordon v. Bialystoker Ctr. & Bikur Cholim, 45 N.Y.2d 692, 698, 412 N.Y.S.2d 593, 385 N.E.2d 285 [1978] ). Respondent also failed to show the complete repudiation of his duties as a fiduciary after the trusts were allegedly terminated in March 2006. He retained trust assets and filed tax returns on behalf of the trusts after the execution of releases and waivers representing that the trusts had been terminated (see Westchester Religious Inst. v. Kamerman, 262 A.D.2d 231, 694 N.Y.S.2d 355 [1st Dept.1999] ). Thus, the Surrogate properly found that respondent's argument that the statute of limitations expired since more than six years had passed since the waivers and releases were signed is unavailing ( id.). MAZZARELLI, J.P., ACOSTA, SAXE, FREEDMAN, CLARK, JJ., concur.