Record on Appeal

466 Pages·2014·12.37 MB·English

APL-2014-00144
STATE OF NEW YORK
COURT OF APPEALS
_______________________
In the Matter of the ESTATE OF ROBYN R. LEWIS, Deceased

JAMES ROBERT SIMMONS,

Respondent,

v.

MEREDITH M. STEWART, et al.,

Appellants.
______

Jefferson County Surrogate Court File No. 2010-095/A
Appellate Division Docket Nos.
CA-12-01605; CA-13-00497; CA-13-00498

RECORD ON APPEAL

WITTENBURG LAW FIRM, LLC
ttorneys for Appellant
A

D.J. & J.A. CIRANDO, ESQS.
Of Counsel
101 South Salina Street, Suite 1010
Syracuse, New York 13202
[phone]

MENTER, RUDIN & TRIVELPIECE, P.C.
Attorneys for Petitioner/Respondent

James Robert Simmons, Executor

308 Maltbie Street, Suite 200
Syracuse, New York 13204-1498
[phone]
INDEX
PAGE
Statement Pursuant to CPLR 5531 ................................. 1

Notice of Appeal with Affidavit of Service,
dated June 15, 2012 ........................................ 2

Amended Decision and Decree (Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate),
entered June 4, 2012 ....................................... 5

Decree Granting Probate (Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate), entered
May 22, 2012 .............................................. 11

Decision and Decree (Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate), entered
May 18, 2012 .............................................. 12

Petition for Letters of Administration, dated April 20, 2010 .... 18

Attached to the foregoing Petition:

A) Affidavit of Richard A. Wittenburg, Esq., sworn
April 26, 2010 ....................................... 24

B) Proposed Decree Appointing Administrator ............. 26

C) Family Tree Affidavit, sworn March 26, 2010 .......... 27

D) Certificate of Death of Decedent, dated March 21, 2010 28

Amended Letters of Administration, dated May 18, 2010 ........... 29

Certificate of Administrators, Certificate Nos. 1819 & 1820,
dated May 19, 2010 ........................................ 30

Notice of Renunciation of Partial Interest in Intestate Share,
dated July 21, 2010 ....................................... 32

Attached to the forgoing Notice:

A) Renunciation of Interest in Estate of Meredith M.
Stewart dated June 25, 2010 and Affidavit of Renouncing
Intestate Heir of Meredith M. Stewart, sworn
June 25, 2010 ........................................ 33

i
B) Renunciation of Interest in Estate of Ronald L. Lewis
dated July 14, 2010 and Affidavit of Renouncing
Intestate Heir of Ronald L. Lewis, sworn
July 14, 2010 ........................................ 35

Admission of Receipt of Notice of Renunciation of Meredith M.
Stewart, dated July 29, 2010 and of Ronald L. Lewis, dated
August 4, 2010 ............................................ 37

Letter from Respondent’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated December 9, 2010 ............................. 40

Attached to the foregoing Letter:

A) Last Will and Testament of Robyn Renee Simmons (Lewis) 41

Petition for Probate and Letters Testamentary, dated
December 13, 2010 ......................................... 44

Verified Petition to Revoke Letters of Administration,
Compel Judicial Accounting, Quiet Title and Turn Over
Assets, dated December 13, 2010 ........................... 55

Attached to the foregoing Petition:

A) Exhibit A: Petition for Letters of Administration,
dated April 20, 2010 ................................. 63

B) Exhibit B: Decree Granting Administration (Peter A.
Schwerzmann, Surrogate), dated May 10, 2010 and
Letters of Administration, dated May 10, 2010 ........ 65

C) Exhibit C: Amended Decree Appointing Administrator
(Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate), dated
May 18, 2010 ......................................... 68

D) Exhibit D: Petition for Probate and Letters
Testamentary, dated December 13, 2010 ................ 71

E) Exhibit E: Final Decree of Divorce (Nancy L. Berger,
Presiding Judge, Tarrant County, Texas), entered
April 30, 2007 ....................................... 73

ii
Notice of Pendency of Action, dated December 14, 2010 ........... 90

Attached to the foregoing Notice:

A) Schedule A: Description of Property .................. 92

Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated January 18, 2011 ............................. 93

Attached to the foregoing Letter:

A) Objections to Probate by Ronald L. Lewis and Jonathan K.
Lewis, dated January 15, 2011 ........................ 94

Attached to the foregoing Objections:

1) Exhibit A: Deed, dated July 15, 1997 ............ 98

2) Exhibit B: Deed, dated December 11, 2007 ....... 101

3) Exhibit C: Order of Disbarment (En Banc, Supreme
Court of Texas), entered June 18, 2007 ......... 104

Objections to Probate by Meredith M. Stewart and Ronald
L. Lewis, II, dated January 15, 2011...................... 109

Attached to the foregoing Objections:

A) Exhibit A: Deed, dated July 15, 1997 ................ 113

B) Exhibit B: Deed, dated December 11, 2007 ............ 116

C) Exhibit C: Order of Disbarment (En Banc, Supreme Court
of Texas), entered June 18, 2007 .................... 119

Transcript of Proceedings of January 25, 2011 .................. 124

Decision (Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate), dated
March 30, 2011 ........................................... 148

iii
Amended Decree Appointing Administrator (Peter A. Schwerzmann,
Surrogate), entered March 31, 2011 ....................... 152

Attached to the foregoing Amended Decree:

A) Amended Letters of Administration (Peter A.
Schwerzmann, Surrogate), entered March 31, 2011 ..... 153

First Supplemental Objection to Probate by Ronald L. Lewis and
Jonathan K. Lewis, dated August 26, 2011 .................. 154

Letter from Respondent’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated August 31, 2011 ............................. 158

Attached to the foregoing Letter:

A) Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Respondent’s
Counsel, dated July 22, 2011 ........................ 159

Letter from Respondent’s Counsel to Jefferson County
Surrogate’s Court, dated September 6, 2011 ................ 160

First Supplemental Objection to Probate by Meredith M. Stewart
and Ronald L. Lewis, II, dated September 7, 2011 .......... 161

Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated September 7, 2011 ........................... 165

Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated September 9, 2011 ........................... 166

Letter Order (Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate), entered
September 9, 2011 ........................................ 167

Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated October 14, 2011 ............................ 168

Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated October 18, 2011 ............................ 170

Letter from Appellant’s Counsel to Jefferson County Surrogate’s
Court, dated October 26, 2011 ............................ 171

Transcript of Hearing of December 15, 2011..................... 172

iv
Respondent’s Hearing Exhibit A: Last Will and Testament of Robyn
Renee Simmons (Lewis) .................................... 414

Deadline Orders ............................................... 415

Stipulation Waiving Certification ............................. 421

v
ADDITIONAL PAPERS TO THE
NEW YORK STATE COURT OF APPEALS

Statement Pursuant to CPLR § 5531 ............................. 423

Memorandum and Order, Appellate Division, Fourth Department,
dated and entered January 3, 2014 ........................ 426

Opinion and Order of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department,
dated and entered January 3, 2014 ........................ 448

Order of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, dated and
entered January 3, 2014 .................................. 450

Order of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, Denying
Leave to Appeal, entered March 21, 2014................... 452

Decision of the Court of Appeals granting Leave to Appeal,
Entered June 12, 2014 .................................... 455

Stipulation Waiving Certification ............................. 457

vi
INDEX TO WITNESSES

Appellant’s Case

MARILEW BARNES

Direct Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ................. 182
Cross-Examination by Marcy Dembs, Esq. ........................ 223
Redirect Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ............... 235

JOEL DART

Direct Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ................. 244
Cross-Examination by Marcy Dembs, Esq. ........................ 251
Redirect Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ............... 252

BEN OLSHFSKI

Direct Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ................. 262
Cross-Examination by Marcy Dembs, Esq. ........................ 274

RONALD LEWIS

Direct Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ................. 281
Cross-Examination by Marcy Dembs, Esq. ........................ 286

Respondent’s Case

JULIA SIMMONS

Direct Examination by Marcy Dembs, Esq. ....................... 290
Cross-Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. .................. 315

Rebuttal

JAMES A. SIMMONS

Direct Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ................. 371
Cross-Examination by Marcy Dembs Esq. ......................... 395

JAMES R. SIMMONS

Direct Examination by Richard Wittenburg, Esq. ................. 398
vii
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Respondent’S Exhibits

Identified Rec'd Printed

A. Last Will and Testament of
Robyn Renee Simmons (Lewis) 310 367 41
viii
Statement Pursuant to CPLR 5531 (p. !)'~
'
CA-12-01605
STATE OF NEW YORK
SUPREME COURT
APPELLATE DIVISION- FOURTH DEPARTMENT
In the Matter of the ESTATE OF ROBYN R.LEWIS, Deceased
JAMES ROBERT SIMMONS,
Executor/Petitioner/Respondent,
v.
MEREDITH M. STEWART, RONALD L. LEWIS,
RONALD L. LEWIS, II and JONATHAN K. LEWIS,
Objectants/Appellants.
File No. 2010-095/A
STATEMENT PURSUANT TO CPLR §5531
1. The File Number in the Court below was 2010-095/A.
2. The full names of the original parties are set forth in the
above caption. The names of the parties have not changed.
3. The action was commenced in Surrogate's Court, County of
Jefferson.
4. The q;ction was commenced on April 20, 2010 by appellants
filing a Petition for Probate and Letters of Administration.
Letters of Administration were issued on May 18, 2010. On
December 13, 2010, respondents filed a Petition for Probate
and Letters Testamentary on December 13, 2010 and a Petition
to Revoke Letters of Administration, Compel Judicial
Accounting, Quiet Title and Turn Over Assets also on December
I