You are here: / / THE PARTY WHO BROUGHT THE WRONGFUL DEATH ACTION WAS NOT A PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE...
, ,

THE PARTY WHO BROUGHT THE WRONGFUL DEATH ACTION WAS NOT A PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF DECEDENT’S ESTATE AND THEREFORE DID NOT HAVE STANDING; BECAUSE THE PARTY HAD NO RIGHT TO SUE, “SUBSTITUTION” OF THE EXECUTORS FOR THAT PARTY WAS NOT AVAILABLE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined (1) plaintiffs’ cross-motion to substitute the executors of decedent’s estate for plaintiffs should not have been granted, and (2) defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of standing should have been granted. The plaintiff who purportedly brought the wrongful death action (a “proposed” executor) was not a “personal representative” under the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL). Therefore, “substitution” of the executors for the plaintiff was not possible:

… [A]s a “[p]roposed” executor who had not obtained letters to administer decedent’s estate, plaintiff was not a personal representative within the meaning of the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law at the time the action was commenced and thus did not have standing to commence an action on behalf of decedent’s estate … . Thus, we agree with defendants that Supreme Court erred in granting plaintiff’s cross-motion to substitute as plaintiffs the executors of decedent’s estate inasmuch as “[s]ubstitution . . . is not an available mechanism for replacing a party . . . who had no right to sue with one who has such a right” … .

We … agree with defendants that the court erred in denying that part of their motion seeking to dismiss the complaint on the ground that the action was brought by a party without standing … . Cappola v Tennyson Ct., 2024 NY Slip Op 04672, Fourth Dept 9-27-24

Practice Point: Only a “personal representative” of a decedent’s estate has standing to sue on behalf of the decedent  Here the suit was brought by a party who had not obtained letters to administer the estate and therefore did not have standing. “Substitution” of the executors for a party without standing is not possible.

 

You might also like
DESPITE THE PROVISION IN THE SEPARATION AGREEMENT REQUIRING THAT ANY MODIFICATION OF SUPPORT APPLY NEW JERSEY LAW, BECAUSE ALL PARTIES RESIDED IN NEW YORK WHEN THE MODIFICATION APPLICATION WAS MADE, NEW YORK LAW CONTROLS (FOURTH DEPT).
PLAINTIFF ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE LABOR LAW 240 (1) CAUSE OF ACTION, PLAINTIFF DEMONSTRATED THE FAILURE OF A TOE BOARD WAS AT LEAST A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF PLAINTIFF’S FALL FROM A ROOF, CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE IS NOT A BAR TO RECOVERY AS A MATTER OF LAW (FOURTH DEPT).
DECEDENT, WHO DIED TESTATE IN 2004, WAS AWARDED COMPENSATION BY CONGRESS IN 2015 BECAUSE HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN HELD IN IRAN AS A HOSTAGE FROM 1979 TO 1981; BECAUSE THE COMPENSATION WAS AWARDED AFTER HER DEATH, IT DOES NOT PASS BY WILL, BUT RATHER BY THE LAWS OF INTESTACY (FOURTH DEPT).
THE RECORD DID NOT SUPPORT THE AWARD OF PRIMARY PHYSICAL CUSTODY TO MOTHER, FAMILY COURT REVERSED, ALTHOUGH THE CHILD WISHED TO STAY WITH MOTHER, THAT FACTOR WAS AFFORDED LITTLE WEIGHT DUE TO THE CHILD’S YOUNG AGE.
WHETHER A SUCCESSFUL MOTION TO DISMISS COULD HAVE BEEN MADE ON DOUBLE JEOPARDY GROUNDS PURSUANT TO CPL 40.20 COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED ON DIRECT APPEAL, THEREFORE DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUNDS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED WITHOUT A HEARING (FOURTH DEPT).
BECAUSE OF UNAMBIGUOUS STATUTORY LANGUAGE, DEFENDANT’S MICHIGAN CONVICTION WAS DEEMED A “SEXUALLY VIOLENT OFFENSE” EVEN THOUGH THE SAME CONDUCT IN NEW YORK WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS A “SEXUALLY VIOLENT OFFENSE;” STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT).
THE COVID-19 TOLLS SUSPENDED THE RUNNING OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN THIS PERSONAL INJURY CASE RENDERING THE ACTION TIMELY COMMENCED (FOURTH DEPT).
DISCLAIMER IN SUBCONTRACT IS AMBIGUOUS, MOTION TO DISMISS FRAUD COUNTERCLAIM BASED UPON THE DISCLAIMER SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED.

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2025 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

THE PORTION OF THE CORRECTION LAW WHICH REQUIRED DEFENDANT BE DESIGNATED A “SEXUALLY... SUPREME COURT’S VACATION OF THE ARBITRATION AWARD AS “IRRATIONAL”...