Billy and Bud Buy a Tractor
By Doug Chalgian on April 22, 2023
Billie gave Bud money to buy a tractor. Undisputed. (I’m not making up the names.) Bud dies ten years later and Billie comes to Bud’s estate to...
Surviving Spouse Escapes Trust Box – COA Puts Him Back
By Doug Chalgian on March 28, 2023
The challenge when planning for second marriages where each of them has children from prior relationships is that the client has to decide how it will go...
Devisee can Claim Tax Sale Excess
By Doug Chalgian on March 14, 2023
In Re Petition of Emmet County Treasurer for Foreclosure is a published decision. [Click on the name to read the case.] Dona owned a house that went...
Day Late Wedding Leaves Maybe-Widow Short
By Doug Chalgian on March 11, 2023
Sandra and Leroy obtained a marriage license, hired a pastor and went through with a marriage ceremony in a church. Two of Leroy’s six children were in...
Collectability of Oral Family Loans
By Doug Chalgian on January 29, 2023
A new unpublished decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals looks at a dispute over several intra-family oral loans. In the course of an unusually lengthy opinion,...
A Winter’s Tale
By Doug Chalgian on December 23, 2022
Throw another log on the fire and get comfortable. It’s going to take a minute to explain this case. Act I Evelyn’s Will includes several hundreds of...
COA Distinguishes Beneficiary Classes under MTC
By Doug Chalgian on November 19, 2022
In this recently released unpublished decision, the Michigan Court of Appeals identifies four types of persons who are entitled to information about trust administration under the Michigan...
Published Case Lets Bank Trustee Off the Hook
By Doug Chalgian on October 21, 2022
The Michigan Trust Code allows a Trustee to protect itself by providing reports (aka accountings) that adequately notify the beneficiaries of any potential breaches. When such a...
Michipremes Release Von Greiff
By Doug Chalgian on June 11, 2022
The Michigan Supreme Court has released its long-awaited decision in In Re Estate of Hermann A. Von Greiff (click on the name to read the majority opinion)....
Ademption Doesn’t Apply to Cash Gifts
By Doug Chalgian on April 24, 2022
You wonder sometimes what people are thinking when they argue cases that seem like obvious losers, and even more so when these cases go up on appeal....
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