In re Estate of Bennie P. Farren

Bennie Farren died leaving a will under which he bequeathed his former residence and other assets to a trust. The trust contemplated that Patricia McGlaughlin could live in Bennie’s former residence for the remainder of her life. Rebecca Courson, Bennie’s ex-wife, filed a claim against the Estate based on a child support order entered by a Florida court in 1986 and modified in 1987. Andrew Farren, Courson’s biological son and the executor of Bennie’s estate, accepted Courson’s claim as a valid debt of the Estate. Thereafter, Andrew filed a petition to sell Bennie’s former residence to raise additional funds. McGlaughlin opposed Andrew’s petition and also petitioned to remove Andrew as executor. The Court of Chancery (1) granted Andrew’s motion in part, holding that the Florida orders constituted a final judgment entitled to full faith and credit under the federal Constitution but that there was insufficient evidence in the record to consider the facts and equities involved in ordering a sale of Bennie’s residence; and (2) denied McGlaughlin’s motion for summary judgment, holding that the evidence was insufficient to support judgment as a matter of law as to Courson’s claim that Andrew breached his fiduciary duties by accepting his mother’s claim. View "In re Estate of Bennie P. Farren" on Justia Law