Points of No Return

A generous bequest touches off an ownership dispute. How does the law interpret a donor’s intentions?

Catalina had been a trustee of a respected New York museum for many years, and as it turned out, she was allergic to oysters.
Very, very allergic.
Her funeral service was short and sweet, and we soon found ourselves back at Catalina’s Fifth Avenue town house for the reception, watching her grieving sisters calculate their inheritance. Given the size of her estate, this took quite some time.
Bruce, the museum’s director, was in the midst of telling us what a loyal trustee Catalina had been when her 8-year-old nephew interrupted, asking if he could speak with him “about something superimportant.” Continue reading “Points of No Return”