Lokan v. Lokan
Lokan v. Lokan
Opinion of the Court
As plaintiffs point out, however, the estate has been poorly administered. The Court is now asked to approve a "final accounting" containing expenses already paid, in numbers that are both round and large, for such vague and general items as “funeral supplies" and "professional services." An item apparently intended as an attorney’s fee, which would be entirely appropriate if -it were so designated, is instead referred to as an "honorarium." At the hearing the Court learned that one of the co-administrators, the son of George and Lavinia Lokan, had induced the other co-administrator to sign some blank checks for funeral expenses and had filled out and cashed one such check in the amount of $10,000; this money was used for improvements on Lavinia’s house at a time when it was not at all sure that she would prevail in this litigation. The co-administrators also took about $70,000 out of certificates of deposit and left it in a non-interest-bearing bank account for about a year. This cost the estate about $4000.
Since the only person ultimately injured by this maladministration was Lavinia Lokan and since most of it seems to have been done with her complicity, the Court will approve the final accounting with one modification: the administrators have not shown themselves to be entitled to fees. The accounting states that $1000 has already been paid to each of the two administrators and that each is still owed $893.59. The accounting also states that $865 is owed to co-administrator Stout for travel expenses. Stout is therefore' ordered to reimburse the estate in the amount of $135 within 15 days. Feleti Lokan is ordered to reimburse the estate in the amount of $1000 within 15 Jays.
It is so ordered.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.