Opinion
2015-09-2
Michael N. McCARTHY, etc., appellant, v. Frank KAMINSKI, et al., respondents, et al., defendant.
Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. (Patrick McCormick and Lauren D. Kanter of counsel), for appellant.
In an action, inter alia, to set aside three deeds, which was transferred from the Supreme Court, Suffolk County, the plaintiff appeals from a decree of the Surrogate's Court, Suffolk County (Czygier, S.), entered August 7, 2013, which, upon a decision dated December 18, 2012, made after a nonjury trial, dismissed the complaint insofar as asserted against the defendants Frank Kaminski and Ernest Saasto.
ORDERED that the decree is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.
To establish the existence of a valid inter vivos gift, the donee must prove three elements by clear and convincing evidence: the donor's intent to make a present transfer; actual or constructive delivery to the donee; and the donee's acceptance ( see Gruen v. Gruen, 68 N.Y.2d 48, 53, 505 N.Y.S.2d 849, 496 N.E.2d 869; Bader v. Digney, 55 A.D.3d 1290, 1291, 864 N.Y.S.2d 606).
A court sitting as a factfinder at a nonjury trial has the advantage of being present for the witnesses' testimony and, accordingly, we give great deference on appeal to that court's credibility assessments ( see Matter of Piterniak, 16 A.D.3d 513, 514, 792 N.Y.S.2d 868). Here, taking into account the Surrogate Court's credibility assessments, we agree with that court that the defendants satisfied their burden of demonstrating that the decedent validly gifted the three subject properties to the defendant Frank Kaminski by deeds drafted by the defendant Ernest Saasto ( see Bader v. Digney, 55 A.D.3d at 1291–1292, 864 N.Y.S.2d 606; Dwyer v. Adler, 251 A.D.2d 535, 535, 673 N.Y.S.2d 925). Therefore, we affirm the decree. BALKIN, J.P., AUSTIN, SGROI and LaSALLE, JJ., concur.