Gray•Duffy, LLP successfully defends and resolves creditor’s claims against client’s estate.

September 2016

Overview

Barry D. Brown was retained by Jason Caulley as the executor of the Estate of Barbara G. Caulley. The scope of the retention was initially to defend against two creditor’s claims filed by Mark Edward Shea, totaling in excess of $250,000. We aggressively responded to those creditor’s claims ultimately reaching a settlement in which Mr. Shea agreed to reduce his creditor’s claims to $50,000 – a savings of in excess of $200,000 to the estate. Discussion

The Estate of Barbara G. Caulley – Shea Creditor Claims

During our defense of the Shea Creditor’s Claims, Mr. Caulley also requested that we become involved in a potential dispute with a potential buyer of the main assets of the estate, Ms. Caulley’s former residence in Napa, California. The potential buyer, Mr. Mike Liever, was a licensed real estate broker and an attorney. Mr. Liever was the Chairman of the Real Estate Department for the San Francisco law firm of Orrick, Herrington, Sutcliff, LLP. After significant negotiations with Mr. Liever relating to the purchase of the residence, Mr. Liever chose to terminate the contract with the estate due to the inability of the estate to provide clear title to the property – due to Mark Shea’s creditor’s claims. As part of the settlement with Mr. Shea, he agreed to sign a Quit Claim Deed to the property, thus clearing title

Please Note: This article is necessarily general in nature and is not a substitute for legal advice with respect to any particular case. Readers should consult with an attorney before taking any action affecting their interests.