New York County, Surrogate's Court: March 4, 2022

ESTATE OF LEIGH CANDELL, Deceased (21-3486; 21-3486/A) — Petitioner Vera Winthrop, an alleged maternal first cousin of decedent, filed an application seeking her appointment as Administrator of decedent’s estate. Ms. Winthrop asserts that decedent was survived by herself and one other maternal first cousin as decedent’s sole distributees and that the existence of paternal family members is unknown. A cross-petition was filed by the Public Administrator of New York County seeking her appointment. These proceedings were returnable before the court on December 14, 2021.1 Pursuant to SCPA 1001(1)(f)(ii), the court must issue Letters of Administration to the Public Administrator “[i]f the distributees [of decedent] are issue of grandparents, other than aunts and uncles, on only one side [of the family].” Here, where the record demonstrates only two maternal first cousins as alleged distributees, and the existence of any distributee on decedent’s paternal side is unknown, Letters of Administration shall issue to the Public Administrator. Accordingly, the petition of the Public Administrator is granted. Settle decree. Clerk to notify. Dated: March 4, 2022