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ATTORNEY-AT LAW ., EMPIRE STATE BUILOING 360 FIFTH AVENue SUITE 4810 NEW YORK. NEWVORK 10118 (212) 244 FAX (212) 2... July 27, 1998 BYTELEFAX (212-349-6515}AND BY REGULAR MAIL Edward P. O/Hanlon, Esq. Kiefer and Halm 111 Broadway New York, NY 10006 Re: Estate of Julia Taschereau Dear Ed: ..- -~.

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Page 1: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

ATTORNEY-AT LAW.,

EMPIRE STATE BUILOING

360 FIFTH AVENue

SUITE 4810

NEW YORK. NEWVORK 10118(212) 244

FAX (212) 2...

July 27, 1998

BY TELEFAX (212-349-6515}AND BY REGULAR MAIL

Edward P. O/Hanlon, Esq.Kiefer and Halm

111 BroadwayNew York, NY 10006

Re: Estate of Julia Taschereau

Dear Ed:..- -~.

Page 2: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

--------..--

Edward P. O'Hamon, Esq.July 27, 1998Page Three of Four

--------

Page 3: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

Edward P. O'Hanlon, Esq.July 27, 1998Page Four of Four

" "

C. Disposal of The Decedent's AshesThe decedent's ashes are presently stored at the Madison Avenue

Presbyterian Church. I believe that ,~etsyis in accord with Jill's wishes that theashes should be buried in the Kense4bCemetary, in Valhalla, New York, whereother members of Jill and Betsy's f+y are buried. Jill would like the funeralservice to take place while she is in tjew York,from August 18thto August 25thofthis year~Would you please deterrnjpe if these dates are acceptableto Betsy.

. ;'",

J look forward to your resp0l1$e to this letter, which deals with each of the7

issues raised in Paragraphs A), B)an.dC), supra. As usual, I am available todiscuss with you any i,ternin an attempt to resolve or minimize possibledifficulties. "

Very truly yours,

Kenneth T. Wasserman

cc: Jill Danger

Page 4: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

_. 4_ __.......P.01

ATTORNEY AT LAW

EMPIRE STATE 8UILDING

350 FIFTH AVENUE

SUITE 4810

NEW YORK. NeW YORK 10118(212) 244-3399

"FA}((212) 244-()980

July 27, 1998

BYTELEFAX (212-349-6515)AND BY REGULAR MAILEdward P. O'Hanlon, Esq.Kiefer and Hahn

111BroadwayNew York, NY 10006

Re: Estateof fulia Taschereau

Dear Ed:

'£P.isletter is sent to you in accordancewith our agreement that yousigned on July 1, 1998,and that I signed on July 16,1998,and OUforal andwritten amendments and supplements thereto. We have orally agreed that thisletter could be written on or beforeJuly 29,1998,because my client has beentraveling over the last several days and because we did not complete our reviewof the apartment until July 23,1998. Youhave indicated to me that your clienthas not yet transferred anything from the apartment.

As you know, Jill Danger ("Jill")and I have reviewed the contents of theapartment. On July 27, 1998,in the presenceof your client, BetsyCombier("Betsy"),another person and I removed those items that Betsyhad earlierconsented could be removed by Ms.Danger, with the assistance of both you andme.

A) Items Not to be DisposedThere follows a list of those items in the apartment that, pursuant to our

agreement, Ms. Danger requests should not be disposed of by Ms.Combier.Beforethe items leave the apartment, we should come to an agreement as towhere they are to be stored. Jilland I would like the ability to look at the items,after they are appropriately stored.

Page 5: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

_. __ ___4...4...... P.02

Edward P.O'Hanlon, Esq.July 27,1998PageTwo of Four

1) All items that Ms. Danger has requested to be removed from theapartment, which Ms. Combier hasrefused;The angel collection and other objectson the etagernear the window;All photographs and photo albums,except thosethat are exclusively of

'-,. Ms. Combier, her husbandand children, and are not of the decedent;'-,., ,--.~ '. 4) All letters to the Villager; ,

_~..J,5) Oil Painting.of}iII and Betsy, approximatel~ 30" by 24"; 'f'/'. \ 'SJ- ~ ?'" 6) Envelope with Letters from Charles Arnstem; ) ,

7) Stool,with Blue Leather Top. (Contrary to your oral assertion that the ,'_'

~tool was purchased by Betsy, it was, in fact, purchased by Jill in Mexico, f~.-\' ~,~~ff ",' In or about1970); ~., L . r

J .~. ~ ' 8) Two framed pencil drawings of Jill by Betsey; r('!~' ti ~ r- J

9) AU legal documents of the decedent, including but not limited to copies of

~ decedent's and decedent's parents' wills, and related'correspondence; ?, )~ I"-E.. copies of decedent's separation and divorce papers, and related

, .). . ;.(-.; correspondence; copies of decedent's insurance papers, and related

"''''-Yf1.~~.<,~, correspondence; copies of Samuel Strauss's trust and related"< ~ correspondence and documents;

10) All income tax returns of the decedent, and related correspondence;11) Numerous 78" records; ~_

)~ 12) Numerous letters from Jill to Betsy; r ,] ~Q. ~ c>-.\ B13) Decedent's diaries, from approximately 1951 to.1991;14) Numerous letters and correspondence to and from decedent;15) All items on or near the glass table in the living room; ..716) Numerous scrap books, photo albums and correspondence of decedents

and decedent's parents;. 17) Suitcase filled with Christmas cards;

VY\':i:.:..;,;, 18) . ,Suit~a~efilled with four-leaf clovers..,\.-,I~;J \..,:""i<-__

f\J()---

?

?

Kindlyadvisemeof your client's consent to the foregoing,beforeanything is removed, You told me that Betsy plans to dear the apartment onor about July 31, 1998,in order to prepare the aparbnent for sale.

Page 6: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

WH,:,..,:,.t:.t<",HN P.0<S

Edward P.O'Hanlon, Esq.July 27,1998Page Three of Four

-

B) Items Not Found in the Apartment and Presumed Taken by Ms. CombierSeveral items in the apartment were not located, although a diligent

search was made for them. According to our agreement, Betsyagreed to takenothing from the apartment unlessJillconsented, in writing. Similarly, Jill hasagreed not to challenge Betsy's application for preliminary letters, to whichapplication Jill was wrongly not given notice, only to the extent that Betsy'does

not take items from the apartment, unless Jill has agreed. It appears that Betsy ~ (;):1.9~~has taken several items from the apartment, which Jill has not had the q ~ m.opportunity to look at or to challenge. These items are as follows: -, "

I?

(.-;~){2 -.. ~:~) Framed letter, perhaps from Arturo Toscanini to the decedent, that 7 ~'- r / .1'-:' on the living room wall to the right of the piano; ~h e~< 2) Jill's Diaries, 1969, 1970, 1971; l? '-J-OCS ., ."

? 3) Jill's Papers from Brandeis, including her theses and other schoolwork; ?

~/ c1 4) Fur (perhaps ~ink) whiter coat (Ihe coat may be ip.Ato!alj,e~lease? confirm); 4 Sr;Ic1. -f-J5r ~ ~43t)- 5) Jill's yearbooks from Nightingale Bramford,other than 1964and 1967; ?

6) Decedent's medical bills and other documents related to her healt~ ~ '._ ()and hospitalizations in the year prior to her death; \.-{.)~

JiU'sand her daughter Julie's letters to the decedent. (One such absent

letter was the topic of conversation that Betsyhad with a '?representative of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, afterdecedent's death. Betsytold this individual that she had seen the letterwhile she was reviewing her mother's effectsafter her mother's death);

8) Decedent's financial documents, including checkbooks,cancelled

) oJ~checks, bank account monthly statements, credit card bills,credit card \J Imonthly statements, correspondence and other documents concerningthe Samuel Strauss Trust. I would like to review these documents;

. 9) Decedent's LifeInsurance documents. I would appreciate a prompt 'f)~f, 'UJtlC2understandingofwhetherBetsyisawareof any lifeinsurancepolicy. I

~ would like to review these documents;

In // . 10) Jill's first tooth. (Betsyindicated to Jill that she had found the tooth,. . 0 ~}-::i after the decedent's death. Jill did find one box with three teeth and a ~ ellI

fa --V locket of hair inside, but they do not appear to be Jill's);.,Ue.. 11) The decedent's address books; ?--Z 12)The decedent's diaries after 1991; 0

IL. :

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v .

Edward P. O'Hanton, Esq.July 27, 1998Page Four of Four

While Betsyhas the right to remove a few of these items in her role aspreliminary executrix, pursuant to our agreement she does not have the right totake from the apartment most of the items listed in Paragraph B). Would youkindly advise me as to your client's understanding of the location of each of theitems listed in Paragraph B),and allow for my inspection of those items overwhich she has control. Certainly none of these items should be disposed of.

Allother items in the apartment, apart from those listed in Paragraph A)and Paragraph B)can be disposed of or sold,with the proceeds going totally inthe estate account, to which Ms.Danger, by agreement, will have accountings, aspayments are made to and by it. IfBetsy intends to keep any item of value in theestate, rather than to sell it, Jillshould be advised of this fact within a reasonabletime after Betsyforms the intent so that Jillcan have the opportunity tochallenge the intent in court, if she is so disposed.

C. Disposal of The Decedent's AshesThe decedent's ashes are presently stored at the Madison Avenue

Presbyterian Church. I believe that Betsyis in accord with Jill's wishes that theashes should be buried in the KensecoCemetary, in Valhalla,New York,whereother members of Jill and Betsy's family are buried. Jillwould like the funeralservice to take place while she is in New York,from August 18thto August 25thofthis year. Would you please determine if thesedates are acceptable to Betsy.

I look forward to your response to this letter, which deals with each of theissues raised in Paragraphs A), B)and C), supra. As usual, I am available todiscuss with you any item in an attempt to resolveor minimize possibledifficulties.

KeIU1ethT. Wasserman

cc: Jill Danger

Page 8: ATTORNEY-AT LAW - ParentAdvocates.orgparentadvocates.org/nicemedia/documents/Wassermanbio.pdf · attorney-at law., empire state builoing 360 fifth avenue suite 4810 new york. newvork

Kenneth T. Wasserman Page 1of 1

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General Corporate & Business, Commercial Law,Civil Litigation. Trusts & Estates, Wills & Probate

KENNETH T. WASSERMAN

Kenneth T. WassermanMember

Email:[email protected]

Practice Areas: General Corporate;Business; CommercialLaw;CivilUtigation;Trusts and Estates; VVills;Probate.

Admitted: 1971, New York

law School: NewYorkUniversity(J.D., 1970; LLM.,1972)

College: University of Illinois, A.B.,with high honors, 1967

HOME

FIRM OVERVIEW

ATTORNEY PROFILECONTACT

DIRECTIONS

Member: Association of the Bar of theCity of New York (Chairman,Entertainment Committee, 1997-2000;Member, Committee on Professionaland Judicial Ethics, 2000-2003;Committee on Asian Affairs, 2003-);New York State and American BarAssociations; American Foreign LawAssociation; VVinstonLord Roundtableon Asia, the Rule of Law and U.S.Foreign Policy at the Council onForeign Relations (Member, 2003-).

Biography: Author: "Case Study of anIntriguing 'Primitive' Murder Trial:Rnancial Settlement Between theMurderer and the Victim's Family,"Bulletin of the American Academy ofPsychiatry and Law, 1981. Member,Citizen's Union, Local CandidatesCommittee, 1999-.

Languages: French.

Born: Chicago, Illinois,December 21,1945

ISLN:902938739

This web site is designed forgeneral information only. The information presented at this site should not beconstrued to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

http://kenwasserman.comljsp2119279.jsp 9/1l/2005