Prainito v. Smith

McFadden, Judge.

After the death of Zina Cachia, a dispute arose among her heirs regarding whether assets in a securities account and a certificate of deposit (“the accounts”) were part of her estate. Cachia’s grandson, Dean Prainito, had obtained sole possession of the assets in the accounts as a joint tenant with survivorship rights in the securities account and as the payable on death beneficiary of the certificate of deposit. On behalf of the estate, its Administrator CTA, Michael F. Smith, brought an action in superior court against Prainito, and a jury found that Prainito had exerted…