### Fraser v Bascombe 2024 NY Slip Op 31992(U) June 4, 2024 Supreme Court, Kings County Docket Number: Index No. 523155/2022 Judge: Peter P. Sweeney Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip

Op 30001 (U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New

York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

## FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/07/2024 INDEX NO. 523155/2022 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 38 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/10/2024

1 of 5 SUPREME COURT OFTHE S 

### ATEOFNEWY0RK COUNTY OF KINGS; PART7•
------. --- .--------------------------- ----------------------- --- ·-X TERRENCE FRASER, Plaintiff.-againstNICOLE BASCOMBE, TYRE WILSON & HEATHER WILSON, Defendants:



### ------------- ··--------------·-------- -- ·-- ·----------------·-----X Index No.: 523155/2022

.. . . . . . Motion Date: 5~20~24 

### Mot Seq, 

### No.: 1


### DECISION/ORDER

Thefollowing papers, \V ich are e-filed with 

### NYC::.EF as items 

### I4-3 7, vvere read on this motion:. In this action to qi.iiet titl~ to teal property located at62 Foui1tairt Avenuc..Brooklyn, New '

. York; Heather Wilson seeks a pfeliminary injunction. Pending thetesolution: ofthe action, she ' seeks to enjoin the plaintiffTertjcnce Fraserfrom: i I i 

# I (a) perfoni1ing or continuing to pctform any v.'ork to 

### a:lter, construct, dcntolish; destroy,.encl*11bet, modify, renovate; or repair of any kind on or at the premises, i11c~uding any such work to the bu~lding, fixtures, and~or appm1enance~ atthe Property; absent the written consent ofDefendant Heather Wilsbn.

. . . ····I .· ! (b) demolishing, !destroying, discarding, orremoving any

### ofthe Defendant H~ather Wilson's documents, personal property, or .other items sfored at th!;! Property, including property belonging to Dcfet1dantlHeathcr Wilsonis mother, Norma \\'ilson, and i (c) impeding, rdtricting, or restraining Defendant Heather Wilson's acc4ss to, or use and occupancy of, anyportion ofthe Ptoperty. 

### ! Background: 

### i



# . I Heather 

### Wils011. a 

### deientiant in this action. 

### claims that her mother, Norma Wilson and 

### the 

# .. . I
. . . . . . . . . . . . plaintiff 1 Terrence 

### Fraser, her 

### 1~other's cousin, 

### purchased the real property at issue 

## in thi,s action f

. . I . . . 

### ii1 1985. Heather claims that "vlile the Deed dated 

### May 29, 

### 1985, lists only tht! plaintiffas a ! 1

' "'' ,, .. L...... . 

### [* 1]

## FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/07/2024 INDEX NO. 523155/2022 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 38 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/10/2024

2 of 5 grantee, hermother contributed o the purchase :price 

### ofthe prope1ty as a coequal owner. Heather claims that around the t me ofpurchase, that in order to documet1thcr mothe(s ownership stake in the property, plaintiffhad his lawyer send a letter to her mother onAugust 22, 1985. The letter states 

## as follows: I I Dear 

### Ms. Wilson!: 

# I This is to confir~ that as.ofthe date.listed above, August 22, 1985, you shar~ 

### ari intetestiii 

### the o,,-11er_ship and equity associated with the premises kllQ}Vn as 

### 62 Fountam Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, with my client Terrence Fraser. You have allthe normal interests associated wit~ t]~e O\.i.'ner.ship 

### of

### this p1·01Jerty frorn this poii1t forward and said 111terest1s non-revocable. Theletter is \Vrit1.en pursuant to the express authorization of Terrence Fraser. Very truly yours, 

### i /s 

# ! CHARLES M. POWELL, JR. 

### ! AGREED 

### TO AJ}JD ACCEPTED: 

### Is ' I 

### --w-· -~ ·~----~-~~-w~J~· · 

## ~-·--~-M~--~·
-- 1 NORMA WILSQN 

### i 

### Is

. .\ 

### -------------~ -----,----------.------ TERRENCE FM.SER ' A copy or the letter is aiincxed ~s an exhibit to the motion i I i I . . . Heather claims that she ind her mother contributed to 

### the household expenses at 

### all relevanttimes~ Heather has beeklivingthere for four decades. NomiaWilsonpassed 

### away 011 '

. . . . . . I 

### April 

### ZO; 202.0. Heather c,laiin 

### tμat a 

### portion oJher mother;s in,terest in 

### th~ property 

### passed to ' I . . 

### her upon her death. 

### Nt:Yrma's o~er 

### heirs signed .s deed 

### ort Jmi.e 

### 1, 2022, 

### granting to 

### Heather all 

### their interest in 

### th~ pi"ope1ty.. 

# I 

# I I
.2


### [* 2]

## FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/07/2024 INDEX NO. 523155/2022 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 38 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/10/2024

3 of 5 In response to the actio1~, Heather interposed an ans'i..ver asserting counterclaims, including 

# a count~rc],aim

# aUcgiI g that.her mother obtained an ownership interest inthe property pursuant 

### to the pnnc1ples ofco strnct1ve trust Accordingto Heather, tJc plaintiff

## is i10w attempting to perform construction on the first floor, in the area where she live , without hcrpennissio11. This prompted this motion. 

### Discussion: The decision to grant 

### a reliminazy injunction is a matter committed to the sound discretion oftheco11rt ·(Nelson. l..P. v. Ja,mace. 248 A.D.2d 

### 448, 448-449, 668 N.YS.2d 936:

. I
. . . see Doe\'. Axelrod. 73 N.Y.2d ?48, 750 1 536 N.Y.S.2d 44, 532 N.E.2d 1272; Automated fVastc

. I . Disposal. 

### Inc. "·.A1id--Hudson

# 'f~1st~,. 

## b1c_...

# ~o A._D.3d 

### 1072) l 

### 073, 

# 857 N.Y.~.2d 648). In or~~r to demonstrate entitlement toa pre1 hmmary mJunctton, the movant mustestabhsh ( 1) a probab1hty 

### ofsuccess on the merits, (2) the!danget ofirreparable han11 

### in the absei1Ce 

### ofinjunctive relief,·

. . . ! . 

### and (3) 

### a balance of the equitiesi in favor ofthe 

### movant (see lvfalter ofAdvcmcccl Digital Sec, Solutions, Inc; v: Samsung Tech~Fin Co.. Ltd., 

### 53 A.D.Jd 612, 6J3, 862 N.Y.S.2d 551; 

### /vlonh/1/k-., i Sfr.1r1s. Realty Gi·oup v. Deep Sfa Yacht & RacquetC!ub, 111 A.D.2d 

### 909,910,491 N.Y.S.2d 

### 32). A court evaluating a motio4 for 

### a preliminary injllllctionmust be mindful that 

### 'Tt]he purpose ofa preliminary injunction istolmaintain the status quo, not to detem1inethe ultimate rights of

. i the parties'' 

### (AfCltter qfWheaMn.fTMWFow·th 

### Ave., 

### LP v. Ne1v 

### York City 

### Dept: qfBldgs.. 65

. . ! A.D.3d 1051, 1052,886N.Y.S.fd41;seeCoi,mwL'h CmjJ. 1•. AlleyPondOinwrs Corp., 25

. . . . i . . . A.D3·d 

### 642,643,808 N.Y.S.2di418).

. . . . j i ! With respectto the issue! ofwhether the defendant established a 

### probability of success on I the merits ofher claim ofconstftuctivetrust, 

### ''[a] constructive trust is the formula through which 

### !
. . the consciertceofeq1.1ity finds e3⁄4prcssion'' (Toobian ,.. Golzad, 193 AD.3d 

### 778,. 781, 147 I 

### N.Y.S.3d 61 [intenJal quotationimarks on1ittedJ; see Reingold v. 

### !Jowins, 

### 1.8.0 A.DJ.cl 

## at 724, 119

. I N.Y.S.3d487). "When propertylhas been acquired. in..such circum!ltances that the 

### h9lder of

### the_

. . . I . 

### legal tit.le 

### may not in 

### good cons¢ience retain 

### the. beneficial interest,. 

### equity converts him 

### [or 

## herJ I into 

### a trustee'; (Toohian v. 

### GoizJ1d, 193 AD.Jd 

## at 781, 

### l47N.Y.S.3d 

### 61 [internal quotation



### . i
. . hi.ai"ks .omitted]). "[S]ince 

### it is 

## a~ equitable remedy;·a 

### constructive trust

# is 11ecessarily tlexible to 

# I • 

# I ' ·-· .. -·······f·"···· 

### [* 3]

## FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/07/2024 INDEX NO. 523155/2022 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 38 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/10/2024

4 of 5 accomplish itspurpose" (To'ohifn v. 

### Gohad, 193 A.D.3d at· 781, 147 N.Y.S.3d 61 [internal quotation marks omitted]; 

### see1{aprov v. S'tafinsky. 145 A.D.3d 869, 

### 871---'872, 44 N.Y.S.Jd 123). 

# I In general, to impose a !constructive trμst, 

### four factors must be established: 

### (1) a


### .. I
. .. confidential o(fiduciary relati~hship, (2) a promise, (3) a transfer 

## in reliance thereon, and (4)

. r . . unjust enrichment (seeShorp

# t· Kosmolski, 40 N.Y.2d at 121,386 N.Y.S.2d 72,351 N.E.2d 721). ~owever, asth.ese elements sirve only as aguide'.ine, a const.ructive tru~t may stiU be imposed even 1f all ofthe e!emtents are not e$tabl1shed (see Simonds v. S1mondsi 

### 45 N.Y.2d at 241,408 N.Y.S.2d 359,380 N.E. d 189; Marini v. Lombardo, 79 A.D.3d 932,933,912 N.Y.S.2d 693). Here, the 

### Com1 finds th 

### t the defendant satisfiedher burden 

## ofdemonstrating 

### by clear and co11v'incing evidencethat h,r inother acquired title to the property pui'suant 

### to principle of constructive, Clearly, asfarnili~l relatives, Norma Wilson and.the·plaintiff shared a confidential I . relationship (see 

### Broderson v, 

### 1arsons, 106 A.D.3d 677,679,964 N.Y.S.2d 259; 

### Reiner v. 

### Reine,·, 100 A.D.2d 872; 874. 4~4 N. Y.S.2d 538} Sufficient evidence \Vas adducedthat the i 

### ,vhi le the subject prnperty was ~itled in plaintiffs name, Norma 

### \Vil son expended her own money 

### in order to purchase the ~ubj ect property in reliance upon an understanding that she would have a non-:-tevocable oJnershipinterestin the premises. \Vhile the letter from plaintiffs i . attorneyto Norma Wilsoi1 does !not demonstrate the existence 

### ofa promise that the plaintiff

. r . . ,vould transfer a portion ofthe 4wnership ofthe·property tp.her upon request, it is consistent with i such a promise and in the Coi1rtj's. view. serves .as a sufficient predicate for the imposition ofa

. I . . constructive

### trust. Finally, the ewidence: demonstrated thatthe defendant would be unjustly enriched by retaining, sole legal title 

### (see id.: 

### cj.' 

### Brodersonv. Parsom. 106 A.D.3d at 679, 964 N. Y,S.2d 259). 

### i ' i ! The defendant

## also met her burden 

### cif dcrnonstrating 

### that the danger ofirreparable harm !

. in 

### the absencG 

### ofinjunctiverel

### itr, 

### and a balart~'

# Wtli'o~ in 

### her favoL For the ahqve reasons, 

### def ertdan:t; s 

### .motio 11 

### for

# I a 11reliminary

# L.i ut-·y

### is granted. 

### Per'!.ding 

### further order ofthe I
. .,...;.,._.w......... -~ ..- .....· .· 

### Court, the 

### plaintiffis enjoinGd 

## from: 

# I 4


### [* 4]

## FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/07/2024 INDEX NO. 523155/2022 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 38 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/10/2024

5 of 5 (a) perfom1ing r continuing to perform any work to alter, construct, de olish, destroy , encumber, modify. reno ate , or repair of any kind on or at the premises , including any such work to the uilding, fixtures. and/or appurtenances at the Property, ab ent the written consent of Defendant Heather Wilson, (b) demolishing destroying. di carding, or removing any of the Defendant H ather Wilson's documents , personal property , or other items sored at the Property, including property b longing to Defendan Heather Wilson's mother. orma Wilson, and (c) impeding, re tricting or restraining Defendant Heather Wi !son's ace ss to or use and occupancy of, any portion ofthe Property. Defendant is directed to post an undertaking in the amount of$ 1 000 .00 within 30 days ofthis order. Accordingly , it is hereb ,-..: =, 

### ORDRED that the moti n is dec ided as set forth above. 

## -- L. r: This constitutes the deci ion and order ofthe Court. 

# ' --.l Dated: June 4, 2024

5 _,_ C) ..r::- 0 

### PETER P. SWEENEY, J.S.C.

ate: Thi s signature was generated electronically pursuant to Administrative Order 86/20 dated April 20, 2020 I . ,-, _, _



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