Title: Matter of the Estate Kataryna Kostyshyn
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 207, 2012
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: November 13, 2012

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
 
IN THE MATTER OF THE 
ESTATE OF KATARYNA 
KOSTYSHYN 
 
§ 
§  No. 207, 2012 
§ 
§  Court Below-Court of Chancery 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§ 
§  ROW Folio #125514-N-MA 
 
 
Submitted: September 24, 2012 
 
Decided: 
November 13, 2012 
 
Before BERGER, JACOBS and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R  
 
 
This 13th day of November 2012, upon consideration of the 
appellants’ opening brief and the appellee’s motion to affirm pursuant to 
Supreme Court Rule 25(a), it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) Peter Kostyshyn and Patricia Kostyshyn (the “Kostyshyns”) 
appeal from the Court of Chancery’s April 4, 2012 order adopting the final 
report of the Master in Chancery dated March 23, 2012.1  The State of 
Delaware moves to affirm the Court of Chancery’s order on the ground that 
it is manifest on the face of the opening brief that this appeal is without 
                                                 
1 Ch. Ct. R. 144(a)(2). 
 
2
merit.2  We agree, affirm the Court of Chancery’s order, and grant the 
State’s motion to affirm. 
 
(2) The record before us reflects that, on November 1, 2011, the 
State of Delaware’s Division of Revenue (the “State”) filed a motion in the 
Court of Chancery for a writ of garnishment regarding the Estate of 
Kataryna Kostyshyn (the “Estate”).3  The State sought to garnish funds 
payable to the Kostyshyns by the Estate to satisfy judgments entered against 
them in the Superior Court and the Court of Common Pleas in the amount of 
$5,555.70.  
 
(3) On December 1, 2011, a hearing was held before the Master in 
Chancery.  The State appeared and sought an order garnishing the Estate 
funds.  Patricia Kostyshyn appeared on behalf of herself and purportedly on 
behalf of her brother, Peter, who is incarcerated.  Peter also participated in 
the hearing by telephone.  The Kostyshyns argued that they owned the funds 
and opposed the State’s motion for a writ of garnishment.  At the conclusion 
of the hearing, the Master ruled that the Kostyshyns had established their 
ownership of the funds, and that the State had established that the judgments 
                                                 
2 Supr. Ct. R. 25(a). 
3 Kataryna Kostyshyn was the Kostyshyns’ mother. 
 
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entered on behalf of the Superior Court and the Court of Common Pleas 
were validly entered. 
 
(4) On March 23, 2012, after receiving documentation from the State 
reflecting the finality and amount of the judgments, the Master issued her 
draft report.  Under Court of Chancery Rule 144(a)(1), the parties had one 
week in which to take exception to the draft report.  On April 4, 2012, the 
Chancellor, noting that no exceptions had been taken to the Master’s draft 
report, issued a final order approving and adopting the Master’s findings.   
 
(5) In this appeal, the Kostyshyns argue that the Register of Wills 
mishandled the Estate from the beginning.  They also argue that Peter was 
improperly denied his right to appear personally before the Court of 
Chancery to assert his claims.  
 
(6) Because the Kostyshyns took no exceptions to the Master’s 
report or the Chancellor’s order, any claim they purport to assert in this 
Court is procedurally barred.4  Because the Kostyshyns’ claim may not be 
considered in this appeal,5 the order of the Court of Chancery must be 
affirmed.   
                                                 
4 Matter of Marta, 672 A.2d 984, 986 (Del. 1996). 
5 Supr. Ct. R. 8. 
 
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(7) It is manifest on the face of the opening brief that this appeal is 
without merit because the issues presented on appeal are controlled by 
settled Delaware law and, to the extent that judicial discretion is implicated, 
there was no abuse of discretion. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the State of Delaware’s 
motion to affirm is GRANTED.  The order of the Court of Chancery is 
AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jack B. Jacobs 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        Justice