• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.

Attorneys & Counselors

Call Now: (281) 759-3213

  • FB
  • TW
  • IN
  • RSS
LP Payment button
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • About The American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Mission Statement
    • Multimedia
    • Published Books
    • The Academy Fellow Designation
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
      • Are You A Caregiver
      • Coping With Alzheimer’s
      • Guardianship & Conservatorship
      • Hospice Care
      • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Veteran’s Benefits
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Seminars
  • Testimonials
    • Client Testimonials
    • Representative Clients
    • Review Us
  • Resources
    • Areas We Serve
      • Baytown
      • Conroe
      • Galveston
      • Houston
      • Pasadena
      • Woodlands
      • West University Place
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Galveston Elder Law
      • Houston Elder Law
      • Sugar Land Elder Law
      • West University Place Elder Law
      • Woodlands Elder Law
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top Estate Planning Techniques
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Asset Protection Planning
      • Avoidance Tax Planning
      • Avoiding Probate
      • Business Succession Planning
      • Charitable Gifting
      • Elder Law
      • Estate Planning
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • IRA and Retirement Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Living Trusts
      • Medicaid
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Nursing Home Planning
      • Pet Planning
      • Power of Attorney
      • Probate
      • Trust Administration
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Trusts
      • Veterans Benefits
      • Wills
    • LGBTQ Resources
    • Probate Resources
      • Houston Probate
      • Sugarland Probate
      • Woodlands Probate
      • West University Place Probate
    • Probate & Trust Administration Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Special Needs Resources
    • Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • BLOG
Home » BLOG » An Unusual Example of the Need for Estate Planning

An Unusual Example of the Need for Estate Planning

June 27, 2011 by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

Karel Fortyn was 52 when he died of a stroke in early May. He was a life-long lover of reptiles, and he’d built a business around them: Fortyn was the owner of the Seaway Serpentarium in Ontario, Canada. The Serpentarium, operated out of Fortyn’s home, boasted a collection of more than 200 snakes and other reptiles – many of them rare species.

Aside from his collection of reptiles, Fortyn left behind a former common-law wife and a brother, but, unfortunately, no Will. Now, his brother and his former wife are not exactly in agreement as to what should happen to the reptiles – not your ordinary custody battle!

Fortyn’s brother, Jan, is Fortyn’s next of kin and has taken responsibility for finding local facilities to take the reptiles in. “I would like that the whole collection be kept together somewhere else in my brother’s memory,” said Jan Fortyn. “It shouldn’t be split if possible.… What you can see here is his kids.”

Fortyn’s former common-law wife, Dana Kubias, wants the reptiles to go to the Indian River Reptile Zoo in Peterborough, Ontario.  The owner of the Indian River Zoo was a friend of the couple, and Dana had already started making arrangements to transfer the animals.

Hopefully, Jan and Dana will be able to resolve their disagreement quickly and amicably.

There are a few steps Fortyn  could have taken to make the aftermath of his death a little easier to deal with for his beloved reptiles, his family, and even the employees at the Serpentarium. A  Will or Living Trust would have been an excellent first step in providing guidance for who should be in charge of settling his estate and what should happen to his reptiles and his other property. If he wanted the Serpentarium to continue in operation, a business succession plan would have provided just what it sounds like – a plan for who should be in charge and how the business should continue to be operated. If he didn’t want his business to continue (and had he lived in Texas or one of the many other U.S. states that recognizes them), a pet trust could have been established to name a caretaker for Fortyn’s reptiles, to put in place guidelines for how these exotic pets were to be cared for, and to provide some means of support for the animals.

Not all of us have a house stocked with 200-plus reptiles, but each of us will leave behind an estate that needs to be settled.  Without a plan, our loved ones, like Fortyn’s can be left to deal not only with their grief, but also with conflict, uncertainty, stress and strain.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • Thought of the Day - February 1, 2023
  • Thought of the Day - January 25, 2023
  • Thought of the Day - January 18, 2023

Filed Under: Pet Planning, Wills and Trusts Tagged With: Estate Planning, pet planning, wills and trusts

Other Articles You May Find Useful

  • Pet Owners – February Is Responsible Pet Owner Month
  • Is Your Pet an Estate Asset?
  • Free Report: Including the Family Pet in Your Estate Plan
  • What Will Happen to Your Cat When You Die?
  • Leaving Money to Your Dog
  • About Estate Planning for Pet Owners

About Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

Primary Sidebar

The Mendel Law Firm

Follow Us

  • FB
  • TW
  • IN
  • RSS

Blog Subscription

Subscribe to our blog to get all of the latest updates from our attorneys.

Plan For Your Future and Protect Your Legacy

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

HOUSTON

The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.
1155 Dairy Ashford, Suite 104
Houston 77079
United States (US)
Phone: (281) 759-3213
Fax: 281-759-3214

Map

map

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Footer

The Mendel Law Firm

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an
attorney-client relationship.

© 2023 Mendel Law Firm, All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys