Metro

Court: NYer in gay marriage entitled to inherit late partner’s estate

A New York man who’s the surviving partner in a same-sex marriage is legally entitled to inherit his late husband’s estate, an appeals court ruled today.

In a unanimous decision, a four judge panel of the state Appellate Division upheld a 2009 ruling by Surrogate’s Court Judge Kristin Booth Glen recognizing Craig Leiby as the primary heir of Ken Ranftle’s multimillion-dollar estate. The couple, who’d been partners for 20 years, had gotten married in Canada five months before Ranftle died.

Glen’s ruling was challenged by one of Ranftle’s brothers, Richard Ranftle, who argued that recognition of the same-sex marriage “violated public policy in New York.”

The appeals court disagreed, noting that New York “recognizes as valid a marriage considered valid in the place where celebrated,” with very few exceptions — and “same-sex marriage does not fall within” those exceptions.

Ranftle, a former IBM exec, was the oldest of five brothers, four of whom were gay, his death notice said.

In his will, he left bequests to his three surviving brothers, including Richard, and to a goddaughter, with everything else going to Leiby.

Richard was looking to challenge the will, but would have legal standing to do so only if Ranftle was unmarried at the time of his death.

Lawyers for the estate and Richard Ranftle did not return calls for comment.

Ranftle, 65, and Leiby tied the knot in Montreal on June 7, 2008. Ranftle died in his husband’s arms five months later after suffering a heart attack.