36 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • JUNE 10, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business
TWA Hotel at JFK Airport opens new roller skating
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e TWA Hotel at JFK Airport now
sports a roller skating rink alongside its
1958 Lockheed Constellation “Connie”
airplane-turned-cocktail lounge, and each
weekend the tarmac transforms into a
Roll-A-Rama for guests and visitors.
Since it opened its doors to the public
in May 2019, the TWA Hotel has off ered
travelers restaurants, a rooft op infi nity
pool and observation deck overlooking
the JFK fl ight paths, a 10,000-square-foot
fi tness center and more amenities.
Th e 44-by-56-foot outdoor rink blasts
retro tunes, and even disco, as part of the
TWA Hotel’s throwback theme. Th e hotel
is the end result of a $265 million restoration
project that transformed the landmark
Trans World Airlines Flight Center, which
opened in 1962 and closed nearly 20 years
ago, into a one-of-a-kind, 512-room hotel
that pays homage to the Jet Age.
Roller disco had its heyday in the 1980s
with rinks located across New York City.
“New York has played a major part in
the history of roller skating,” said Nellie
Anderson Lillie of the National Museum
of Roller Skating in Lincoln, Nebraska.
“Th e TWA Hotel’s new attraction represents
another milestone: It’s the only roller
rink at an airport.”
Th e Roll-A-Rama at the Runway Rink
will welcome skaters on Fridays from 4 to
8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from
noon to 8 p.m., weather permitting.
Admission to the rink can be purchased
by credit card at the skate shack
and is fi rst-come, fi rst-served; advance
tickets are not available. One 50-minute
skate session is $20 per adult and $16 per
child under 12. Skate rentals are included.
Individuals can bring their own socks or
buy an offi cial TWA pair at the rink.
Other throwback features at the TWA
Hotel include a Twister Room, where
guests can play a wall-to-wall version of
Photos by Nestor Lara Baeza
the 1960s game; a Photo Room fi lled with
snapshots from guests and visitors; and a
booth to capture new memories.
Th e TWA Hotel also features 50,000
square feet of meeting and event space
that can host up to 1,600 people.
For more information, visit the hotel’s
website at twahotel.com.
Elder Law Minute TM
Trust in your trust!
RONALD FATOULLAH, ESQ. AND
STACEY MESHNICK, ESQ.
There are many diff erent types of trusts that we
draft for our clients each and every day. Each trust is
created to provide a resolution to a specifi c need that
a client may have. Special Needs Trusts, sometimes
referred to as Supplemental Needs Trusts, are essential
documents for many of our clients.
A Special Needs Trust is created for an individual
with special needs in order to supplement, not supplant,
any benefi ts the individual may receive from
government programs, such as Medicaid and SSI. A
properly drafted special needs trust will allow the
benefi ciary (the individual with special needs) to continue
to receive government entitlements while still
receiving funds from the trust. The trust is designed to
manage assets for the person with special needs without
compromising access to those important government
benefi ts.
The Special Needs Trust can be a ‘fi rst party’ trust,
which means that the trust is funded with the assets
of the individual with special needs. Or, the trust can
be a ‘third party’ trust, and that is a trust funded with
the assets from someone else, not the individual with
special needs. In both cases, the assets of the trust are
designed to be ‘unavailable’ to the benefi ciary with
disabilities, thereby maintaining eligibility for government
benefi ts.
A trust is a relationship among three parties, a
Grantor, Settlor or Creator, who creates the trust and
who supplies the funds for the trust; a trustee, who
agrees to hold, manage and administer the trust funds
according to the rules created in the trust agreement;
and a benefi ciary or benefi ciaries who receive the benefi
t of the trust funds. This edition of the Elder Law
Review is meant as a guideline for trustees of Special
Needs Trusts. Please bear in mind that the general
overarching concept is that purchases made by the
trustee for the benefi t of the individual with special
needs (the benefi ciary) are meant to be for the ‘sole
benefi t’ of the individual.
We commonly receive questions about the payment
of rent for the benefi t of the individual with
special needs. Rent may be paid from the trust, but
it is important to note that doing so could reduce the
benefi ciary’s SSI amount. The benefi ciary’s recreation,
such as dining or vacations, summer camp, etc., can
be paid from the trust. It is also often allowable for
the trust to pay for a companion if the benefi ciary is
unable to travel alone.
The trustee can also purchase a house for the benefi
t of the benefi ciary. The trust should be the owner for
such large purchases in most circumstances. The trustee
has the responsibility to keep the home in optimal
condition to maintain its value. The trustee can
also maintain and pay for insurance on the home and
other trust assets, such a car. With regard to a car, the
trust can pay for care and maintenance of the vehicle
as well as for gas, tolls, etc. for use by the benefi ciary.
If there are automobile expenses that don’t involve the
benefi ciary, they should be paid separately.
Many individuals are charitably inclined and give to
charities or contribute to their church, synagogue or
other religious institutions. However, such donations
are not permitted to be made from the trust.
A credit or debit card may be used by the trustee for
the benefi t of the individual with special needs, but
the trustee must be sure to keep detailed records of
the expenses charged as well as all receipts.
Some types of Special Needs Trusts require specific
permissions. Those trusts established within the purview
of a guardianship action will require court approval
before the trustee can purchase signifi cant assets.
It is essential that the trustee maintain impeccable
records for all expenses paid and income received,
including records pertaining to stocks, bonds and
mutual funds. It would be wise for a trustee unfamiliar
with investing to hire a fi nancial advisor familiar
with Special Needs Trusts. The advisor should be a
‘fi duciary’ and act under the ‘best interests’ standard
and not under the ‘suitability standard’ of investing.
Mr. Fatoullah has lectured extensively on the importance
of using the right fi duciary advisor.
ACQUISITION OF
SIGNIFICANT ASSETS
The trustee must immediately deposit any cash that
is generated from the sale of trust property. The trust
may be required to pay taxes each year on any income
received or property owned, so the trustee should
consult with an accountant, whose fees may be paid
from trust funds.
ELDER LAW
RONALD FATOULLAH
ESQ, CELA*
The trustee should retain all important documents
including but not limited to: court documents, the
trust agreement, bond, checks, bills, annual accountings,
account statements, the deed to property, the
title to a car, insurance policies and receipts.
It is advisable for the trustee to retain the services of
an attorney, payable from the trust, to guide the trustee
throughout the term of the trust.
Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the founder of Ronald
Fatoullah & Associates, a law fi rm that concentrates in
elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships,
estate administration, trusts, wills, and real
estate. Stacey Meshnick, Esq. is a senior staff attorney
at the fi rm who has chaired the fi rm’s Medicaid
department for over 15 years. The law fi rm can be
reached at 718-261-1700, 516-466-4422, or toll free at
1-877-ELDER-LAW or 1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah is
also a partner with Brightside Advisors, a wealth management
fi rm with offi ces in New York and Los Angeles.
This summary is not legal advice and does not create
any attorney-client relationship. This summary
does not provide a defi nitive legal opinion for any factual
situation. Before the fi rm can provide legal advice
or opinion to any person or entity, the specifi c facts at
issue must be reviewed by the fi rm. Before an attorney
client relationship is formed, the fi rm must have
a signed engagement letter with a client setting forth
the Firm’s scope and terms of representation.
The TWA Hotel off ers roller skating on the tarmac at JFK Airport to guests and visitors.
/twahotel.com
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