Estate of Hetland

No. 12776

I N THE SUPKEME COURT O T E STATE O M N A A F H F OTN

I N THE MATTER O THE ESTATE O F F 0. B. HETLAND, a l s o known a s O W L S AD B. HETLAND, Deceased.

Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , Honorable Robert H. Wilson, Judge p r e s i d i n g .

Counsel of Record:

For Appellant :

Hibbs, Sweeney and Colberg, B i l l i n g s , Montana Maurice R. Colberg, J r . , argued, B i l l i n g s , Montana

For Respondent :

Ayers and A l t e r o w i t z , Red Lodge, Montana Arthur W. Ayers, Jr., argued, Red Lodge, Montana

Submitted: November 14, 1974

Decided: - 4 ,975 --- Filed : -.. ;

M r . J u s t i c e Gene B. Daly d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court.

T h i s c a s e concerns c o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e holographic w i l l of one 0. B". Hetland, deceased. O.B. Hetland d i e d October 14, 1967. H i s w i l l , dated J u l y 9 , 1964, was d u l y admitted t o probate November 8 , 1967, and Antonia Hetland, h i s widow, was appointed a d m i n i s t r a t r i x w i t h w i l l annexed t h e same day. L e t t e r s of a d m i n i s t r a t i o n were i s s u e d November 1 5 ,

The e s t a t e of O.B. Hetland was n o t completely probated n o r d i s t r i b u t e d when t h e widow and a d m i n i s t r a t r i x , Antonia Hetland, d i e d i n t e s t a t e ~ e p t e m b e r1 7 , 1973. A t t h e time of h i s d e a t h , Hetland and Antonia had been married only s i x y e a r s and t h e r e were no c h i l d r e n of t h e marriage. Hetland

had been p r e v i o u s l y married t o Karen Hetland who d i e d October 24, 1959. There were two c h i l d r e n born of t h a t marriage, Anne Hilderman and John Hetland; respondents i n t h i s a c t i o n . Antonia Hetland was married p r e v i o u s l y and had one son, h e r only h e i r and n e x t of k i n , George Kuchan. Upon t h e d e a t h of Antonia Hetland, George ~ u c h a n ' sw i f e , Eva Ruth Kuchan, was appointed a d m i n i s t r a t r i x of t h e e s t a t e of Antonia Hetland. George Icuchan and t h e a d m i n i s t r a t r i x , Ruth Kuchan, a r e the appellants i n t h i s action. Ann Hilderman, daughter of O.B. Hetland, was appointed adminis- t r a t r i x de b o n i s non w i t h t h e w i l l annexed of t h e u n f i n i s h e d p r o b a t e of t h e O.B. Hetland e s t a t e . The e n t i r e t e x t of t h e holographic w i l l r e a d s : "July 9 , 1964 To W o i t may concern. hm This i s a p r e f a c e t o m l a s t w i l l y & testament.

The p r i n c a p e l reason f o r t h i s w i l l i s t o p r o t e c t my w i f e Antonia from harm and want when I am gone. She h a s given m genuine Happiness, t a u g h t m t o l e r a n c e and com- e e p a s s i o n , i n t h e few y e a r s we have been t o g e t h e r . I f I have wounded anyone I a s k f o r g i v e n e s s and a s k f o r p i e c e w i t h 14y God.

Now this my last Will & Testament. I want my wife Antonia to have all of my personal property such as Truck, tools, Television household goods glasses an tobacco pouch. I want her to have free use of and administer my estate for Life or as long as she cares to and when she gets ready to Liquify my estate I want it done in this Manner. Upon my death I want My Estate to pay funeral.& other expenses that is necessary. If the estate has to Borrow Money for my funeral expenses I want her to have the authority to do it and the estate to carry the debt until the estate is Liquified if Necessary. When my estate is Liquified I want 1 y Wife Antonia to have one 4 third of it. My Daughter Annie or her heirs to have one third and My Son Johnne or his heirs to have the remaining third. May God Have Nercy on us All. /s/ Oswald (O.B.) Hetland." The property in dispute consists of real property located in Billings, Montana, valued on October 14, 1967 at $30,000. The parties agree the present value is higher. Appellants, George Kuchan, Antonia ~etland'sonly heir, and Eva Ruth Kuchan, the administratrix of Antonia Hetland's estate, contend that the remainder of the estate of O.B. Hetland, should be distributed one-third to the estate of Antonia Hetland, one- third to Anne Hilderman and one-third to John Hetland. Respondent, Anne Hilderman, on behalf of herself and her brother John Hetland, contends the remainder of the estate of O.B. Hetland should be distributed one-half to Anne Hilderman and one- half to John Hetland. The district court in its findings of fact and conclusions of law, held: "That by the terms of said will decedent did devise to Antonia Hetland a life estate in all of decedent's real estate and that the property in which Antonia Hetland was vested with a life estate was not liquidated during the lifetime of Antonia Hetland and that the provisions of said will as to liquidation and division are therefore in- operative and of no effect. I I The court therefore terminated Antonia Hetland's life estate, and awarded the remainder to O.B. ~etland's two children, Anne Hilderman and John Hetland.

The c a r d i n a l r u l e i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f w i l l s , : i s t h a t a w i l l i s t o b e construed according t o t h e i n t e n t of t h e t e s t a t o r . S e c t i o n 91-201, R.C.M. 1947. That i s o f t e n n o t e a s i l y done. When terms of d o u b t f u l meaning a r e used i n a holographic w i l l , a s t h e words "administer" and " l i q u i f y " were used i n t h i s w i l l , t h e c o u r t s a r e c a l l e d on t o a c t a s a medium w i t h t h e s p i r i t world t o determine what meaning t h e deceased had i n mind when drawing the w i l l . Not an e a s y t a s k by any means, nor an i n f a l l i b l e one. The holographic w i l l h e r e i s prefaced w i t h "The p r i n c a p e l reason f o r t h i s w i l l i s t o p r o t e c t m w i f e Antonia from harm and y want when I am gone." With t h a t i n mind, and r e a d i n g t h e t e x t of t h e w i l l a s a whole, t h e r e i s l i t t l e doubt t h a t when Hetland wrote II I want h e r t o have f r e e u s e of and a d m i n i s t e r m e s t a t e f o r l i f e y o r a s long a s she c a r e s t o " t h a t he d e s i r e d t o l e a v e Antonia Hetland a l i f e estate. However, we do n o t f i n d t h a t t h e remaining p o r t i o n o f ~ e t l a n d ' s w i l l d i s p o s e s of t h e remainder a f t e r t h e l i f e e s t a t e terminated. It d i d provide t h a t i f Antonia d e s i r e d t o t e r m i n a t e t h e l i f e e s t a t e , o r i f i t became n e c e s s a r y t o t e r m i n a t e t h e l i f e e s t a t e , t h a t Antonia would t a k e o n e - t h i r d , daughter Anne o r h e r h e i r s would t a k e o n e - t h i r d , and son John o r h i s h e i r s would t a k e t h e remaining o n e - t h i r d . But, t h a t p r o v i s i o n was a p p l i c a b l e t o only a v o l u n t a r y t e r m i n a t i o n by Antonia, h i s w i f e . That would e x p l a i n why Hetland f a i l e d t o p l a c e "or h e r h e i r s " a f t e r h i s w i f e ' s name i n paragraph t h r e e of t h e w i l l , b u t d i d s o a f t e r h i s d a u g h t e r ' s and s o n ' s names. Because only s h e , Antonia, could t e r m i n a t e t h e l i f e e s t a t e under t h i s p r o v i s i o n , she would have t o be a l i v e t o accomplish i t and hence would have no heirs. T h i s Court f i n d s t h i s e x p l a n a t i o n more l o g i c a l than r e s p o n d e n t ' s e x p l a n a t i o n t h a t i n f a i l i n g t o p l a c e "or h e r h e i r s " a f t e r h i s w i f e ' s name, Hetland showed an i n t e n t t h a t no p a r t of h i s e s t a t e should go t o Antonia's h e i r s . Had he so i n t e n d e d , he s u r e l y would have been more e x p l i c i t than he was.

Since Hetland c r e a t e d a l i f e e s t a t e i n h i s s u r v i v i n g w i f e and f a i l e d t o d i s p o s e of t h e remainder a f t e r h e r d e a t h , i f she e l e c t e d n o t t o t e r m i n a t e t h e l i f e e s t a t e d u r i n g h e r l i f e t i m e , t h e remainder must be d i s t r i b u t e d under s e c t i o n 91-403, R.C.M. 1947, ~ o n t a n a ' s i n t e s t a t e succession s t a t u t e . It i s a l s o w e l l s e t t l e d t h a t under our s t a t u t e t h e s e p r o p e r t y i n t e r e s t s v e s t e d immediately upon t h e life d e a t h of t h e t e s t a t o r , Hetland, s u b j e c t t o t h e l e s t a t e i n h i s widow, and i n t h i s c a s e , t h e e l e c t i o n s she could have made under h i s w i l l . E s t a t e of Hosova, 143 Mont. 74, 77, 387 P.2d 305; M i l l e r v. Murphy, 119 Mont. 393, 175 P.2d 182; I n r e ~ o s s e n ' sE s t a t e , 118 Mont. 40, 162 P.2d 216. Therefore, Antonia Hetland, upon t h e d e a t h of h e r husband, r e c e i v e d a o n e - t h i r d v e s t e d i n t e r e s t i n t h e remainder of h e r hus- band's e s t a t e under s e c t i o n 91-403(1), R.C.M. 1947, which passed t o h e r e s t a t e upon h e r d e a t h . That p o r t i o n of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ' s judgment awarding Anne Hilderman and John Hetland each one-half o f t h e e s t a t e of Oswald B . Hetland i s r e v e r s e d . This c a s e i s remanded t o t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t f o r a judgment i n conformance w i t h t h i s opinion: awarding Antonia ~ e t l a n d ' se s t a t e o n e - t h i r d ; Anne Hilderman o n e - t h i r d ; and John Hetland o n e - t h i r d i n t e r e s t i n t h e e s t a t e o f Oswald B. Hetland, deceased.

W Concur: e f.

Chief J u s t i c e

Justices. u