Bauer v. Bedient

700 N.W.2d 572, 270 Neb. 91, 2005 Neb. LEXIS 121
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 2005
DocketNo. S-04-429
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 700 N.W.2d 572 (Bauer v. Bedient) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bauer v. Bedient, 700 N.W.2d 572, 270 Neb. 91, 2005 Neb. LEXIS 121 (Neb. 2005).

Opinion

Stephan, J.

The issue presented in this appeal is whether an ademption occurs when specifically devised real property is sold pursuant to a durable power of attorney prior to the death of the testator. We agree with the county court for Box Butte County that on the facts presented in the record, the sale resulted in an ademption, and that the proceeds of the sale remaining at the time of the testator’s death were properly included in the residuary estate.

BACKGROUND

Lillian M. Bauer and Earl O. Bauer, husband and wife, executed wills on December 18, 1991, in which each left all of their property to the surviving spouse. Each will further provided:

If my [spouse] does not survive me, I give and devise all real estate owned by me in Sheridan County, Nebraska to my son, Marvin E. Bauer.
If my [spouse] does not survive me, I give and devise all my residuary estate, being all property, wherever situated, not otherwise effectively disposed of, to my daughters, Betty M. Bedient and Kathy E. Ward, in equal shares, share and share alike.

The real property referred to in the wills consisted of ranchland which Marvin E. Bauer had leased from his parents, Earl and Lillian, beginning in 1980.

On March 17, 1999, Earl and Lillian each executed a durable power of attorney appointing Marvin as attorney in fact and [93]*93authorizing him, inter alia, “[t]o acquire or dispose of real estate or personal property (tangible and intangible), for cash or on credit, at public or private sale . . . On August 18, Earl and Lillian sold to Marvin and his wife, by installment contract, a portion of the ranch property for a purchase price of $170,171 at 6 percent interest per annum. The contract also called for forgiveness of any unpaid portion of the remaining debt upon the deaths of Earl and Lillian. Earl signed the contract himself, and Marvin signed as attorney in fact for Lillian. Marvin made two payments under the contract totaling $29,672.56. Earl returned one-half of one payment as a gift to Marvin.

On approximately May 4, 2001, Marvin filed a petition in the county court for Box Butte County requesting appointment of a guardian and conservator for Lillian. In this petition, Marvin alleged that other assets of Earl and Lillian had been depleted and that it was necessary to sell the remaining ranchland in order to provide necessary care for both Earl and Lillian. He further alleged that an offer to purchase the ranchland was received, but that due to Lillian’s “diminished mental capacity and dementia,” it was necessary to have a guardian and conservator appointed for Lillian in order to complete the transaction. Earl and Lillian’s daughters, Betty M. Bedient and Kathryn E. Ward, opposed the appointment of a guardian and conservator for Lillian. The parties eventually reached a compromise whereby the guardianshipconservatorship proceedings were dismissed and the entire ranch property, including that portion which Marvin and his wife had been purchasing on contract, was sold to a third party, with Marvin executing the deed as attorney in fact for both Earl and Lillian. This compromise was reflected in a written stipulation and agreement executed by Marvin (individually and as attorney in fact for Earl and Lillian), Bedient, and Ward. Marvin and his wife received a net amount of $109,238.37 from the sale proceeds for their interest in the portion of the ranch which they had been purchasing on contract. At the time of the execution of the agreement and stipulation, both Earl and Lillian resided in a nursing facility and had depleted their liquid assets except for the ranch property.

Earl died on December 9, 2001, and Lillian died on June 26, 2002, survived by Marvin, Bedient, and Ward. Lillian’s will was [94]*94admitted to probate, and Marvin was appointed personal representative. He initiated this declaratory judgment action in which he alleged that approximately $194,768.82 remained from the sale of the ranch and that he was entitled to such proceeds by reason of the specific devise of the ranch property to him. He further alleged that Bedient and Ward were

estopped from denying or claiming that such sale and the proceeds from such sale are not subject to the “nonademption” as set forth in NEB. REV. STAT. §30-2346 [(Reissue 1995)] for the reason that they joined in the procedure and process by which such real estate was sold by a power of attorney rather than through a regularly appointed guardian/ conservator.

Bedient and Ward filed an answer in which they specifically alleged that Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2346 (Reissue 1995) was inapplicable. All parties filed motions for summary judgment. The county court granted summary judgment in favor of Bedient and Ward, determining that the specific devise of real estate was adeemed by the sale of the property and that Bedient and Ward were not estopped from claiming ademption.

Marvin perfected this timely appeal, which we moved to our docket on our own motion pursuant to our statutory authority to regulate the caseloads of the appellate courts. See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-1106(3) (Reissue 1995).

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Marvin assigns, restated, that the county court erred in entering summary judgment in favor of Bedient and Ward based upon the court’s determination that the specific devise of the ranch property was adeemed by its sale during Earl and Lillian’s lifetimes and its finding that Bedient and Ward were not estopped from asserting the ademption.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

In reviewing a summary judgment, an appellate court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the party against whom the judgment is granted and gives such party the benefit of all reasonable inferences deducible from the evidence. Spring Valley IV Joint Venture v. Nebraska State Bank, 269 Neb. 82, 690 N.W.2d 778 (2005); Richards v. Meeske, 268 Neb. 901, [95]*95689 N.W.2d 337 (2004). When adverse parties have each moved for summary judgment and the trial court has sustained one of the motions, the reviewing court obtains jurisdiction over both motions and may determine the controversy which is the subject of those motions or make an order specifying the facts which appear without substantial controversy and direct such further proceedings as the court deems just. Big River Constr. Co. v. L & H Properties, 268 Neb. 207, 681 N.W.2d 751 (2004).

To the extent an appeal calls for statutory interpretation or presents questions of law, an appellate court must reach an independent conclusion irrespective of the determination made by the court below. Hawkins v. City of Omaha, 261 Neb. 943, 627 N.W.2d 118 (2001); Brandon v. County of Richardson, 261 Neb. 636, 624 N.W.2d 604 (2001).

ANALYSIS

Ademption

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
700 N.W.2d 572, 270 Neb. 91, 2005 Neb. LEXIS 121, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bauer-v-bedient-neb-2005.