Bjerke v. Bjerke

148 N.W.2d 575, 1967 N.D. LEXIS 151
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 13, 1967
DocketNo. 8369
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 148 N.W.2d 575 (Bjerke v. Bjerke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bjerke v. Bjerke, 148 N.W.2d 575, 1967 N.D. LEXIS 151 (N.D. 1967).

Opinion

ERICKSTAD, Judge.

We construe the notice of appeal from the judgment of the District Court of Traill County dated February 7, 1966, affirming the order of the County Court of Traill County which denied a petition by the administrator of the estate of Edward E. Bjerke, deceased, to sell certain real estate, as an appeal by Arthur Bjerke, individually and as the administrator of the estate of Edward E. Bjerke, deceased, and by Mabel Berg, Oscar Bjerke, Anton Bjerke, Edgar Bjerke, Cora Schnebly, formerly Cora Bjerke, and Theodore Bjerke. Hereafter the appellants shall be referred to as the administrator. The administrator demands trial de novo.

Although the record is not before us, it appears by way of background information given us by the administrator that the decedent, Edward E. Bjerke, died on June 6, 1960; that sometime thereafter a document purporting to be the last will and testament of said deceased was admitted to probate; [577]*577and that Arthur Bjerke was appointed as administrator with the will annexed.

The pertinent parts of the will are the following paragraphs:

SECOND — I give, devise and bequeath to Edgar E. Bjerke, my son, the sum of One Hundred (100.00) Dollars in cash, and also two Government Savings Bonds of the maturity value of $25.00 each.
THIRD — I have already conveyed a half section of land to my son Bernard E. Bjerke, and no further provision is made for him under this will.
FOURTH — All the rest and residue of my property, real or personal, wherever it may be, I give, devise and bequeath to my six children in equal shares, as follows: to Oscar E. Bjerke, one-sixth, to Anton E. Bjerke, one-sixth, to Arthur M. Bjerke, one-sixth, to Theodore S. Bjerke, one-sixth, to Cora Schnebly, one-sixth, and to Mabel Berg, one-sixth.

Although the record before us is very incomplete, by way of further background information it appears that on the date that the decedent executed the will, he executed a deed conveying a half-section of farmland to his son Bernard Bjerke, but that he failed to deliver the deed to his son prior to his death, or so it was contended by the administrator.

On August 27, 1963, the administrator petitioned the County Court of Traill County for authority to sell the half-section of land. This petition was contested by Bernard Bjerke, and upon hearing had on the petition the county court by order dated September 17, 1963, dismissed the petition.

By notice of appeal dated October 2, 1963, the administrator appealed to the district court from the county court order dismissing the petition for sale of real estate. The appeal from this order was heard by the District Court of Traill County on January 21, 1966. On February 1, 1966, the district court issued its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order for judgment affirming the order denying the petition for the sale of real estate. Judgment was entered on February 7, 1966, affirming the county court’s order dismissing the petition for the sale of real estate. It is from this latter judgment that the administrator appeals to this court.

The statute which governs the sale of real estate in a decedent’s estate reads as follows:

30-19-09. Order of sale — Reasons— When to be made. — If it appears to the satisfaction of the court, after a hearing upon a petition and examination of the proofs and allegations of the parties interested, that a sale of the whole or some portion of the real estate is:
1. Necessary for any of the causes mentioned in this chapter;
2. For the advantage, benefit, and best interests of the estate and those interested therein; or
3. Assented to by all the persons interested,
an order must be made to sell the whole, or so much and such parts of the real estate described in the petition as the court shall judge necessary, or for the advantage, benefit, and best interests of the estate and those interested therein.
North Dakota Century Code.

Section 30-01-02, N.D.C.C., defines “persons interested” as follows:

“Person interested,” when used with reference to an estate or fund, includes every person, except a creditor, entitled, either absolutely or conditionally, to share in the same or the proceeds thereof. In a proceeding for the probate of a will, an heir at law of the deceased shall be deemed a person interested.

The administrator contends that the county court should have granted his petition for the sale of real estate because all persons interested in the estate had assented. His [578]*578position is that Bernard Bjerke acquired nothing through the decedent’s will and thus was not a devisee, and that therefore his assent was not necessary. All of the other devisees and legatees had assented to the sale.

On the other hand, Mr. Bernard Bjerke contends that he was a devisee under the decedent’s will, and, as he had not assented to the sale, the petition was properly denied because the administrator based his petition on the assent of all persons interested.

As interesting as these contentions are, we are unable to determine in this appeal which contention is correct. In the notice of appeal from the order of the county court, the administrator stated that he appealed on questions of both law and facts and demanded a new trial in district court.

The pertinent part of § 30-26-23, providing for trial anew, reads as follows:

If an appeal from a decree or an order of a county court is taken generally, all the issues must be tried and determined anew in the district court and the court must hear the allegations and proofs of the parties and determine all questions of law and fact arising thereon according to the mode of trying similar issues originating in that court, * * *.

When the appeal was taken by the administrator from the county court order dismissing the petition for the sale of real estate, the administrator offered no evidence, and none was received by the court. It was apparently the view of the administrator that the records of the county court were before the district court, and thus that it was unnecessary for the administrator to offer the county court records in evidence and have them received.

When counsel for the administrator was asked if he wanted to put anything in the record, he answered:

I would like to make a statement. This Court has never decided any of the orders of the Probate Court. Our contention is that this Court should review all of the orders that have been issued by the Probate Court.

In a later part of the hearing counsel for Mr. Bernard Bjerke made the following statement:

This is Mr. Sorlie’s [counsel for the administrator] appeal and if he has anything he should put it in. We would have some rebuttal if he wants to put something in. As a matter of record, maybe we should have Mr. Sorlie show that he has no proof to offer at this time.

The court then asked counsel for the administrator the following question:

Do you rest so far as putting anything in- — -any evidence in ?

Counsel for the administrator then stated:

The records are in.

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Related

Kaldor v. Bjerke
300 N.W.2d 202 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1980)
Marmon v. Hodny
287 N.W.2d 470 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1980)
Conway v. Parker
250 N.W.2d 266 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1977)
In Re Estate of Bjerke
181 N.W.2d 126 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 N.W.2d 575, 1967 N.D. LEXIS 151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bjerke-v-bjerke-nd-1967.