Burford v. Hartman

212 Cal. App. 2d 284, 27 Cal. Rptr. 909, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 2845
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 23, 1963
DocketCiv. No. 169
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 212 Cal. App. 2d 284 (Burford v. Hartman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burford v. Hartman, 212 Cal. App. 2d 284, 27 Cal. Rptr. 909, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 2845 (Cal. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

CONLEY, P. J.

This is an appeal from judgments approving the account of an executor, for preliminary distribution and related orders in a testate probate proceeding. The judgments appealed from, among other things, directed a preliminary distribution of equal one-third shares of specified property to each of two of decedent’s three daughters and denied distribution of the remaining one-third share to the trustee of a testamentary trust of which the third daughter, Miriam Miller Hartman, is life beneficiary. The principal question to be determined is whether it was reversible error for the trial court to deny preliminary distribution to the testamentary trustee at the same time that it ordered such distribution to the other major legatees named in decedent’s will.

[287]*287Katherine G. Miller died on November 29, 1960. Her will, dated November 14, 1958, and a codicil of March 1, 1959, were admitted to probate in the Superior Court of Tulare County on December 19, 1960. Pursuant to the provisions of the will, Burke E. Burford, an attorney at law and a member of the firm of Burford, Hubler & Burford, was appointed executor; he is also the trustee named in the will.

Mrs. Miller left one-third of her property outright to her daughter Marcia Miller Nelson, another third to her daughter Sally Miller Field and'the remaining third to Burke E. Bur-ford as trustee for her daughter, appellant herein, Miriam Miller Hartman, and upon her death to other specified beneficiaries. The will directs the trustee to make discretionary support payments of income, and if necessary of principal, to Miriam. Upon the death of Miriam Miller Hartman and the payment of her funeral expenses and expenses of her last illness the income from the trust property was to be paid to her husband, Irvin Peers Hartman, during his lifetime, and upon his death the remaining trust assets were to be distributed in equal shares to the then living grandchildren of decedent and their lawful issue by right of representation. Irvin Peers Hartman has died in the meantime.

The fifth paragraph of the will contains an in terrorem clause:

“I have intentionally omitted making provision for all of my heirs who are not specifically mentioned herein, and I hereby generally and specifically disinherit each, any and all persons whomsoever claiming to be or who may lawfully be determined to be my heirs at law except such as are mentioned in this Will, and if any such persons, or such heirs, or any devisees, or legatees, or beneficiaries under this Will and the trust herein created, or intended to so be, shall contest in any court any of the provisions of this instrument, or shall not defend or assist in good faith in the defense of any and all such contests, then each and all of such persons shall not be entitled to any devises, legacies or benefits under this Will or any codicil hereto or under the trust created hereby, and any and all devises, legacies and portions of the income and corpus of the trust estate either or both otherwise provided to be paid to such person, shall be paid, distributed and pass as though such person had died without issue of his or her body before my death or before becoming entitled to receive income or any portion of the corpus of said trust estate.”

On August 8, 1961, Miriam Miller Hartman filed a com[288]*288plaint in the Superior Court of San Mateo County in which Burke E. Burford, as executor of this estate, Marcia Miller Nelson and Sally Miller Field, and their children are named as defendants; it alleges that Katherine G. Miller and her predeceased husband entered into a contract by which each agreed to leave his or her estate to the surviving spouse and then over in equal shares to their three daughters, and that the “purported will” in this estate proceeding does not conform to the agreement in that it leaves the share of Miriam Miller Hartman in trust rather than outright to her. The pleading further avers:

“Defendants, and each of them, intend and threaten to cause the distribution of the estate of decedent, to the extent of one-third (1/3) thereof to defendant Burford as such purported trustee in accordance with the purported will of decedent in violation of said agreement by and between decedent and decedent’s spouse, as aforesaid; plaintiff has no plain, speedy or adequate remedy at law available to prevent said threatened distribution of said one-third (1/3) of decedent’s estate to defendant Burford as such purported trustee, as aforesaid; and if the equitable relief herein sought is not granted, plaintiff will be defrauded and will suffer great and irreparable injury and damage in being deprived of the benefit of said agreement by and between decedent and decedent’s spouse, as aforesaid, specially made for her benefit, and of the will of her father, decedent’s spouse, made and maintained in accordance with said agreement aforesaid.”

On January 15, 1962, there was filed the “First Account and Report of Executor and Petition for Settlement Thereof, For Allowance on Account of Statutory Compensation, for Instructions, and for Preliminary Distributions.” The report discloses that on September 8, 1961, the executor made an informal and previously unauthorized distribution of decedent’s household goods to Marcia and Sally and to Burke E. Burford as trustee and that on November 27, 1961, he distributed $5,000 in cash to each of the same persons. It is alleged that the distribution of the household goods was made to eliminate storage charges and of the cash to reduce income taxes; the executor asked ratification of his actions in that respect. He also sought the court’s order for a further preliminary distribution of estate property of the value of $372,444.96 in three equal shares to Marcia, Sally and himself as trustee. The petition requested that he be instructed to defend the San Mateo suit.

[289]*289On January 19, 1962, appellant filed written objections to the executor’s account and petition for preliminary distribution in substance as follows:

“. . . the court is without jurisdiction of the subject matter of such petition . .
“. . . the court is without jurisdiction of the subject matter of such petition insofar as said petition seeks a decree of preliminary distribution, upon the ground that said estate is not in a condition to permit preliminary, or any, distribution of any asset thereof, as set forth in said petition, or otherwise.” “Said objections are further made and based upon the facts alleged and set forth in the complaint ... [in Hartman v. Burford]."
“. . . the . . . court is without jurisdiction to hear or determine any of the issues or subject matter of said action of Hartman v. Burford. ...”
“. . . there is no showing or provision for security to ensure the carrying out of the judgment to be made and entered in said proceeding of Hartman v. Burford, imposing a trust upon the assets of said estate upon distribution thereof to the distributees named in said will of said decedent, and said assets are apt to be concealed, consumed and disposed of by said distributees in violation of the trust to be imposed upon said assets by the judgment in said action entitled Hartman v. Burford.”

The objector prayed that distribution, preliminary or otherwise, be withheld until the judgment in Hartman v. Burford shall have become final.

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Related

Parker v. Contractors State License Board
187 Cal. App. 3d 205 (California Court of Appeal, 1986)
Estate of Miller
212 Cal. App. 2d 284 (California Court of Appeal, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
212 Cal. App. 2d 284, 27 Cal. Rptr. 909, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 2845, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burford-v-hartman-calctapp-1963.