Estate of Bartelson

2013 ND 129, 833 N.W.2d 522, 2013 WL 3757038, 2013 N.D. LEXIS 132
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 18, 2013
Docket20130022
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 2013 ND 129 (Estate of Bartelson) 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
Estate of Bartelson, 2013 ND 129, 833 N.W.2d 522, 2013 WL 3757038, 2013 N.D. LEXIS 132 (N.D. 2013).

Opinion

CROTHERS, Justice.

[¶ 1] Neil Bartelson (“Bartelson”) appeals from a district court order denying his petition to remove Guardian and Protective Services (“GAPS”) as the personal representative of the Estate of Ralph Bar-telson, an order denying his motion to vacate the order denying his petition and an order awarding attorney’s fees. We reverse and remand.

I

[¶2] The facts of this ease are explained in In re Estate of Bartelson, 2011 ND 219, 806 N.W.2d 199, and will not be repeated except as necessary to explain the resolution of issues in this appeal.

[¶ 3] Ralph Bartelson had four children — Jean Valer, Jane Haught, Bartelson and Diane Fischer. In 2008, in the context of a petition for appointment of a guardian and conservator for Ralph Bartelson, the district court approved a settlement agreement appointing Valer as guardian and GAPS as conservator. Ralph Bartelson died August 23, 2008, and GAPS was appointed the personal representative of the estate.

[¶ 4] Bartelson and Fischer alleged Valer and Haught misappropriated Ralph Bartelson’s funds. GAPS did not pursue a misappropriation claim against Valer and Haught. The district court ordered it did not have jurisdiction over claims of misappropriation occurring before the court’s 2008 appointment of a guardian and conservator for Ralph Bartelson. Bartelson and Fischer appealed. We reversed the district court’s decision, holding the court erred in determining it did not have jurisdiction over the misappropriation claims. Bartelson, 2011 ND 219, ¶ 1, 806 N.W.2d 199. We remanded for further proceedings and for the court to determine whether Bartelson and Fischer had standing to assert their misappropriation claims when they did not allege that GAPS breached its fiduciary duty by not filing a misappropriation claim against Valer and Haught. Id. at ¶ 15. Fischer died while the appeal was pending.

[¶ 5] On remand, Bartelson filed a petition on February 21, 2012, to be appointed as the successor personal representative. After a hearing, the district court ruled neither Bartelson nor Fischer’s estate had standing to assert their misappropriation claims. Bartelson and Fischer’s estate moved for reconsideration and requested the court rule on Bartelson’s petition to be appointed as a successor personal representative. On May 30, 2012, the court denied the motion to reconsider and Bar-telson’s petition to be named the successor personal representative.

[¶ 6] On August 1, 2012, Bartelson petitioned to remove GAPS as personal representative of Ralph Bartelson’s estate, arguing GAPS breached its fiduciary duty by failing to pursue collection of assets belonging to the estate and failing to bring an action against Valer and Haught for misappropriation. On August 9, 2012, Val-er and Haught filed an objection to the *524 petition and requested attorney’s fees and costs. On August 20, 2012, Bartelson filed a reply to Valer and Haught’s objection.

[¶ 7] On August 21, 2012, the district court denied Bartelson’s petition, ruling Bartelson was lawfully excluded from the estate, does not have an interest in the assets of the estate and does not have standing to seek removal of the personal representative. The court also stated that it previously determined GAPS is qualified to act as the personal representative and has competently performed its responsibilities. The court found Bartelson’s petition was frivolous because Bartelson has full knowledge that he does not have an interest in the estate or the conduct of the personal representative. The court granted Valer and Haught’s motion for costs and attorney’s fees.

[¶ 8] On August 22, 2012, Bartelson filed and served a notice of hearing, advising that a hearing on his petition to remove GAPS as personal representative was scheduled for September 10, 2012. The hearing was later canceled. On September 7, 2012, GAPS filed a response to Bartelson’s petition.

[¶ 9] On September 11, 2012, Bartelson moved under N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b) to vacate the order denying his petition to remove GAPS as the personal representative. Bartelson argued the court failed to follow statutory procedure before entering its order denying his petition; the court failed to hold a hearing required by statute; and the court failed to consider his reply brief, Valer and Haught’s response to his reply brief, or GAPS’ response brief. Bartelson also argued he is an interested person and he has standing to seek removal of the personal representative, the court has not previously determined whether GAPS has breached its fiduciary duties or other responsibilities, and the court abused its discretion when it determined his petition was frivolous and awarded Haught and Valer attorney’s fees and costs.

[¶ 10] In October 2012, a new judge was assigned to the case because the original judge was on medical leave. On November 20, 2012, after a hearing on the motion to vacate, the court entered an order denying Bartelson’s motion. The newly assigned judge certified under N.D.R.Civ.P. 63 he was familiar with the record and the proceedings could continue without prejudice to the parties. The court ruled the estate and the issues were fully addressed by the court in prior orders, the court determined Bartelson was lawfully excluded from the estate and does not have an interest in the estate and N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b) is not applicable because no reason or cause was set forth in the motion that fits within the rule or any subsection. The court subsequently entered an order awarding Valer and Haught $774 in attorney’s fees and costs.

II

[¶ 11] Bartelson appealed from the order denying his petition to remove GAPS as the personal representative, the order denying his motion to vacate and the order awarding Valer and Haught attorney’s fees.

[¶ 12] In a civil case, a notice of appeal must be filed within 60 days from service of notice of entry of the order being appealed. N.D.R.App.P. 4(a). A motion to vacate an order under N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b) does not affect the order’s finality or suspend its operation. N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(c)(2). However, if a party timely files a motion for relief under N.D.R.Civ.P. 60 no later than 28 days after notice of entry of judgment, the full time to file an appeal runs from service of notice of the entry of the order disposing of the Rule 60 motion. N.D.R.App.P. 4(a)(3)(A); see also In re Hehn, 2008 ND 36, ¶ 16, 745 N.W.2d 631 (a *525 motion for a new trial tolls the time for filing an appeal from the underlying order under N.D.R.App.P. 4(a)(3)(A)).

[¶ 13] The order denying Bartelson’s petition was filed on August 21, 2012, and Bartelson’s motion to vacate was filed on September 11, 2012. Bartelson’s motion to vacate tolled the time for filing an appeal from the order denying his petition. Bar-telson’s notice of appeal was filed within 60 days of the entry of the order denying his motion to vacate and the order for attorney’s fees. Bartelson’s appeal from all three orders was timely.

Ill

[¶ 14] Bartelson argues the district court abused its discretion by disregarding statutory procedure in denying his petition to remove GAPS as the personal representative. He contends N.D.C.C.

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Related

State v. Craig
2019 ND 123 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2019)
In Re Estate of Bartelson
2019 ND 107 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2019)
Estate of Bartelson
2015 ND 147 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2015)
Stoican v. Wagner
2015 MT 54 (Montana Supreme Court, 2015)

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Bluebook (online)
2013 ND 129, 833 N.W.2d 522, 2013 WL 3757038, 2013 N.D. LEXIS 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-bartelson-nd-2013.