Estate of Charters

293 P.2d 778, 46 Cal. 2d 227
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 17, 1956
DocketL. A. No. 23375
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 293 P.2d 778 (Estate of Charters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California 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 Charters, 293 P.2d 778, 46 Cal. 2d 227 (Cal. 1956).

Opinion

46 Cal.2d 227 (1956)

Estate of SPENCER H. CHARTERS, Deceased. SECURITY-FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LOS ANGELES, as Trustee, etc., Petitioner and Appellant,
v.
IRENE MARIE CHARTERS YEAKEL et al., Respondents; LAURA HOERNER, Legatee and Appellant.

L. A. No. 23375.

Supreme Court of California. In Bank.

Feb. 17, 1956.

Henshey & Beeman and Howard B. Henshey for Petitioner and Appellant.

Lawler, Felix & Hall, William T. Coffin, Brady, Nossaman & Walker and Walter L. Nossaman as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioner and Appellant.

Hill, Farrer & Burrill and William C. Farrer for Legatee and Appellant.

Norman Elliott and Charles P. Lester, in pro. per., Robertson, Harney & Behr, David Robertson, Ruth Michaelson, Robertson, Harney, Drummond & Dorsey and Vernon W. Hunt, Jr., for Respondents.

TRAYNOR, J.

Irene Marie Charters Yeakel is the only child of Irene Meyers Charters and Spencer H. Charters. She was born on June 15, 1931. Her mother died January 2, 1942, leaving her by will the sum of $4,730.05. Her father was appointed guardian of her estate. On January 25, 1943, *230 Spencer H. Charters died leaving a will dated February 12, 1942, the material provisions of which are quoted below. [fn. 1]

On February 5, 1943, the Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles was appointed Successor Guardian of the Estate of Irene. On February 1, 1943, the will was admitted *231 to probate. On May 25, 1944, the decree of distribution was entered declaring the Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles (hereinafter called the trustee) to be the trustee of the testamentary trust created by the will. [fn. 2]

In 1946 Irene moved from the family home and went to live with the guardian of her person. On July 16, 1946, the trustee sold the home and added the proceeds to the trust estate. Nine accounts current were filed by the trustee, and orders were entered settling and approving each of them. In the trustee's third account current appears the following:

"(a) The stucco bungalow carried herein at $11,000.00 was sold for the sum of $25,000.00. After paying the commission of the real estate broker and the expenses of sale, the transaction resulted in a profit of $12,615.75."

The ninth account current was approved on September 21, 1953. *232

On November 6, 1951, Irene married. On October 29, 1952, the trustee was discharged as guardian of her estate. She has been receiving, and it appears that she will continue to receive $154.52 per month from life insurance policies on the life of her father. The trustee has been paying her $45.48 per month, which, when added to the payments from the insurance policies, aggregates $200 per month. Since she has been receiving only $45.48 a month from the trust, a considerable amount of income has accumulated. On September 1, 1953, the trustee filed a petition that it be instructed what to do with the accumulated income. At the hearing on the petition, Irene and Laura Hoerner, decedent's sister, appeared by their respective attorneys. Francis Moeller, the other living beneficiary of the trust, did not appear. The court appointed two attorneys to appear and act as guardians ad litem of any minor or person of unsound mind, or any person or persons of a designated class who are not ascertained or who are not in being and who may participate in the trust. No testimony was taken at the hearing on the petition except the testimony of the guardians ad litem as to their fees. No documentary evidence was introduced except the file in the Matter of the Guardianship of the Estate of Irene Marie Charters. After the hearing, the court on April 30, 1954, made, among others, the findings quoted below [fn. 3] and entered the following orders: *233

"1. That petitioner, as Trustee, under the Last Will and Testament of Spencer H. Charters, deceased, and under the Decree of Distribution made in this cause on or about the 23rd day of May, 1944 be and it is hereby ordered to either purchase a home and residence with suitable furnishings for the occupancy of Irene Marie Charters Yeakel which shall be as nearly equal in value as reasonably possible to the home and furnishings located at 1745 Vista Street, Los Angeles, California, and which were sold by said trustee on or about the year 1946, or to provide Irene Marie Charters Yeakel with a sum sufficient to rent a furnished home of the value, approximate quality and desirability as the residence at 1745 Vista Street, Los Angeles, California which was previously occupied by Irene Marie Charters Yeakel, and sold by the Trustee as aforesaid."

"2. It is further ordered that Paragraph Fifth (A)(2) of the Last Will and Testament of Spencer H. Charters and Paragraph Fifth (A)(2) of the Decree of Distribution made in this cause be interpreted as a direction to the Trustee that Irene Marie Charters Yeakel should receive a minimum of $200.00 per month, including benefits from insurance policies received from sources outside the Trust Estate as well as income of the Trust Estate. *234"

"3. It is further ordered that petitioner utilize any income remaining after it has provided the minimum of $200.00 per month including insurance payments received by Irene Charters Yeakel outside of the Trust to meet its obligation to provide for Irene Marie Charters Yeakel's reasonable support, care and comfort."

"4. The intent of Spencer H. Charters as found from a reading of his Last Will and the Trust therein contained, and upon analysis of the facts surrounding execution of said Will, is interpreted to mean that excess income, if any, after petitioner has carried out the terms of this Order, shall not be accumulated but shall be distributed to Irene Marie Charters Yeakel."

From these orders the trustee and Laura Hoerner appeal. No briefs were filed on behalf of Laura Hoerner. [1] It is settled, contrary to respondent's contention, that the trustee is entitled to appeal. (Estate of Ferrall, 33 Cal.2d 202, 204-206 [200 P.2d 1, 6 A.L.R.2d 142].)

The trustee first contends that the probate court was without jurisdiction to consider the matter of the sale of the residence on the ground that this sale was approved in the court's order settling the third account current, and since it has long since become final, it is not subject to collateral attack. Irene contends that since she was a minor 16 years old when the third account current was approved and her estate was under the guardianship of the trustee, and since the trustee did not list her right to occupy the residence in its inventory of the assets of the estate or obtain authority of the court for its sale, she was not bound by the order approving the account, which deprived her of the right to use and occupy the residence.

[2] Once a decree of the probate court settling an account of a trustee becomes final, it is conclusive, in the absence of extrinsic fraud, on all parties interested in the estate. (Prob. Code, 1123; Security First Nat. Bank of Los Angeles v. Superior Court, 1 Cal.2d 749, 755 [37 P.2d 69]; Ringwalt v. Bank of America, 3 Cal.2d 680, 685 [45 P.2d 967]; In re McLellan v. McLellan, 17 Cal.2d 552, 554 [110 P.2d 1034

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Bluebook (online)
293 P.2d 778, 46 Cal. 2d 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-charters-cal-1956.