Estate of Kendall

982 A.2d 525, 2009 Pa. Super. 184, 2009 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3281, 2009 WL 2933762
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 15, 2009
Docket3448 EDA 2008
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 982 A.2d 525 (Estate of Kendall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Kendall, 982 A.2d 525, 2009 Pa. Super. 184, 2009 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3281, 2009 WL 2933762 (Pa. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

OPINION BY

BENDER, J.r

¶ 1 Susan L. Kendall appeals from the order entered by the orphans’ court on November 14, 2008, that granted the motion for summary judgment filed by PNC Bank, N.A., executor of the Estate of Terry L. Kendall, deceased, and denied Susan’s cross motion for summary judgment. The order also granted PNC’s petition for declaratory judgment, providing that Susan’s interest in the Estate was to be determined by a formula interpreting sub-paragraph G.(l) of Susan’s and Terry’s *527 prenuptial agreement. 1 We affirm. 2

¶ 2 Susan and Terry were married on February 1, 1994, and the marriage continued until the time of Terry’s death on June 20, 2005. Terry had been previously married and had two children, Jennifer Kendall and Bryan Kendall, with his former wife. Prior to Susan’s and Terry’s marriage, they entered into a prenuptial agreement that contains the following pertinent paragraph:

G.(l) If Terry predeceases Susan and at the time of Terry’s death there has been no Separation, then Terry shall provide by Will, Codicil, joint ownership of property or otherwise for Susan to receive Property with a value at the time of Terry’s death equal to at least One Hundred Percent (100%) of the value of all Marital Property reduced by the amount of Marital Debt, said Property passing to Susan to bear its proportionate share of estate taxes as hereinafter provided.... If Terry shall fail to make the provision contained in this Subpara-graph, Susan shall be entitled to receive the Property described in this Subpara-graph from Terry’s estate.

Prenuptial Agreement, at ¶ G.(l). The prenuptial agreement also contains the following definitions of “Property,” “Separate Property” and “Marital Property”:

(2) “Property” means real and personal property, of every kind, tangible and intangible, wherever situated.
(3) “Separate Property” means:
(a)Property acquired by Susan or Terry, as the case may be, before the Marriage, including, but not limited to, any interests in retirement, pension and/or profit sharing plans;
(b) Property acquired by Susan or Terry, as the case may be, during the Marriage by bequest, devise, descent or gift from anyone, including interspousal gifts from Terry to Susan or from Susan to Terry;
(c) any increase in the value of any Property referred to in (a) or (b);
(d) the proceeds of any disposition of any property referred to in (a), (b) or (c), howsoever held, invested or reinvested; and
(e) any increase in the value of any Property referred to in (d); and
(f) as to Terry, his interests as of December 31, 1993 in CD Alternatives of America, Inc. and CDA, Inc. (hereinafter referred to collectively as “CDA, Inc.”), said interests having a value on December 31, 1993 of $350,000. For purposes of this Agreement, said value of $350,000 shall be deemed to be the value of CDA, Inc. as of the date of the Marriage.
(4)“Marital Property” means all Property acquired by either or both of Susan and Terry during their Marriage and before the Separation, as hereinafter defined, including without limitation, any increase in the value of the Property described in Subparagraph 3.(f) of this Paragraph A. over the value set forth in *528 said Subparagraph, and specifically excluding the Property described in Paragraph A.(3) of this Agreement.

Prenuptial Agreement, at ¶ A.(2), (3) and (4).

¶ 3 Terry’s will, which he executed on February 23, 2005, provided the following designated gifts:

I. Personal and Household Effects: I give all my articles personal or household use, including automobiles, together with all insurance relating thereto, to my wife, SUSAN L. KENDALL, if she survives me.
II. Pre-residuary Instruction: On February 1, 1994, I entered into a prenuptial agreement with SUSAN L. GEHN, who is now my wife, SUSAN L. KENDALL. If at my death she survives me, and we have not separated, then I authorize my executors to carry out the provisions of such prenuptial agreement to the extent I have not otherwise done so.
III. Residuary Estate: I give the residue of my estate, real and personal: A. In equal share to such of my children as survive me....

Terry’s Will, 2/23/05. The will also provided for the appointment of PNC as the executor.

¶ 4 As to the present litigation, the orphans’ court set forth the following as an introductory explanation regarding the parties’ positions on the issues presented to it:

This matter is now before us pursuant to competing motions for summary judgment-one by the Executor and one by decedent’s surviving spouse, Susan L. Kendall.... On January 22, 2008, PNC Bank, N.A., the Executor of the Estate of Terry L. Kendall, ... filed a Motion for Summary Judgment seeking a determination as to whether Mrs. Kendall is a creditor or beneficiary of the Estate and a ruling upon its underlying Declaratory Judgment Petition filed on March 8, 2007. In the Declaratory Judgment Petition, PNC proposes that decedent’s Will and the Prenuptial Agreement that he entered into with Mrs. Kendall provide a formula for determining the specific amount of property to be given to Mrs. Kendall rather than giving her an interest in any specific Estate property. PNC maintains that these issues are questions of law and no material facts are involved or disputed. Decedent’s children, Jennifer Kendall and Bryan Kendall, residuary beneficiaries under decedent’s Will ... have filed a reply to the underlying Petition for Declaratory Judgment and a memorandum in support of PNC’s Motion for Summary Judgment.
Mrs. Kendall filed an Answer and New Matter to PNC’s Declaratory Judgment Petition. On March 24, 2008, Mrs. Kendall filed a response in opposition to PNC’s Motion for Summary Judgment and cross-moved for summary judgment in her favor based upon two alternate theories. First, Mrs. Kendall argues that this [cjourt has already ruled adversely to PNC in its Opinion, Decree and Order of December 22, 2006 awarding certain property to her in kind. In the alternative, Mrs. Kendall contends that decedent’s Will and Prenuptial Agreement should be interpreted as giving her the specific property in kind.
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Other than a minor checking account, decedent’s Estate consists solely of CIG-NA stock, CIGNA stock options, and cash representing unpaid vacation time and monetary bonus awards under CIG-NA’s strategic performance plan (here *529 inafter collectively referred to as the “CIGNA benefits”). Per our Opinion, Decree and Order of December 22, 2006, we determined that all CIGNA benefits received by decedent’s Estate accrued during his marriage to Mrs. Kendall, and therefore were Marital Property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
982 A.2d 525, 2009 Pa. Super. 184, 2009 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3281, 2009 WL 2933762, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-kendall-pasuperct-2009.