Estate of Owen v. Lyke

855 N.E.2d 603, 2006 Ind. App. LEXIS 2138, 2006 WL 2987746
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 20, 2006
Docket65A05-0602-CV-53
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 855 N.E.2d 603 (Estate of Owen v. Lyke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Owen v. Lyke, 855 N.E.2d 603, 2006 Ind. App. LEXIS 2138, 2006 WL 2987746 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinions

OPINION

MAY, Judge.

Rodney and Carol Logan, as co-personal representatives of the Estate of Pattie L. Owen, appeal the probate court's construction of Owen's will in favor of Toni Lyke. The probate court correctly determined Article V of Owen's will is ambiguous but erred when construing certain portions of it. We affirm in part and reverse in part.1

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Owen died on August 25, 2005. Her will, dated July 15, 2005, provides in relevant part as follows:

ARTICLE V
I hereby give, devise and bequeath my real estate located in Robb Township, Posey County, Indiana, being eighty (80) acres, located in § 17-4-13, more or less, and legally described as follows:
[legal description omitted]
to my daughter, Toni L. Lyke, for her lifetime, and at her death, then to her children Jason A. Lyke, Joshua L. Lyke and Virginia S. Lyke, equally, in fee simple ownership. I further request that the amount of Four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($4,500.00) be put aside soon after my death, from the next harvest, to pay the real estate taxes and to plant next year's crop.
I further appoint my friends Rodney Logan and Carol Logan to act as Co-[607]*607Trustees of the farm during my daughter Toni L. Lyke's lifetime, and they shall be paid the joint amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1000.00) per year for acting as Co-Trustees. My Co-Trustees appointed herein shall also be responsible for leasing the residence located on that real estate to the person or persons and for the rental amount as they shall see fit. My daughter, Toni L. Lyke shall not be permitted to rent that residence if she is married at that time to Brian Lyke.
It is my desire that so long as feasible, my Co-Trustees shall continue the tenancy of that farm with Beuligmann Brothers, due to my long and satisfactory relationship with Beuligmann Brothers.
If at any time that that [sic] 80 acres or any part thereof shall be placed for sale, then my friends Rodney and Carol Logan shall be permitted first opportunity to purchase the real estate or they shall be given the opportunity to match any offer made for the purchase of the real estate.

(Appellant's App. at 2-8.).2

The will was admitted to probate on September 7, 2005, and the Logans were appointed co-personal representatives. On November 1, 2005, Lyke filed a petition to construe the will under Ind.Code § 29-1-6-5, claiming Article V was ambiguous. After a hearing on November 28, 2005, the probate court entered the following relevant findings and conclusions:

CONSTRUCTION OF WILL
(January 3, 2006)
"k " *
IL.
Specific Findings
Ms. Owen intended that her daughter, Toni L. Lyke, was to receive a life estate in the entire eighty (80) acres and its improvements.
Ms. Owen intended that Toni's children were to be the remaindermen.
Both Toni's life estate and the grandchildren's future fee simple interest vested upon Ms. Owen's death. See Lewis v. Clifton, (Ind.App.2005), 837 N.E.2d 1016, 1019.
While the Will used language that indicates Ms. Owen intended to establish a trust to manage the farm, such an arrangement would be incompatible with the use of estate monies to pay only the first year's taxes and the first erop year's expenses.
Generally, one receiving a life estate under Indiana law takes real estate subject to the obligations thereon. And, if the property involved is to be held in trust, the trust would be responsible for all obligations on the real estate. Wright v. James [Jones], (Ind.1886), 105 Ind. 17, 4 N.E. 281[;] Commons v. Commons, (Ind.1888), 115 Ind. 162, 16 N.E. 820[.]
Here, Ms. Owen provided for the first year's obligations to be paid by devise from her estate, but did not instruct that any other obligation be paid by the purported trust. Therefore, Toni L. Lyke takes the life estate subject to all obligations.
And while Ms. Owen indicates her preference that the Beuligmann Brothers be retained as tenants, this later appearing language is not sufficient to take away or decrease Toni's life estate [608]*608and Toni's legal right to manage the farm. Oliphant v. Pumphrey, (Ind. 1923), 193 Ind. 656, 141 N.E. 517.
Also, Article V's ostensible restriction on Tonti's right to either rent or rent out the residence on the eighty (80) acres if she is married to Brian Lyke is not only confusing and ambiguous, it may well be against public policy. Gladden v. Jolly, (Ind.App.1995), 655 N.E.2d 590.
In essence, Ms. Owen never created a trust subsequent to her devise of a life estate to her daughter and the vesting of the remainder in her grandchildren. Stockton v. Northwestern Branch of the Women's Foreign Missionary Soc., (Ind. App.1956), 127 Ind.App. 193, 183 N.E.2d 875.
Then, Article V purports to place a restriction on the sale of all or any part of the real estate by giving the Logans, who would have absolute control over the real estate, first right of refusal if the property is ever offered for sale.
Such an arrangement might well frustrate Ms. Owen's intent to provide for her daughter during Toni's lifetime and might divest the grandchildren also.
Finally, Indiana's Rule Against Perpe-tuities might well be violated by these unlimited options. I.C. 32-17-8-5[.]
IIH.
Conclusion
Article V of Ms. Owen's Will is ambiguous. The Court must construe the entire Will to give effect to Ms. Owen's intent.
Ms. Owen intended that Toni L. Lyke was to have a life estate in the eighty (80) acres and its improvements.
| Ms. Owen intended that Ms. Owen's grandchildren ... would take the real estate equally in fee simple upon Toni's death.
The purported restrictions on Toni's life estate are incompatible with Ms. Owen's intent. Therefore, no trust was created and the Logans have no authority to interfere with Toni's enjoyment of her life estate nor with the remainder-men's interest upon Toni's death.

(Id. at 29-32) (formatting and punctuation altered).

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Ordinarily when the probate court enters findings of fact and conclusions of law, we apply a two-tiered standard of review: we determine whether the evidence supports the findings and then whether the findings support the judgment. St. Mary's Medical Center, Inc. v. McCarthy,

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855 N.E.2d 603, 2006 Ind. App. LEXIS 2138, 2006 WL 2987746, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-owen-v-lyke-indctapp-2006.