In Re Estate of Denler

400 N.E.2d 641, 80 Ill. App. 3d 1080
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 29, 1980
Docket79-4
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 400 N.E.2d 641 (In Re Estate of Denler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Estate of Denler, 400 N.E.2d 641, 80 Ill. App. 3d 1080 (Ill. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

80 Ill. App.3d 1080 (1980)
400 N.E.2d 641

In re ESTATE OF DELLA MAY DENLER, Deceased. — (WARREN DENLER, Petitioner-Appellee and Cross-Appellant,
v.
EILEEN DENLER ANDRACKE, Respondent-Appellant and Cross-Appellee.)

No. 79-4.

Illinois Appellate Court — Third District.

Opinion filed January 29, 1980.

*1081 *1082 John Olivero and William LaSorella, both of Peru, for appellant.

Paul R. Muenchow, of Peru, for appellee.

Affirmed in part and reversed in part.

Mr. JUSTICE ALLOY delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal and a cross-appeal from decisions of the Circuit Court of La Salle County in the estate proceedings of Della May Denler, deceased. In the estate proceedings, Warren Denler filed a citation to recover assets, seeking recovery from his sister and her family of various properties which he claimed rightfully belonged to his mother's estate. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 110 1/2, par. 16-1.) After a full hearing on the petition, the circuit court ordered recovery of three certificates of deposit held by Eileen Andracke (Mrs. Denler's daughter and Warren Denler's sister). The court also ordered the recovery of certain real estate claimed by Eileen Andracke. In addition, the court ordered that Warren Denler be reimbursed out of estate assets for moneys expended by him in the care of his mother before her death. From these rulings, adverse to her, Eileen Andracke appeals.

The court also found that there should be no recovery by the estate of certain moneys, insurance proceeds and personal property held by Eileen Andracke but claimed as part of the estate by Warren Denler. In addition to finding that such property rightfully belonged to Eileen Andracke, the court ordered that she was entitled to $9,500 from proceeds of the sale of the real estate as repayment for a loan of that amount to Mrs. Denler. From these rulings, adverse to him, Warren Denler has filed a cross-appeal.

The record discloses that Mrs. Della Denler and her husband had two children, Warren and Eileen. In 1969, Mrs. Denler's husband died and left the bulk of his estate to his widow. Mrs. Denler was also the surviving joint tenant of the family home and of five certificates of deposit. At that time, Mrs. Denler was in fair health, following recovery from a 1965 stroke. After her husband's death and while still in good health, she told her daughter, Eileen Andracke, that it would be up to her, Eileen, to take care of her mother in the event that anything should happen to Mrs. Denler. Between October 9, 1969, and November 13, 1970, Mrs. Denler and Eileen went to the Colonial Bank and Trust Company in Peru, *1083 Illinois, and had the listed ownership of the certificates of deposit changed. One $500 certificate of deposit, two $5,000 certificates of deposit, and one $10,000 certificate of deposit were all placed in joint tenancy between Mrs. Denler and Eileen Andracke. Another $10,000 certificate was made a payable-on-death certificate, payable to Eileen Andracke. According to uncontradicted testimony, on each occasion wherein a change in ownership was made, bank personnel explained to Mrs. Denler the nature of joint tenancy, including the rights of survivorship in the surviving joint tenant. The evidence indicated that Mrs. Denler and Eileen Andracke signed signature cards indicating the certificates were to be held in joint tenancy after such explanations were given by bank personnel. Eileen and her mother also opened a joint checking account at that time, for the convenience of Mrs. Denler. Up until a 1975 stroke, Mrs. Denler wrote her checks herself from the account. Mrs. Denler lived alone and took care of herself at the time the certificates of deposit were changed into joint tenancy and up until 1975. Mrs. Denler maintained exclusive control and possession of the certificates, and kept them in a strong box in her home. It is undisputed that the moneys used for the certificates were those of Mrs. Denler.

In December 1973, Mrs. Denler and Eileen Andracke went to the law offices of attorney Francis Duncan, and there two deeds concerning the family home, solely owned by Mrs. Denler, were drawn up and executed. The first deed conveyed to Duncan's secretary the real estate, while the second deed from the secretary reconveyed the property to Mrs. Denler and Eileen in joint tenancy. Mrs. Denler continued to reside in the home and both her children visited her there, although Eileen was the more frequent visitor and helped her mother with routine shopping, paying bills and other such everyday chores. On August 23, 1975, Della May Denler suffered a disabling stroke. After hospitalization, she was placed in a nursing home, suffering from partial paralysis which severely limited her movement and her speech, although from the evidence it appears there was no impairment of her intellectual abilities.

In the early spring of 1976, Eileen Andracke wrote to her brother Warren, who was then in California, informing him that she intended to sell the house and to remove their mother from Turtlecreek Nursing Home, where she had been staying, and place her in another home. The change in residence was accomplished, but when Warren Denler returned home he had his mother returned to Turtlecreek since, according to his testimony, the environment at the other home was unacceptable to him and to his mother. According to his testimony, it was also about this time that he and his sister agreed that their mother's affairs should be put in a joint account, between the two of them, and that thenceforth both would sign the checks necessary for their mother's care. For this purpose, Eileen *1084 Andracke transferred one of the $5,000 certificates, held in joint tenancy between her and her mother, into a joint account between her and her brother. A portion of that money was used to pay nursing home expenses and the remainder was put into the joint account of the sister and brother. None of the other certificates of deposit were ever transferred into the joint account, and Eileen Andracke later claimed that they were hers and she wished to keep them as they were.

Further testimony at trial indicated that Mrs. Denler, during 1975, had made a new will, in which she left all of her estate to her daughter, Eileen Andracke, and if Eileen should die, to her son-in-law. Warren Denler was excluded from any inheritance. According to his testimony, his sister told him that the will had been drawn up that way because he and his second wife were having troubles and Eileen had informed their mother that if anything should happen to Warren, the estate would go to his wife. He testified that Eileen at first agreed to have the will revoked when informed by him that the marriage was now going fine, but that she later changed her mind and told him that she would not have the will "voided." It was at that time that Warren and Eileen stopped talking to each other.

It was also about this time that Mrs. Denler executed another will, the one which was before the court in this estate matter. That will, dated April 9, 1976, revoked all prior wills and codicils and devised all her estate, after payment of just debts and expenses, to her son, Warren, and her daughter, Eileen, in equal and proportionate shares. It also appointed them as co-executors. Clear and uncontradicted testimony in the record, from the attorney who prepared the will and from a nurse who witnessed its execution, indicated that Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
400 N.E.2d 641, 80 Ill. App. 3d 1080, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-estate-of-denler-illappct-1980.