In re Estate of Ulloa

CourtSuperior Court of Guam
DecidedMarch 23, 2018
DocketPR0134-14
StatusUnknown

This text of In re Estate of Ulloa (In re Estate of Ulloa) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Guam 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 Ulloa, (superctguam 2018).

Opinion

1 2 IB 23 PM 4: 19 3 COURT

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GlfJtM-,-ti-Uflrhx~-- 4 5 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE ) PROBATE CASE NO. PR0134-14 6 ) 7 OF ) ) FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS 8 LUCY PEARL ULLOA, ) OF LAW RE: PETITION FOR ) PRELIMINARY DISTRIBUTION 9 DECEASED. ) 10 ______________________________) 11 INTRODUCTION

12 This matter came before the Honorable Maria T. Cenzon on November 30, 2017 for a

13 hearing on a Petition for Partial and/or Preliminary Distribution (the "Petition for Preliminary 14 Distribution") filed by Petitioners and Heirs: George F. Ulloa, Priscilla J. U. Hartwick, and

15 Esther M. U. Thompson ("Petitioners"). Petitioners appeared through counsel, Attorney Daniel J.

16 Berman. Also present was Attorney Jacqueline Terlaje for Vivian U. McCurdy ("McCurdy"), an

17 heir and surviving sibling of Decedent Lucy Pearl Ulloa ("Decedent"). Administratrix Marcelene

18 Santos and Attorney Vince Camacho, counsel for Administratrix, were also present.

19 Petitioners are seeking a preliminary distribution of the 108,333 shares of stocks m

20 Chamorro Equities, Inc. ("CEI"). At the hearing, McCurdy argued a preliminary distribution at

21 this time is "premature." 1 At the conclusion of the oral arguments, the Court took the matter

22 Under Advisement pursuant to the Local Rules of the Superior Court CVR 7.1(e). Having

23 reviewed the parties' oral arguments, the relevant law, and the record, the Court now issues these 24 findings of facts and conclusions of law. 25 II

27 1 Hearing on Petitioner's Partial and/or Preliminary Distribution at 2:39:50 to 2:44:02 (Nov. 30, 2017).

28 In the Matter of the Estate of Lucy Pearl Ulloa; PR0134-14 FFCL Re: Petition for Preliminary Distribution Page 1 of 10 1 FINDINGS OF FACT 2 A. FACTUALANDPROCEDURALBACKGROUND

3 By a preponderance of the evidence, the Court makes the following findings of fact:

4 1. Decedent was a resident of Guam and died on Guam on October 9, 2014.

5 2. The relevant summary of the procedural background in this case includes:

6 a. On October 24, 2014, McCurdy filed a Petition for Probate of Will and Letters

7 Testamentary. On December 15, 2014, the Public Guardian filed an objection to

8 appointment of McCurdy as the Executor of the Estate of the Decedent.

9 b. On December 17, 2014, George Ulloa filed an objection to McCurdy serving as

10 Executor of the Estate of Lucy P. Ulloa, explicitly stating, "[George] makes no

11 objection to the dispositive portion or other portions of [decedent's] Will. Instead,

12 this objection is based on 15 GCA § 1723(a), and limited to an objection to

13 [McCurdy] serving as an Executor of the Estate."

14 c. On March 21, 2016, the Court issued an Order after Hearing ("OAH") following a

15 continued bench trial on the appointment of an executor of Decedent's estate. In

16 that OAH, the Court:

17 1. Granted the Motion to Dismiss the Petition and denied the Motion to

18 immediately appoint Marcelene Santos as a SpeGial Administrator,

19 ii. Granted George Ulloa's motion to deny issuance of letters of testamentary

20 to McCurdy,

21 iii. Denied the motion to appoint Marcelene Santos, in either official or

22 personal capacity, as a special administrator while a final determination of

23 her cross-petition for letters of administration remains pending, and

24 IV. Appointed the Clerk of Court, Danielle Rosete, as Special Administrator

25 of Decedent's Estate.

28 In the Matter of the Estate of Lucy Pearl Ulloa; PR0134-14 FFCL Re: Petition for Preliminary Distribution Page 2 of 10 1 d. On August 18, 2016, the Court issued a Decision and Order finding the Public

2 Guardian, Marcelene Santos, competent for appointment as Administrator of

3 Decedent's Estate with the will annexed.

4 3. On August 10, 2017, Petitioners filed the instant Petition requesting the Court to grant a

5 preliminary distribution under Title 15 GCA § 3001(a) (1) based on Decedent's Last Will

6 and Testament, "an equal, proportionate distribution to all five (5) heirs of 108,333 shares

7 of common stock in CEI, divided into five (5) equal shares," or at 20% (21,666.60

8 shares). See Petition for Preliminary Distribution (Aug. 10, 2017).

9 4. On November 30, 2017, two hours before the scheduled hearing on the Petition,

10 McCurdy filed a Notice of Objection to the Petition. The Court permitted both parties the

11 opportunity to provide further oral arguments on the Petition and Objection to the

12 Petition.

13 5. At the hearing, the Administratrix requested that the Court not issue a ruling on this

14 Petition until after an Inventory and Appraisement is filed. The Petitioners did not object

15 to the Administratrix's proposition.

16 6. During the hearing, the Court also recognized that all notiCes required by Guam law have

17 been satisfied.

18 7. On December 13, 2017, the Administratrix filed an Inventory and Appraisement of

19 Decedent's real and personal property. On February 14, 2018, the Administratrix filed an

20 Amended Inventory and Appraisement. The total estimated value of Decedent's real and

21 personal property (the "Estate") was $2,564,663.68 as of February, 2018; including,

22 108,333 shares of stock in CEI, valued at $1,346,000.

23 8. On March 9, 2018, McCurdy filed a Notice of Civil Action and Objection to the fair

24 market value of the assets asserted by the Administratrix.

25 9. The matter in CV0632-17, Vivian Ulloa McCurdy v. Chamorro Equities, Inc. arises out

26 of a dispute regarding the ownership of Lot 3307-2-Rl. In that case, McCurdy is

28 In the Matter of the Estate of Lucy Pearl Ulloa; PR0134-14 FFCL Re: Petition for Preliminary Distribution Page 3 of 10 1 requesting for judgment declaring the Estate of Lucy P. Ulloa as the owner of the Agana

2 Heights Residence.

3 10. The matter in CV1120-16, Vivian Ulloa McCurdy v. Estate of Lucy P. Ulloa, by its

4 Court-Appointed General Administrator, Office of the Public Guardian, Marcelene C.

5 Santos arises out of a claim for costs and expenses owed to McCurdy in defending her

6 appointment as executrix to Decedent's will in this case and while acting as the guardian

7 of Decedent's estate in SP0168-05.

8 11. Petitioners contend that the 108,333 CEI stocks should be distributed as follows:

9 a. Esther M. U. Thompson (20%)

10 b. Priscilla J. U. Hartwick (20%)

11 c. Vivian W.U. McCurdy (20%)

12 d. George Ulloa (20%)

13 e. Heirs of the estate of Paul D. Ulloa (20%)

14 i. Steven L. Ulloa (5%)

15 ii. Frederick Ulloa (5%)

16 iii. Bertha L. Saladier (5%)

17 iv. Walter D. Ulloa (5%)

18 B. RELEVANT PORTIONS OF DECEDENT'S WILL

19 1. Section 11, which states, "I give to my heirs 100,000 shares of Chamorro Equities, Inc. to

20 be divided equally by the following heirs:

21 a. Esther M. U. Thompson

22 b. Priscilla J.U. Hartwick

23 c. Alvin J. Ulloa

24 d. Paul D. Ulloa

25 e. George F. Ulloa

26 f. Vivian W.U. McCurdy

28 In the Matter of the Estate of Lucy Pearl Ulloa; PR0134-14 FFCL Re: Petition for Preliminary Distribution Page 4 of 10 1 2. Section 15, which states, "I hereby appoint my sister, Vivian W.U. McCurdy, as the sole

2 executor of my LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, should she predecease me, or is

3 otherwise unable to act as Executor, I appoint my brother, Alvin J. Ulloa as my

4 executor."

5 3.

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