In re Estates of Gutierrez

Superior Court of Guam·Decided November 8, 2012·No. PR0014-10·Unknown

Opinion

5 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM 6

7 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATES ) PROBATE CASE NO. PR0024-10 ) 8 ) OF ) DECISION AND ORDER 9 ) 10 ) JOSE T AITANO GUTIERREZ and ) II FLORENCE S. GUTIERREZ, ) 12 ) Deceased. ) 13

15 INTRODUCTION

16 This matter came before Honorable Arthur R. Barcinas on day of August,

17 20] for hearing on Petitioner's to Reconsider, filed June 201 in which all heirs

18 Franklin 1 Gutierrez joined. Attorney Wilfred R. Mann represented Franklin 1.

9 the motion. John Terlaje represented Petitioner, Harry

20 the remaining now following and

21 Order on the matter presented. FACTUAL AND I)ROCEDURAL HISTORY

23 On ]999, Gutierrez died, survived his

24 Gutierrez. Florence Gutierrez died on February 17.2010. On Mareh 3, 201 the PelitioneL

25 Harry Dean Gutierrez filed an Parte Petition for Special Letters of Administration, labeling

26 the single case "In the Matter of the Estates of Jose Taitano Gutierrez and Florence S.

27 Gutierrez," and requesting letters of administration in two estates, one for each deceased parent,

28 despite the f'act that Jose Taitano Gutierrez had passed nearly prior, and the Decision and Order Probate Case No. PR0024-1O; In the Matter of the Estates of Jose Taitano Gutierrez and Florence S. Gutierrez

Petitioner filed only a single probate case. Thereafter, another heir, Franklin J. Gutierrez, filed 2 an opposition to the Petition for Special Letters of Administration, and on March 15, 2011, filed 3 his own request for probate of a purported holographic will of Florence S. Gutierrez, annexed to 4 a petition for letters of administration. On April 12, 201], Petitioner filed a contest to the 5 probate of the purported will and opposition to the issuance of letters of administration to 6 Franklin J. Gutierrez. On May 21,2012, the Court issued a Findings of Fact and Conclusions of 7 Law finding that the document produced by Franklin J. Gutierrez is, in fact, a holographic will, 8 which names Franklin J. Gutierrez as the executor of the estate(s) of his parent(s). 9 DISCUSSION 10 all filed a "Motion to

11 Reconsidcr" the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and issued May 21, 2012, finding that 12 Florence S. Gutierrez died testate, and appointing Franklin Gutierrez as the administrator for 13 both the estates of Florence s. Gutierrez and Jose T. Gutierrez. Harry Dean Gutierrez and the 14 other heirs claim that the Court made two "clear" errors under both Rule 59(e) and Rule 60(b): 15 1) the Court failed to hold a hearing as required under 15 GCA § 1515 to allow Harry Dean

16 Gutierrez and the other heirs to contest the appointment of Franklin as executor; and

17 2) Jose did not die testate, because never signed the holographic will at issue.

18 Therefore, it was error to appoint Franklin Gutierrez as executor to the estate of Jose T.

Gutierrez, and appointment as executor should have limited to the estate of Florence

20 Gutierrez, if appointed at alL Harry Dean Gutierrez does not find error the portion of the Findings of Fact and

Conclusions and separate Judgment granting probate to the holographic will of

S. Gutierrez. Harry Dean Gutierrez finds error the portion of the Findings of Fact

Conclusions of Law's appointment of Franklin J. Gutierrez as executor to the estate of Florence

S. Gutierrez, allegedly without hearing, and with the appointment Franklin .T. Gutierrez as

26 executor to the estate of Jose T. Gutierrez. Harry Dean Gutierrez challenges the Findings of 27 Fact and Conclusions of La\v issued on May 21, 2012, and presumably also challenges

28 Judgment issued the same day, based thereon.

Page 2 of II I Decision and Order Probate Case No. PR0024-1O; In the Matter of the Estates of Jose Taitano Gutierrez and Florence S. Gutierrez

As Harry Dean Gutierrez is arguing error, Rules 59( e) and 60(b)(1) are applicable.

2 Rule 59( e) provides in relevant part, "Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment. A motion to 3 alter or amend judgment shall be served not later than 10 days after entry of the judgment." 4 Guam R. Civ. P. 59(e) (2012). Rule 59(e) grants a court the discretion to relieve a party from 5 judgment when the court is presented with new evidence, the decision is manifestly unjust or is 6 incorrect, or there is an intervening change in controlling law, provided that the party moves for 7 relief not more than ten days after a judgment was entered. Ward v. Reyes, 1998 Guam 1 ~ 2 8 (citing School DisC No. 11, Multnomah County, Or. v. ACandS. Inc., 5 F.3d 1255, 1263 (9th 9 Cir.1993) cert. denied, 512 U.S. 1236 (1994)). 10 Rule 60(b) provides in relevant part: II Mistakes, Inadvertence, Excusable Neglect, Newly Discovered Evidence, Fraud, 12 etc. On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party or the party's legal representative from a final judgment, order, or proceeding for the 13 following reasons:(1) mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; ... .The motion shall be made within a reasonable time, and for reasons (1), (2), (3) 14 not more than one year after the judgment, order, or proceeding was taken. J5

16 Guam R. . P. 60(b)(I) (201 17 The motion is timely under both rules, and only raises "error" as the basis for relief. The

18 Supreme Court of Guam has held, "[i]t is well established that under either rule, the standard of

19 review is identical. 20 Sch. Dist. No.l.L Multanomah Cnty. v. ACandS. Inc., 5 F (9th 1993 ) (citing

21 Fullerv. M.G. Jewelry, 950 F.2d 1437, 1441 (9th Cir.1991)). 22 Many jurisdictions have taken a firm stance against the utilization of Rules 59(e) and

23 60(b) to address errors fact or law made by the court, typically holding that the finality of 24 decisions or judgments must take precedence, and a party seeking to overturn a ruling on a

25 matter of law must appeal the decision. Rules and 60(b) were not intended as a substitute

26 for a direct appeal from an erroneous decision. ~~~-,--,-~~=::j;2'~~~~~~~~=' 27 575 F.3d 542, 546-48 (5 th Cir. 2009). The fact that an attorney believes that a decision is

28 erroneous does not constitute a ground for relief under the rules. Silk v. Sandoval, F.2d

3 of II Decision and Order Probate Case No. PR0024-i 0; In the Matter of the Estates of Jose Taitano Gutierrez and Florence S. Gutierrez

1266,1267-68 (lst Cir.1971); accord Matter ofTa Chi Navigation (Panama) Corp. S.A., 728 2 F.2d 699,703 (5 th Cif. 1984); Tribble v. Bruin, 279 F.2d 424, 427 (4th Cir.1960); Swam v. 3 United States, 327 F.2d 431,433 (7th Cir.1964) cert. denied, 379 U.S. 852 (l964); and Hartman

4 v. Lauchli, 304 F.2d 431, 432 (8th Cir. 1962). 5 Even in jurisdictions allowing relief for judicial "errors," the conclusions or 6 interpretations of the court after considering applicable law and arguments do not constitute 7 "mistake" or "error" justifying relief \vithin the purview of Rule 60(b). See, e.g" ~==-:"'-== 8 v. 31.63 Acres of Land, 840 F.2d 760, 761-62 & nA (lOth Cir.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

In re Estates of Gutierrez, (superctguam 2012).

In re Estates of Gutierrez (In re Estates of Gutierrez) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Palmer v. Hoffman
318 U.S. 109 (Supreme Court, 1943)
School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation E.J. Bartells Company, a Washington Corporation A.P. Green Refractories Company, School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation, and Fibreboard Corp., a Delaware Corporation as Successor in Interest to the Paraffine Companies, Inc., Pabco Products, Inc., Fibreboard Paper Products Corporation, Plant Rubber & Asbestos Works and Plant Rubber & Asbestos Co., School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation Armstrong Cork Company, Inc., a Delaware Corporation Atlas Asbestos Company, Inc., a Canadian Corporation, and Keene Corporation, a New York Corporation Individually and as Successor in Interest to the Baldwin Ehret Hill Company, School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation Armstrong Cork Company, Inc., a Delaware Corporation Atlas Asbestos Company, Inc., a Canadian Corporation, and Us Gypsum Company, a Delaware Corporation, School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation Armstrong Cork Company, Inc., a Delaware Corporation Atlas Asbestos Company, Inc., a Canadian Corporation, and Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation, School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation Armstrong Cork Company, Inc., a Delaware Corporation Atlas Asbestos Company, Inc., a Canadian Corporation, and Flintkote Company, a Delaware Corporation, School District No. 1j, Multnomah County, Oregon v. Acands, Inc., a Pennsylvania Corporation Atlas Asbestos Company, Inc., a Canadian Corporation, and Armstrong Cork Company, Inc., a Delaware Corporation
5 F.3d 1255 (Ninth Circuit, 1993)
Benson v. St. Joseph Regional Health Center
575 F.3d 542 (Fifth Circuit, 2009)
Caraway v. Sain
23 F.R.D. 657 (N.D. Florida, 1959)
Fuller v. M.G. Jewelry
950 F.2d 1437 (Ninth Circuit, 1991)