In re Leete Estate

803 N.W.2d 889, 290 Mich. App. 647
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 16, 2010
DocketDocket No. 293979
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 803 N.W.2d 889 (In re Leete Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Leete Estate, 803 N.W.2d 889, 290 Mich. App. 647 (Mich. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

In this probate case, we must decide whether the probate court properly entered an order pursuant to MCR 2.602(B)(2) and correctly interpreted [650]*650and applied the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), MCL 700.1101 et seq., and its simultaneous-death provision, MCL 700.2702. Appellant, Frederick D. Leete iy would have us conclude that the summary disposition order in favor of appellee, Cynthia K. Sherman, is void and that EPIC is inapplicable. We disagree and we affirm the probate court’s order.

I. BASIC FACTS

In 2008, Frederick DeLand Leete III and Barbara R. Leete, 80 and 75 years old respectively, had been married for 34 years and lived in Brownsburg, Indiana. They had no children from their marriage, but each had children from previous marriages. The Leetes owned, as tenants by the entirety, a cottage located in Mackinaw City in Emmet County, Michigan, which is the property that is the subject of this dispute. Apparently, Frederick had inherited this property, which had been in the Leete family for about 100 years. Nonetheless, Frederick and Barbara executed a quitclaim deed, dated October 29, 1996, which indicated that Frederick and Barbara would own, as tenants by the entirety,

[a]ll those portion of lots 59 and 60 of Block A in the Village of Mackinaw City, according to the recorded plat thereof, as lie North of the 15 ft. alley or service roadway bisecting said lots,
ALSO
Lot 61 of Block A in the Village of Mackinaw City, according to the recorded plat thereof, including all of said lot lying on both sides of the existing service road;
TOGETHER WITH ALL TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY IN OR ON SAID PREMISESL]

On February 28, 2008, at an unknown time, Frederick allegedly left his vehicle running in the garage after [651]*651returning from the store. That same day, Barbara’s daughter went to Barbara and Frederick’s home and discovered Barbara dead and Frederick unconscious.1 At the time, the car’s engine was still warm, but it was no longer running because it had run out of gas. Frederick was taken to the hospital, but he expired on March 3, 2008, at 9:10 p.m. Barbara’s death certificate lists her date of death as February 28, 2008, time “unknown.” The cause of their deaths was carbon monoxide poisoning. Barbara died intestate, but Frederick had a will, dated September 20, 1974.

On May 23, 2008, appellant, who was Frederick’s son, filed a petition for probate and appointment as the personal representative of Frederick’s estate. Accordingly, Frederick’s will was submitted to probate, and appellant was appointed personal representative to administer Frederick’s estate. With regard to the disputed property, Frederick’s will provided:

I give and bequeath to my wife, Barbara R. Leete, if she shall survive me for a period of more than thirty (30) days, all real estate and improvements thereon of which I may die the owner or parr [sic] owner, specifically including the real estate and improvements located on Lot 62, Block “A”, Mackinaw City, Emmett County, Michigan. In the event my said wife shall not survive me for a period of more than thirty (30) days, then I give and bequeath such real estate to my aforenamed children who survive me for a period of more than thirty (30) days, per stirpes and not per capita.

Appellant filed an inventory of Frederick’s estate, listing among Frederick’s assets the property located in Mackinaw City.

On November 24, 2008, appellee, who was Barbara’s daughter and the personal representative of Barbara’s [652]*652estate, filed an appearance in the case, giving notice to Frederick’s estate that Barbara’s estate sought a one-half interest in all jointly owned property because Frederick had not survived Barbara by more than 120 hours.2 The legal basis for appellee’s claim is MCL 700.2702(3) of EPIC, which provides:

Except as provided in subsection (4), if it is not established by clear and convincing evidence that 1 of 2 co-owners with right of survivorship survived the other co-owner by 120 hours, 1l2 of the co-owned property passes as if 1 had survived by 120 hours and 1h as if the other had survived by 120 hours. If there are more than 2 co-owners and it is not established by clear and convincing evidence that at least 1 of them survived the others by 120 hours, the property passes in the proportion that 1 bears to the whole number of co-owners. For the purposes of this subsection, “co-owners with right of survivorship” includes joint tenants, tenants by the entireties, and other co-owners of property or accounts held under circumstances that entitles 1 or more to the whole of the property or account on the death of the other or others. [Emphasis added.]

Accordingly, on February 23, 2009, appellee filed a petition for a determination of the rights of Barbara’s estate and requested appellant to amend the inventory of Frederick’s estate in conformance with the statute.

In response, appellant asserted that MCL 700.2702(3) was inapplicable and asked that the Mackinaw City property be distributed according to Frederick’s will, as if Frederick had survived Barbara. Appellant alleged that Barbara died on February 27, 2008, and that Frederick, thus, died more than 120 hours [653]*653after Barbara’s death. Appellant did not provide any evidence in support of this allegation. Appellant also argued that even if MCL 700.2702(3) was applicable, an exception in MCL 700.2702(4) applied and required that the property be divided according to the “governing instrument,” Frederick’s will. Appellant requested the court to adjourn the proceedings for appellant to substantiate his claim that Barbara died more than 120 hours before Frederick’s death.

The probate court granted appellant’s request for an adjournment. However, instead of producing evidence related to the time of Barbara’s death, appellant moved for summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(8) and (10). Appellant asserted that the property should be distributed consistently with Frederick’s will and that even if the will were not the “governing instrument,” MCL 700.2702(3) was inapplicable because it became effective four years after the deed was executed. In appellant’s view, once Barbara died the property passed, in whole, to Frederick and his will precluded the property’s division.

Appellee countered that Barbara’s estate was entitled to summary disposition based on MCR 2.116(1)(2) and (C)(10). Appellee argued that EPIC explicitly applies to the factual circumstances at issue and that the deed, not Frederick’s will, was the governing instrument at issue. Appellee further asserted that because Frederick and Barbara died within 120 hours of each other, one-half the interest of the Mackinaw City property vested in Barbara’s estate under MCL 700.2702(3). In response, appellant argued that his interpretation of EPIC was correct. However, appellant asked for additional time to pursue factual evidence with regard to the time of Barbara’s death.

[654]*654At the motion hearing, the probate court initially denied both parties’ motions for summary disposition.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
803 N.W.2d 889, 290 Mich. App. 647, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-leete-estate-michctapp-2010.