Krauss v. Bednar

37 N.W.2d 195, 151 Neb. 242, 1949 Neb. LEXIS 81
Nebraska Supreme Court·Decided April 22, 1949·No. No. 32589·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

Boslaugh, J.

The county court of Gage County, by order entered on the 28th day of February, 1944, in the matter of the estate of Fred Bednar, deceased, made an allowance to Josephine Bednar, the widow of the deceased, for her maintenance and support. She made application for an additional allowance on December 16, 1947, to which objections were interposed by the administrator and by two of the sons of the deceased. The county court by order made on the 20th day of April, 1948, set aside the original order of February 28, 1944, and granted to Mrs. Bednar a larger amount than was allowed her in the original order. The administrator took 'no action to appeal from the order of April 20, 1948, until the 21st day of May, 1948, when he filed a notice of appeal in the county court. The transcript was filed in the district court on the 29th day of May, 1948. The appellant, Josephine Bednar, moved the district court to dismiss the appeal for the reason appellee in his representative capacity as administrator had no pecuniary interest affected by the judgment of the county court and that it was not taken within the time provided by law. The motion was denied and the order of the county court of April 20, 1948, increasing the amount of the widow’s allowance was reversed, the original order of February 28,1944, was reinstated, and the application of the widow for an increased allowance was dismissed. Motion for new trial was made and denied.

The appellant claims error because of the action of the [244] court overruling the motion to dismiss the appeal of Arthur W. Krauss,. as administrator with will annexed of the estate of Fred Bednar, deceased, appellee, on the ground that he in his representative capacity had no pecuniary interest affected by the judgment of the county court. The correctness of the denial of the motion depends on whether the appellee in his representative capacity was aggrieved by the order from which the appeal was attempted to be taken. The order did not affect appellee as an individual, and as such he had no right of appeal. The estate of the deceased was affected by the allowance made to the appellant by the county court by the order of April 20, 1948. If it became final and was complied with or enforced, the assets of the estate would be reduced by the amount required thereby to be paid to appellant. The suggestion of appellant that the appeal by appellee was taken solely for the benefit of “two heirs” is not persuasive. Any appeal taken by the representative of an estate from an order, the effect of which is to reduce the assets of the estate, is for the benefit of the beneficiaries thereof. In re Estate of Dovey, 99 Néb. 744, 157 N. W. 915. A representative of an estate occupies "a trust relation, and in appealing from a judgment affecting the trust he acts in a fiduciary capacity. When he in good faith in the exercise of a reasonable judgment believes the interest of the estate requires him to prosecute an appeal, the duties imposed by his trust are not discharged unless he resorts to that procedure. A different rule would lead to hardship and might result in disaster. Even a prudent representative of an estate would hesitate in cases of doubt from assuming the personal liability imposed by an appeal bond, and the degree of hesitation would be increased by any doubt as to the ultimate solvency of the estate. Kerr v. Lowenstein, 65 Neb. 43, 90 N. W. 931. A representative of an estate has a legal duty and responsibility to protect the estate from unjust, improper, or doubtful claims asserted against it without regard to the identity of the claimant. [245] If he has no personal interest, he may in his representative capacity appeal from allowance thereof without giving an undertaking on appeal. §§ 30-1603, 30-808, R. S. 1943; In re Estate of Dovey, supra; Herman v. Beck, 68 Neb. 566, 94 N. W. 512. If ,the appeal is taken in furtherance of his individual interest, he is required, as other suitors, as a condition of an effective appeal to furnish an appeal bond. In re Estate of Vetter, 139 Neb. 307, 297 N. W. 554; In re Estate of Mathews, 125 Neb. 737, 252 N. W. 210; In re Estate of Nelson, 108 Neb. 296, 187 N. W. 916. The application of appellant for an allowance from the estate of her husband for her maintenance was a claim against his estate, the amount granted to her thereon was a debt of the estate, and under the circumstances set forth in the statute this amount was a debt with preference for payment subject to prior payment of any amount due the State of Nebraska and the expenses of administration. § 30-103, R. S. 1943. The appellant was qualified to appeal from the allowance without an appeal bond. In re Estate of Maag, 119 Neb. 237, 228 N. W. 537.

The appellant claims that the district court acquired no jurisdiction because the appeal was not taken within 30 days after the decision complained of was made. The right of appeal to .the district court from final probate orders of the county court is statutory. § 30-1601, R. S. 1943; In re Estate of Mathews, supra. The applicable provisions of the statute must be timely and substantially complied with to vest jurisdiction in the district court. A case removed to the district court from a final order of a county court in an estate matter is rightly dismissed if appellant by his laches took no action to appeal within 30 days of the order. The statute is mandatory that all appeals in probate shall be taken within 30 days after the decision complained of. §§ 30-1602 to 30-1605, R. S. 1943; Drier v. Knowles Vans, Inc., 144 Neb. 619, 14 N. W. 2d 222; Security Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Gilliam, 143 Neb. [246]*246673, 10 N. W. 2d 670; In re Estate of Jurgensmeier, 142 Neb. 188, 5 N. W. 2d 233.

The order of the county court was made on the 20th day of April, 1948. Appellee did nothing to appeal until the 21st day of May, 1948. This was not within 30 days after April 20, 1948, but was 31 days. The record shows no legal explanation or excuse for the inactivity or inattention of appellee. The law requires diligence and alertness in the exercise of the right of appeal, and this is indispensable to an effective appeal when the limit prescribed is jurisdictional. Initial action 31 days after the order of a county court in probate proceedings intended to be challenged by an appeal is not an effective proceeding. Drier v. Knowles Vans, Inc., supra; In re Estate of Jurgensmeier, supra; People’s Building, Loan & Saving Assn. v. Cook, 63 Neb. 437, 88 N. W. 763.

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Krauss v. Bednar, 37 N.W.2d 195, 151 Neb. 242, 1949 Neb. LEXIS 81 (Neb. 1949).

37 N.W.2d 195 (Krauss v. Bednar) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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