Neill v. Buhler

338 P.2d 267, 81 Idaho 165, 1959 Ida. LEXIS 203
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedApril 22, 1959
DocketNo. 8690
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 338 P.2d 267 (Neill v. Buhler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Neill v. Buhler, 338 P.2d 267, 81 Idaho 165, 1959 Ida. LEXIS 203 (Idaho 1959).

Opinion

PORTER, Chief Justice.

On January 27, 1955, Frederick G. Schweitzer, an unmarried man, died testate in Ada County, Idaho. He left an olographic will reading as follows:

“At my death I wish an administrator to be appointed (not my Brother Harold Stanley Schweitzer) and my holdings be converted in-to cash and a flat sum of $200.00 per month paid to Harold Stanley Schweitzer for his living. In case he should die before my Estate is depleted at balance to go to the CArippled Childerns Hospital of the Shrine. My personal belonging-such as pictures and brickabrack to my Aunt Ada and my friends
“F. G. Schweitzer 12/2/48”

This will was duly admitted to probate in the Probate Court of Ada County. W. A. Buhler was named administrator. On May 25, 1955, the probate court by order assessed and fixed the gross market value of the property of the estate at $34,371.87.

On February 28, 1956, the probate court entered an order entitled “Order Fixing Clear or Net Value of all Inheritances, Devises, Bequests or Other Interests and Fixing and Computing - the Transfer and In[168]*168heritance Tax Thereon.” By this order, the net value of the transfer to the devisee, Harold Stanley Schweitzer, brother of the deceased, was fixed by the court at $29,-946.78. The amount of tax with interest due the state was determined and fixed by the court at $1,244.50. This tax was duly paid by the administrator.

The probate court did not determine the value of the respective interests of the devisee, Harold Stanley Schweitzer, and the Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children, a Colorado Corporation, immediately after the death of Frederick G. Schweitzer, as provided by Section 14-412, I.C., but assessed the value of the entire estate as against the devisee, Harold Stanley Schweitzer. The court also computed the transfer tax on the entire estate and levied same against the interest of such devisee.

No mention was made in the inheritance tax order of the devisee, Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children, the remainderman entitled to the balance, if any, of the estate of Frederick G. Schweitzer remaining at the death of Harold Stanley Schweitzer. No transfer tax is determined or levied by such order against such remainderman nor is there a specific determination that no transfer tax is due on the interest transferred to such remainderman. However, such order contains the following provision:

“It Is Hereby Ordered, That the clear or net value of all inheritances, devises, bequests or other interests in said estate, together with the amount of the transfer and inheritance tax on each thereof, are fixed and computed as follows

On August 9, 1956, a decree of final settlement and distribution was made by the probate court distributing the whole of said estate to respondent, W. A. Buhler, as testamentary trustee under the will of Frederick G. Schweitzer, deceased.

On November 26, 1956, Harold Stanley Schweitzer died in California. The balance of the estate of Frederick G. Schweitzer remaining on that day was $27,756.73, which sum is provided to be transferred to said Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children pursuant to the terms of the will of Frederick G. Schweitzer.

At the time of the death of Frederick G. Schweitzer, the devisee, Harold Stanley Schweitzer, was 56 years of age. His life expectancy under the actuary’s combined experience table of mortality referred to in Section 14-412, I.C., was 16.22 years. The legacy of $200 per month for the remainder of his life willed to Harold Stanley Schweitzer, under his life expectancy, would amount to the sum of $39,928, a sum greater than the entire body of the estate. At the time of the death of Frederick G. Schweitzer there was no present value in the bequest to the remainderman Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children upon which a tax could be levied.

[169]*169On March 18, 1957, appellant Tax Collector, P. G. Neill, filed a petition in the probate court praying that the court appoint an inheritance tax appraiser to appraise the value of the estate of Frederick G. Schweitzer remaining at the date of the death of Harold Stanley Schweitzer, and to make and enter an order fixing and imposing a transfer tax upon the transfer to the Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children, and fixing the liability for such tax.

A trial was had in the probate court and resulted in a judgment in favor of the Tax Collector. The respondent herein then appealed to the District Court of Ada County from such judgment. A new trial in the district court resulted in a judgment in favor of the respondent herein reversing the judgment of the piobate court and directing that the petition of the Tax Collector be dismissed. From the judgment of the district court, this appeal is being prosecuted by the Tax Collector.

When these proceedings were started by the Tax Collector in the probate court a citation was issued to bring in the respondent, W. A. Buhler, trustee of the estate of Frederick G. Schweitzer, as a defendant. The Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children was not made a defendant and was not cited into the cause. Respondent took the position in the district court that the remainderman, Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children, was a necessary party to the action and that without the presence of such Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children as a defendant, no decree could be made and the action should be dismissed. The district court ruled adversely to respondent in its judgment; and respondent has not appealed from that part of the judgment. Respondent contends that he is entitled in this court to have his judgment of dismissal affirmed on the ground that the remainderman is not a party. We deem it unnecessary in view of our ruling on the merits of this cause hereinafter set out, to determine whether the Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children was a necessary party or whether respondent is entitled to urge such issue without having appealed from the court’s judgment.

It is the position of respondent in this cause that the order of the probate court fixing and assessing the inheritance or transfer tax was a final judgment and no appeal having been taken by the Tax Collector from such judgment within the time allowed, it became final and conclusive as to inheritance or transfer taxes due the state from the estate of Frederick G. Schweitzer, deceased, and that such judgment cannot be attacked collaterally as is attempted in these proceedings. Upon the death of the decedent, Frederick G. Schweitzer, the life estate willed to Harold Stanley Schweitzer and the remainder willed to the Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children were immediately to be ap[170]*170praised and the market value thereof determined and the transfer tax fixed and assessed. Section 14-412, I.C. The probate court as heretofore pointed out, entered its order fixing the market value of the estate willed to Harold Stanley Schweitzer as the clear or net value of the entire estate, and fixed the tax due as computed on such entire estate.

Section 14-422, I.C., is as follows:

“Any order, judgment or decree made by any probate or district court fixing inheritance or transfer tax or determining that no inheritance or transfer tax is due, may be appealed from.”

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Bluebook (online)
338 P.2d 267, 81 Idaho 165, 1959 Ida. LEXIS 203, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/neill-v-buhler-idaho-1959.