Panagiotis v. Miltiades

497 P.2d 77, 17 Ariz. App. 257, 1972 Ariz. App. LEXIS 677
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMay 16, 1972
Docket1 CA-CIV 1568, 1 CA-CIV 1604
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 497 P.2d 77 (Panagiotis v. Miltiades) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Panagiotis v. Miltiades, 497 P.2d 77, 17 Ariz. App. 257, 1972 Ariz. App. LEXIS 677 (Ark. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

STEVENS, Presiding Judge.

This opinion relates to two consolidated appeals both of which arise out of a single will contest. In 1 CA-CIV 1568 the issue is the propriety of a summary judgment adverse to the contestants after which the will was admitted to probate. In 1 CA-CIV 1604 the issue is the correctness of the ruling of the trial court which sustained the contestants’ objections to the statement of costs which had been filed by the successful proponent of the will. The will contest originated before the will was admitted to probate.

THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS

The deceased and all of the participants are Greek or of Greek ancestry. The languages which the several persons utilized are English, Greek and Turkish. The proficiency of the several persons in these languages varied greatly.

The deceased was Philip Stavro also known as Philipas Stavro Panagiotis. He will be referred to herein as Philip. Philip died on or about 6 May 1969 at the approximate age of 76 years. The will in question bears the date of 1 August 1968. Philip had executed a prior will bearing the date of 25 July 1965. Philip spoke little, if any, English. He spoke Greek but not well, and his preferred language was Turkish.

Ernest Miltiades, herein referred to as Ernest, is the named executor in the 1968 will and was the special administrator during the period of the contest.

Anastasia Panagiotis, herein referred to as Anastasia, was a niece of Philip. She speaks some English and her preferred language is Greek. She was designated as a one-sixth residual beneficiary in the 1965 will and she was left $50.00 under the 1968 will. She is a contestant and has lived in Phoenix for a number of years.

Athanasia Kaslaris nee Athanasia Pan-agiotoglou is a contestant. She will be hereinafter referred to as Athanasia. The record discloses her to be an adopted daughter of Philip. She is not named in either will and she is a resident of West Germany.

George Panagiotoglou was a grandnephew of Philip. He came to this country in October 1965 to live with Philip. He was not named in the 1965 will and was named as the beneficiary of 50% of the residual estate in the 1968 will. Also named as the beneficiary of 50% of the residual estate in the 1968 will is George’s brother Nikolas who resides in Greece. Nikolas was named as the beneficiary of one-sixth of the residual estate in the 1965 will. Niko-las’ son Philipas was not named in the 1965 will and was given a bequest of $10,000 in the 1968 will.

Philip’s sister, who apparently is the sole survivor of his immediate family is not a litigant. She resides in Greece. She was given $10,000 by the 1965 will and $1,000 by the 1968 will.

*260 There is some question in the file as to whether Athanasia Kaslaris and Athanasia Panagiotoglou are one and the same person. From our examination of the file we conclude that both names relate to the same person. Athanasia under the name of Athanasia Kaslaris filed a timely notice of appeal together with a cost bond in relation to the will contest. By different counsel there is a notice of appeal without a cost bond filed on behalf of Athanasia Panagiotoglou. If these two names do not relate to one and the same party then the appeal filed on behalf of Athanasia Pana-giotoglou is defective. Anastasia filed a timely notice of appeal and an affidavit of her inability to post a cost bond, this notice was relating to the will contest.

There was a timely separate appeal from the trial court’s order declining to tax costs in favor of the proponent of the will and against the contestants.

THE WILL CONTEST

The will contest was resolved by a summary judgment. Affidavits, answers to interrogatories and depositions were considered by the trial court. Motions for summary judgment ar.e governed by Rule 56, Rules of Civil Procedure, 16 A.R.S.

In the event that the matters which are appropriate for the consideration of the Court in ruling on a motion for summary judgment disclose a disputed issue as to one or more material facts, which if true, could affect the final judgment, then it is error to grant the motion and to enter the summary judgment. Elson Development Company v. Arizona Savings & Loan Association, 99 Ariz. 217, 407 P.2d 930 (1965). If the material facts although not in dispute, are uncertain, summary judgment is not proper. Boozer v. Arizona Country Club, 102 Ariz. 544, 434 P.2d 630 (1967).

“Litigants are entitled to the right of trial where there is the slightest doubt as to the facts.” Peterson v. Valley National Bank of Phoenix, 90 Ariz. 361 at 362, 368 P.2d 317 at 318 (1962). See also Brand v. Dolgin, 17 Ariz.App. 154, 496 P.2d 144 (decided April 27, 1972).

When an appellate court reviews the granting of a summary judgment, the matter is viewed in the light most favorable to the losing party, giving such party the benefit of all favorable inferences that may be reasonably drawn therefrom. Livingston v. Citizen’s Utility, Inc., 107 Ariz. 62, 481 P.2d 855 (1971).

The moving party has the burden of a prima facie showing that there are no genuine issues of material fact so as to entitle the moving party to a summary judgment. Elerick v. Rocklin, 102 Ariz. 78, 425 P.2d 103 (1967). This burden must be met before the party opposing the motion has the duty to come forward with evidence to establish the existence of a dispute as to a material fact or facts. Flynn v. Lindenfield, 6 Ariz.App. 459, 433 P.2d 639 (1967).

In the review of a summary judgment the appellate court cannot weigh the disputed facts and reach a determination as to the probable outcome of the litigation if those same facts were established in the trial of the cause. Pitzen’s Wig Villa v. Pruitt, 11 Ariz.App. 332, 464 P.2d 652 (1970).

With these principles in mind, we will now turn to the record in this case to determine whether specific facts were presented by the contestants which showed that there were genuine issues for trial that should have precluded the granting of a summary judgment.

In the instant case it is urged that George exerted undue influence upon Philip in the making of the 1968 will. This allegation was denied by George thereby casting the burden of establishing the presence of disputed material facts as to undue influence upon the contestants. In re Estate of Sherer, 10 Ariz.App. 31, 455 P.2d 480 (1969).

We look then to the proof offered by the contestants and its sufficiency to establish the presence of material facts, which if true, might affect the

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Bluebook (online)
497 P.2d 77, 17 Ariz. App. 257, 1972 Ariz. App. LEXIS 677, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/panagiotis-v-miltiades-arizctapp-1972.