Roberson v. Teel

513 P.2d 977, 20 Ariz. App. 439, 1973 Ariz. App. LEXIS 756
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedSeptember 11, 1973
Docket1 CA-CIV 1857
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 513 P.2d 977 (Roberson v. Teel) 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
Roberson v. Teel, 513 P.2d 977, 20 Ariz. App. 439, 1973 Ariz. App. LEXIS 756 (Ark. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

JACOBSON, Chief Judge, of Division 1.

This appeal arises out of the trial court’s granting defendants’ motions for summary *442 judgment against the plaintiff, who by an independent action sought to set aside various orders and a decree of distribution of the probate court. .

The underlying probate proceedings which generated the present litigation, involves primarily the probate of the estate of Emma Teel, deceased. Emma Teel, the widow of W. L. Teel, died in Phoenix, Arizona, in August of 1945, leaving a large estate consisting of real property now located at the southwest corner of Indian School Road and Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona. She left three children surviving her, Marvin, Eula and Frank. Marvin and Eula were incompetent. The Phoenix Savings Bank and Trust Company was appointed by the probate court as guardian ad litem for Marvin and Eula in the probate proceedings. Emma Teel’s will was admitted to probate on October 30, 1945, and the competent son, Frank Teel (one of the appellees herein) was duly appointed executor of the estate.

Emma Teel’s will'provided generally that one-third of her estate should pass outright to Frank Teel and that Marvin and Eula were to have life estates in the other two-thirds, with the remainder, upon the death of Marvin and Eula, to go to Frank. 1 A codicil to the will provided:

“I further request that the administrator of my estate keep same open as long' as practicable, and during the administration that the administrator procure and the court order that an amount be set aside for the support and maintenance of said children [the incompetents Marvin and Eula] or either of them in the nature of a family allowance, and that that further be handled by said administrator until the estate is closed in such a manner as to supply the wants, needs, and comforts of my said children or either of them . . . .”

On May 1, 1946, Frank Teel was appointed general guardian of the estates and persons of Marvin and Eula.

The administration of Emma Teel’s estate lasted until April 11, 1969 and during this 24-year period, Frank Teel, as executor, duly filed annual accountings reciting that since 1946 the estate had been in a condition to be closed except for the provision above quoted dealing with the maintenance of Marvin and Eula. Eula died in 1967 and Marvin died on February 6, 1969. The estate was closed following Marvin’s death.

During the course of the administration of the estate on August 8, 1946, the probate court entered an order that all sums used for the support and maintenance of the incompetents, Marvin and Eula, should be charged to their respective distributive shares of the estate. In 1953, Frank Teel purchased a mobile home using $6,825.55 of the estate funds. This mobile home was not accounted for, but the decree of distribution distributed all property belonging to the estate to Frank.

On November 21, 1958, Frank Teel petitioned the probate court for an order of partial distribution of his share of the estate to him. The court on that date ordered that five days’ notice of the petition be given. On the same date that Frank had petitioned for partial distribution, he also petitioned to withdraw as guardian of both the person and estate of his incompetent brother and sister. ‘ This request to withdraw was granted and on December 2, 1958, an attorney, who was a former member of the law firm representing Frank, was appointed as guardian for the incompetents. On December 3, 1958, the court entered a decree of partial distribution.

Immediately following issuance of this decree of partial distribution, Frank petitioned the court for partition of his one-third interest. The probate court appointed a commissioner who duly reported to the court on the partition petition. After notice and hearing, the probate court partitioned Emma Teel’s estate granting to Frank certain unimproved real property lo *443 cated at the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Indian School Road.

Frank subsequently entered into a 60-year lease of the property partitioned to him with B & C Investment Company. 2 B & C Investment Company later sold this leasehold to appellees Julian J. Aberbach and Joachim Jean Aberbach (Aberbachs), who with financing obtained from appellee, Great Southern Life Insurance Company, constructed extensive improvements on the property. The lease between Frank Teel and B & C Investment Company called for total rentals to be paid Frank in the sum of $1,080,000.

In 1968, after the filing of a petition and appointment of appraisers, the probate court conducted a sale of an unimproved tract of land belonging to the estate which was adjacent to the leased land. Following spirited bidding between Del Webb Corporation and the Aberbachs, the court, on May 8, 1968, entered its order confirming this sale to the Aberbachs for $665,000.00. This property is also now fully improved.

■ As previously indicated, the probate court on April 11, 1969, entered its decree of final distribution in the Emma Teel estate. On February 19, 1971, appellant as executrix and sole beneficiary of Marvin’s will 3 commenced this independent civil action against the appellees.

By appellant’s multiple count complaint, she sought, insofar as is pertinent here, the following relief:

(1) That all the accounts of the executor Frank Teel 4 after December 31, 1946, be set aside; that the orders approving those accounts be revoked ; and that appellant have judgment against Frank Teel for one-half the amount of administration costs (allegedly $125,000) incurred since December 31, 1946.
(2) That the decree of partial distribution and the decree of partition entered in 1958 be declared void; that the court decree that appellant’s de- . cedent (Marvin) was at the time of his death the owner of one-half of the real property covered by the decree of partition; and that Frank Teel account for all monies received as rentals on the property and that judgment be had against Frank for monies allegedly converted by him.
(3) That the 1968 sale of estate real property to Aberbach be set aside and that the court decree that Marvin was the owner of one-half of that real property at the time of his death.
(4) That Frank Teel account for the mobile home.
(5) That the decree of distribution be set aside and the court declare that Emma Teel died intestate; and that the order of the probate court, charging the distributive shares of Eula and Marvin for their maintenance, be set aside.

Appellee Frank Teel’s motion for summary judgment was granted as was appellees Aberbachs’ and their successors in interest’s motion to dismiss which was treated as a motion for summary judgment. This appeal followed.

Appellant’s attack on the probate of Emma Teel’s estate can be classified into three general categories: (1) misrepresentation of Emma Teel’s will; (2).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
513 P.2d 977, 20 Ariz. App. 439, 1973 Ariz. App. LEXIS 756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roberson-v-teel-arizctapp-1973.