Stephanie A. Schrage v. The Audrey R. Seberger Living Trust u/t/d April 27, 2009 John R. O'Drobinak as Successor Trustee

52 N.E.3d 54, 2016 Ind. App. LEXIS 63, 2016 WL 914953
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 10, 2016
Docket45A04-1506-TR-686
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 52 N.E.3d 54 (Stephanie A. Schrage v. The Audrey R. Seberger Living Trust u/t/d April 27, 2009 John R. O'Drobinak as Successor Trustee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Stephanie A. Schrage v. The Audrey R. Seberger Living Trust u/t/d April 27, 2009 John R. O'Drobinak as Successor Trustee, 52 N.E.3d 54, 2016 Ind. App. LEXIS 63, 2016 WL 914953 (Ind. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

BROWN, Judge.

Stephanie A. Schrage (“Schrage”) appeals from orders dismissing her complaint pursuant to Ind. Trial Rule 12(B)(6) for failure to properly commence the ac *56 tion under Indiana Trial Rules 3 and 4 and for failure to properly docket the Audrey R. Seberger Living Trust u/t/d April 27, 2009 (the “Trust”). Her Complaint named as defendants the Trust, John R. O’Drobi-nak, as. Successor Trustee, Jack R. Seber-ger, Mary Beth DeVillez, Jacob Seberger, Jaclyn Seberger, Amy DeVillez, Jack De-Villez, Melissa Contraed, Adam Devillez, and Laura Campbell (collectively with the Trust and Trustee, the “Appellees”). Schrage raises two issues which we consolidate and restate as whether the trial court erred in dismissing her complaint. We reverse and remand.

Facts and Procedural History

The relevant facts, are not in dispute., On April 29,1992, Audrey R. Seber-ger (“Seberger”), as Settlor and initial Trustee, executed the Trust, which she amended and/or restated as follows: on October 14, 1996 by a Restatement of Trust; on January 27, 1999 by an Amendment to the Restatement of Trust; on August 9, 2000, by a Second Amendment to the Restatement of Trust; on March 11, 2003, by a Third Amendment to the'Restatement of Trust; on January 25, 2006, by a Second Restatement of the Trust; on April 27, 2009, by a Third Restatement of the Trust; and on August 19, 2009, by an Amendment to the ■ Trust. 1 O’Drobinak drafted all of the Trust documentation and was named the successor trustee in the Trust (the “Trustee”). Seberger died on July 11, 2014.

On August 26, 2014,.Schrage made a request to the Trustee for a complete copy of the Trust, and the Trustee responded by serving her with a Notice to Beneficiary and Trust Certification (the “Notice”), pursuant to Ind.Code § 30-4-4-5, stating that he was under no obligation to provide a complete copy of the Trust to her and providing notice that she had' ninety days to contest the validity, of the Trust. The Notice was dated August 27, 2014, and contained “an incomplete and redacted copy of the Third Restatement' of the Trust.” 2 Appellant’s Appendix at 58."

On November 24, 2014, Schrage filed her Verified Complaint Contesting Validity of the Trust and named each of the Appellees, and. the next day she tendered proper summons for each of the Appellees. On January 22, 2015, the Trustee filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Ind. Trial Rules 12(B)(6) and 12(B)(7), and most of-the trust beneficiaries named in the Complaint filed motions to join the Trustee’s motion. 3 On February 20, 2015, Schrage filed a response in opposition to the motion to dismiss.

On April 23, 2015, the court held a hearing, and on May 26, 2015, it issued two orders. The first order granted the Trustee’s motion to dismiss based upon Schrage’s failure to properly commence the action pursuant to the Indiana Trial Rules (the “Commencement Order”). The second order granted the Trustee’s motion to dismiss* for failure to properly docket *57 the Trust (the “Docketing Order”). The Commencement Order stated in part:

12. Ind.Code § 30-4-6-6(a) provides that notice of a complaint must be given “to any person or his personal representative who is named as a party in a petition or complaint, whose rights may be affected or upon whom liability might be imposed by any proceeding.” Further, I.C. § 30-4-6-6(b) provides that “[t]he form of notice required shall be in the form of a summons as provided for in the Indiana Rules of Procedure or in such other form as may be ordered or approved by the court.” “[A] plaintiff must fulfill all the obligations of Ind. Trial Rules 3 and 4 to commence a lawsuit, including an action to contest a will.” Smith v. Estate of Mitchell, 841 N.E.2d 215, 219 (Ind.Ct.App.2006). Ind. Trial Rule 3 provides that:
A civil action is commenced by filing with the court a complaint or ■ such equivalent pleading or document as may be specified by statute, by payment of the prescribed filing fee' or filing an order waiving the filing fee, and, where service of process is required, by furnishing to the clerk as many copies of the complaint and summons as are necessary.
Accordingly, in order to properly commence an action under T.R. 3, a plaintiff must file with, the .court a “complaint or such equivalent pleading or document as may be specified by statute.” Thus, because I.C. § 30-4-6-6(a) sets forth the notice provisions for trust contests, it must be complied with in order to properly commence an action under T.R. 3. ⅜ ⅜ ⅜ ⅜; ⅜ ⅜
14. There is no dispute that a proper summons was tendered to the named parties in this matter, but Smith also required that the plaintiff comply with the will contest statute -in order to properly commence the action- to challenge the will. This case, like Smith, involves notice provisions under a similar statute, I.C. § 30-4-6-6(a). In the < Complaint, Schrage names [the] Trustee, the Trust, and the «following Trust beneficiaries as defendants: Jack R. Seberger, Mary Beth DeVillez, Jacob Seberger, Jaclyn Seberger, Amy DeVillez,-Jack'DeVillez, Melissa Contrucci, Adam DeVillez, and Laura Campbell. However, like Smith, the Complaint fails to name, or even specify, the party or parties upon whom liability might be imposed, as is required by I.C,.§ 30-4-6-6(a), When read in its entirety and considered in the context of the action, alleged by Schrage, I.C. § 30-4-6-6(a) requires Schrage to not only name parties whose rights may be affected (i.e. the Trust beneficiaries), but .also.to name parties upon whom liability may be imposed. Moreover, as in Smith, the Clerk of the Court .did not serve a copy of Schrage’s Complaint and summons on any such individuals prior to the expiration of the 90-day period pursuant to I.C. § 30-4-6-14. These defects are fatal to Schrage’s Complaint under- Smith as Schrage’s Complaint failed to properly commence the action under T.R. 3 and T.R. 4, and the ninety (90) day period for contesting the validity of the trust in I.C. § 30-4-6-14 has since expired.
15. Schrage argues that the time limitation in which to challenge the Trust has not begun because [the Trustee] has refused to produce a complete and unre-dacted copy of the Trust-. The timing and requirements for contesting the validity of a trust are as follows:
(a) A person must commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of'a trust that was revocable at the settlor’s death within the earlier of the following:
*58 (1) Ninety (90) days after the person receives from the trustee a copy of the trust certification and a notice informing the person of:
(A) the trust’s existence;

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52 N.E.3d 54, 2016 Ind. App. LEXIS 63, 2016 WL 914953, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stephanie-a-schrage-v-the-audrey-r-seberger-living-trust-utd-april-27-indctapp-2016.