No. 84-542 114 THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1985

INTHE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ETHEL E. EVANS, Deceased.

APPEAL FROM: DistrictCourt of the Third Judicial District, In and for the County of Powell, The Honorable Robert Boyd, Judge presiding.

COUNSEL OF RECORD:

For Appellant: Morrow, Sedivy & Bennett; Lyman H. Bennett, 111, Bozeman, Montana

For Respondent: John L. Hollow, Helena, Montana M.K. Daniels, DeerLodge, Montana Thomas R. Scott, Dillon, Montana

Submitted on Briefs: May 9, 1985 Decided: July 12, 1985

Filed: 

## 3111. !.:

## 1985

Clerk

### Mr. 

### Chief Justice J. A. Turnagedelivered the Opinion of the Court.Co-personal representative, daughter of the decedent, appeals from an order of the Third Judicial District, Powell County, requiring distribution of the residuary estate in equal one-eighth (1/8) shares to decedent's named grandchildren. The order denied rej-mbursementfor attorney fees and costs incurredby appellant. We affirm. Appellant has asked this Court to consider two issues: Does decedent's will require a distribution in equal shares to all eight named grandchildren or an equal distribution to the two branches of the residuary devisees? 2. 

### Isappellant entitled to attorney feesand costs in the District Court and on appeal in prosecuting this action outside theprobate? Ethel E. 

### Evans, a widow, duly executed her last will and testament inDeerLodge,Montana, onApril 28, 

### 1983. She died November 25, 

### 1983, at the age of eighty-six, survivedby two daughters, eight grandchildren, and a.

### number of greatgrandchildren. Her son, Charles Evans, predeceased her without issue. Her will was admitted to probate December 1, 1983, in the District Court of the Third Judicia.1District. Her two daughters, Lois E. Geary of Deer Lodge, Montana, and Meryl Kovatch of Hastings, Nebraska, were appointed co-personal representativeswith directions "to actwithoutbond or other security for the faithful performance of theirduties." Co-personal representativeshired the attorney who had prepared thewill to handle the probate of the estate. Upon disagreement on distribution of the estate, Meryl Kovatch

### filed a petition September 5, 

### 1984, stating that she had hired independent legal counsel. Her petition noted! her disagreement with the other representative and "the attorney of the estate" about the interpretation of the will. She asked for an ord-erdistributing the residuary estate one-half to her two children and one-half to the six children of her sister, Lois Geary. She also requested "reasonableattorney fees from the estate in addition to any other attorney fees thatmay he allowed in the probate of the estate." Following extensive briefs, a hearing September 20, 1984, and subsequent memoranda, the court issued its order October 25, 

### 1984. The court concluded that the "language of thewill taken'asa whole" clearly and unambiguously required distribution of the residuary estate in "one-eighth equal shares to the named grandchildren" and that par01 evidence

was unnecessary. Further, the court found that petitioner was acting on behalf of her children and not the estate and thereforewasnot due attorney feesand costs. Issue No. 

### 1: Distribution of Residuary Estate. In 

### - - 

### - Paragraph I,Mrs. Evans listed her heirs and their relationship to her. She also stated that her only son had predeceased her without issue. Paragraph I1 governed the appointment of both her daughters as co-personal representatives. Mrs. Evans disposed of her estate in Paragraph 111:

(1)specific d.evisesof $10,000 each to her twonamed daughters with any taxes to come from the residuary estate; (2) 

### directions to sell real and personal property with a plan to allow a fair chance for all her heirs to purchase; and (3) 

### the residueof the estate toher grandchildren. Theprovisionsof the will under question follow:

### "I. "I am a widow. My son, Charles Evans predeceased me, leaving no issue. My surviving heirs are as follows: MY daughter LOIS GEARY, Deer Lodge, Montana, who has the following children, to-wit: RICHARD M. GEARY, Helena, Montana, JOYCE 

### M. SCOTT, Grangeville, Idaho,ROBERT E. GEARY, Helena,Montana, ELAINE M. 

### OLSEN, Helena, Montana, JOAN C. 

### SMITH, Missoula,Montana, and DANIEL C. GEARY, Helmville, Montana; and my daughter, MERLE [sic] A. KOVATCH, Hastings, Nebraska,who has the following child.ren, to-wit: THOMAS S. 

### KOVATCH,Missoula.,Montana, and JAMES

### P. KOVATCH,Hastings,Nebraska.

"Idevisemy estate as follows: "To each of my daughters, LOIS E. GEARY and MERLE [sic]

### A. KOVATCH, 

### I give the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). Any death or inheritance tax to which said devisees may be subject shall paid frommy residuaryestate. 

# ".

.. [Provision on liquidation of property.] "All of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real,personal and mixed, of every nature, kind and description, wherever situated and however held, which is andmay be subjecttomy testamentary disposition at the time of my - - 

### death, 

### I give to grandchildren, Richard

## M. Geary,JoyceM. Scott,Robert 

## - E. ~earc Elaine 

### 5 Olson, Joan C. 

### - 

### -- Smith, Daniel 

## C. Geary, Thomas S. Kovatch and James P. Kovatch, in equz shares,

### per stirpesand 

## -- not~er capita." (Emphasisadded. Appellant contends that the language "per sti.rpesand not per capita" requires a distribution according to the "roots of inheritance" set out in Paragraph I, i.e., her daughter Lois Geary who has six children and her daughter Meryl Kovatchwho has two children.Respondent contends that the grandchildren were specifically named as takers in the residuary provision and not segregated into separate classes in the devise. Paragraph 

### I denotes the usual family history and not how the grandchildren are to take under Paragraph 111. Since the grandchildren are the primary legatees, "per stirpes" refers to how their issue would take as substitute legatees should

one grandchild predecease the testatrix, respondent contends. "Per stirpes" does not refer to the living ancestors, testatrix's daughters, who are not takers under this provision. We hold that the testatrix clearly intended her grandchildren to take in their own right equally and not by right of representation through their livingparents. Thewords "per stirpes"mean by the root or stock. The phrase d-enotesa taking by right of representation of that which an ancestor of the parties would take if living. Wood

v. Brown (Cal. 1946), 

### 162 P.2d 859, 861. Persons who take per stirpes do so in a representative capacity and, standing in the place of a deceased ancestor, take only what he would have taken had he lived. Makoff v. Makoff (~tah 1974), 528 P.2d 797, 799; Gustafson

### v. Swenson (Mass. 1976), 347N.E.2d 701, 703; In reRobins Estate (D. D.C. 1941), 38 F.Supp. 468, 471. Ordinarily the words "per stirpes" are used to denote substitution in case of the death of the primary legatee. When descendants take by representation of their parents, they are said to take "per stirpes," i.e., children take among them the share which their parent would have taken if living. Fidelity Union Trust Co. v. Farley (N.J. 1940), 13 A.2d 313, 315. "Per stirpes" is not applicable to named legatees or legatees designated as a class, but rather totheir descendants 

### by representation. The ordinary use of "per stirpes" relates to the distribution of substantial gifts to substituted legatees in case of death of theprimary legatee. Johnson v. Swann (Md. 1956), 126 A.2d 603, 606. The intention of the testator should control the disposition and the intent should "be found from all parts of the will

# . .. construed in relation to each other

# ..

# . to form

one consistentwhole." In the Matter of the Estate of Erdahl

(Mont. 19811, 630 P.2d 230, 231, 38 St.Rep. 978, 980. Appellant asks for a strained construction of thewill to determine intent of the testatrix. Mrs. Evans named her grandchildren to take "in equal shares" the entire residuary estate. She made limited equal specific devises to her daughters as all they would take under her will. Her daughters were not named to take under the residuary provision, and under Montana's antilapse provision would never take the residuary estate under the will. Sections 72-2-512 and 72-2-513,MCA. Shedid not expressly provide that the grandchildren were to take by relationship to their mothers and not in their own name. The fact that the ancestors (hereMrs. Evans' daughters) are living shows that the beneficiaries are not to take in their place and that they are referred to for the purpose of designating the beneficiaries. People'sNational Bank of Greenville v. Harrison (S.C. 1941), 18 S.E.2d 1, 6. When a gift in a clause "inequal shares, share and share alike," to twelve persons was designated by name and as descendants of other persons, the court in Rhode Island held that this required a division into twelve shares for distribution. Naming the ancestors merely identified the legatees and did not divide them into classes with the intention that eachclass take one-third. Winsome v. Brown (R.I. 1927), 136 A. 434, 436-437. Where beneficiaries take directly under a devise,they take as individualsand not in their representative capacity and if the testator(rix) provides that it shall be in equal proportions, then they take equally. Coppedgev. Coppedge (N.C. 1951), 66 S.E.2d 777, 780. Other jurisdictions have interpreted language similar to the provision in Mrs. Evans' will. Where a will stated "shareand sharealike,per stirpes,and notper capita,"the New Jersey court held that the distributionwould go equally 

### to each niece in 1/8 shares and not 1/2 to three daughters and 1/2 to the other five daughters on another branch. Camden Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. MacMullan (New Jersey 1933)

## , 165 A. 105, 106. The New York court interpreted language, "and to the issue of such asmay have died leaving issue them surviving, per stirpes and not per capita," to intend that the stirpital distribution should apply only to the issue of any deceased devisees who themselves take as a single class with equal shares. In re Title Guarantee & Trust Co. (NewYork 1914), 144N.Y.Supp. 889, 893, aff'd 106 N.E. 1043. In a later case, the New York court interpreted "per stirpesand notper capita" following a bequest to nieces and nephews "share and share alike,"as not relatingback to the immediate ancestors of the nieces and nephews for distribution. Rather, it does not go back past the class that are the legatees. In re Ives' Estate (New York 1936), 291 N.Y.Supp. 981, 983. Mrs. Evans' will, taken as awhole, showed fairnessand equality. She treated her daughters equally in the specific devises, although one lived close

### by, the other inNebraska.

### She appointed both daughters to administer the estate co-equally, withoutbond. Inproviding amethod by which her descendants could purchase her real and personal property without unnecessary wrangling, at an appraised price, she determined priority of choice would "be according to age in

case the same items if [sic]desired by two or more of my heirs." She showed no preference for "stock," "stirp," or branches of devisees. Finally, she named each of her grandchildren, without separating into categories, to take "inequal shares." There is no indication in theprovision or thewill in its entirety of intentionto favor the lessprolific stock. "Intention of the testator controls." Section 72-2-501,

### MCA. The attorney who drafted the will in representing the estate supports the position that it was Mrs. Evans' intention to devise the residue to all eight grandchildrenequally. Mrs. Evans named her heirs in order to identify the devisees. She did not divide them into classes. Taking directly under the devise,the grandchildren take as individuals and not in their representative capacity. Their issue, Mrs. Evans' great-grandchildren, would have taken "per stirpes" (in a representative capacity) should a grandchild have predeceased testatrix. Mrs. Evans' daughters are.living,are notnamed devisees under the residuaryprovision, and are not intended "stirp" for purposes of determining distribution. The grandchildren are not taking wh.at their mothers are entitled to,butwhat they in their ownnames are to take "in equal shares" under the wil.1. The District Court correctly interpreted the will to apportion eight equa1 

### individual shares toMrs. Evans' grandchildren.Issue No. --2: Attorney 

### -- fees and. costs in the District 

### -- Court and on appeal. Meryl Kovatch as a co-personal repre--7 sentative was a fiduciary of the estate with the duty to settle and distribute the estate according to the terms of thewill and the code in thebest interestsof the estate and of the successors to the estate. Section 72-3-610,MCA. By admission in her petition, she sought independent legal counsel to propose an interpretation contrary to that propounded by the attorney for the estate who had also drafted thewill. Appellant contends that she was a duly nominated personal representative who prosecuted this proceeding in good faith and thus is entitled to costs and attorney fees in the District Court and on appealpursuant to 

### 5 72-3-632,MCA. We disagree. Where there are two or more appointed co-representatives, concurrence is required on all acts connected with the administration and distribution of the estate. Section 72-3-622, MCA. Without the concurrence, Mrs. Kovatch was not acting on behalf of the estate. She undertook this cause tobenefit some of the successorsat the expense of others. She compromised her duty to settle and distribute the estate expeditiously and efficiently pursuant to her fiduciary duties of 

### 5 72-3-610,MCA, and thwarted the purpose of the code to promote efficiency in liquidation and distribution. Section 72-1-102, MCA. "[Als a matter of public policy, it would be unwise to allow the funding of: litigation out of an estate residue." In the Matter of the Estate of Dygert (1976), 170Mont. 31, 33, 550 P.2d 393, 394. Finally she is not a "party aggrieved" within Rule 

### 1, M.R.App.Civ.P., forpurposes of this appeal. While apersonal representativemay request the District Court to interpret

### the will under 5 

### 72-3-605,MCA,Mrs. Kovatch has no standing to appeal the resulting court order. Because she is not a residuary devisee, she has no interest adversely affectedby the order. We hold that the courtproperly interpreted theprovision in testatrix's will devising the residuary estate in equal shares to her eight named grandchildren. We hold that appellant did not prosecute this action in good faith a.sa fiduciary 

### of the estate and its successors, and thus the courtproperly denied attorney feesa.ndcosts. Affirmed.

We concur:

JusticesMr. JusticeFred J. Weber dissents as follows: In substance the majority concludes that it is fair to distributetheproperty equallyt o a l leightgrandchildren so that no grandchild obtains a greater share than any other. That is an attractiveanalysis. However, it does not address directly the contradictions in language contained in the will.Inpertinentpart, thewillprovides: "All of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate 

# . .

# . I give tomy grandchildren, Richard M. Geary, Joyce M. Scott, Robert T. Geary, Elaine M. Olsen, Joan C. Smith, Daniel C. Geary, Thomas S. Kovatch and James P. Kovatch, in equal shares, per stirpes and not per capita." The majority concludes that thisprovision indicates a clear intentthatthegrandchildren take intheirown right and not by any representation through their living parents, who are thedaughters of thedeceased. I do not believe thatconclusioncan he drawn from thewording itself. The majority does not discuss the definition of the words "per capita." 4 W. Bowe and D. Parker, Page on theLaw of Wills§ 36.6, at556 states: - "A distribution per capita is an equal division of the property to be divided among the beneficiaries, each receiving the same share as each of the others, without referencetothe immediate course of descent from the ancestor. A distribution per capita is an equal division among the beneficiaries, each receiving the same share astheothers." It is important tonote that a distribution "per capita" is

an equal division among the named parties. As a result the words "not per capita" asused inthewill clearly indicates that the devise is 

### - not to be in equal shares to all eight grandchildren. The willprovision states that the testatrix gives the property in equal shares, per stirpes. Under the definition

### ofper stirpescontained in the majority opinion,that is the

same as stating that she gives to her grandchildren, with one-half in equal shares to the children of her daughter Lois, and the remaining one-half in equal shares to the children of her daughter Meryl. That interpretation is consistent with the words "not per capita," which in substance means that the property is not to 

### go in equal shares t.oall eight grandchildren. 

### My conclusion is that th~ quoted will provision provides

a per stirpes distribution under which one-half would go to six of the children, equally, and the remaining one-half would go to two of the children,equally. Considering the other provisions of the will aswell, 

### I conclude that the quoted clause is contradictoryor at least ambiguous,and that additional evidence should be obtained to determine the intent of the testatrix. I 

### would remand the

cause to the District Court for further proceedings to establish such intent.

I

### concur'inthe 

### foregoingdiss f 

### Mr. 

### JusticeWeber: