Opinion ID: 1726875
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: The children argue that if probate proceedings are commenced more than 3 years after the decedent's death, § 30-2408 limits the court's jurisdiction to determining how the property of an intestate decedent devolved at the time of the decedent's death and determining claims for administration expenses. The record shows that the county court appointed Kathleen as personal representative and denied the children's request to remove her. No determination has yet been made by the county court as to how Edward's estate passed (or should pass) to his heirs. Thus, we address the children's jurisdiction argument only as it pertains to the appointment of Kathleen. We first consider the children's argument that the county court did not have jurisdiction to appoint Kathleen as personal representative more than 3 years after Edward's death. The proceedings were initiated when Kathleen filed an application for informal appointment of personal representative in intestacy. Section 30-2408 provides, in relevant part, as follows: No informal probate or appointment proceeding or formal testacy or appointment proceeding, other than a proceeding to probate a will previously probated at the testator's domicile and appointment proceedings relating to an estate in which there has been a prior appointment, may be commenced more than three years after the decedent's death, except . . . (4) an informal probate or appointment or a formal testacy or appointment proceeding may be commenced thereafter if no formal or informal proceeding for probate or proceeding concerning the succession or administration has occurred within the three-year period, but claims other than expenses of administration may not be presented against the estate. (Emphasis supplied.) [4,5] The meaning of a statute is a question of law. State ex rel. Columbus Metal v. Aaron Ferer & Sons, 272 Neb. 758, 725 N.W.2d 158 (2006). Statutory language is to be given its plain and ordinary meaning, and an appellate court will not resort to interpretation to ascertain the meaning of statutory words which are plain, direct, and unambiguous. Turco v. Schuning, 271 Neb. 770, 716 N.W.2d 415 (2006). [6] A county court has exclusive jurisdiction over all proceedings regarding a decedent's estate. Mischke v. Mischke, 253 Neb. 439, 571 N.W.2d 248 (1997). See, also, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2211 (Cum. Supp. 2006). Section 30-2408 clearly permits an informal appointment proceeding to be commenced more than 3 years after the decedent's death if no formal or informal proceeding for probate or proceeding concerning the succession or administration has occurred within the three-year period. The record shows that Edward died intestate on August 9, 1987. No formal or informal proceeding for probate or proceeding concerning the succession or administration of Edward's estate occurred within 3 years after his death. Kathleen filed her application for informal appointment of personal representative on September 14, 2005. Although this filing was made more than 3 years after Edward's death, we conclude that under the plain language of § 30-2408, the county court had jurisdiction to appoint Kathleen as personal representative of Edward's estate.