Opinion ID: 2620003
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion to Vacate Probate

Text: Two years after the order admitting the will to probate in Hawaii was entered, the appellant moved to vacate that order. In the motion the appellant alleged that the Hawaii court lacked jurisdiction since the decedent was not domiciled in Hawaii. As we have indicated in Part 1, the court may have jurisdiction to probate the will of a person domiciled elsewhere as long as the decedent leaves property in Hawaii. Furthermore, the trial court's denial of the motion to vacate the order of probate was not based on the alleged prior resolution of the issue of domicile in the original probate order. The court denied the motion on the grounds that the appellant failed to show good cause for failure to attack the probate order sooner and that it would be anomalous to deny primary probate in Hawaii after the California court had finally concluded that the decedent was domiciled in Hawaii and therefore admitted the will only for ancillary proceedings. The court's denial of the motion is perfectly consistent with the fact that the decedent may have been domiciled in California. Since none of the prior determinations in the probate proceedings in Hawaii or California precludes adjudication of the issue of the decedent's domicile at the time of her death, and since the appellees concede that they would prefer to obtain a determination of the issue now rather than await appeal in the probate proceedings, it is clear that the declaratory judgment action is an appropriate method by which to dispose of the issue raised in this case. Finally, it is undesirable for a judge who determines any of the issues in the probate proceedings to participate in an independent action related to the probate proceedings. Therefore, on remand, this case is not to be assigned to any judge who has heard any portion of the probate proceedings. Reversed and remanded.