Opinion ID: 1246907
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: additional compensation

Text: Conway argues that it was clearly erroneous to award compensation to First Trust because total fees paid to personal representatives exceeded amounts authorized by the old Probate Code and because First Trust failed to perform its statutory duties. Our consideration of these same issues earlier in this opinion dispose of these contentions. Conway complains that administration costs have been excessive. There is no recognition by her of her own obsessive role in this. We observe that, in addition to the direct costs to these estates of her litigation, she was reimbursed a total of $41,054.25 in expenses after her removal, when her sister waived any such claim. Thus, any excessiveness in administration costs cannot be attributed to First Trust. First Trust insists that it has done our best in a very difficult situation, and suggests that some bonus ... in the nature of `combat' pay may be in order. Pointing to Conway's repeated litigation over payment of fees and expenses in past proceedings in these estates, see Kjorvestad I, II and IV, First Trust correctly observes that Conway has no obvious objection to litigation, except for payment of its cost. Indeed, Mrs. Conway has paid no heed to this Court's prior warnings about dissipating funds of the estates through rancorous litigation; see Kjorvestad II, 287 N.W.2d at 468 and Kjorvestad III, 304 N.W.2d at 87. Without cooperation from Conway, First Trust collected remaining assets and funds (some of which had been in non-interest bearing status for many months), completed and filed amended estate tax returns, prosecuted and resolved complex estate tax litigation in the federal courts, filed fiduciary income tax returns, prepared the Reconstructed Account, and prepared and submitted its final account and petition for distribution. It appears that First Trust diligently sought to dispatch its duty to complete the administration of both estates as expeditiously as possible under the circumstances. The Probate Code authorizes reasonable compensation to a personal representative and to those properly employed to assist in administration of any estate, including reasonable attorney's fees to defend or prosecute any proceeding in good faith. N.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-18-19, 30.1-18-21 and 30.1-18-20. The county court approved the compensation as reasonable. Under N.D.R.Civ.P., Rule 52(a), we are required to affirm the findings of the county court on compensation unless they are clearly erroneous. No evidence was submitted by Conway to dispute the services itemized or the hourly rates charged. We conclude that the county court's approval of compensation was not erroneous.