Opinion ID: 2351923
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Issue #3: Jurisdiction over the Creditor's Claim

Text: [¶ 60] Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 4-10-507 (LexisNexis 2011) provides: § 4-10-507. Limitation on action by creditors. (a) Subject to the rights of persons dealing with a fiduciary as provided in W.S. X-XX-XXXX, a creditor may file a claim against the assets of the trust or commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of a trust that was revocable at the settlor's death within the earlier of: (i) Two (2) years after the settlor's death; (ii) One hundred twenty (120) days after a notice of the intent of the trustee to have the property of the settlor distributed as permitted under the terms of the trust has been published once per week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties where venue of the trust is properly established as provided in W.S 4-10-204; or (iii) One hundred twenty (120) days after known creditors have been mailed notice, by certified mail return receipt requested. The notice shall inform the creditor: (A) Of the trust's existence; (B) Of the trustee's name and address; (C) That the creditor shall make all claims in writing to the trustee within one hundred twenty (120) days of the date of mailing of the notice; and (D) That time allowed for commencing a proceeding to contest the validity of a trust or of the proposed distribution of the trustee is one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of mailing of the notice. (b) A creditor failing to file his claim or to commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of a trust within the times provided is forever prohibited from making any claim against the assets of the settlor's trust or commencing any judicial proceeding against the settlor or the assets of the settlor's trust. [¶ 61] The question of jurisdiction is always present in any case and can be raised at any time. It is a matter which the Court has a duty to raise at any time upon its own motion. In re Estate of Fulmer, 761 P.2d 658, 660 (Wyo.1988). If the lower court is without jurisdiction, then this Court is also without jurisdiction. Id. Also, as a rule we do not furnish advisory opinions. Spear v. Nicholson, 882 P.2d 1237, 1242 (Wyo.1994). [¶ 62] The Wyoming Probate Code requires that a creditor file any claim it may have against the estate within the time limited in the notice to creditors. Any claim not so filed is forever barred under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 2-7-703(a) (LexisNexis 2011). Stringari v. Taylor (In re Estate of Novakovich), 2004 WY 158, 101 P.3d 931 (Wyo.2004). Case No. S-11-0087 presents an issue involving the failure of the surviving spouse to timely present his creditor's claim against the Trust as required by § 4-10-507. This untimely filing of the complaint deprives this Court as well as the lower court of subject matter jurisdiction. As noted above, we do not render advisory opinions. We simply do not have the authority to become legal advisor to the estate planning community. We cannot issue any rulings where the Court does not have jurisdiction. [¶ 63] This Court is without jurisdiction to address the substance of the underlying issue in Case No. S-11-0087. We affirm the entry of summary judgment by the district court on the basis of the lack of subject matter jurisdiction. In this regard, it should be noted that the creditor's claim filed in this case was a claim against the estate by its own admission, the undersigned credtor [sic], Terrance Poland, asserts the following claim against the estate of Deanna B. George. The claim also cites Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 2-7-706 and 2-7-709 (LexisNexis 2011) as the applicable authority which specifically involves Claims against Estate. [¶ 64] Here, Poland was served with the notice on February 22, 2010. The notice was also published for three consecutive weeks in the local newspaper, as opposed to the two weeks mandated by the statute. Poland had actual notice of the 2008 will and Trust upon receipt of the traverse and alternative petition for probate filed by Nalee on January 12, 2010. Poland was also given notice of the lack of assets in the estate in the Inventory of Assets. Poland was given multiple notices of the fact that most, if not all, of Decedent's property and assets had been transferred to the inter vivos Trust. The residue property was transferred to the Trust by virtue of the pour-over will upon her death. Poland was informed many times that there were no assets subject to probate due to transfers to the Trust. [¶ 65] Furthermore, the Court has stated that there are limits on a court's authority to advise and instruct trustees, the prime limitation being that courts should not serve as legal advisor to trustees. The rules of construction of a trust agreement are simple. A trust agreement is governed by the plain language contained in the four corners of the document. Where there is no ambiguity and the language is clear and susceptible of only one construction, then the plain provisions of the trust instrument must be given effect. Rock Springs Land & Timber, Inc. v. Lore, 2003 WY 100, 75 P.3d 614 (Wyo.2003). The goal of the probate court should be a speedy settlement and adjudication of the rights in the property of a decedent. Pike v. Markman, 633 P.2d 944, 947 (Wyo.1981). In any event, the case is subject to the time restraint of § 4-10-507. [¶ 66] Here, Poland has never filed a claim against the Trust. It is true that he did file a claim against the Estate. The claim against the estate was rejected by the estate. In any event, Poland cannot bootstrap the rejection of the claim by the Estate into a right to file a complaint against the Trust, where the suit was late under the limitation of § 4-10-507. The failure of Poland to file the complaint in a timely manner deprived the court of jurisdiction. The district court properly entered summary judgment for the Trust and trustee.