Opinion ID: 1266773
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Inheritance Issue May Be Resolved By A Separate Action.

Text: Accordingly, we hold that, with regard to establishing a right to inherit from a person who died before the 1999 amendment to West Virginia Code § 42-1-5 was effective, a prospective heir born out of wedlock may maintain an otherwise unobjectionable action without regard to the limitations on actions set forth in West Virginia Code § 48A-6-1 et seq. We perceive that the action brought by the Appellant here is in the nature of a declaratory judgment action, brought under that statute, or in the nature of a former action in equity, for which there is not other remedy at law, in order to establish and declare the Appellant's relationship to the decedent, if any, and the Appellant's right to inherit from the decedent, if any. [10] Having based its resolution of this matter upon an inapplicable statute, the trial court did not reach the merits of the Appellee's argument of laches. This Court has consistently observed the rule of appellate review that we will refrain from addressing a nonjurisdictional issue that has not been determined by the lower court. See Hartwell v. Marquez, 201 W.Va. 433, 442, 498 S.E.2d 1, 10 (1997) (`It is a well established principle that this Court will not decide nonjurisdictional questions which have not been raised in the court below.' (quoting Stonebraker v. Zinn, 169 W.Va. 259, 266, 286 S.E.2d 911, 915 (1982) (additional citations omitted))); Syl. pt. 3, Voelker v. Frederick Business Properties Co., 195 W.Va. 246, 465 S.E.2d 246 (1995) (`In the exercise of its appellate jurisdiction, this Court will not decide nonjurisdictional questions which were not considered and decided by the court from which the appeal has been taken. Syllabus Point 1, Mowery v. Hitt, 155 W.Va. 103[, 181 S.E.2d 334] (1971).' Syl. pt. 1, Shackleford v. Catlett, 161 W.Va. 568, 244 S.E.2d 327 (1978)).