Opinion ID: 1910412
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: county court hearings

Text: On August 23, 2005, just before the hearing on the trustee's motions to continue and to consolidate the actions, the county court judge had a conversation with counsel for the remainder beneficiaries. Counsel stated that the trustee and the remainder beneficiaries would argue that the judge's powers were done after Ruth's death and that the evidentiary hearing may not be necessary. During the hearing, the court stated that it could not conduct the evidentiary hearing because another case was taking up the afternoon. Counsel for the remainder beneficiaries stated that the remainder beneficiaries and the trustee were asking for a ruling on whether postdeath payments could be made if there were no bills submitted before Ruth's death and that if the court concluded the trust was unambiguous, it could decide that issue as a matter of law. They argued that if the court concluded the payments could be made, then Ruth's estate could submit evidence. Ruth's estate agreed with the remainder beneficiaries that the threshold issue was whether the trustee could make the payments, but argued that there was evidence the court must hear before making that determination. In addition, Ruth's estate argued that there would be evidence that the trustee was aware of Ruth's circumstances before her death and that there was a request for support payments prior to her death. The court stated it would not make a determination or receive evidence that day and continued the hearing. Various discovery actions and motions to compel Ruth's estate to produce documents were filed during the fall of 2005. In November, the court sustained the remainder beneficiaries' motion to compel discovery and gave Ruth's estate 60 days to respond. On December 23, however, the court issued a written order, concluding that an evidentiary hearing was unnecessary and deciding the dispute.