Opinion ID: 1931755
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Felonious Death Statute and Contentions of Parties.

Text: Through 1987, Iowa's felonious death statute was contained in one paragraph. It stated: No person who feloniously takes or causes or procures another to take the life of another shall inherit from such person, or receive any interest in the estate of the decedent as surviving spouse, or take by devise or legacy from the decedent, any portion of the decedent's estate. Iowa Code § 633.535 (1987). In 1987, the Iowa legislature amended the statute to substantially its current form, significantly broadening its scope. 1987 Iowa Acts ch. 9, § 1. Section 633.535 now provides: 1. A person who intentionally and unjustifiably causes or procures the death of another shall not receive any property, benefit, or other interest by reason of the death as an heir, distributee, beneficiary, appointee, or in any other capacity whether the property, benefit, or other interest passed under any form of title registration, testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, intestacy, renunciation, or any other circumstance. The property, benefit, or other interest shall pass as if the person causing death died before the decedent. 2. A joint tenant who intentionally and unjustifiably causes or procures the death of another joint tenant which affects their interests so that the share of the decedent passes as the decedent's property has no rights by survivorship. This provision applies to joint tenancies and tenancies by the entireties in real and personal property, joint and multiple-party accounts in banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, and other institutions, and any other form of co-ownership with survivorship rights. 3. A named beneficiary of a bond, life insurance policy, or any other contractual arrangement who intentionally and unjustifiably causes or procures the death of the principal obligee or person upon whose life the policy is issued or whose death generates the benefits under any other contractual arrangement is not entitled to any benefit under the bond, policy, or other contractual arrangement, and the benefits become payable as though the person causing death had predeceased the decedent. Iowa Code § 633.535 (1999). Whereas the prior statute applied only to inherited interests and interests passing through the decedent's estate, the new statute addresses three situations in which a murderer is denied the benefit of his felonious act. Specifically, subsection (1) prevents a murderer from receiving in any capacity any property, benefit, or other interest by reason of the death of the victim, regardless of how the property, benefit, or interest passes. Id. § 633.535(1). This subsection further provides that any such property, benefit, or interest passes as though the murderer died first. Id. Subsection (2) addresses joint tenancy property, and, stripped to its essentials, provides that when one joint tenant kills the other joint tenant the murderer has no rights by survivorship and the decedent's share of the joint tenancy property passes as the decedent's property. Id. § 633.535(2). Finally, subsection (3) is concerned with bonds, life insurance policies or other contracts on which the slayer is a designated beneficiary; it prevents the slayer from receiving any benefit under such bonds, policies, or contracts by virtue of the victim's death. Dean's heirs assert that subsection (2) governs the disposition of joint tenancy property, not subsection (1). They argue further that under subsection (2), only Dean's rights of survivorship are lost, not his undivided interest in the joint tenancy property. The heirs contend subsection (2) has the effect of terminating the joint tenancy, causing each tenant's undivided interest to pass through that tenant's estate. They ask this court to remand this case so the district court can determine the extent and value of each tenant's undivided interest in the joint tenancy property. The executor of JoAnn's estate contends the district court correctly interpreted the statute. First, she argues that subsection (2) does not terminate the joint tenancy and that it should be interpreted to divest the murderer of any interest in the joint tenancy property. Alternatively, the executor claims that pursuant to subsection (1) the joint tenancy property should pass as though Dean died before JoAnn, thereby allowing JoAnn's estate to inherit Dean's share of the joint tenancy property as the primary beneficiary under Dean's will. Finally, the executor asks that, if section 633.535 does not require Dean's share of the joint tenancy property to pass to JoAnn, the court should impose a constructive trust on Dean's share for the benefit of JoAnn's estate.