Opinion ID: 1996671
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: From the foregoing it is to us apparent claimant Morgan failed to establish either the necessity or value of the declaratory judgment action as an extraordinary service.

Text: As trial court stated in its order fixing and allowing fees: The Court finds that a large portion of the itemized services attached to the Executor's claim relate to the declaratory judgment action brought by the Executor for the purpose of correcting certain mistakes made in the original inventory filed herein and that the beneficiaries of the estate should not be penalized by the errors committed by the Executor in listing the assets in the original inventory. Furthermore, it seems that the filing of an amended and corrected inventory would have accomplished everything necessary to the administration of the estate. This finding is borne out by the testimony of the Honorable H. E. Newton [presiding judge in the declaratory judgment action], who was called as a witness by the beneficiaries and expressed his opinion that the declaratory judgment action was `an exercise in futility'. The claim filed for extraordinary services by the Executor amounts to $5,000.00, but the Court does not feel that the reasonable value of the services performed have been shown to exceed the sum of $1,000.00, so far as the Executor is concerned. It is impossible to tell from the itemized statement of services that a large portion thereof were actually for extra-ordinary services, and the entire proceedings does not indicate the necessity for extra-ordinary services above the amount allowed by the Court. Upon a de novo review of the record this court hereby adopts the foregoing findings. We also find no basis upon which to hold trial court abused its discretion in allowing $1000 to R. L. Morgan for extraordinary services here performed. Under existing circumstances that allowance is neither inadequate nor inequitable. Affirmed. All Justices concur, except MOORE, C. J., who takes no part.