Opinion ID: 1583561
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Estate of Viola Irene Krumm Williams.

Text: Count II of the petition concerns the estate of Viola Irene Krumm Williams. The evidence established that Joy failed to complete the work on this estate in a timely manner. Because of his tardiness, the district court clerk issued seven notices of delinquency, and this estate remained open for a five-and-a-half-year period prior to closure. In addition, the evidence established that Joy did not comply with orders of the court in this matter. After the clerk issued its fifth delinquency notice, Joy sought direction from the court, claiming he had had no contact with Fiduciaries in this estate for an extensive period of time. The district court set the matter for hearing, directed Joy to mail notice to the fiduciaries and beneficiaries of the estate, and ordered Joy to file an affidavit with the court stating that mailing of the notice had been accomplished. On the date set for the hearing, neither Joy nor the fiduciaries appeared. Joy also failed to file the required affidavit regarding notice to the fiduciaries and beneficiaries, as directed by the district court. Eventually, as in the Schulista matter, the executors of the estate took matters into their own hands and filed a pro se application for a hearing. The district court complied with their request, and on the scheduled date, the executors, but not Joy, appeared. The district court entered an order requiring Joy to prepare a final report no later than July 15, 2003, or appropriate sanctions shall be imposed. On July 15, Joy called the district court, stating that the final report would be mailed that same day. It was not. When the district court subsequently scheduled a hearing to show cause why sanctions should not be imposed, in light of Joy's noncompliance, Joy did not appear. The district court rescheduled the hearing, and to ensure notice, directed the sheriff to personally serve Joy. Joy again did not appear. An attorney who happened to be in the courthouse on other matters, however, advised the court that Joy was hospitalized. As a result, the district court rescheduled the hearing yet again. The record does not clearly indicate what happened after the rescheduled hearing, but progress on the estate still was not made. The executors eventually wrote the district court a letter, stating that Steven Joy failed to appear at three hearings, and asking where do we go from here? In response to the letter, the district court scheduled another hearing, with the executors and their attorney directed to show cause why they should not be removed due to their failure to close the estate. Notice was sent to Joy by ordinary mail. The executors appeared at the hearing in person, but Joy did not. In a post-hearing order, the district court removed Joy as attorney for the estate. The court further ruled that Joy was not entitled to the second half of attorneys fees paid by the estate because the final report had not been filed and court costs not paid as required by rule 7.2 of the Iowa Rules of Probate Procedure. As a sanction for his failure to comply with prior court orders and for his failure to assist the fiduciaries in administering this estate, the district court ordered Joy to return $1,519.07 to the clerk for payment to the executors of the estate within ten days. The record shows that Joy did not repay the amount in ten days. As a result, the district court entered a further order entering a $1,519.07 judgment against Joy in favor of the beneficiaries. The estate was finally closed after being open for a five-and-a-half-year period.