Opinion ID: 6491035
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Guardianship Proceedings (FC-G-96-0299)

Text: On September 4, 1996, the Office of the Public Guardian filed a petition (docketed as FC-G-96-0299) for appointment of co-guardians of Kam, as an incapacitated person, pursuant to HRS chapter 560 [hereinafter, Hawai'i Uniform Probate Code or HUPC], section 560:5-102 (1993). 3 On October 8, 1996, the Family Court granted the petition and entered an order appointing the same co-guardians of Kam’s property in FC-AA-96-0003 as co-guardians of Kam’s person in FCG-96-0299. This court takes judicial notice that shortly thereafter, on October 29, 1996, the chief justice of this court entered two standing orders bearing on the analysis of this case. One order, titled “Assignment of District and District Family Court Judges,” [hereinafter, October 29,1996 Standing Order re: District Judges] provides in relevant part as follows: Pursuant to article VI, §§ 2 and 6[ 4 ] of the Constitution of the State of Hawai'i, [the chief justice does] hereby assign the several district judges, including the several district family judges ... to temporarily preside in the circuit courts of their respective circuits, on an as needed basis, to hear such circuit court matters as shall be assigned by the appropriate Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court of that circuit, who shall coordinate such assignments with the Administrative Judge of the District Court or the Senior Family Judge of that circuit, as applicable; provided that all temporarily assigned district and district family judges shall also hear such matters as may be assigned to them by their respective administrative judge. This order shall be effective upon filing and shall remain in effect until otherwise ordered. (Emphasis in original.) The other order, titled “Order Designating Circuit Judges of the First Judicial Circuit of the State of Hawañ to Act as Circuit Family Judges,” [hereinafter, October 29, 1996 Standing Order re: First Circuit Judges] provides in relevant part as follows: Pursuant to [HRS] § 571-4, [the chief justice does] hereby designate the several circuit judges and any acting circuit judge of the Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit to act as circuit family judges, on an as needed basis, to hear such family court matters as shall be assigned to them by the Senior Family Judge of the First Circuit, who shall coordinate such assignments with the appropriate Administrative Judge of the First Circuit Court; provided that all acting circuit family judges shall also hear such circuit court matters as may be assigned to them by their respective administrative judge. This designation shall be effective upon the filing of this order and shall remain in effect until otherwise ordered. (Emphases in original.) On December 6, 1996, the co-guardians of Kam’s person filed a motion in the Family Court for leave to file a petition for appointment of guardians of Kam’s property pursuant to the HUPC and HRS chapter 346. 5 In an affidavit in support of the motion, counsel for the movants declared that “consolidation of the guardianship of the property proceedings with the [guardianship of the person proceedings] would be in the best interests” of all parties concerned. Counsel for the movants added: Although the Probate Court normally has jurisdiction over proceedings for the appointment of a guardian of the property under [HRS] § 560:5-102, both that section and [HRS] § 346-235 provide that where a proceeding for appointment of the guardianship of the person is pending, a proceeding for appointment of a guardian of the property may be consolidated with that proceeding in the Family Court, as the applicable Circuit Court and Family Court, in the exercise of their discretion, shall determine. On January 2, 1997, the Family Court entered an order granting the motion. 6 On February 10, 1997, the có-guardians of Kam’s person filed a petition in the Family Court to be appointed co-guardians of Kam’s property in FC-G-96-0299. On February 25, 1997, the co-guardians of Kam’s person filed a motion in the Family Court in FC-G-96-0299 to void a will and certain other estate documents executed by Kam in 1995-96 in favor of Abastillas and Abastillas’ daughters. The February 25, 1997 motion alleged that Kam had executed the documents while lacking testamentary capacity and under the undue influence of Smith and Abastillas. Smith and Abastillas were not parties in FCG-96-0299, did not appear in the action, and no opposition was made to the petition or motion. On April 22,1997, the Family Court found that it had jurisdiction under the HUPC and entered an order in FC-G-96-0299 granting the February 10, 1997 petition and making the co-guardians the permanent co-guardians of Kam’s property. That same day, the Family Court entered a second order pursuant to the HUPC in FC-G-96-0299 wherein it granted the February 25, 1997 motion and declared the 1995-96 will and estate documents null and void. No appeals were taken from any of the Family Court orders. 7