Court Opinion

ID: 9726827
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:10:10.514827+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:14:52.928192
License: Public Domain

CALDECOTT, P. J.
I concur with the majority’s opinion holding that paragraphs thirteenth of the wills adequately expressed the intention to disinherit any or all heirs not mentioned in the wills. I respectfully dissent from the conclusion that the decedents did not intend to disinherit the grandchildren.
While it has been said that the intentional omission of an heir must appear on the face of the will and evidence other than the will itself is inadmissible to prove the decedent’s intent to disinherit a natural heir, it is well established that extrinsic evidence is admissible to show a lack of intent of the testator to omit to provide for an heir (Estate of Torregano, supra, (1960) 54 Cal.2d 234, 245-247 [5 Cal.Rptr. 137, 352 P.2d 505, 88 A.L.R.2d 597]; Estate of Smith (1973) 9 Cal.3d 74, 79 [106 Cal.Rptr. 774, 507 P.2d 78]; Estate of Bank (1967) 248 Cal.App. 2d 429, 433-434 [56 Cal.Rptr. 559]).
This right was recognized by the trial court and respondents were allowed to, and did in fact, introduce extrinsic evidence in order to show that there was a lack of intent on the part of the decedents to preclude respondents from the estate. Two witnesses were called by respondents; Della Leonetti, the wife of Vincent Leonetti, the executor of the estates, and Frank C. Vorsatz, the attorney who drafted the wills. Della Leonetti’s testimony was very brief. She testified that she typed the letter of *385June 3, 1974, at the request of the testators and mailed it to Frank Vorsatz. She stated it was “customary” for her husband or herself to write all of the testators’ correspondence. Her only other testimony was that both testators could read and write English. She did not testify as to the contents of the letters or of any other conversations she had had with the testators concerning the wills or the letters.
Frank C. Vorsatz testified that he drafted the wills in question, and that he had drafted wills for the Leonettis in 1967 and also on a previous date. He stated that the paragraph thirteenth provision (the no-contest disinheritance clause) was included in the 1967 wills and that he had very carefully discussed its meaning and effect with the Leonettis at that time. He further testified that he had not met with the Leonettis or spoken to them, either directly or by telephone, prior to drafting the present wills, but had received “instructions and directions” from them. The letter of June 3, 1974, is the only instruction or direction that he identified. He also testified that he did not know that Matilda, the deceased daughter, had four children in addition to Angelo. The letter that Vorsatz referred to provided as follows: “Dear Mr. Vorsatz: In reference to the Wills you prepared for us in 1967, we would like to make a change in it at this time. We do not wish to leave anything to Angelo Meneguzzi. The part that was being left to him should be equally divided among the remaining heirs. [¶] Please make the necessary changes and mail them to us for our signature.” The letter was signed by Antonio Leonetti and Rose Leonetti.
The attorney had not seen or talked to the testators prior to drafting the present wills, the only communication was the letter of June 3, 1974. The only evidence of the testators’ intent before the trial court was the letter and the will itself. The letter is indefinite and ambiguous as to the meaning of “the remaining heirs.” Thus the only clear and definite expression of the testators’ intent is found in paragraph thirteenth of each will. The majority hold and I concur that paragraph thirteenth adequately expresses the intent to disinherit all heirs not mentioned in the wills and I feel that any evidence to the contrary is weak and inconclusive. I would reverse the judgment.
A petition for a rehearing was denied February 23, 1981, and appellant’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied March 25, 1981.