Court Opinion

ID: 9546612
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 17:32:50.931053+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:16:40.906154
License: Public Domain

MR. JUSTICE ANDERSON:
(dissenting).
*597The facts are correctly stated in the majority opinion and I adopt them without further comment.
The Chief Justice says: “The term ‘proceedings’ is used in the Probate Code as a general designation of the [entire judicial procedure employed] whereby the law is administered upon the various subjects within the probate jurisdictionEmphasis supplied. In re McFarland’s Estate, 10 Mont. 445, 26 Pac. 185, 188, is cited as authority.
I do not think that a probate proceeding starts until jurisdiction is invoked and I do not think jurisdiction is, in fact, invoked until someone is granted letters of administration or letters testamentary.
Following the McFarland case, this court in 1895 said: “The appellants stand before the court as having been named by the decedent as the executors of his will and testament, and as having voluntarily rendered themselves subject to the jurisdiction of the district court by duly petitioning for the probate of the will, and by duly receiving appointments as executors, according to law.” Emphasis supplied. In re Higgins’ Estate, 15 Mont. 474, 39 Pac. 506, 508, 28 L. R. A. 116.
The McFarland case announced the rule that one is subject to probate jurisdiction after petition is filed and order appointing is had. This has been the rule for 58 years and I see no need for changing it now, especially in view of the fact that the better line of authorities elsewhere follow the same rule. See In re Dobbins’ Estate, 36 Cal. App. (2d) 536, 97 Pac. (2d) 1051, 1053, where it is said: “The administration of an estate is one indivisible judicial proceeding from the order appointing the administrator till his discharge.” Emphasis supplied.
. In the instant case the relator exercised but one disqualification since the time jurisdiction of the probate proceeding attached and under our statute he is entitled to the relief sought here.