Court Opinion

ID: 9704517
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 00:37:55.71491+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:03.153961
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Justice,
concurring.
Although I agree with the majority that the orphans’ court decree should be affirmed, I write separately because I believe that one of appellant’s claims requires further comment.
Appellant urges that the contract to sell estate property should be set aside because the administrator failed to sell the real estate to appellant. It is indisputable that a fiduciary has a duty to deal fairly with beneficiaries of an estate. Steele Estate, 377 Pa. 250, 103 A.2d 409 (1954). However, there is no requirement, as appellant contends, that a fiduciary give special preference to a beneficiary in the sale of estate property. Moreover, the fact that appellant was willing to make a better offer after the contract of sale had been entered into is not a sufficient ground for setting aside the contract. See 20 Pa.C.S.A. § 3360(a); Curtis Estate (Salke Appeal), 437 Pa. 123, 261 A.2d 589 (1970). Hence, the orphans’ court correctly refused to set aside the contract.*

 We need not reach the issue of whether the administrator’s actions with respect to appellant constituted bad faith, because bad faith is not a ground for setting aside a contract of sale, although it may be grounds for surcharge of the fiduciary. See 20 Pa.C.S.A. § 3360(a).