Court Opinion

ID: 9958233
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-08 16:09:05.47954+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:06.897185
License: Public Domain

J-A24017-23

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

 U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION  :            IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR      :                 PENNSYLVANIA
 TRUMAN 2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST     :
                                 :
                Appellant        :
                                 :
                                 :
           v.                    :
                                 :            No. 1009 EDA 2023
                                 :
 ESTATE OF GIRARD JUNE KEEHN,    :
 DECEASED, C/O APRIL KEEHN, ERIN :
 BETH VOSE, ROYCE KEEHN OR DANA :
 HELENSKI, KNOWN HEIRS: APRIL    :
 KEEHN, ERIN BETH VOSE, ROYCE    :
 KEEHN OR DANA HELENSKI,         :

              Appeal from the Order Entered March 29, 2023
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County Civil Division at
                           No(s): 2021-00346

BEFORE: STABILE, J., DUBOW, J., and SULLIVAN, J.

JUDGEMENT ORDER BY DUBOW, J.:                          FILED APRIL 8, 2024

      Appellant, U.S. Bank National Association as Legal Title Trustee for

Truman 2016 SC6 Title Trust, appeals from the orders of the Montgomery

County Court of Common Pleas, entered on March 29, 2023, sustaining the

preliminary objections filed separately by Appellees April Keehn and Erin Beth

Vose and Appellees Royce Keehn and Dana Helenski. The trial court dismissed

Appellant’s amended complaint in this mortgage foreclosure action for failure

to join an indispensable party, specifically, the personal representative of the

estate of the decedent mortgagor, Girard June Keehn (“Decedent”). Based
J-A24017-23

upon the intervening appointment of an administrator of Decedent’s estate,

we vacate the trial court’s orders and remand for further proceedings.

       The relevant facts and abbreviated procedural history are as follows.

On May 23, 2003, Decedent executed a note secured by a mortgage against

the property at 529 B St. in King of Prussia. Appellant asserts that the note

and mortgage have been in default since May 2013. Decedent died on April

7, 2019.

       On August 19, 2022, Appellant filed an amended mortgage foreclosure

complaint, naming as defendants each of the Appellees “individually and as

heir of the estate of [Decedent] and as a possible administratrix of said estate”

and “unknown heirs, devisees and personal representatives of [Decedent] and

his, her, their or any of their successors in right, title and interest[.]” 1 The

amended complaint did not name a specific personal representative for the

Estate as one had yet to be appointed.2

       On August 29, 2022, Appellees April Keehn and Erin Beth Vose filed

preliminary objections asserting, inter alia, that Appellant failed to name a

necessary party: the personal representative of the Estate. On September 8,

2022, Appellees Royce Keehn and Dana Helenski also filed preliminary

objections that, inter alia, raised the same issue.

____________________________________________

1 Amended Complaint in Mortgage Foreclosure, 8/19/22 (some capitalization

removed).

2 It appears that the lack of a personal representative of the estate resulted

from a will contest between the two pairs of Appellees.

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J-A24017-23

       On March 29, 2023, the trial court sustained Appellees’ preliminary

objections based upon Appellant’s failure to join the personal representative

of the estate.     Tr. Ct. Op., 5/29/23, at 1.   The court declined to provide

Appellant the opportunity to amend the complaint because it saw “no value in

ordering joinder when the indispensable party does not exist.”          Order,

3/29/23, at 1 n.1. Nevertheless, in its opinion, the trial court stated that it

had “no issue” with this Court reversing its decision and allowing Appellant

“an opportunity to amend the complaint once a personal representative is

appointed.” Tr. Ct. Op., 5/9/23, at 2 n.1.

       On April 14, 2023, Appellant filed a notice of appeal. Appellant and the

trial court complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.

       At argument, counsel for Appellant and Appellees Royce Keehn and

Dana Helenski informed this Court that the Montgomery County Register of

Wills had appointed Debra G. Speyer as administrator of the Estate of

Decedent, but that Appellees April Keehn and Erin Beth Vose appealed that

decision to the Montgomery County Orphans’ Court. On November 6, 2023,

this Court stayed the instant matter, to allow the Orphans’ Court to address

the appeal challenging the appointment of Ms. Speyer.

       On February 9, 2024, Appellant provided this Court with the Orphans’

Court order, dated November 30, 2023.3 Based upon a settlement reached

by Appellees, the Orphans’ Court, in relevant part, ordered the appeal of Ms.

____________________________________________

3 Neither pair of Appellees has responded to Appellant’s submission.

                                           -3-
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Speyer’s appointment withdrawn and appointed Ms. Speyer “as the

Administrator d.b.n. of the Estate of [Decedent] upon her qualification before

the Register of Wills.”      In re: Estate of Keehn, No. 2019-X1575

(Montgomery County Orphans’ Court, filed 11/30/23). Appellant additionally

submitted the Certificate of Grant of Letters granted by the Montgomery

County Register of Wills to Ms. Speyer dated February 1, 2024.

      Based upon the appointment of an administrator of the Estate of

Decedent, we conclude that the defect upon which the trial court dismissed

Appellant’s amended complaint no longer exists. Accordingly, we lift the stay

of this appeal, vacate the trial court’s orders sustaining Appellees’ preliminary

objections and dismissing Appellant’s amended complaint, and remand to the

trial court for further proceedings. On remand, the trial court is directed to

amend the caption to include Ms. Speyer as personal representative for the

Estate of Decedent.

      Stay lifted. Order vacated. Case remanded. Jurisdiction relinquished.

Date: 4/8/2024

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