Estate of Lane

Contestants, Kenneth F. Mack and Alta Colleen Mack (Macks), appeal from a summary judgment dismissing their petition for revocation of probate and will contest.

Juanita V. Lane died on February 14, 1968. Her will, executed on April 3, 1967, and the codicil thereto, executed May 19, 1967, were admitted to probate on March 12, 1968. On July 25, 1968, the Macks filed a petition for revocation of the probate of the will and codicil on the ground the decedent lacked testamentary capacity. The Macks were not related to the decedent nor to her predeceased husband. They sought to establish standing to contest the will by showing they were the sole beneficiaries of a previous will executed by the decedent in October 1963.

After the contest was filed, respondents, the beneficiaries of the 1967 will, submitted written interrogatories to the contestants for answer. The Macks' answers indicated they could not produce the original 1963 will, but had a copy which had been furnished by the attorney who drew it. The answers also conceded contestants had no evidence to establish the 1963 will was in existence at the time of Mrs. Lane's death, or that it had been lost or…