Biechner

Biechner v. Lynch

Good Law
18 Cal. App. 3d 940·1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1445·96 Cal. Rptr. 260
Court of Appeal of CaliforniaJuly 26, 1971Civ. No. 12289California2,710 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

Pierce, J.

Elmer H. Vanderhoofven (decedent) died July 30, 1962. He left an holographic will dated October 29, 1959, admitted to probate. Crocker-Anglo National Bank was appointed administrator with the will annexed. In a will contest other wills were denied probate. There was an appeal. Judgment was affirmed in an unpublished opinion by the appellate court of the Fifth District. Since neither party has advised us of the contents of this decision and it was not made a part of the record before us, we will assume that the issues raised therein have no relevance to the issues raised in this court.

The parties before us are certain claimants of the estate of the decedent *943 on the one hand and the State of California, represented by the Attorney General, on the other. The sole issue, as correctly stated by the latter, is whether the trial court correctly or incorrectly interpreted the will in refusing to apply the cy pres doctrine with the result that the entire distributable estate passes to the claimants (other than the state). These claimants, eight in number, comprise six siblings of decedent, the sole distributee of the estate of a deceased mother (the mother having died after…

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