Heuler v. Rinehart

PRESTON, J.

The order revoking letters of administration issued to appellant Jay D. Rinehart is hereby reversed with directions to the court below to so amend the order of appointment of said appellant as to provide for the issuance to him of letters of administration with the will annexed, upon compliance with the terms of said order of appointment.

Appellant was appointed administrator upon the nomination of the widow of said decedent. He had previously filed in this proceeding an alleged will bearing date of March 17, 1926, which failed of probate because of defective execution and there had also been called to the attention of the court an instrument designated a “marriage contract,” purporting to be testamentary in character. The court, however, after consideration of these documents granted appellant’s petition for letters. Thereafter one of decedent’s sons, George E. Heuler, in another proceeding, presented, with his petition for its probate, said so-called “marriage contract,” the validity of which as the last will of the deceased is established by our recent decision affirming the judgment admitting it to probate

(Estate of Heuler,

207 Cal. 391 [278 Pac. 1031]). Said son likewise filed his petition herein seeking revocation of the letters issued to appellant upon the ground that the deceased did not die intestate, but left a will, then being propounded for probate, which said widow and said administrator had failed and refused to present. After trial of the contest instituted by the widow against the probate of said document and upon overruling of the demurrer filed on behalf of said administrator, without giving him opportunity to file further pleadings, the court made said order here appealed from, revoking the letters of administration theretofore issued to him.

The nomination of the widow remaining unrevoked, in the absence of any ground for his disqualification, appellant is clearly entitled to administer the estate in preference and priority to any child of decedent or any other person. In this behalf, section 1350a of the Code

[500]

of Civil Procedure provides: “If no executor is named in the will . . . letters of administration with the will annexed must be issued as designated and provided for in granting of letters in case of intestacy. ’ ’ Section 1365 of said code provides: “Administration of the estate of a person dying intestate must be granted to some one or more of the persons hereinafter mentioned; . . . and they are, respectively, entitled thereto in the following order: 1. The surviving husband or wife, or some competent person whom he or she may request to have appointed; 2. The children; 3. . . Many cases announce this rule: