DocketNumber: No. 23338, 23339.
Citation Numbers: 2007 Ohio 509
Judges: SLABY, Presiding Judge.
Filed Date: 2/7/2007
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/18/2021
{¶ 1} Appellant, Evangeline Kasapis, appeals from the trial court's judgment in favor of the guardian of A.K. and AL.K, Appellee Tracey Summers, in the Summit County Probate Court.
{¶ 2} Appellant, Evangeline Kasapis, is the paternal grandmother to the minor children A.K. and AL.K (collectively the "Wards"). Tracey Summers is the mother and guardian of the Wards. This dispute arose when the Wards' father and Appellant's son, Anthony Kasapis, Sr., died and Appellee was appointed guardian of the Wards in Case Nos: 2000-GM-247 and 2000-GM-248. On January 15, 2003, an action was commenced in the Summit County Probate Court to determine the heirship of the A.K. and AL.K., which resulted in an order, dated February 9, 2004, that held A.K. and AL.K. to be the children of Anthony Kasapis, Sr. Because of this finding, A.K. and AL.K. became the beneficiaries of a $10,000 life insurance policy owned by their father ("Insurance Proceeds") and became the residual beneficiaries of a trust created by Gus Kasapis ("Trust"), Appellant's deceased husband and Anthony Kasapis, Sr.'s, father.
{¶ 3} On June 22, 2004, Appellee filed annual guardian's accounts for each of her children for the period of August 27, 2002 through October 27, 2003 ("Accounts"). Because the Accounts listed several "unknown" payees and did not attach cancelled checks to verify disbursements, on June 23, 2004, the trial court, sua sponte, took exception with both Accounts and scheduled a hearing. On July 9, 2004, Appellant entered her appearance so as to also take exception with the Accounts. Appellee filed an objection to Appellant's appearance and the matter was set for hearing. The matter was heard on October 7, 2004, before a magistrate, but due to a service error, Appellant was not present and the trial court remanded the matter back to the magistrate for another hearing. The matter was again heard by the magistrate on February 17, 2005, with all parties present. The transcript of this hearing is not in the record. On February 3, 2006, the magistrate rendered her decision in both of the Wards' cases, finding Appellant to be without standing to file an exception to the Accounts ("Magistrate's Decision"), which the trial court adopted the same day. On February 17, 2006, the Appellant objected to the Magistrate's Decision. A hearing was held relative to Appellant's objections on April 25, 2006, the transcript of which is in the record. On June 28, 2006, the trial court issued identical judgment entries in both Wards' cases overruling Appellant's objections and adopting the decision of the magistrate (collectively the "Judgment Entry").
{¶ 4} Appellant appealed the Judgment Entry in both of the Wards' cases as appellate case numbers 23338 and 23339. Appellant then moved to consolidate the appeals, which motion this Court granted. In this consolidated appeal, Appellant has timely appealed the Judgment Entry assigning two assignments of error. Appellee did not file a brief in response thereto.
"The trial court erred as a matter of law in finding that the Wards' paternal grandmother did not have standing to file an exception to the guardian's account filed June 22, 2004."
{¶ 5} Appellant asserts that because she is the Wards' paternal grandmother and the primary beneficiary of the Trust, of which the Wards are residual beneficiaries, she is an interested person and entitled, pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 6} R.C.
{¶ 7} The trial court found that she was not a "person interested" because she did not have a "direct pecuniary interest" in the guardianship as required in the cases of Guardianship of Sechler v.Market (Dec. 24, 1996), 10th Dist. No. 96APF-359, at *4, citing In reGuardianship of Dougherty (1989),
{¶ 8} Whether or not Appellant is an interested person within the meaning of R.C.
{¶ 9} "`The principles of statutory construction require courts to first look at the specific language contained in the statute, and, if the language is unambiguous, to then apply the clear meaning of the words used.'" Donnelly, at ¶ 26, quoting Roxane Laboratories, Inc. v.Tracy (1996),
{¶ 10} "A court may interpret a statute only where the statute is ambiguous." Donnelly, at ¶ 27, citing State ex rel. Celebrezze v. AllenCty. Bd. of Commrs. (1987),
{¶ 11} Here, "person interested" has not been defined by the statute and is susceptible to more than one interpretation. Accordingly, we must look elsewhere to determine the intent of the legislature. The cases addressing the meaning of "person interested," as used in R.C.
{¶ 12} Appellant further asserts that she has standing because the Wards had not yet been determined to be the children of her son, Anthony Kasapis, Sr., for the time period of the Accounts. We find this argument to be without merit. The only effect of a determination that Wards were not the children of Anthony Kasapis, Sr., would have been that they were no longer be the residual beneficiaries of the Trust. It would have had no effect on the guardianship vis-à-vis the Trust or any other assets left to the Wards by their father.
"The trial court abused its discretion by approving the Guardian's Account of June 22, 2004."
{¶ 13} Based on our decision related to Assignment of Error I, Appellant's second assignment of error is moot as Appellant does not have standing to file exceptions to the Guardian's Account.
{¶ 14} Both of Appellant's assignments of errors are overruled and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Judgment Affirmed.
The Court finds that there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common Pleas, County of Summit, State of Ohio, to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(E). The Clerk of the Court of Appeals is instructed to mail a notice of entry of this judgment to the parties and to make a notation of the mailing in the docket, pursuant to App.R. 30.
Costs taxed to Appellant.
WHITMORE, J. BAIRD, J. CONCUR
(Baird, J., retired, of the Ninth District Court of Appeals, sitting by assignment pursuant to, § 6(C), Article IV, Constitution.)