For summaries from opinions prior to August, 2018, view PDF versions here.
In the Matter of the Sandahl Trust (2017)
Karin L. Sandahl, Suzanne Morton-Miller, Elise Donnon, Craig B. Sandahl, and Stephen Sandahl, Appellants
Attorney for Appellants
Steven P. Wandro, Brian J. Lalor, and Kara M. Simons
Attorney for Appellees Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Matthew C. McDermott (until withdrawal), Wayne E. Reames, and Ryan G. Koopmans
Attorney for Appellee Cathedral Church of St. Paul
Thomas T. Tarbox
Attorney for Appellee UnityPoint Health-Des Moines Foundation
Thomas J. Houser
Attorney for Appellee Mayo Clinic Foundation
Jay Syverson
Attorney for Trustee Iowa State Bank
D. Scott Simpson
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Craig E. Block, Associate Probate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., and Doyle and Schumacher, JJ. Opinion by Doyle, J. (14 pages)
At issue is whether a document Craig Sandahl signed the day before his death is an amendment to the Sandahl Trust 2017 (“Trust”) or a letter of instruction to his estate planning attorneys. OPINION HOLDS: We find the October 13, 2017, document to be ambiguous and void for vagueness. And after reviewing the record, we, like the district court, do not find persuasive extrinsic evidence to resolve the multiple ambiguities within the document. Thus, we agree with the district court that the October 13, 2017, document is not an amendment to the Sandahl Trust 2017.
