2-9-202. Application by petition two years after death; fixing time for hearing; notice thereof; contents.
Upon filing the petition the court shall fix a time for hearing the petition not less than thirty (30) days after the filing thereof. Notice of the time and place of hearing shall be given to all persons interested in the proceeding including creditors, heirs and devisees, setting forth the filing of the petition, the date of the supposed death of the deceased, his place of residence, a description of the real property or interest therein of which he died seized or a description of the real property on which he had made an entry but had not yet received patent and the interest in the real estate of the petitioner. The notice shall be published once a week in a newspaper of general circulation in the county for four (4) consecutive weeks prior to the hearing, and shall be mailed simultaneously with the first publication to those persons designated in W.S. 2-7-205.
2-9-203. Application by petition two years after death; hearing; determination and decree.
(a) Upon hearing, if it appears to the court that more than two (2) years have elapsed since the death of the deceased, that he died seized of an interest in lands in this state or that he died intestate having entered government lands and not having received a patent therefor, and there has been no previous record judicial determination of the decedent's heirs or the right of descent of the real property interest, the court shall determine the date of the decedent's death, who were the heirs of the deceased upon the date of death, their degree of kinship, the right of descent of the real property or interest therein of which the deceased died seized or on which he had made an entry but had not yet received a patent therefor and the distribution each heir is entitled to receive from the known and unknown real property interests of the decedent based on the determination of the right of descent, and shall make and enter its decree accordingly.
(b) The findings of the court relating to a decedent's date of death, intestacy, heirs, degree of kinship and right of descent shall apply to any other real property in this state subsequently discovered in which the decedent had a property interest at the time of his death as identified by an affidavit recorded pursuant to W.S. 34-11-101, provided that:
(i) A copy of the judicial determination of the decedent's heirs or right of descent shall be included with an affidavit filed under W.S. 34-11-101 for the subsequently discovered property;
(ii) No other recorded judicial determination has been made relating to the right of descent for that property.
2-9-204. Procedure when applicant for public land dies and patent issued to heirs.
(a) Whenever any person makes entry on any land in the United States and dies before patent for the same is issued and patent thereafter is issued to the heirs at law of the decedent, any person interested in the lands as heir at law or devisee or as grantee or assignee of such heirs at law or devisee, or the personal representative of any of them if deceased, may file a petition in the district court in and for the county wherein the land or any part thereof is situate, setting forth the date of death of the decedent, the date of issuance of the patent and that the patent was issued to the heirs at law of the deceased person, the land described therein, the names, ages and residence if known of the heirs at law of the deceased persons and a request that a decree be entered by the court establishing who are the heirs at law of the deceased person. Upon filing of the petition the clerk of court shall make an order fixing the time and place of hearing of the petition not less than thirty (30) days from the filing of the petition.
(b) Notice of the time and place for hearing the petition shall be given by publishing notice thereof at least once each week for three (3) successive weeks in some newspaper of general circulation in the county and the mailing of true copies to all known heirs of the deceased person at least ten (10) days prior to the date fixed for the hearing. Proof of publication and mailing shall be made to the court upon the hearing. Any time before the date fixed for the hearing any person interested in the lands as heir at law or devisee of the decedent or as the grantee of any such heir at law or devisee, may answer the petition and deny any of the matters contained therein. At the time fixed for the hearing or at such time thereafter as may be fixed by the court, the court shall hear the proofs offered by petitioner and any person answering the same, and shall make a decree conformable to the proofs. The decree shall have the same force and effect as decrees entered in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(a) As used in W.S. 2-10-101 through 2-10-110:
(i) "Estate" means the gross estate of a decedent as determined for the purpose of federal estate tax;
(ii) "Fiduciary" means executor, administrator of any description, and trustee;
(iii) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, joint stock company, corporation, government, political subdivision of a government, governmental agency or local governmental agency;
(iv) "Person interested in the estate" means any person entitled to receive or who has received from a decedent or by reason of the death of a decedent any property or interest therein included in the decedent's estate. It includes a personal representative, guardian and trustee;
(v) "State" means any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(vi) "Tax" means the federal estate tax and interest and penalties imposed in addition to the tax;
(vii) "This act" means W.S. 2-10-101 through 2-10-110.
2-10-103. Among all persons interested in estate; exception.
Unless the will otherwise provides, the tax shall be apportioned among all persons interested in the estate. The apportionment shall be made in proportion that the value of the interest of each person interested in the estate bears to the total value of the interests of all persons interested in the estate. The values used in determining the tax shall be used for that purpose.
2-10-104. Probate court to determine; discretion allowed; presumption of correctness.
(a) The probate court having jurisdiction over the administration of the estate of a decedent shall determine the apportionment of the tax. If there are no probate proceedings, the probate court of the county wherein the decedent was domiciled at death upon the application of the person required to pay the tax shall determine the apportionment of the tax.
(b) If the probate court finds that it is inequitable to apportion interest and penalties in the manner provided in W.S. 2-10-103 because of special circumstances, it may direct apportionment thereof in the manner it finds equitable.
(c) If the probate court finds that the assessment of penalties and interest assessed in relation to the tax is due to delay caused by the negligence of the fiduciary, the court may charge the fiduciary with the amount of the assessed penalties and interest.
(d) In any suit or judicial proceeding to recover from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person in accordance with this act, the determination of the probate court in respect thereto shall be prima facie correct.
2-10-105. Withholding upon distribution of estate; right
to recover deficiency; security required if distribution made prior to final apportionment.
(a) The fiduciary or other person in possession of the property of the decedent required to pay the tax may withhold from any property distributable to any person interested in the estate, upon his distribution to him, the amount of tax attributable to his interest. If the property in possession of the fiduciary or other person required to pay the tax and distributable to any person interested in the estate is insufficient to satisfy the proportionate amount of the tax determined to be due from the person, the fiduciary or other person required to pay the tax may recover the deficiency from the person interested in the estate. If the property is not in the possession of the fiduciary or other person required to pay the tax, the fiduciary or the other person required to pay the tax may recover from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person in accordance with this act.
(b) If property held by the fiduciary is distributed prior to final apportionment of the tax, the distributee shall provide a bond or other security for the apportionment liability in the form and amount prescribed by the fiduciary, with the approval of the probate court having jurisdiction of the administration of the estate.
2-10-106. Allowances for exemptions or deductions and credits.
(a) In making an apportionment, allowances shall be made for any exemptions granted and for any deductions and credits allowed by the law imposing the tax.
(b) Any exemption or deduction allowed by reason of the relationship of any person to the decedent or by reason of the purposes of the gift shall inure to the benefit of the person bearing such relationship or receiving the gift; except that when an interest is subject to a prior present interest which is now allowable as a deduction, the tax apportionable against the present interest shall be paid from principal.
(c) Any deduction for property previously taxed and any credit for gift taxes or death taxes of a foreign country paid by the decedent or his estate shall inure to the proportionate benefit of all persons liable to apportionment.
(d) Any credit for inheritance, succession or estate taxes or taxes in the nature thereof in respect to property or interests includable in the estate shall inure to the benefit of the persons or interests chargeable with the payment thereof to the extent that, or in proportion as the credit reduces the tax.
(e) To the extent that property passing to or in trust for a surviving spouse or any charitable, public or similar gift or bequest does not constitute an allowable deduction for purposes of the tax solely by reason of an inheritance tax or other death tax imposed upon and deductible from the property, the property shall not be included in the computation provided for in W.S. 2-10-103 and to that extent no apportionment shall be made against the property. The sentence immediately preceding shall not apply to any case where the result will be to deprive the estate of a deduction otherwise allowable under applicable gift and estate laws, relating to deduction for state death taxes on transfers for public, charitable or religious uses.
2-10-107. Charging temporary interest and remainder.
No interest in income and no estate for years or for life or other temporary interest in any property or fund shall be subject to apportionment as between the temporary interest and the remainder. The tax on the temporary interest and the tax, if any, on the remainder shall be chargeable against the corpus of the property or funds subject to the temporary interest and remainder.
2-10-108. Institution of actions or proceedings to recover tax; generally; apportionment of amounts not collected.
Neither the fiduciary nor other person required to pay the tax shall be under any duty to institute any suit or proceeding to recover from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person until the expiration of the three (3) months next following final determination of the tax. A fiduciary or other person required to pay the tax who institutes the suit or proceeding within a reasonable time after the three (3) months period shall not be subject to any liability or surcharge because any portion of the tax apportioned to any person interested in the estate was collectible at a time following the death of the decedent but thereafter became uncollectible. If the fiduciary or other person required to pay the tax cannot collect from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person, the amount not recoverable shall be equitably apportioned among the other persons interested in the estate who are subject to apportionment.
2-10-109. Institution of actions or proceedings to recover tax; actions by nonresidents.
(a) Subject to the conditions in subsection (b) of this section a fiduciary acting in another state or a person required to pay the tax resident in another state may institute an action in the courts of this state and may recover a proportionate amount of the federal estate tax, of an estate tax payable to another state or of a death duty due by a decedent's estate to another state from a person interested in the estate who is either resident in this state or who owns property in this state subject to attachment or execution. For the purposes of the action the determination of apportionment by the court having jurisdiction of the administration of the decedent's estate in the other state shall be prima facie correct.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall apply only:
(i) If such other state affords a remedy substantially similar to that afforded in subsection (a) of this section;
(ii) With respect to federal estate tax, if apportionment thereof is authorized by congress.
W.S. 2-11-101 through 2-11-105 may be cited as the "Uniform Foreign Probate Act", and shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of the states which enact it.
A will duly proved, allowed and admitted to probate outside of this state may be allowed and recorded in the proper court of any county in this state in which the testator shall have left any estate.
When a copy of the will and the probate thereof duly authenticated is presented by the executor or by any other person interested in the will with a petition for probate, the same shall be filed.
If upon presentation it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the will has been duly proved, allowed and admitted to probate outside of this state and that it was executed according to the law of the place in which the same was made, or in which the testator was at the time domiciled, or in conformity with the laws of this state, it shall be admitted to probate, which probate has the same force and effect as the original probate of a domestic will.
2-11-105. Procedure when foreign law does not require probate; filing, recording and effect.
(a) When a duly authenticated copy of a will from any state or country where probate is not required by the laws of the state or country, with a duly authenticated certificate of the legal custodian of the original will that the same is a true copy and that the will has become operative by the laws of the state or country, and when a copy of a notarial will in possession of a notarial officer in a foreign state or country entitled to the custody thereof (the laws of which state or country require that the will remain in the custody of the notarial officer), duly authenticated by the notarial officer, is presented by the executor or other persons interested to the proper court in this state, the court shall take the proofs as may be appropriate.
(b) If it appears to the court that the instrument should be allowed in this state as the last will and testament of the deceased, the copy shall be filed and recorded and the will has the same effect as if originally proved and allowed in the court.
In case of a nonresident's estate having property in this state not exceeding in value the sum of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00), which estate has been duly probated and settled in another state, the probate of the estate in this state may be dispensed with upon filing with the district judge in the proper county a petition under oath showing the facts in the case together with certified copies of the petition, order of appointment of executor or administrator, inventory and final decree of distribution of estate therein, and a full showing that debts of the estate have been paid and the district judge giving notice by publication for the period of three (3) weeks of the intention of the petitioner to have the probate proceedings admitted in this state as a probate of the estate. If on the day set for hearing the petition no objection is made, the judge shall make an order admitting the certified copies of the proceedings in the estate to record in his court and they shall be considered and treated from that time as original proceedings in his court and shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein shown. If at such hearing any creditor objects to the proceedings and shows that the decedent is indebted to him, his claim not having been presented in the original state, the matter shall be postponed and the creditor or other person shall be allowed to petition for letters of administration as in other cases. This section shall not be construed to prevent the courts of this state from appointing a temporary administrator in this state to collect and preserve the property of the estate of the deceased person which may be located in this state.
2-11-202. Nonresident property in Wyoming; disposition.
(a) In case of a nonresident's estate having property in this state not exceeding in value the sum of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00), which estate is being duly probated and settled in another state, the Wyoming district judge may enter an order for the sale of the property located in this state provided:
(i) The petitioner files with the district judge in the proper county a petition under oath showing the facts in the case together with certified copies of the petition, order of appointment of executor or administrator, notice to creditors showing that the time for filing claims has expired, and inventory of the Wyoming estate;
(ii) The petitioner files a certified copy of an order authorizing sale or other disposition of Wyoming property issued by the court having jurisdiction over the estate being probated in another state;
(iii) The district judge gives notice by publication for three (3) weeks of the intention of the petitioner to have the property located in this state subject to sale or other disposition; and
(iv) If on the day set for hearing the petition no objection is made, the judge shall make an order admitting the certified copies of the proceedings in the estate and the order authorizing sale or other disposition of Wyoming property to record in his court and they shall be considered and treated from that time as original proceedings in his court and shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein shown.
(b) If on the day set for hearing the petition any creditor objects to the sale or other disposition of the Wyoming property, his claim not having been presented in the original state, the matter shall be postponed and the petition denied. This section shall not be construed to prevent the courts of this state from appointing a temporary administrator in this state to collect and preserve the property of the estate of the deceased person which may be located in this state.
2-11-301. Naming of executors and trustees; generally;
appointment of agents for service; bond when executor sole legatee; applicability of provisions. The testator may name in his will as executor or trustee any person or persons who are residents and citizens of the United States, or any bank or trust company organized under the laws of this state or of the United States and doing business in this state. When it appears to the court having jurisdiction that any individual named as an executor or trustee in any will is not a resident of this state or that any bank or trust company named as executor or trustee is not authorized to do business in this state, the court shall require the executor or trustee to designate a resident, bank or trust company of this state as agent or attorney upon whom any order, notice or process issued out of the courts of this state may be served. Service on the agent or attorney has the same effect as if served upon the nonresident executor or trustee in person. If any nonresident executor or trustee fails to appoint an agent or attorney, the court shall revoke his authority to act. When the person named as executor is also the sole legatee, instead of the bond required by other provisions herein of an executor, he may give a bond to the state in a sum and with sureties the court requires, conditioned only to pay within the time fixed by the court all the debts of the testator which are filed or exhibited within the time fixed by the notice to creditors. He shall return an inventory and appraisement as in other cases. Upon execution and approval of the bond, the filing of the inventory and appraisement and the publication of notice to creditors, the estate of the testator vests absolutely in the sole legatee and the debts of the testator so filed or exhibited become charges against the legatee. Upon breach of the condition of the bond, suit may be instituted on the bond by any creditor in the name of the state for the use of the creditor. The provisions hereof apply to all wills hereafter admitted to probate.
2-11-302. Naming of executors and trustees; powers; generally.
A domiciliary foreign personal representative who has complied with W.S. 2-11-301 may exercise as to assets in this state all powers of a local personal representative and may maintain actions and proceedings in this state subject to any conditions imposed upon nonresident parties generally.
2-11-303. Naming of executors and trustees; limitations.
The power of a domiciliary foreign personal representative under W.S. 2-11-302 shall be exercised only if there is no administration or application therefor pending in this state. A petition for local administration of the estate terminates the power of the foreign personal representative to act under W.S. 2-11-302 but the local court may allow the foreign personal representative to exercise limited powers to preserve the estate. No person who before receiving actual notice of a pending local administration has changed his position in reliance upon the powers of a foreign personal representative shall be prejudiced by reason of the petition for or grant of local administration. The local personal representative is subject to all duties and obligations which have accrued by virtue of the exercise of the powers by the foreign personal representative and may be substituted for him in any action or proceedings in this state.
2-12-101. Filing of petition; information to be shown; appointing day for hearing.
Whenever any resident of this state who owns or is entitled to the possession of any real or personal property situate therein is missing, or his whereabouts is unknown for ninety (90) days, and a verified petition is presented to the court of the county of which the missing person is a resident representing that the whereabouts of the missing person has been for such time and still is unknown, that his estate requires attention, supervision and care of ownership, and setting forth the names, ages and residence of the relatives of the missing person who would be heirs at law were the missing person deceased, the court shall order the petition to be filed and appoint a day for hearing the petition not less than ten (10) days from the date of the order.
2-12-102. Publication of notice of hearing; service on persons named in petition.
The clerk shall publish not less than twice during the ten (10) days prior to the day appointed a notice in some newspaper published in the county, stating that the petition will be heard at the courtroom of the court at the time appointed for the hearing. The clerk shall cause personal service of the notice of hearing to be served upon all persons named in the petition as heirs of the missing person should he be deceased resident in the county, and cause to be mailed by certified mail a copy of the notice addressed to each of the supposed heirs at their address shown in the petition. The court may direct further notice of the filing of the petition be given in such manner and to such persons as it may deem proper.
2-12-103. Hearing on petition; appointment of trustee.
At the time fixed for the hearing or at any subsequent time to which the hearing may be continued, the court shall hear the petition and the evidence offered in support of or in opposition thereto. If satisfied that the allegations thereof are true and that the person remains missing and the whereabouts of the person are unknown, the court shall appoint some suitable person as trustee to take charge and possession of the estate and to manage, hold and control the same subject to the direction of the court.
In appointing a trustee, the court shall give preference to the wife or husband of the missing person or their nominee, and in the absence of a husband or wife, some person willing to act and entitled to participate in the distribution of the missing person's estate were he or she deceased, or a creditor of the missing person.
Every person appointed trustee under the provisions of the preceding section shall give bond to the state of Wyoming with two (2) or more sufficient sureties, or surety bond, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties, to be approved by the court or clerk thereof. In form the bond shall be joint and several and the penalty shall be not less than the value of the personal property and the probable value of the annual rents, profits and issues of real property belonging to the missing person, which value shall be ascertained by the court or clerk thereof by examining on oath the petitioner in the petition and any other person deemed by the court or clerk to have information or knowledge of such value. The sureties shall justify on written oath attached to the bond in an amount equal in the aggregate to the penalty thereof.
2-12-106. Trustee to take possession of property; powers and duties generally; removal of trustee; sale of property.
(a) The trustee shall take possession of the real and personal estate in this state of the missing person and collect, receive and receipt for and hold subject to the order of the court the rents, income, issues, profits and proceeds thereof and all indebtedness owing to the missing person and pay out of the trust funds the expenses of the trust and any indebtedness of the missing person authorized by the court. The court may direct the trustee to pay to the family of the missing person such money for family expenses and support from the income of the trust estate as the court from time to time may determine. When directed by the court, the trustee shall account to the court for all of the trustee's acts as trustee, and the court may at any time upon good cause shown remove any trustee and appoint another.
(b) When a sale of the real or personal property of the estate of a missing person is necessary to pay the allowance of the family or the debts outstanding against the missing person or the expenses of administration of the trust, or when it appears to the court it is for the best interest of all persons interested in the estate, the trustee may sell any real or personal property of the estate upon order of the court.
(c) The trustee in obtaining an order of sale and in conducting a sale of property of the estate of a missing person shall follow all the steps and procedure set forth in article 6 of chapter 7, Wyoming Probate Code relating to the sale of property of a decedent.
(a) This act may be cited as the "Uniform Simultaneous Death Act".
(b) "This act", when used in chapter 13 of the Probate Code, means W.S. 2-13-101 through 2-13-107.
This act does not apply in the case of wills, living trusts, deeds or contracts of insurance wherein provision is made for distribution of property different from the provisions of this act.
2-13-103. Disposition of property based on presumption of survivorship.
Where the title to property or the devolution thereto depends upon priority of death and there is no sufficient evidence that the persons have died otherwise than simultaneously, the property of each person shall be disposed of as if he had survived, except as provided otherwise in this act.
Where two (2) or more beneficiaries are designated to take successively by reason of survivorship under another person's disposition of property and there is no sufficient evidence that these beneficiaries have died otherwise than simultaneously the property thus disposed of shall be divided into as many equal portions as there are successively beneficiaries and those portions shall be distributed respectively to those who would have taken in the event that each designated beneficiary had survived.
2-13-105. Joint tenants or tenants by the entirety.
Where there is no sufficient evidence that two (2) joint tenants or tenants by the entirety have died otherwise than simultaneously the property so held shall be distributed one-half (1/2) as if one (1) had survived and one-half (1/2) as if the other had survived. If there are more than two (2) joint tenants and all of them have so died the property thus distributed shall be in the proportion that one (1) bears to the whole number of joint tenants.
Where the insured and the beneficiary in a policy of life or accident insurance have died and there is no sufficient evidence that they have died otherwise than simultaneously the proceeds of the policy shall be distributed as if the insured had survived the beneficiary.
2-14-101. Taking of life precludes one from inheritance,
insurance or survivorship benefits; how benefits distributed; notification of insurer necessary.
(a) No person who feloniously takes or causes or procures another to take the life of another shall:
(i) Inherit from or take by devise or legacy from the deceased person any portion of his estate;
(ii) Inherit, receive or otherwise take any property held with the deceased person in a joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, tenancy by the entirety or any other form of co-ownership with rights of survivorship;
(iii) Inherit, receive or otherwise take any property conveyed by the deceased person by beneficiary designation, transfer on death designation, payable on death designation or other conveyance that occurs because of the death of the deceased person;
(iv) Serve through nomination, appointment or otherwise in any fiduciary or representative capacity for the deceased person, including as a personal representative, executor, trustee or agent. Any provision in a governing instrument conferring any power of appointment on the killer shall be deemed to have been terminated at the time immediately preceding the killing of the deceased person.
(b) No beneficiary of any policy of life or accident insurance or certificates of membership issued by any benevolent association or organization, payable upon the death of any person, who in like manner takes or causes or procures another to take the life of another, shall take the proceeds of such policy or certificate.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section in every instance mentioned in this section all benefits that would accrue to the killer upon the death of the person whose life is taken shall become subject to distribution among the other beneficiaries or heirs of the deceased person according to the will, trust or other valid dispositive instrument of the deceased person as though the killer has predeceased the deceased person, or if no such valid instrument exists, according to the rules of descent and distribution. However, an insurance company is discharged of all liability under a policy issued by it upon payment of the proceeds in accordance with the terms thereof unless before payment the company receives written notice by or in behalf of some claimant other than the beneficiary named in the policy that a claim to the proceeds of the policy will be made by heirs of the deceased under the provisions of this section.
(d) For purposes of paragraph (a)(ii) of this section, the interests of the deceased person and the killer in property held by them at the time of the killing as joint tenants with the right of survivorship, tenants by entirety or any other form of co-ownership with rights of survivorship shall be deemed to have been terminated at the time immediately preceding the killing of the deceased person and the interests of the deceased person and the killer shall be recognized as tenancies in common.
(e) As used in this section, "killer" means the person who feloniously takes or causes or procures another to take the life of another person as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
2-15-101. Court may appoint agent to care for property.
When any estate is assigned or distributed by a judgment or decree of the court to any person residing out of and having no agent in this state, and it is necessary that some person be authorized to take possession and charge of the estate for the benefit of the absent person, the court may appoint an agent for that purpose and authorize him to take charge of the estate as well as to act for the absent person in the distribution.