In re Estate of Psota , 297 Neb. 570 ( 2017 )


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    09/22/2017 01:10 AM CDT
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
    Cite as 
    297 Neb. 570
    In re Estate of Eldon R. Psota, deceased.
    Sharlene Psota, appellant, v. James Psota and
    Janice Brown, Copersonal R epresentatives
    of the Estate of Eldon R. Psota,
    deceased, appellees.
    ___ N.W.2d ___
    Filed August 25, 2017.   No. S-16-873.
    1.	 Decedents’ Estates: Appeal and Error. An appellate court reviews
    probate cases for error appearing on the record made in the county court.
    2.	 Decedents’ Estates: Judgments: Appeal and Error. When reviewing
    questions of law in a probate matter, an appellate court reaches a conclu-
    sion independent of the determination reached by the court below.
    3.	 Decedents’ Estates: Contracts: Waiver. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2316
    (Reissue 2016) applies when determining whether a surviving spouse
    has waived rights to the property or estate of a decedent spouse by sign-
    ing a written contract, agreement, or waiver.
    4.	 Statutes: Legislature: Presumptions. In enacting a statute, the
    Legislature must be presumed to have knowledge of all previous legisla-
    tion upon the subject.
    5.	 Statutes: Legislature: Presumptions: Intent. The Legislature is pre-
    sumed to know the language used in a statute, and if a subsequent act on
    the same or similar subject uses different terms in the same connection,
    the court must presume that a change in the law was intended.
    6.	 Statutes. It is not within the province of a court to read a meaning into
    a statute that is not warranted by the language; neither is it within the
    province of a court to read anything plain, direct, or unambiguous out of
    a statute.
    7.	 Decedents’ Estates: Waiver: Proof. Under the plain language of Neb.
    Rev. Stat. § 30-2316(b) (Reissue 2016), a surviving spouse must satisfy
    the requirements of both subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2) in order to prove
    a waiver signed by the surviving spouse is unenforceable.
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
    Cite as 
    297 Neb. 570
    Appeal from the County Court for Valley County: A lan L.
    Brodbeck, Judge. Affirmed.
    Michael J. O’Bradovich, P.C., for appellant.
    Mark L. Eurek, of Law Office of Mark L. Eurek, P.C., for
    appellee Janice Brown.
    Heavican, C.J., Wright, Miller-Lerman, Cassel, Stacy,
    K elch, and Funke, JJ.
    Stacy, J.
    Sharlene Psota filed an application to be treated as an omit-
    ted spouse under a section of the Nebraska Probate Code1
    after her husband Eldon R. Psota made no provision for her
    in his will. The copersonal representatives of Eldon’s estate
    resisted the application, arguing Sharlene waived all her rights
    to Eldon’s estate in a prenuptial agreement. The probate court
    denied the application, and Sharlene filed this appeal. We
    affirm the decision of the probate court.
    FACTS
    Sharlene and Eldon married on September 24, 2011. It was
    a second marriage for both parties, and each had children from
    a prior marriage. Approximately 1 week before their wed-
    ding, Eldon suggested a prenuptial agreement, and Sharlene
    agreed. Six days before the wedding, they met with an attorney
    selected by Eldon. A few days later, they met with the attor-
    ney again and reviewed a draft prenuptial agreement. Sharlene
    requested revisions to the agreement, which the attorney incor-
    porated. They returned to the attorney’s office the day before
    their wedding and signed the final agreement.
    As pertinent to the issues on appeal, the agreement recited
    that “both parties are desirous of completely and absolutely
    disclaiming any right of inheritance or any interest of any
    1
    See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2320 (Reissue 2016).
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
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    297 Neb. 570
    nature whatsoever in and to the property of the other party
    that was accumulated prior to their forthcoming marriage.”
    It further provided that “each party has made frank and full
    disclosure each to the other of all property of every nature
    whatsoever that they now hold.” The agreement provided
    that each party “absolutely and completely” disclaimed “any
    interest of any nature whatsoever” that he or she had in the
    real and personal property of the other and acknowledged that
    “full and complete disclosure” had been made of all property
    owned by the other.
    The agreement recited that attached as “Exhibit ‘A’” was
    Eldon’s “statement of the property” and his “most recent
    income tax return,” and attached as “Exhibit ‘B’” was
    Sharlene’s statement of property and most recent income
    tax return. Both exhibits were attached to the agreement and
    contained lists of each party’s real property, without any val­
    uations. Neither exhibit listed any personal property, and no
    income tax returns were attached. With respect to the property
    disclosures, the agreement provided: “Each party understands
    that said [property] statements are made in general terms, and
    that each party does agree and acknowledge that [he or she
    does], in fact, have personal knowledge of the full extent of
    the other’s property, and that said [property lists] are only
    representative in nature.” The agreement further stated that
    each party
    shall have the right to dispose of [his or her] entire estate
    and each does waive any and all interest of any nature
    whatsoever upon the estate of the other, and each spe-
    cifically waives herein a spouse’s elective share, home-
    stead allowance, exempt allowance, family allowance,
    augmented estate, and all testate and intestate rights.
    Eldon died in August 2013. His will, executed approxi-
    mately 8 years before his marriage to Sharlene, did not leave
    anything to her. The inventory of Eldon’s estate contained
    approximately $10 million in assets, the bulk of which related
    to the real property he owned.
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
    Cite as 
    297 Neb. 570
    In November 2015, Sharlene filed an application to be
    treated as an omitted spouse under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2320
    (Reissue 2016). That statute provides that if a testator fails to
    provide by will for a surviving spouse who married the testator
    after the execution of the will, the omitted spouse shall receive
    the same share of the estate he or she would have received if
    the decedent had left no will.2 The statute also provides that the
    rights of the omitted spouse can be “waived pursuant to section
    30-2316.”3 Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2316 (Reissue 2016) allows a
    surviving spouse to waive the right of election “by a written
    contract, agreement, or waiver signed by the surviving spouse”
    either before or after the marriage.
    Eldon’s estate resisted Sharlene’s application, arguing she
    waived her rights to Eldon’s estate in the prenuptial agreement.
    After holding an evidentiary hearing at which Sharlene testi-
    fied and the prenuptial agreement was admitted into evidence,
    the county court found the prenuptial agreement was valid
    under § 30-2316. It held that Sharlene had waived the right to
    take as an omitted spouse, and denied her application for share
    of an omitted spouse. Sharlene filed this timely appeal, which
    we moved to our docket.4
    ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
    Sharlene assigns, restated and consolidated, that the trial
    court erred in (1) finding she was aware of the value of Eldon’s
    real property, when it was not valued in the prenuptial agree-
    ment; (2) finding she should have known the value of Eldon’s
    estate when the prenuptial did not list his personal property or
    contain his tax returns; and (3) finding the prenuptial agree-
    ment was enforceable when it failed to meet several statutory
    requirements on its face.
    2
    Id.
    3
    § 30-2320(a).
    4
    Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-1106(3) (Reissue 2016).
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
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    297 Neb. 570
    STANDARD OF REVIEW
    [1] An appellate court reviews probate cases for error appear-
    ing on the record made in the county court.5
    [2] When reviewing questions of law in a probate matter, an
    appellate court reaches a conclusion independent of the deter-
    mination reached by the court below.6
    ANALYSIS
    Statutory Background
    The probate court concluded the prenuptial agreement was
    an enforceable waiver of Sharlene’s statutory right to receive a
    share of Eldon’s estate as an omitted spouse. Sharlene argues
    the waiver was unenforceable under § 30-2316(b) for a variety
    of reasons. We begin our analysis with a review of the govern-
    ing statute.
    [3] Section 30-2316 applies when determining whether a
    surviving spouse has waived rights to the property or estate of
    a decedent spouse by signing a written contract, agreement, or
    waiver. Under that statute:
    (b) A surviving spouse’s waiver is not enforceable if
    the surviving spouse proves that:
    (1) he or she did not execute the waiver voluntarily;
    (2) the waiver was unconscionable when it was exe-
    cuted and, before execution of the waiver, he or she:
    (i) was not provided a fair and reasonable disclosure of
    the property or financial obligations of the decedent;
    (ii) did not voluntarily and expressly waive, in writ-
    ing, any right to disclosure of the property or financial
    obligations of the decedent beyond the disclosure pro-
    vided; and
    (iii) did not have, or reasonably could not have had, an
    adequate knowledge of the property or financial obliga-
    tions of the decedent.
    5
    In re Estate of Pluhacek, 
    296 Neb. 528
    , 
    894 N.W.2d 325
    (2017).
    6
    
    Id. - 575
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
    Cite as 
    297 Neb. 570
    A similar statute, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-1006 (Reissue 2016),
    governs the enforceability of premarital agreements generally,
    and most often is applied in proceedings for the dissolution of
    marriage.7 Section 42-1006 provides in pertinent part:
    (1) A premarital agreement is not enforceable if the
    party against whom enforcement is sought proves that:
    (a) That party did not execute the agreement volun-
    tarily; or
    (b) The agreement was unconscionable when it was
    executed and, before execution of the agreement, that
    party:
    (i) Was not provided a fair and reasonable disclosure
    of the property or financial obligations of the other party;
    (ii) Did not voluntarily and expressly waive, in writ-
    ing, any right to disclosure of the property or financial
    obligations of the other party beyond the disclosure pro-
    vided; and
    (iii) Did not have, or reasonably could not have had, an
    adequate knowledge of the property or financial obliga-
    tions of the other party.
    Because the language and purpose of the two statutes is sim-
    ilar, case law interpreting and applying § 42-1006(1) will gen-
    erally be instructive when interpreting and applying § 30-2316.
    However, there is one notable difference between the two
    statutes: § 42-1006(1) contains the connector “or” between
    subsections (a) and (b), but § 30-2316(b) has no connector
    between subsections (1) and (2). Eldon’s estate argues that this
    statutory difference is significant and impacts Sharlene’s bur-
    den of proof in this case. We agree.
    In Mamot v. Mamot,8 we considered the Legislature’s inclu-
    sion of the term “or” in § 42-1006(1)(a), and we held that
    7
    See, Mamot v. Mamot, 
    283 Neb. 659
    , 
    813 N.W.2d 440
    (2012); Edwards v.
    Edwards, 
    16 Neb. Ct. App. 297
    , 
    744 N.W.2d 243
    (2008).
    8
    Mamot v. Mamot, supra note 7.
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    IN RE ESTATE OF PSOTA
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    those seeking to prove a premarital agreement is unenforce-
    able have the burden of proving “either that [he or] she
    did not voluntarily execute the premarital agreement or that
    the premarital agreement was unconscionable when it was
    executed.”9
    The present case requires us to determine whether the
    absence of the term “or” between § 30-2316(b)(1) and (2)
    is significant as it regards the burden of proof. Restated, the
    question is whether a surviving spouse must satisfy both sub-
    sections (b)(1) and (b)(2) of § 30-2316 to prove that a waiver
    signed by the surviving spouse is unenforceable.
    [4,5] We note that §§ 30-2316(b) and 42-1006(1) were
    enacted by the Legislature in the same bill.10 In enacting a
    statute, the Legislature must be presumed to have knowledge
    of all previous legislation upon the subject.11 The Legislature
    is also presumed to know the language used in a statute, and if
    a subsequent act on the same or similar subject uses different
    terms in the same connection, the court must presume that a
    change in the law was intended.12
    We presume the Legislature, having enacted §§ 30-2316
    and 42-1006 as part of the same bill, was fully cognizant of
    the language used, and easily could have included the term
    “or” in both statutes when setting forth the evidence required
    to prove an agreement is unenforceable. It instead included
    “or” between subsections (1)(a) and (b) in § 42-1006, but
    omitted any connector between subsections (b)(1) and (2) in
    § 30-2316.
    [6] During oral argument, Sharlene urged this court to read
    the term “or” into § 30-2316(b)(1) and apply the same burden
    of proof under both statutes. But it is not within the province
    9
    
    Id. at 664-65,
    813 N.W.2d at 446 (emphasis in original).
    10
    See 1994 Neb. Laws, L.B. 202.
    11
    Alisha C. v. Jeremy C., 
    283 Neb. 340
    , 
    808 N.W.2d 875
    (2012).
    12
    
    Id. - 577
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    of a court to read a meaning into a statute that is not war-
    ranted by the language; neither is it within the province of a
    court to read anything plain, direct, or unambiguous out of
    a statute.13
    [7] We decline the invitation to read into § 30-2316(b) lan-
    guage which the Legislature plainly omitted. We instead hold
    that under the plain language of § 30-2316(b), a surviving
    spouse must satisfy the requirements of both subsections (b)(1)
    and (b)(2) in order to prove a waiver signed by the surviving
    spouse is unenforceable. We next consider whether the pro-
    bate court erred in finding Sharlene did not meet this burden
    of proof.
    Voluntariness of Execution
    Under § 30-2316(b)(1), Sharlene had the burden to prove
    she “did not execute the waiver voluntarily.” The probate
    court implicitly found she failed to meet this burden and
    concluded she “knowingly and voluntarily entered” into the
    waiver. Sharlene does not assign error to this finding, and her
    brief concedes that she “does not deny that she went to the
    office of the attorney and signed the Agreement voluntarily.”14
    However, Sharlene’s briefing urges us to adopt a definition of
    “voluntarily” which includes consideration of factors beyond
    the execution of the agreement.
    We have never addressed what “voluntarily” means in the
    context of § 30-2316(b)(1). The statute does not define the
    term. Black’s Law Dictionary defines “voluntarily” as “[i]nten-
    tionally; without coercion.”15 In Edwards v. Edwards,16 the
    Nebraska Court of Appeals considered the meaning of “vol-
    untarily” in the context of a dissolution case where the wife
    13
    State v. Warriner, 
    267 Neb. 424
    , 
    675 N.W.2d 112
    (2004); State v. Gartner,
    
    263 Neb. 153
    , 
    638 N.W.2d 849
    (2002).
    14
    Brief for appellant at 13.
    15
    Black’s Law Dictionary 1806 (10th ed. 2014).
    16
    Edwards v. Edwards, supra note 7.
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    challenged the enforceability of a premarital agreement under
    § 42-1006(1). That court found instructive a five-factor test
    developed by a California court under the Uniform Premarital
    Agreement Act. We considered the same five-factor test in
    Mamot v. Mamot,17 observing that “[t]he California court iden-
    tified the following factors that a court might consider”:
    (1) “coercion that may arise from the proximity of exe-
    cution of the agreement to the wedding, or from surprise
    in the presentation of the agreement”;
    (2) “the presence of absence of independent counsel or
    of an opportunity to consult independent counsel”;
    (3) “inequality of bargaining power—in some cases
    indicated by the relative age and sophistication of the
    parties”;
    (4) “whether there was full disclosure of assets”; and
    (5) the parties’ understanding of the “rights being
    waived under the agreement or at least their awareness of
    the intent of the agreement.”18
    Here, Sharlene concedes she “went to the office of the
    Attorney and signed the agreement voluntarily.”19 Her brief
    asserts, however, that “voluntariness” under § 30-2316(b)
    requires “more than intentionally affixing one’s name to a
    document”20 and instead involves an application of all five
    Edwards/Mamot factors. Essentially, she invites this court
    to apply the Edwards/Mamot analysis to cases governed by
    § 30-2316. We decline this invitation for two reasons.
    First, we note the Edwards/Mamot factors examine not only
    the procedural aspects of executing the agreement, but also
    17
    Mamot v. Mamot, supra note 7.
    18
    
    Id. at 665-66,
    813 N.W.2d at 447, quoting In re Marriage of Bonds, 
    24 Cal. 4th 1
    , 
    5 P.3d 815
    , 
    99 Cal. Rptr. 2d 252
    (2000) (superseded by statute
    as stated in In re Marriage of Cadwell-Faso and Faso, 
    191 Cal. App. 4th 945
    , 
    119 Cal. Rptr. 3d 818
    (2011)).
    19
    Brief for appellant at 13.
    20
    
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    the substantive terms of the agreement regarding the full dis-
    closure of assets. In that respect, the Edwards/Mamot factors
    tend to combine the separate elements of proof required under
    § 30-2316(b)(1) and (2), and frustrate judicial determination of
    whether both statutory requirements have been proved.
    More directly, Sharlene does not explain in her brief to this
    court how application of the Edwards/Mamot factors would
    show the probate court erred in finding that her waiver was
    voluntarily executed. She makes no attempt to explain how the
    evidence relates to the individual factors or suggest any error
    in the probate court’s reasoning or analysis.
    On the record before us, Sharlene has not established that
    the probate court erred in finding she executed the waiver
    voluntarily. Having failed to prove she did not execute the
    waiver voluntarily under § 30-2316(b)(1), she cannot meet
    her burden of proving the waiver was unenforceable. For this
    reason, we need not reach her arguments as to the uncon­
    scionability of the waiver under § 30-2316(b)(2), as an appel-
    late court need not engage in an analysis not necessary to
    resolve the appeal.21
    CONCLUSION
    Finding no error in the probate court’s conclusion that
    Sharlene executed the waiver voluntarily, we affirm that court’s
    decision denying her application to take as an omitted spouse.
    A ffirmed.
    21
    See In re Conservatorship of Abbott, 
    295 Neb. 510
    , 
    890 N.W.2d 469
          (2017).