Grace Peterson, a never-married and childless woman, then age seventy-four, asked Chester Gustafson, a Minneapolis attorney, to draw a will for her. Gustafson, who had also probated Peterson’s sister’s estate, drew this first will and six subsequent wills and codicils free of charge because he claimed that she had no money to pay for his services. Over the five-year period during which Gustafson redrew Peterson’s will, an increasing amount of property was devised to Gustafson’s children, until, finally, the seventh will so devised Peterson’s entire estate. Peterson, however, hardly knew the children except from several chance encounters ten years before. She died without ever having changed the seventh will, and Gustafson, who was named as executor, now seeks to have the will admitted to probate. Discuss whether the seventh will should be probated.

Skip and Jack are the shareholders of the Blue Fish Event Corporation. Skip and Jack regularly put on classy events on or near the beach, so they have a special insurance policy to protect their assets. Business has been slow as fewer large beach weddings are taking place, so Skip and Jack use a large fan to blow down and damage most of their décor assets, some of which were personal assets of Skip and Jack, to collect the insurance benefits. (a) Assuming their acts are proven, will a court allow Skip and Jack to recover the insurance money? (b) Is this a situation where the corporate veil may be pierced? Why or why not? (c) What would it mean for Skip and Jack if the corporate veil is pierced in this situation?

Benjamin is a widower who has two married children, Edward and Patricia. Patricia has two children, Perry and Paul. Edward has no children. Benjamin dies, and his typewritten will leaves all his property equally to his children, Edward and Patricia, and provides that should a child predecease him, the grandchildren are to take per stirpes. The will was witnessed by Patricia and by Benjamin's lawyer, and it was signed by Benjamin in their presence. Patricia has predeceased Benjamin. Edward claims the will is invalid. Is the will valid or invalid? What would the distribution of Benjamin's estate be if the will was invalid? What would it be if it was valid?

Haseena grants a life estate to John. John owns the estate until he dies. Haseena designated that after John's death, the estate would pass to Hila (a third party). What can Hila be described as? the reversionary interest the remainderman the conditional heir the determinable grantor

On June 30, 2005, Martin Hendrickson and Solveig Hendrickson were married, and on January 3, 2006, a home previously owned by Martin was conveyed to them as joint tenants and not as tenants in common. Solveig Hendrickson paid no part of the consideration for the premises. On August 3, 2013, Martin Hendrickson duly executed a Declaration of Election to Sever Survivorship of Joint Tenancy by which he endeavored to preserve an interest in the premises for Ruth Halbert, his daughter by a previous marriage. On the same day, he executed his last will and testament, by the terms of which he directed that his wife, Solveig Hendrickson, receive the minimum amount to which she was entitled under the laws of the State of Minnesota. Martin Hendrickson died with a valid will on October 9, 2013. a. What are the arguments that the joint ownership was severed by Martin Hendrickson’s declaration thus creating a tenancy in common? b. What are the arguments that the joint tenancy was not severed by…

Denise and Evelyn agree to run a laundry business and share the profit. However, Evelyn also sells cakes on their business premises. Advise Denise as to whether she is entitled to a share of profit in the cake business.

Brandt Crossing Investments, Inc., was a family-owned property investment organization, investing in undeveloped properties when prices were low and then selling them when prices went up. Among its holdings, Brandt Crossing owned fifty acres of undeveloped land next to another fifty acres of undeveloped land owned by Khloe Hadid. Carter Rios, property manager for Brandt Crossing, approached Hadid and offered to purchase her fifty acres “for Brandt.” Hadid sold the property for $50,000. Within one year, Brandt Crossing sold its 100 acres, including the property bought from Hadid, to a developer for $1,000,000. Richard Brandt, a 5% owner of Brandt Crossing Investments and an old high school acquaintance of Hadid, saw her at the mall and told her of the recent sale. Furious that she had lost out on the income and convinced that Rios had misled her, Hadid sued Richard Brandt for the acts of his agent, Rios. Hadid argued that the facts were sufficient to create an agency by estoppel…