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Wills, Trusts & Estates Keyed to Sterk
Cessac v. Stevens
Citation:
127 So.3d 675 (2013)Facts
The decedent, who died in January 2011, left $5,000 to Sharon Peeples and the remainder of her estate to Joanne Cessac. Her will mentioned several trusts, including the Stanton P. Kettler Trust, but did not specifically address the powers of appointment or the distribution of assets from these trusts. The will referenced trusts that allowed the decedent’s daughter, Sally, to designate who would receive trust assets after her death. If Sally predeceased the decedent or did not exercise her power of appointment, the assets would go to Sally’s children or their descendants. The decedent’s daughter, Marcia Stevens, filed a petition for a declaratory judgment in the probate case.
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