The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that it’s too late to go back in a case involving Story County man’s will. Carroll Sampson of Story City died in 1993 and his will left all his possessions — including some 200 acres of farmland in Hardin County — to his wife Christine.
Christine’s will was originally set up to leave the property to her and Carroll’s siblings, but she later changed it after some sort of falling out. Christine died in 2011 and the new will left the land to charity. The siblings reviewed a copy of Carroll’s will and found a provision that would have given them the land, but they had not been notified at the time he died.
The district and appeals courts ruled the siblings could reopen the probate proceedings for Carroll’s will. But the Iowa Supreme Court ruled this case falls under a different provision of the law which puts a five-year time limit on reopening the proceedings. The Supreme Court sent the case back to district court with the provisions of Christine’s will to be carried out.
See the full ruling here: Probate ruling PDF