Ka'u Agribusiness Co. v. Heirs of Ahulau

Opinion of the Court by

ACOBA, J.

We hold that the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit1 (the court) did not err in granting the March 23, 2001 summary judgment motion of Plaintiff-Appellee Ka‘u Agribusiness Co., Inc. (Plaintiff) because (1) the unnamed heirs of Moi Hilinai were not indispensable to this litigation and (2) under the facts of this case, Revised Laws of Hawaii (RLH) § 4815 (1935), which precluded inheritance of patrilineal intestate property by illegitimate issue, will not be retroactively invalidated, inasmuch as (a) Plaintiff and its predecessor in title were innocent purchasers…