Uchtorff v. Hanson

STREIT, Justice.

H.L. Mencken once said the capacity of human beings to bore one another seems vastly greater than that of any other animal. The subject-matter of this appeal — a medieval interest known as a remainder— proves Mencken’s point, although we shall do our best to bring matters to resolution as painlessly and interestingly as possible. Much is at stake.

At issue is a trust fund. After the family patriarch who controlled the trust fund died, his only child, a son, followed him to the grave. Years later the patriarch’s wife passed away. The district court ruled the son was not entitled…