Argument Over Ownership Resolved With Proof of Insurance

After the death of Kristi Keland, a probate dispute arose between her sister Henni and her husband Tres over who would receive a collection of Native American baskets. Henni argued that she was left the baskets in her sister’s will, which left Kristi’s personal property to her sisters. Tres argued that the baskets were not Kristi’s property, but his, because they were owned by Indian Rock Land & Cattle, LLC, which was controlled by Kristi and Tres.

In Keland v. Moore, an Arizona appeals court in an unpublished opinion held that Tres provided sufficient evidence of ownership of the baskets by providing an insurance policy held by the LLC which covered the valuable baskets, in addition to his testimony.

See Luke Lantta, Insurance as Evidence of Ownership, Bryan Cave Fiduciary Litigation, Dec. 10, 2014.

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.