Estate of Latek v. Ronneau, 960 N.E.2d 193 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)

(decedent lived in Illinois at time of death, but also owned farmland and personal property in Indiana; with help of friend decedent drafted document termed his “Will” and made four copies; decedent signed all four copies and included his Army Serial Number, but did not notarize any of them; decedent had some of the copies witnessed and mailed the signed copies to named beneficiaries; unwitnessed copy put behind safe in farmhouse in Indiana; decedent died two months after executing document; decedent deemed to have died intestate under Illinois law due to failure to meet requirements for self-proving will and Illinois real and personal property distributed under Illinois intestate succession law; Indiana court not precluded by doctrines of res judicata or full faith and credit from deciding same issue and probating decedent’s will; sufficient proof submitted to permit decedent’s will to be admitted to probate in Indiana; Indiana follows general rule that determination of validity or invalidity of will by court of testator’s domicile not conclusive on same question as it relates to real estate located in another state; disposition of realty, whether by deed, will or otherwise governed by law of situs; Illinois court’s denial of decedent’s will to probate of no effect on admission of will to probate in Indiana as relates to disposition of Indiana real estate).