By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com
The Mayo Clinic has filed a formal notice of appeal in its legal challenge to the will of Herman Stille, seeking to overturn a court decision that awarded about $10 million from Stille’s estate to Floyd County Medical Center (FCMC) to build a cancer center in Charles City.
The appeal by the Rochester, Minnesota-based system of clinics and hospitals was filed just ahead of the deadline to do so, nearly a month after Chickasaw County District Court Judge Richard Stochl ruled in FCMC’s favor on June 5.
That ruling found that the hospital had met the conditions outlined in Stille’s will and was entitled to receive the bulk of his estate to fund the proposed “Stille Cancer Center.”
“While we are very disappointed with this action, FCMC will continue to work on fulfilling what we believe is Mr. Herman Stille’s intent: to provide quality oncology care to the communities we serve through establishing a cancer center at FCMC,” said Dawnett Willis, chief executive officer at the Medical Center.
FCMC said the appeal will delay the distribution of funds, but that hospital officials remain committed to following Stille’s wishes.
“The appeal will likely prolong the process to build a cancer center, as well as incur more legal expenses for FCMC,” the medical center said in a statement. “Despite this setback, FCMC remains committed to bringing the vision of providing oncology services in north Iowa to life.”
Stille, a Nashua-area farmer who died in 2020, had stipulated in his will that FCMC would receive the bulk of his estate if it remained an independent hospital and used the funds to build and operate a cancer center. If that contingency was not met, Mayo was named as the alternate beneficiary, for Alzheimer’s research.
Mayo had argued that FCMC’s plans did not satisfy other language in the will describing preferred features of the cancer center, including onsite radiation treatment and a full-time oncologist.
Judge Stochl rejected those arguments, ruling that remaining independent was the sole binding condition and that FCMC’s plans – including the use of contracted oncologists and partnering with other facilities for radiation services – satisfied the will’s intent.
Mayo has not released a public statement on the appeal.
In Iowa, cases that are appealed from the county district court level go to the Iowa Supreme Court, which can decide to accept the case itself, or – much more often – send it to the Iowa Court of Appeals.
At the appeals level, the court can affirm the district court ruling, reverse it, send it back to the district court for further action (such as a new trial), or modify the district court ruling.
The Supreme Court or Court of Appeals can also dismiss the appeal if it has a procedural or jurisdictional defect.
Appeals do not look at new evidence, but only examine whether legal errors occurred at the district court level.