The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Oct. 22, 2026 overturned a lower‑court dismissal and allowed Sabin Sabin to pursue an inheritance claim over her grandfather Steven’s 48‑bedroom home, which sold for $105,000 on March 29, 2024.
Steven, who died on June 21, 2024, had named Sabin, the daughter of his pre‑deceased son, as the sole heir to the property in his will.
In March 2024, after Steven’s wife died, the stepson, granted broad power of attorney, arranged to sell the house for $105,000—far below its $225,000 listing—adding a $5,000 seller credit.
The sale proceeds were funneled into a joint account held by Steven and his stepchildren, rather than being liquidated into the estate, prompting Sabin to file a suit for constructive trust and damages in the Franklin County Superior Court in March 2025.
The Superior Court dismissed Sabin’s case for lack of evidence, but the Supreme Court found her claims satisfied the legal threshold for an expectancy of inheritance and ruled the power of attorney could not shield the stepchildren from liability.
The court’s ruling sends the case back to the lower court to reassess the estate’s assets and determine whether Sabin is entitled to a share of the proceeds.