The dispute traces back to a 1994 living trust set up by Violet M. Steinert and her husband. After Violet amended the trust in 2009, she named Diane Longsdon, her stepson Paul Rotermund and Mid‑Rivers Christian Church as beneficiaries, allocating $220,000 to Longsdon. The Steinert brothers challenged the amendments in probate court, arguing the original trust terms should govern.
In July 2013 the circuit court declared the 1994 trust valid, rendering the later amendments void. A June 2014 judgment ordered Longsdon to repay the $220,000, but she failed to file a post‑trial motion and her August 2014 appeal was dismissed. The court later assigned the judgment to the original beneficiaries, and by December 2015 the case was deemed closed.
When the beneficiaries sought to revive the judgment in August 2025, the court deemed the August 2015 judgment the final one, granting the revival on December 19, 2025. Longsdon filed her appeal on January 20, 2026, but the Missouri Court of Appeals ruled the appeal was untimely, citing the December 29, 2025 deadline for a notice of appeal.
The court’s opinion noted that the revival order became final upon entry, leaving Longsdon with no window to contest the judgment’s reinstatement. A beneficiary, Mark Steinert, said the decision "catches her off‑guard" but also acknowledged the court’s respect for procedural timelines.
The appellate ruling leaves Longsdon bound to repay the $220,000, with enforcement actions likely to commence soon. The court will now enforce the judgment, and the Steinert family anticipates a swift resolution.