Kuralt Kin Liable in Tax Dispute, Court Rules

HELENA, Mont. — The daughters of the late CBS News correspondent Charles Kuralt must pay $350,000 in estate taxes on land their father left to his mistress, the state Supreme Court has ruled.

A unanimous five-judge panel on Monday said Kuralt’s 1994 will clearly indicated he wanted his estate to pay such taxes, rather than those to whom he bequeathed property.

The decision, which upheld a lower court’s order, resolved the last remaining dispute between Kuralt’s daughters and Pat Shannon, with whom Kuralt had a secret, 30-year relationship.

Shannon’s attorney, Jim Goetz of Bozeman, said Tuesday his client was elated by the ruling.

“As far as I know, there is no other recourse for the daughters now. I assume this will put this to rest,” he said.

Gary Bjelland, a Great Falls attorney who represents Kuralt’s daughters, said he informed his clients of the decision Tuesday and, “obviously, we had hoped for a better outcome.”

Kuralt was known to millions of Americans as the folksy, plump reporter who described the lives of ordinary and outstanding Americans to TV viewers on such popular programs as “On the Road With Charles Kuralt” and “Sunday Morning.” He died in 1997 of complications of lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease.

Shortly before his death, Kuralt wrote a letter to Shannon giving her the 90 acres of prime fishing land along Montana’s Big Hole River. The couple had built a cabin on the land and moved an old school house there that was renovated into a study and library.

Kuralt’s wife of 35 years, Suzanne Baird Kuralt of New York City, found out her husband had been leading a double life only after his death. She inherited his estate but died in 1999, and the estate passed to Kuralt’s daughters from his first marriage.

Susan Bowers and Lisa Bowers White contested the letter to Shannon as a valid addition to their father’s will. In December 2000, the state’s high court agreed with Shannon that Kuralt intended by the letter to give her the land.

The legal battle continued over the tax issue.