Andres v. Andres

613 S.W.2d 404, 1 Ark. App. 75, 1981 Ark. App. LEXIS 648
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arkansas
DecidedMarch 25, 1981
DocketCA 80-425
StatusPublished
Cited by78 cases

This text of 613 S.W.2d 404 (Andres v. Andres) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andres v. Andres, 613 S.W.2d 404, 1 Ark. App. 75, 1981 Ark. App. LEXIS 648 (Ark. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

George K. Cracraft, Judge.

Appellants brought this action in November of 1979 against appellees. They alleged that between the years 1938 and 1942 appellee, Adolph Andres, purchased by separate deeds lands aggregrating 440 acres which were acquired by funds produced from their labor, but title to which had been placed in the name of Adolph. They contend that he had refused to convey to them their interest therein and prayed that the court declare that Adolph held title thereto as trustee for their use and benefit under resulting, constructive or implied trust. They also prayed that a deed executed by Adolph Andres and his brother, John, to the appellees, Mark Stelljes and Elizabeth Stelljes, be set aside on the grounds that at the time of its execution John Andres was mentally incompetent. At the conclusion of the appellants’ evidence appellees moved to dismiss the complaint by demurring to the evidence. The court sustained that motion as to the prayer for the imposition of a trust, but denied it as to the capacity of John Andres to make the deed in question. After hearing further evidence the trial court found that John Andres did not lack the capacity to execute the deed and dismissed the complaint of the appellants for want of equity. The appellants appeal from both rulings of the court.

The evidence indicated Frank Andres immigrated to the United States from Switzerland in 1928 and settled with his wife and seven children in St. Vincents in Conway County. Subsequently, Frank Andres purchased 160 acres of land which was referred to throughout the testimony as the “home place.” The title to this tract is not in issue in this case. Prior to his death in 1939 he purchased 80 acres of land but had the title taken in the name of his son, Adolph Andres, as a gift.

Shortly after the conveyance to Adolph the father died. Adolph, his mother, and brothers and sisters, John, Frank, Marie and Fides, continued to reside on the home place. Adolph, as the only adult child, was the “head of the household.” He farmed the home place and rented additional acreage on which he raised cotton. Between 1939and 1942 he purchased by separate deeds the tracts now in issue totalling 440 acres for which he paid $1.00 per acre. One 40 acre tract was purchased by John, but taken in the name of Adolph, during Adolph’s absence from the farm during the winter. Adolph was the owner of some property and rented other lands, but none of the younger brothers and sisters had any property whatsoever. During the period in which the lands were acquired the younger brothers and sisters were living on the home place with Adolph and worked in the fields, did the family chores, attended livestock and assisted in maintaining the household.

There was evidence from the younger brothers and sisters that they all worked alongside of Adolph, pooling the family income, and that it was from these funds that the lands were purchased by Adolph. They testified that when the lands were purchased “we had a family conference.” One of the elder sisters who worked in Morrilton, and her brother Frank, while in military service, were said to have sent money home to their mother from time to time.

In 1961 Adolph conveyed an undivided one-half interest in the tracts to the appellant John, who testified that he was holding his interest in trust for the others but that there had never been any discussions as to the respective interests of the parties or in what manner the property was to be divided.

RESULTING TRUST

Appellants contend that the court erred in granting the motion made at the conclusion of their evidence asserting that the court is required on such a motion to give the evidence' its strongest probative value in favor of the appellants and to grant the motion to dismiss (demurrer to the evidence) only if the evidence, when so considered, fails to make a prima facie case. Lafayette County Industrial Devel. Corp. v. First National Bank, 246 Ark. 109, 436 S.W. 2d 814. Appellees argue that the “prima facie” rule does not apply in a case seeking to impose a resulting trust where the proof is required to be “full, clear and convincing.” Nelson v. Wood, 199 Ark. 1019, 137 S.W. 2d 929. We find the appellants’ proof to fail whichever be the proper test.

Appellants stated in oral argument, and we agree, that what is sought to be imposed is a resulting trust. In general a resulting trust is said to arise when property is bought by one person with money or assets of another and title is taken in the. name of the purchaser rather than of the person furnishing the consideration. In order to constitute a resulting trust the purchase money or a specified part of it must have been paid by another or secured by another at the same time, or previous to the purchase, and must be a part of the transaction. In other words, the trust results from the original transaction at the time it takes place and at no other time. Bland v. Talley, 50 Ark. 71, 6 S.W. 234; Castleberry v. Castleberry, 165 Ark. 505, 264 S.W. 979; Mortensen v. Ballard, 209 Ark. 1, 188 S.W. 747; Cherokee Carpet Mills, Inc. v. Worthen Bank and Trust Co., 262 Ark. 776, 561 S.W. 2d 310.

The testimony is typical of family farm situations. Adolph was the only adult among the children of the family at that time. His brothers and sisters were still in their teens. As head of the household he farmed the home place and rented other acreages close by. These lands and their products provided all of the family maintenance and income. As in all farm families the younger brothers and sisters did their chores on the farm. There is no evidence that they were ever paid for this work or were expecting to be paid. They were fed, clothed, housed and educated from the income derived from the lands farmed or leased by Adolph. There is no evidence that he ever had in his possession any money belonging to any of them.

Although there was evidence that some of the children who did not live in the household had sent money home to help support the family, there was no evidence that they ever paid any money to Adolph or that Adolph had in his possession at any time any specified amounts of money belonging to any of them.

The case of Castleberry v. Castleberry, supra, cannot be distinguished in any material part. There the court declared:

The law is well settled that in order to create a resulting trust, the purchase money or some part must be paid by another or secured by another previous to or at the time of the purchase. Here at the time of the alleged agreement, no money was put up or secured by any of the parties here with which to purchase any lands, except E. N. Castleberry who owned a horse of the value of $50. None of the other parties to the alleged agreement had any property whatever. We think that the most that can be said of the relationship here is that the parties agreed to live together, work, make a living, bargain for, and acquire lands, to be paid for out of their joint earnings, which we think falls far short of establishing a resulting trust.
A resulting trust has been defined by this court in Kerby v. Feild, 183 Ark. 714, 38 S.W. 2d 308, as follows: Tn order to constitute a resulting trust, the purchase money or a specified part of it must have been paid by another or secured by another at the same time, or previously to the purchase, and must be a part of the transaction.

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Bluebook (online)
613 S.W.2d 404, 1 Ark. App. 75, 1981 Ark. App. LEXIS 648, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andres-v-andres-arkctapp-1981.