Baker v. Finnell

1953 OK 51, 253 P.2d 1064, 208 Okla. 134, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 727
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 24, 1953
DocketNo. 35114
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1953 OK 51 (Baker v. Finnell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker v. Finnell, 1953 OK 51, 253 P.2d 1064, 208 Okla. 134, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 727 (Okla. 1953).

Opinion

WILLIAMS, Justice.

For convenience, the parties to this appeal are referred to as in the trial court.

In 1928, Bertie Weaver, a widow, purchased 160 acres of land in Rogers County, which, together with certain real estate in the city of Tulsa, is the property involved in this action. She immediately thereafter moved onto the 160 acres with Charles Finnell, and they lived there the rest of their lives. There is some controversy as to whether they became common law husband and wife, but a determination of that question is not necessary in this case. They were married in a ceremonial marriage in 1941. Bertie Finnell (formerly Weaver) died intestate in 1948, and Charles Finnell was appointed administrator of her estate, in the County Court of Rogers County.

[1065]*1065Bertie 'Finnell’s heirs were her husband, three brothers, one sister, and a-niece and nephew. All of the heirs mentioned, except one brother, and her husband, were plaintiffs in the action in the lower court and prosecute this appeal.

In July, 1948, plaintiffs herein hired attorney Jack E. Gordon to represent them in protecting whatever interests they might have in the.estate of Bertie Finnell. Mr. G. Raymond Bassmann was attorney for Charles Finnell, • administrator. Mr. Gordon and Mr. Bassmann are both defendants in the case at bar.

After a thorough and diligent investigation, Mr. Gordon concluded that his clients collectively should inherit a one-half interest in the property above mentioned, plus a small amount of rent on the Tulsa property. He discussed the claim with Mr. Bassmann, and after negotiations extending over 8 or 9 months, Mr. Finnell recognized the claim of Mr. Gordon’s clients, and agreed to and did purchase their one-half interest in the property since they desired an immediate cash settlement. In the meantime, Mr. Gordon has succeeded in getting Mr. Finnell and Mr. Bassmann to agree to add 12½ per cent to the appraised value of the 160 acres in computing the cash value of the interest of his clients; parties also considered various claims against the estate, mortgages outstanding, court costs, attorney fees, funeral expenses, etc., all of which appear to be reasonable and bona fide charges against the estate of Bertie Finnell, deceased. Mr. Gordon also testified that he considered the fact that the 160 .acres was the homestead of Charles Finnell, and that Mr. Finnell could retain possession for the rest of his life, if he should so elect.

Pursuant to the agreement, all of Mr. Gordon’s clients conveyed to Mr. Finnell by assignments and deeds, all of their interests in the estate of Bertie Finnell, deceased, and were paid therefor. .

In March, 1949, Charles Finnell" died. Immediately thereafter, his brother, R. B. Finnell, was appointed successor-administrator of the estate of Bertie Finnell, deceased, and also executor of the.estate of Charles Finnell, deceased. In August, 1949, the Order Approving -Final Account, Decreeing Heirship, Decreeing Distribution, and Discharging Administrator was filed in the County 'Court of Rogers County, in the case of the estate of Bertie Finnell, deceased. Said order has become final.. It decreed that the property concerned in the case at bar descended one-half to Mr. Charles Finnell and the other half to the collateral kindred of Bertie Finnell above-mentioned. In October, 1949, plaintiffs instituted the action from the judgment in which this appeal is taken, in the District Court of Tulsa County. Defendants herein are attorneys Gordon and Bassmann; the heirs of Charles Finnell; the executor of the estate of Charles Finnell, deceased; and other named defendants not identified in the record.

Defendants filed a motion to make more definite and certain, asking that plaintiffs be required to attach to their petition, copies of all instruments they wanted can-celled. Pursuant to the order sustaining said motion, to which no exception was made, plaintiffs filed copies of the assignments and deeds above mentioned. As grounds for cancellation of said instruments, ' plaintiffs alleged that attorneys Gordon and Bassmann, acting in concert; practiced fraud and deceit in the procurement of the assignments and deeds, and that Charles Finnell, as administrator of his deceased wife’s estate, was precluded by 58 O.S. 1951 § 496 from purchasing the interests of the other heirs. The petition also contained a prayer for damages, but since there is no evidence of any kind in the record touching this issue, it is assumed that plaintiffs abandoned such claim.

The trial court denied plaintiffs the relief prayed for; motion for new trial was considered and overruled, and plaintiffs have appealed to this court as provided by law.

The two questions for our determination are:

(1) Were defendants Gordon and Báss-mann guilty of fraud in the procurement of such assignments and deeds?- . ■

(2) Was Charles Finnell, administrator of the estate of Bertie Finnell, precluded by the terms of 58 O.S.1951 § 496 .from purchasing the interests of the other heirs of Bertie Finnell?

[1066]*1066With reference to such first question, the findings of the trial court include the following:

“That plaintiffs employed Jack Gordon, an attorney, to represent them, and that he made an investigation. That thereafter at armslength dealings, in which no fraud nor concealment was practiced, nor unfair advantage taken, plaintiffs contracted to sell their share of Bertie Weaver Finnell’s estate to Charles F. Finnell, for a price of * * * which price I find under all the circumstances to be fair and thereafter plaintiffs executed deeds and bills of sale for same. Gordon was not Bassman’s partner at the time and the dealing between Gordon and Bassman was carried on at armslength, each acting with fidelity for the interests of his own clients.”

The charges against attorneys Gordon and Bassmann were grave indeed, and we have given these charges careful consideration. A detailed examination of the record herein reveals that there was no misrepresentation by either attorney; that there was no concealment of material facts; that the price paid was fair and adequate, although the evidence was in dispute on this point; that no undue influence was exerted; and that they were not even considering becoming partners at the time complained of by plaintiffs. We conclude, therefore, that attorneys Gordon and Bass-mann acted with the highest fidelity toward their clients, and that there was no fraud in connection with the procurement of the assignments and deeds from plaintiffs herein; and that not only were the findings of the trial court not shown to be against the clear weight of the evidence, but that the over-whelming weight of the evidence sustains the findings of the trial court in that- regard.

See Kliewer v. Bodenheimer, 199 Okl. 107, 184 P.2d 456, wherein this court said:

“In an action of equitable cognizance the findings of the trial court should be sustained, unless it appears that its findings are clearly against the weight of the evidence.”

See also Wahby v. Renegar, 199 Okl. 191, 185 P.2d 184, and cases cited in Note 566 to 12 O.S.A. § 952.

As to the second question, 58 O.S.1951 § 496 reads as follows:

“No executor or administrator must directly or indirectly, purchase any property of the estate he represents, nor must he be interested in any sale.”

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Bluebook (online)
1953 OK 51, 253 P.2d 1064, 208 Okla. 134, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 727, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-v-finnell-okla-1953.