Bartsch v. Little River Bank & Trust Co.

15 Fla. Supp. 127
CourtCircuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County
DecidedOctober 22, 1958
DocketNo. 58 C 2560
StatusPublished

This text of 15 Fla. Supp. 127 (Bartsch v. Little River Bank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bartsch v. Little River Bank & Trust Co., 15 Fla. Supp. 127 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1958).

Opinion

JOHN J. KEHOE, Circuit Judge.

This cause originated upon a complaint filed by the plaintiff, Adeline Bartsch, against the defendant, Little River Bank & Trust Co., wherein the plaintiff seeks to have the defendant account to her for certain assets held by the defendant as trustee under a trust agreement dated August 5, 1955 wherein the defendant was named as trustee and one Anton F. Wirth was named as trustor. The complaint further alleges that upon the death of the trustor the trust was to be terminated and the assets distributed to the plaintiff, Adeline Bartsch; and that the trustor, Anton F. Wirth, died a resident of Dade County on January 26, 1958.

After due notice and hearing the court entered an order granting a petition for leave to intervene filed by Adalbert H. Wirth. By his cross-claim filed herein the intervenor seeks to have the trust agreement declared null and void because of the undue influence of the plaintiff, Adeline Bartsch, exercised upon the trustor, Anton F. Wirth, alleging that he had an interest in the assets held by the trustee by virtue of the true will and testament of Anton F. Wirth dated April 6,1951 and the codicil thereto dated December 11, 1951, wherein he was the chief beneficiary. The plaintiff, Adeline Bartsch, filed an answer to the intervenor’s cross-claim wherein she denies that the execution of the trust agreement was the result of the exercise of undue influence.

The court heretofore entered an order directing the defendant Little River Bank & Trust Co. to deposit in the registry of the court all assets of the trust estate in its possession after the deduction of its fees as trustee and releasing and discharging the defendant trustee from further liability with respect to the trust.

The cause came on for final hearing before the court and evidence was presented by the intervenor and the plaintiff. At the conclusion of the trial, the intervenor filed with the court his motion for [129]*129leave to amend his cross-claim to conform to the evidence pursuant to rule of civil procedure 1.15 (b), seeking by the proposed amendment to have the court declare invalid because of undue influence not only the trust agreement dated August 5, 1955 but also a last will and testament of the deceased, Anton F. Wirth, dated August 18,1954 whereby the decedent named the plaintiff, Adeline Bartsch, as his sole beneficiary. Upon the evidence presented and the arguments delivered in this cause, the court makes the following findings of fact and arrives at the following conclusions of law.

Findings of fact

The deceased, Anton F. Wirth, the trustor in the instrument dated August 5,1955, died on January 26,1958, a resident of Dade County, at the age of 92. On April 6, 1951, when he was a resident of Villa Park, DuPage County, Illinois, he executed his last will and testament wherein the intervenor, Adalbert H. Wirth, was named chief beneficiary. This will was introduced in evidence at the trial and appears as an exhibit herein. Also while domiciled in Illinois, on December 11, 1951, Anton F. Wirth executed a codicil to his will increasing the amount of the bequest to his chief beneficiary, Adalbert H. Wirth; and the codicil was also introduced in evidence and appears as an exhibit herein.

On or about August 30, 1952 the plaintiff, Adeline Bartsch, took up her residence in the home of the decedent, a widower then at the advanced age of 86 years, and performed the duties of a housekeeper for him. At this time the plaintiff was approximately 30 years younger than the decedent who although he was not of unsound mind suffered from the usual infirmities of advanced old age and became dependent upon the plaintiff for many of his normal everyday needs. The relationship established between the decedent and the plaintiff was not that of master and servant, but was that of a confidential friend — the decedent reposed great confidence and trust in the plaintiff, in addition to relying upon her for many of his daily physical needs. Although the decedent had known the plaintiff in prior years, the evidence indicates that he had not seen her for some 14 years prior to the renewal of their acquaintance and prior to her becoming his housekeeper.

Within approximately two weeks of the time when the plaintiff established her residence at the decedent’s home she secured from him a deed to his home property at Villa Park, Illinois, where he had resided for approximately 30 years, and paid therefor the sum of $900. The evidence establishes that this is the only sum of money she ever paid for the acquisition of this property. This property was [130]*130subsequently purchased by the intervenor for the sum of $6,000, which was paid to the plaintiff.

On or about October 22,1952 the plaintiff and the decedent came to Miami, where the plaintiff owned a home. The removal to Florida was made at a time when Adalbert H. Wirth, the nephew of Anton F. Wirth and principal beneficiary under the will of April 6, 1951 and codicil thereto of December 11, 1951, was absent from Illinois on a trip to Europe. The plaintiff testified that this was intended to be a short sojourn for the purpose of her making certain arrangements with regard to the contemplated sale of her home in Miami.

The decedent was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States. He made arrangements for his nephew, Adalbert F. Wirth, who was an orphan residing in Germany, to come to this country and he furnished money to his nephew for this purpose, which was subsequently repaid by the nephew. From the time of his arrival in this country until his removal to Miami in October of 1952 the decedent always resided in Illinois and most of his relatives and friends lived in that area. Upon his arrival in Miami he was a stranger to this community, he had no relatives or friends in this area — and he could look only to the plaintiff as a person in whom he could place his trust and confidence and from whom he could seek advice. The new acquaintances which the decedent made after he moved to Miami were persons the plaintiff knew and introduced to him.

Within four months from the time when the plaintiff brought the decedent to her home in Miami, work was commenced upon the construction of a new house upon an adjoining lot owned by the plaintiff. This new house was completed at a cost of approximately $15,300. The decedent’s money was used to provide for the entire construction cost with the exception of a few hundred dollars.

Within four months from the time when the plaintiff brought the decedent to her home in Miami, she caused to be deposited in her individual savings account all income derived from the decedent’s stocks which was not used for certain living expenses, said stocks constituting his sole source of income. From his income certain new purchases of stock were made and after his arrival in Miami all new purchases and exchanges of stock were in the name of the plaintiff. This practice continued during the entire period of their relationship.

Within four months from the time when the plaintiff brought the decedent to her home in Miami, she caused to be placed in her safety deposit box, which was held in her name and to which she alone had access, all of the decedent’s stocks.

[131]*131Within eight months after the time when she brought him to Miami, she purchased an automobile with his funds and put title to the same in her name.

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In Re: Peters Estate v. Fla. Nat'l. Bank of Jax
20 So. 2d 487 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1945)

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Bluebook (online)
15 Fla. Supp. 127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bartsch-v-little-river-bank-trust-co-flacirct11mia-1958.