Bashor v. Turpin

506 S.W.2d 412, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 540
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 11, 1974
Docket57458
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 506 S.W.2d 412 (Bashor v. Turpin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bashor v. Turpin, 506 S.W.2d 412, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 540 (Mo. 1974).

Opinion

WELBORN, Commissioner.

Appeal from judgment of circuit court in matter which began in probate court, arising out of citation for discovery of assets and petition of devisees to disallow expense items claimed by executor on his settlements. In circuit court, proceeding was expanded to include action to set aside deed conveying real estate from Gertrude Turpin, decedent, to her son, Roger L. Turpin, executor of his mother’s estate, and his wife. Decree of circuit court on this issue was against plaintiffs, Norma Jean Bashor and Nancy Ann Bozarth, daughters of deceased. Plaintiffs have appealed from decree on that issue and also from judgment of trial court on other issues, to be more fully discussed below.

Gertrude Turpin was the widow of Sanford Turpin, who died in 1956. The Turpin family lived on a 90-acre farm in Buchanan County, four or five miles south of Rushville, on which Sanford Turpin’s father, Napoleon Turpin, had previously lived. There were four Turpin children living at the time of their father’s death. The oldest, Gerald, was married and lived in Rushville. He was employed as a welder. The second, Norma Jean, one of the plaintiffs, was married and lived on a 69-acre tract owned by her father, across the road from the home place. She and her husband left the place “by request” in *414 1957. They lived at several different places in the vicinity and at the time of her mother’s death, at Effingham, Kansas, about 30 miles from the home place. The third child was Roger, who was 18 at the time of his father’s death and in his last year of high school. Roger married in 1957 and from that time until the death of his mother, lived on the 69-acre tract where Norma Jean and her husband had lived. The fourth child was a daughter, Nancy Ann, who was 13 or 14 years of age at her father’s death. Nancy Ann lived with her mother at the home place until she married in 1964. Nancy Ann returned to live with her mother in December, 1967, until her death March 15, 1968.

Upon the death of his father, Roger took charge of the farming operation on the land which his father had farmed and of which his mother became the owner. In addition to the 90-acre home tract and the 69-acre tract across the road from the home tract, there was a 17 or 18-acre tract in Platte County of good river bottom land and a 148-acre tract in Platte County, near the river, which included considerable accreted land. Roger received some incidental assistance from his brother and from Norma Jean’s husband early in the farm operation, but Roger had the responsibility for the operation and made the necessary decisions. His mother was raised in town, knew nothing about farming and left the entire operation to Roger. In addition to running the farm operation, Roger looked after his mother’s personal needs, taking her to town, getting groceries for her, looking after her needs for fuel and water at her home. Roger handled the financial affairs of the farm operation, his mother giving him checks which she signed in blank and Roger filled in the payee and amount.

In 1965, Mrs. Turpin became ill and was admitted to a hospital where a diagnosis of cancer of the colon was made in August or September, 1965, and an operation performed for removal of a part of her colon. Her malignancy was metastatic, requiring a second hospitalization from January 11 to 28, 1967, during which time an exploratory abdominal operation was performed which showed metastasis throughout her abdomen. A marked hearing defect due to otosclerosis was also noted at that time. She was rehospitalized from August 24, 1967 to September 9, 1967, during which time she received deep therapy. From November 24 to December 16, 1967, she was again hospitalized, after sustaining a fracture of her right hip. She was again admitted to the hospital on March 7, 1968 and died there on March 15 from metastatic carcinoma. Following the January, 1967 hospitalization, Mrs. Turpin received medication for pain. In some instances the medication was administered by injection and Roger made the injections. After Nancy Ann moved in with her mother following the December, 1967 hospitalization, she administered some of the medication, but by and large she called on Roger, even calling him to come over for such purpose in the middle of the night.

In February, 1967, Roger went to the Rushville State Bank, where Roger and his mother did their banking business, and spoke to the bank president about obtaining a $7,000 loan to buy the home place from his mother. The bank president got in touch with the bank’s attorney, William Morton, Jr., of St. Joseph, and told him that the Turpins would be in to see him about the sale of the property. Morton obtained an abstract of title to the property and had examined it when Roger and his mother came to Morton’s office on February 6, 1967. Roger told Morton that they wanted him to prepare a deed from his mother to him for the home place. The purchase price was to be $7,000 and Roger was to give his mother an unsecured promissory note for that amount, payable in six months. According to Morton, Mrs. Turpin told Morton that the terms Roger mentioned were correct and Morton prepared a warranty deed and a note which was executed by Mrs. Turpin and Roger. The deed was left with Morton and he filed it for record. Morton gave the $7,000 note *415 to Mrs. Turpin and it was not seen thereafter. According to Morton, Mrs. Turpin appeared to be rational and of sound mind and physically all right. She walked without assistance and did not appear to suffer from pain.

On June 6, 1967, Mrs. Turpin executed her will, which had been prepared by her attorney, Lewis Randolph, Jr. Mrs. Turpin had consulted Randolph on legal matters frequently, beginning in 1963. Roger brought her to Randolph’s office, but she did her own business and Randolph found her mentally alert and exercising good business judgment. She had a hearing defect and sometimes wore a hearing aid, but she and Randolph “could make each other understood.”

Mrs. Turpin’s will was filed in the Bu-chan County Probate Court March 20, 1968. The will devised the 69-acre tract across from the home place to Nancy Ann. The 17 or 18-acre Platte County tract was devised to Roger and the other Platte County land to Roger and Gerald as tenants in common. A bequest of $7,000 cash was made to Norma Jean. The farm machinery was bequeathed to Roger and Gerald and the household goods and automobile to Nancy. A one-half interest in a cattle herd owned jointly with Roger was divided equally among the four children.

Clause 10 of the will provided:

“10. In the first part of the year 1967, I sold to my son, Roger L. Turpin, approximately ninety (90) acres of real estate located in Buchanan County, Missouri. As part of the purchase price, he delivered to me his promissory note in the amount of Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00), payable according to the terms of said note, drawing six per cent (6%) interest. In the event I die before said note is paid, I direct that no interest shall be charged on this debt and that the only amount of money due and owing me from my son Roger L. Turpin is the Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00).”

Roger was named executor of the will. At the suggestion of the Rushville bank president, Roger employed Morton as attorney for the executor. The inventory and appraisal of the estate, filed May 1, 1968, valued the 69-acre tract given Nancy at $13,800, the 17 or 18-acre Platte County tract at $5,631 and the 148-acre tract at $44,469.00.

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Bluebook (online)
506 S.W.2d 412, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 540, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bashor-v-turpin-mo-1974.