Beach v. Baker

151 N.E.2d 677, 79 Ohio Law. Abs. 136, 1958 Ohio App. LEXIS 912
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 26, 1958
DocketNo. 24480
StatusPublished

This text of 151 N.E.2d 677 (Beach v. Baker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beach v. Baker, 151 N.E.2d 677, 79 Ohio Law. Abs. 136, 1958 Ohio App. LEXIS 912 (Ohio Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

OPINION

By SKEEL, PJ.

This appeal comes to this court on questions of law from a judgment entered by the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County against the plaintiff on his/ petition seeking a declaratory judgment. This action for declaratory judgment was commenced by the plaintiff as guardian of John Burger, the appointment having been made by the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County on May 11, 1956. The application alleged that John Burger'was an incompetent person by reason of advanced age, or mental or physical disability or infirmity. The petition is concerned with the right of the defendants to certain money paid to them by John Burger for services rendered for his care. While the case was pending, the defendant, Clarence M. Baker, died on December 1, 1955, and the plaintiff’s ward. John Burger, died on January 16, 1957. The court, upon the supplemental petition of the plaintiff, revived the action in the name of George E. Beach, as Executor of the Estate of John Burger, and also revived the action against Bertha M. Baker, as Executrix of the Estate of Clarence A. Baker.

John Burger, at the time of the filing of this petition on July 23, 1956, was a widower of eighty-six years. He was a retired railroad engineer of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, and was receiving therefrom a pension of $135.94 per month. His second wife, to whom he was [138]*138married in 1941, died on October 2, 1954. He lived in his own home on Westwood Drive, Strongsville, Ohio. He had a savings account in The Commercial and Savings Bank of Berea, Ohio (now consolidated with the Union Bank of Commerce of Cleveland), with a balance, prior to the withdrawals here considered, of $5291.07.

William E. Burger, son and only child of John Burger, lived in Chicago, Illinois, with his family. He had been a resident of that city since 1922 and was engaged in building construction. Clarence A. and Bertha M. Baker, husband and wife, lived the second door from John Burger on Westwood Drive in Strongsville.

The plaintiff’s petition alleges that on May 11, 1956, he was appointed and is now the qualified and acting guardian of the person and estate of John Burger, Incompetent; that John Burger was found mentally ill by the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County as charged in a lunacy proceeding filed May 8, 1956. In such proceeding John Burger was committed to a State Hospital (Hawthornden) on May 10. 1956.

The plaintiff’s petition further alleges that the defendant, William E. Burger, was the sole child of said ward and the only person entitled to the next estate of inheritance from him and as a person so interested, had. in writing, pursuant to §2107.46 R. C., requested this guardian to institute this proceeding for “his guidance the direction or judgment of this court on the matters Herein set forth.” The petition then sets forth the facts above set out concerning John Burger, his advanced age, that he is a widower, his pension income, his savings bank deposit, the relationship of William E. Burger, and that William E. Burger visited the said. ward from time to time and that as time passed, the “said ward’s physical and mental vigor gradually ebbed to the extent that in the fall of the year, 1955, his son, defendant, William E. Burger, made inquiries from time to time of neighbors, including defendants, Baker, herein, who had been volunteering to, and did, look in upon, and do some services for, his father occasionally, but with increasing frequency, as to whether they had been sufficiently paid therefor, or, as to what their demands were, if any, and even wrote them several letters about it but his inquiries were at different times responded to by defendants, Baker, either in the negative, or evasively, but concluding on October 31, 1955, wherein it was stated, inter alia, by said Bakers to said William E. Burger, in writing: ‘We (Bakers) do have an understanding with him (John Burger),’ but did not reveal what it was though defendants, Baker, were, the while handling said ward’s pension money and paying certain bills therefrom.”

The petition further alleges that defendant, Clarence A. Baker, without giving notice to William E. Burger, attempted to have himself appointed guardian of John Burger by application filed in the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County on December 29,. 1955, asserting that he (Burger) was mentally ill and incompetent, but that such application was dismissed on January 26, 1956,' by the applicant because William E. Burger, who accidentally received notice of the proceeding, appeared at the hearing. (The application, which is Joint Exhibit No. 1) alleges that “John Burger is incompetent by reason of advanced age, physical [139]*139disability and infirmity and by reason thereof is incapable of taking proper care of himself or of his property.” No mention is made of plaintiff’s allegation that the application claims Burger to be then “mentally ill.”

The petition then alleges that in the meantime and without the knowledge of William E. Burger, there was withdraw from the ward’s savings account $3400 on January 16, 1956 and $350.00 on March 9, 1956, which sums were “appropriated in their entirety” by the Bakers.

The petition then asks the determination of the' following questions so that plaintiff, as executor, may proceed safely in the premises:

“1. Whether defendants, Baker, have the right to retain, all, or any part, of either or both of the items of $3,400.00 and $350.00, aforesaid.
“2. Whether he should pay to defendants, Baker,' the additional $150.00, aforesaid, demanded by them from the estate of his ward.
“3. If defendants, Baker, be required to account for and return all or part of the items of $3,400.00 and $350.00, aforesaid, do said items draw interest, or penalty?
“4.. Do defendants, Baker, owe duty to account fully for disposition of all funds received by them from John Burger including also his monthly pension?” - ■

By answer, it is alleged, in addition to admitting the record of plaintiff’s appointment as guardian, and other matters of record, that the money paid to the defendants was in payment for the amount due under a contractual agreement for services performed at fifty dollars per week.. It is further alleged that John Burger was fully competent to contract when the agreement was made and when the money was paid.

The pertinent evidence, in brief, on the issues as submitted by the parties^and'admitted into the record by the court over objections of the opposite party, was to the. following effect: The plaintiff called as his witness the defendant, William E. Burger (a party defendant in the action)- who testified that after his stepmother died on October 2, 1954, he wrote a letter to the Bakers, dated October 13, 1954, in which he stated: “As was explained to you over the telephone, it is my utmost wish that he (John Burger) have whatever comfort you may be able to help him with. If at any time you receive compensation from him, kindly accept it at face value and if in your opinion, it is inadequate, kindly let me know and I will supplement it to whatever extent suits you. If he does not offer you money, please feel free to let me know and I will see that you are adequately compensated.” (Plaintiff’s Exhibit C.)

And again, October 26, 1955, William E.

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Bluebook (online)
151 N.E.2d 677, 79 Ohio Law. Abs. 136, 1958 Ohio App. LEXIS 912, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beach-v-baker-ohioctapp-1958.