Boyle v. Lampe

223 Cal. App. 2d 715, 35 Cal. Rptr. 910, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 1593
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 23, 1963
DocketCiv. No. 27618
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 223 Cal. App. 2d 715 (Boyle v. Lampe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boyle v. Lampe, 223 Cal. App. 2d 715, 35 Cal. Rptr. 910, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 1593 (Cal. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

WOOD, P. J.

Defendant’s demurrer to the three purported causes of action in the first amended complaint (except as to a portion of the third cause of action) was sustained without leave to amend. Plaintiff appeals from the judgment of dismissal entered upon the order sustaining the demurrer.

The first cause of action alleges: Defendant Lampe is the executor of the will of Charles W. Boyle, deceased. Decedent was indebted to plaintiff as follows: for the care, maintenance, medical and funeral expenses of decedent’s mother, Mrs. Trautman; for the funeral expenses of decedent’s brother, Harry Boyle; and for expenses of a trip made by plaintiff to California at the request of decedent in connec[716]*716tion with funeral arrangements for decedent’s wife. Decedent agreed to pay said indebtedness, but has failed to do so, and the amount due and unpaid is $20,305.11. Notice to creditors was first published on April 27, 1961. Plaintiff filed her creditor’s claim for said amount with the clerk of the court on September 26, 1961, and said claim was rejected by the executor on October 2, 1961. A copy of the claim is attached to and made a part of the complaint.

The second cause of action alleges: Plaintiff realleges the allegations of the first cause of action. At all times material herein, plaintiff was, and is now, a resident of Ohio. The causes of action herein are based upon several oral contracts made and to be performed in Ohio. The law of Ohio controlling the rights of the parties is: (Here are quotations from the Ohio Code to the effect that the statute of limitations upon an oral contract is six years; and that if a payment has been made upon any demand ... the limitation is six years from such payment.) About January 1, 1941, Mrs. Trautman, mother of decedent, was destitute. Plaintiff orally agreed with decedent that she would take Mrs. Trautman into plaintiff’s home and provide food, shelter, medical care, and clothing for her in return for decedent’s oral promise to reimburse plaintiff therefor. From said date to April 20, 1957, when Mrs. Trautman died at the age of 96 years, she resided in plaintiff’s home or in a rest home provided by plaintiff (except for four months). During said period of time from 1941 to 1957 decedent paid for Mrs. Trautman’s care for four months only. After the funeral, decedent again orally promised to pay plaintiff for her services and expenses in connection with her services, but except as hereinafter alleged, he failed to pay the amount due. After the death of Mrs. Trautman on April 20, 1957, and within two years immediately preceding the filing of this action (on October 17, 1961), decedent paid to plaintiff $425 by delivery of two rings and at that time orally promised to pay all the money plaintiff had expended and for services rendered in caring for Mrs. Trautman, but he failed to make any further payments, and the entire amount heretofore alleged is due, except $620. (Allegations were also made regarding the law of Ohio with respect to the statute of limitations.)

The third cause of action alleges that plaintiff realleges the allegations of the first and second causes of action. Then plaintiff sets forth allegations which she denominates as Counts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the third cause of action.

In such Count 1 plaintiff alleges the same oral contract [717]*717with decedent that is alleged in the first cause of action, and she alleges that she performed the contract, and that as a result of the contract the decedent became indebted to her in certain amounts for specified services and expenses in the total amount of $19,320 which is unpaid.

In such Count 2 it is alleged: About March 15, 1945, plaintiff and decedent made a contract whereby decedent agreed that if plaintiff would pay the expenses of the burial of decedent’s brother Harry, decedent would repay her; she paid the expenses in the amount of $405.43, and recovered $150 of that amount from Social Security and Harry’s sister, leaving an unpaid balance of $255.43, with interest thereon from March 15, 1945, or a total balance of $535.93.

In such Count 3 it is alleged: About October 30, 1959, plaintiff and her husband, at the request of decedent, traveled from Cleveland to Los Angeles to render services to decedent in connection with the funeral of Lorene Boyle, decedent’s wife, in return for the oral promise of decedent Charles Boyle to pay such travel expenses, and decedent Charles Boyle became indebted to plaintiff therefor, with interest, making a total of $628.43 which is unpaid. (Defendant did not demur as to this so-called Count 3.)

In such Count 4 it is alleged: Within two years last past, prior to the commencement of this action, decedent Charles Boyle became indebted to plaintiff in the amount of $20,539.05 for services rendered and money advanced to him at his special instance and request; no part thereof has been paid except $620, leaving an unpaid balance of $19,919.05, with interest thereon from October 17, 1961.

Defendant executor demurred to the first amended complaint, except as to the so-called Count 3 of the third cause of action (re expenses for trip to Los Angeles for funeral of decedent’s wife), on the grounds that a cause of action was not stated, and that said alleged causes of action or alleged counts are barred by the California statute of limitations, section 339, subdivision 1, and section 337, subdivisions 1 and 2, of the Code of Civil Procedure.

A minute order indicates that the demurrer was sustained on the ground that the causes of action were barred by said sections of the statute of limitations.

Both parties agree that the contract was made and performed in Ohio; that, under the law of Ohio, the cause of action did not accrue until the death of Mrs. Trautman on April 20, 1957; and that the Ohio statute of limitations for [718]*718an oral contract is six years from the accrual of the cause of action.

Appellant states that she recognizes that in order to enforce the Ohio contract in California, she must commence her action within two years after the accrual of the cause of action. She asserts that she did commence this action within the proper time, for the reason that on November 4, 1959, the decedent paid to her $425 on account (by delivery of the rings) and orally agreed that he would pay the balance, and that, according to Ohio law, if a partial payment has been made it creates a new contract or promise to pay, and an action may be commenced within six years after such payment. Appellant also asserts that, admittedly, a partial payment does not meet the requirements of section 360 of the California Code of Civil Procedure which provides that no acknowledgement or promise is sufficient evidence of a new or continuing contract unless the same is in writing and signed by the party to be charged. She contends, however, that since the United States Constitution requires that each state shall give full faith and credit to the laws of other states, the law of Ohio regarding partial payment should be followed, namely, the Ohio law that partial payment (to extend the statute) need not be accompanied by a written acknowledgement (which law is contrary to California law requiring a new acknowledgement or promise to be in writing and signed). In summary, plaintiff’s position is that a cause of action upon the Ohio contract accrued April 20, 1957, when Mrs.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
223 Cal. App. 2d 715, 35 Cal. Rptr. 910, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 1593, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boyle-v-lampe-calctapp-1963.