Buckner v. McHugh

243 N.W. 119, 123 Neb. 396, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 217
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJune 16, 1932
DocketNo. 28156
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 243 N.W. 119 (Buckner v. McHugh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Buckner v. McHugh, 243 N.W. 119, 123 Neb. 396, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 217 (Neb. 1932).

Opinion

Good, J.

This is a creditor’s suit in equity to compel the application of property, owned by the debtor but held for him in the name of another, to the satisfaction of judgments owned by the creditors. Plaintiff and interveners Dasenbrock seek to reach and apply to the satisfaction of judgments, held by them, a claim for $16,275, filed by William B. McHugh against the estate of George W. Stabler, deceased, on the ground that the claim was, in fact, the property of Bartley McHugh, the judgment debtor.

Defendants Bartley and William B. McHugh, as defenses, pleaded the statute of limitations, laches, and alleged that the claim against the estate of decedent was the property of William B. McHugh.

The trial court found for plaintiff and interveners Dasenbrock and enjoined the McHughs from selling, assigning or otherwise disposing of the claim, and ordered and directed the defendant Lincoln National Bank & Trust Company, as administrator of the estate of Stabler, not to pay any of the claim to the McHughs, but to pay the same to the plaintiff and interveners Dasenbrock, to the extent of their judgment claims. William B. and Bartley McHugh have appealed.

Defendants Bartley and William B. McHugh are father and son. In 1918 Bartley McHugh was the owner of 160 acres of land in Lancaster county, which he had contracted to sell for a consideration of $28,800; the contract to be closed and deed executed March 1, 1919. In the latter part of August, 1918, Bartley McHugh borrowed $2,700 from the bank of which the plaintiff was president. There is credible evidence that when he executed the note for the amount borrowed he deposited therewith the land contract as collateral security for his note, and stated that [398]*398the closing of the sale contract would occur at that bank; that when settlement was made for his land the note was to be paid out of the proceeds. About the same time he borrowed money from other banks, giving his notes therefor, and there is evidence tending to show that he agreed that these notes should be paid out of the purchase price of the farm which he had contracted to sell. Instead of closing the contract for the sale of his land at the banks from which he had secured these loans, he closed the deal at another bank and received a check for something over $19,000. This check he immediately converted into a bank draft for 17,000 and some odd dollars and some cash. On the same day he took the draft to a bank in Lincoln and obtained cash therefor.

Bartley McHugh testified that he took the $17,000 cash to his home and put it in a trunk, leaving it there for, perhaps, a week, or longer, when he turned over to his son $15,200. The son, William B. McHugh, testified that he kept the $15,200 in a dresser drawer in his home for a few days, when, as he and his father and sister testified, the three went to Omaha, the son taking with him $12,000 or $13,000 in cash; that the son contemplated buying-government bonds; that when they reached Omaha the father left the son and daughter, the son being only a little more than 21 years of age, and the daughter still younger, and went to visit a relative, while the son and daughter went to the business section of the city to look for a bank; that a bank was found, but it was closed and they could not enter; that they found a safe deposit company in the basement of the bank building; that they went in and rented a safe deposit box and placed therein the $12,000 or $13,000 in currency. They were unable to tell the name of the bank or the name of the safe deposit company, on what street the building was located, or whether it faced east, west, north or south; were unable to name any officer or person connected with the company, and were unable to state for how long a time the box was rented or what rental was paid therefor. The [399]*399son testified that this money remained in the safe deposit box, and that he never returned to it until about two years later when he arranged for a loan of $12,000 to George W. Stabler, a close personal friend of his father; that on the day this loan was made he, with his father and Stabler, went to Omaha and there obtained the money from the safe deposit box. He and his father testified that the money was turned over to Stabler, who gave his note therefor at that time; that the same day they returned to Lincoln and went to Stabler’s home where Mrs. Stabler also signed the note.

Mrs. Stabler testified that on the evening in question Bartley McHugh came home with her husband; that the former stayed overnight at their home, and that William B. McHugh was not there; that she was requested to sign the note. She made some inquiries and was informed in the presence of Bartley McHugh that it was his money which Mr. Stabler was borrowing, and she was admonished, in the presence of Bartley McHugh, “not to breathe a word” about the transaction. Interest was paid upon this note by Stabler from time to time until his death, which occurred in 1929, and credits were indorsed on the back of the note. It is significant that these credits are not in the handwriting of William B. McHugh, but appear to be in that of his sister.. After Stabler’s death it was necessary that a claim should be filed against his estate. It appears also that there was a second note for $1,000, given by Stabler to William B. McHugh, and that all the money that was loaned to Stabler came out of the proceeds of the sale of Bartley McHugh’s land.

One of the banks that had made the loan to Bartley McHugh obtained a judgment thereon and was unable to find any property out of which to satisfy the judgment. In 1920 the bank obtained service on Bartley McHugh and caused him to submit to an examination, to disclose what had become of his property. At that time he used a written statement in which he claimed the manner of disposition of all the proceeds from the sale of the farm, and it [400]*400is significant that at that time no mention was made of the $15,200 which he claims was turned over to his son, but he did mention $600 which he claimed to have paid to his son either for wages or expenses. The evidence also shows that the son was consulted with reference to the preparation of this statement.

The record discloses that after Bartley McHugh had acquired title to the 160 acres in question he transferred the title to his wife, and that title remained in her for a number of years, but that when she was in ill health and nearing the end of life she reconveyed the land to Bartley McHugh. She died in 1908. Defendants McHugh claim that 80 acres of this land was originally paid for by money belonging to Mrs. Bartley McHugh; that when she reconveyed the land to her husband there was a parol agreement that the 80-acre tract of land was to be conveyed to William B. McHugh when he became of age or married. Bartley McHugh testified that he consulted with his son and that they agreed that it was better to sell the land and pay William B. the proceeds of the sale, rather than convey the land to him; that the $15,200 which was turned over to him represented the 80 acres of land that was intended to be conveyed to him, together with his half-interest in the personal property on the farm.

It is significant that when Bartley McHugh was examined in 1920 no statement was made relative to the $15,200 turned over, nor to the fact that William B. McHugh had any interest in the land or the proceeds thereof. It also appears that in July, 1918, William B.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
243 N.W. 119, 123 Neb. 396, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buckner-v-mchugh-neb-1932.