Coberly v. Coberly

580 S.E.2d 515, 213 W. Va. 236, 2003 W. Va. LEXIS 30
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedApril 17, 2003
DocketNo. 30789
StatusPublished

This text of 580 S.E.2d 515 (Coberly v. Coberly) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coberly v. Coberly, 580 S.E.2d 515, 213 W. Va. 236, 2003 W. Va. LEXIS 30 (W. Va. 2003).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

In this proceeding, the Circuit Court of Randolph County dismissed a complaint which the appellants, John J. Coberly and Portia Ann Coberly, his wife, had filed against Rebecca A. Coberly. The court dismissed the complaint because the court concluded that it failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. On appeal, the appellants claim that them complaint did state a claim upon which relief could be granted and that, as a consequence, the circuit court erred in dismissing their action. After reviewing the questions presented, this Court agrees with the appellants and reverses the decision of the circuit court.

I.

FACTS

On May 7, 1984, Ivan Coberly, the grandfather of the appellant John J. Coberly, conveyed to John J. Coberly and John J. Cober[237]*237ly’s father, John T. Coberly, a tract of land located in Leadsville District, Randolph County, West Virginia. The property was conveyed to the appellant and his father as joint tenants with the right of survivorship.

Subsequent to the conveyance, the appellant John J. Coberly and his father, John T. Coberly, borrowed substantial sums of money against the property and constructed commercial improvements upon it.

Later, on May 5, 1995, the appellant John J. Coberly, who was not represented by counsel, and his father, John T. Coberly, executed two documents affecting the ownership of the property. One of the documents transferred the property to the “J & J Trust.” The other document apparently dealt with the trust, and, according to the complaint later filed, provided that “... [tjrustee shall use the Trust Estate for the HEALTH and WELFARE of John J. Coberly [the appellant], as Trustee, and in Trustee’s sole discretion only, deem necessary, it being the intent, however, of the Settlers to provide John J. Coberly a reasonable monthly income, if possible, from the Trust Estate.” 1

In the present appeal, the appellant, John J. Coberly, asserts that, in 1998, after the transactions involving the trust, he, his father, and his father’s wife, Rebecca A. Coberly, who is apparently the appellant’s stepmother, borrowed $144,000 and executed a deed of trust on the property to secure the loan. A portion of the amount borrowed apparently was used to satisfy debts against the property. However, according to the complaint, the appellant’s father and/or his stepmother, appropriated the balance of the loan proceeds.

Subsequent to the 1998 financing, the appellant’s father died testate and in his will named Rebecca A. Coberly executrix of the estate and devised to her a substantial portion of his estate apparently including apparently his interest in the property which had previously been conveyed to the “J & J Trust.” It appears that at this time or previously, Rebecca A. Coberly had become a trustee, or the trustee, of the “J & J Trust.”

Following the death of John T. Coberly, a dispute arose between Rebecca A. Coberly and the appellant over money arising from the property which had been conveyed to the “ J & J-Trust.” As a consequence, the appellants filed the complaint instituting the present action.

After examining the complaint, Rebecca A. Coberly moved that the court dismiss it on the ground that it failed to state a cause of action upon which relief could be granted. The circuit court took the motion under consideration, and on October 3, 2001, granted it. In a subsequent order, the court said:

[T]he Complaint, when read in a light most favorable to the Plaintiffs failed to assert a factual scenario which would provided [sic] legal basis for relief. The Court, having considered counsel’s argument as well as having reviewed the pleadings in this matter, being of the opinion that Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss is proper does hereby ORDER that Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss be and hereby is GRANTED based upon the contents of the Complaint which contains numerous assertions of fact and a laundry list of Plaintiffs’ desires concerning changes which Plaintiffs wish could be made to previously executed documents, however, the Court finds that the Complaint fails to assert any grounds supporting relief sought.

It is from the dismissal of the action that the appellants now appeal.

II.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

In Syllabus Point 2 of State ex rel. McGraw v. Scott Runyan Pontiac-Buick, 194 W.Va. 770, 461 S.E.2d 516 (1995), this Court stated: “Appellate review of a circuit court’s order granting a motion to dismiss a complaint is ée novo.” Additionally, in Wiggins, v. Eastern Associated Coal Corporation, 178 W.Va. 63, 357 S.E.2d 745 (1987), this Court indicated that on appeal of a dismissal of a case based upon the assertion that the [238]*238com plaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, the allegations of the complaint must be taken as true.

III.

DISCUSSION

A fundamental precept governing the review of a motion to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a cause of action is set forth in Syllabus Point 3 of Chapman v. Kane Transfer Company, Inc., 160 W.Va. 530, 236 S.E.2d 207 (1977). That Syllabus Point states: “The trial court, in appraising the sufficiency of a complaint on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, should not dismiss the complaint unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.” See also, John W. Lodge Distributing Company, Inc. v. Texaco, Inc., 161 W.Va. 603, 245 S.E.2d 157 (1978); Mandolidis v. Elkins Industries, Inc., 161 W.Va. 695, 246 S.E.2d 907 (1978); and Chapman v. Kane Transfer Company, Inc., supra.

In light of this principle, the question before this Court in the present case is whether the appellants’ complaint states any set of facts which might entitled them to relief. Further, Wiggins v. Eastern Associated Coal Corporation, supra, indicates that in examining that question, this Court should consider the allegations contained in the complaint as correct.

As has previously been stated, the complaint alleges, among other things, that the property in question was transferred in trust with the direction that the property or trust estate be used for the health and welfare of the appellant John J. Coberly “as Trustee and in Trustee’s sole discretion only, deem necessary.” The trust agreement states, however, that it is the intent of the settlors to provide the appellant John J. Coberly with a reasonable monthly income, if possible, from the trust estate. The complaint further alleges that Rebecca A. Coberly, the appellee and trustee of the estate, had deprived the appellant, John J. Coberly, of money which was rightfully his.

In Goetz v. Old National Bank of Martinsburg, 140 W.Va. 422, 84 S.E.2d 759

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Related

John W. Lodge Distributing Co. v. Texaco, Inc.
245 S.E.2d 157 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1978)
Goetz v. Old National Bank of Martinsburg
84 S.E.2d 759 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1954)
Wiggins v. Eastern Associated Coal Corp.
357 S.E.2d 745 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1987)
Chapman v. Kane Transfer Co., Inc.
236 S.E.2d 207 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1977)
State Ex Rel. McGraw v. Scott Runyan Pontiac-Buick, Inc.
461 S.E.2d 516 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1995)
Rosier v. Garron, Inc.
199 S.E.2d 50 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1973)
Mandolidis v. Elkins Industries, Inc.
246 S.E.2d 907 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1978)

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Bluebook (online)
580 S.E.2d 515, 213 W. Va. 236, 2003 W. Va. LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coberly-v-coberly-wva-2003.