Conrad v. Hopkins

195 Iowa 1162
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMay 15, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 195 Iowa 1162 (Conrad v. Hopkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Conrad v. Hopkins, 195 Iowa 1162 (iowa 1923).

Opinion

Arthur, J.

On November 16, 1915, May E. Hopkins was appointed guardian of the property of Eosie Belle Conrad. May E. Hopkins is the mother of Eosie Belle Conrad. May E. Hopkins qualified as such guardian, and filed her bond in the penal sum of $1,000, with C. Konigmaeher, appellant, as surety. Funds • beloñging to the ward in the amount of about $500 were received by the guardian. On December 28, 1920, May E. Hopkins filed her final report. On December 29, 1920, objections to the report and application for discharge of guardian were filed by the ward, stating that she had reached her majority, and was entitled to receive the funds belonging to her that had come into the hands of her guardian; that said final report showed that there was due and owing to her the sum of $500, with 8 per cent interest thereon from the date of the notes referred to in the report; that she had not received any of the funds coming into the hands of her guardian; that, if the report is approved and the guardian [1163]*1163discharged and her bond exonerated, it will deprive the ward of her estate; that the note referred to in the report, given by Frank W. Hopkins to the guardian, evidencing the loan of the ward’s funds to Frank W. Hopkins, was signed by C. Konigmacher, jointly with Frank 'W. Hopkins; that the report shows that the guardian has defaulted in her undertaking on her bond; and that an order should be made, imposing a penalty of $100, as provided by Code Section 3201. Objector asked an order requiring her guardian to pay forthwith into the office of the clerk of the district court $500, with interest thereon, together with the penalty of $100, and in default of such payment %y the guardian, that C. Konigmacher, surety, be ordered to pay said amounts into the hands of said clerk. ,

The report, with objections thereto, was by the court set down for hearing on January 5, 1921. Notice of the hearing was made upon Eosie Belle Conrad, ward, and upon C. Konigmacher, surety on the guardian’s bond. Hearing was had on January 5, 1921, and the guardian and ward appeared at the hearing, and C. Konigmacher, .surety on guardian’s bond, appeared in person and by his counsel, Kimball, Peterson & Smith. On the hearing, the court found that it had no authority to require Konigmacher, surety on the bond, to pay into court the funds received by the guardian, as applied for in the ward’s objections to the report, and the order proceeded:

“And the matter coming on for hearing on the final report, the court finds that the final report should not be approved; that the final report shows that the guardian has not accounted to the ward for funds in his hands, but has loaned the same without authority from the court, and finds that there is now due from the guardian to the ward the sum of $500, with interest thereon at 6 per cent from the date upon which the stock in the Stock Yards Company was sold, under the order c5f the court heretofore entered. It is therefore ordered that the guardian pay over, on or before the tenth day of January, 1921,- the sum of $500, with interest, and turn over to her. any and all papers, notes, and mortgages of the estate in her hands belonging to the ward, and that, unless such order is complied with within said time, that suit be brought on the bond of the guardian, in the name of the ward, who has now attained her majority. ’ ’

[1164]*1164May E. Hopkins, guardian, failed to comply, with the order of the court made on January 5th, and failed to turn over to her ward the funds which had come into her hands; and on January 31, 1921, this suit was instituted against May E. Hopkins, guardian, and C. Konigmacher, surety on guardian’s bond, to recover the amount of the funds belonging* to the ward which had come into the hands of the guardian.

Defendant Konigmacher filed separate answer and cross-petition, alleging that, shortly after May E. Hopkins was appointed guardian of her daughter, Eosie Belle Conrad, an order of contrt was secured, authorizing the guardian to sell certain shares of stock which came into her hands; that the stock was sold, and the $500 received from the sale was by the guardian loaned to her husband, Frank Hopkins; that Frank Hopkins gave the guardian his note for said amount, bearing 8 per cent interest. Konigmacher further alleged that May E. Hopkins and her husband, Frank W. Hopkins, conspired together to defraud the defendant C. Konigmacher, and to compel him to make payment of the said $500 for their use and benefit; that the defendant May E. Hopkins does not allege or show that she has made any effort whatever to collect said note given by her husband, Frank W. Hopkins, nor does she allege or show that she is without means, simply alleging that she is informed that he is unable to pay; that the plaintiff filed objections to the final report of her guardian, and in her objections prayed that the defendant C. Konigmacher be ordered to account to her for the money, without first exhausting her remedy against the guardian; that the guardian was present in court, stating that the ward was entitled to the money, and that she was unable to pay it, and further asking that the defendant C. Konigmacher be served with notice of hearing on final report; that, at the same time, the plaintiff appeared in court, objecting to the final report, and urging that the defendant C. Konigmacher be made to account .to her for the said $500 and interest, and in the further sum of $100 as penalty; that Eosie Belle Conrad and May E. Hopkins conspired together for the purpose of defrauding said C. Konigmacher of said sums of money.

Konigmacher further alleged that the guardian and mother of Eosie Belle Conrad, after marrying Frank W. Hopkins, kept [1165]*1165and supported Rosie Belle Conrad for a period of something over five years, providing for her clothing, maintenance, and education, and made no charge therefor, nor application that such expense be paid from the ward’s estate, and that such failure to make such application or charge was a part of the conspiracy to compel Konigmacher, surety on the bond, to pay over the funds which came into the guardian’s hands; that Rosie Belle Conrad and her mother, May R. Hopkins, and Frank W. Hopkins, husband of May R. Hopkins, conspired to defraud Konigmacher, by not reporting expenses of care, clothing, support, and education of Rosie Belle Conrad, and thus showing payment of the funds to the ward.

Plaintiff moved to strike the answer of Konigmacher on various grounds, the substance and effect of which were that the allegations of the answer were irrelevant and redundant, and did not state a defense to the cause of action alleged in the petition. Motion to strike was sustained. The ease came on for trial to a jury. Plaintiff was called as a witness in her own behalf, and testified that she reached her majority on December 16, 1920, and that she had received no funds from her guardian, directly or indirectly, since the hearing on the final report of the guardian.

On cross-examination of witness, counsel for Konigmacher sought to elicit that her guardian, her mother, had furnished her with board and clothing and other expenses, and whether she had received anything from her guardian prior to January 5, 1921, the time- of the hearing on the final report; and witness was not permitted to answer. At this time, Konigmacher offered an amendment to his answer, making substantially the same allegations as contained in his original answer, which amendment was refused.

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Bluebook (online)
195 Iowa 1162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conrad-v-hopkins-iowa-1923.