Cordoba v. Wiswall

436 P.2d 922, 7 Ariz. App. 144, 1968 Ariz. App. LEXIS 341
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedFebruary 1, 1968
Docket2 CA-CIV 415
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 436 P.2d 922 (Cordoba v. Wiswall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cordoba v. Wiswall, 436 P.2d 922, 7 Ariz. App. 144, 1968 Ariz. App. LEXIS 341 (Ark. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinions

HATHAWAY, Chief Judge.

Andres Cordoba has appealed from a summary judgment granted to George Wis-wall, executor of the estate of Mary Greene Wiswall, deceased, defendant below. The matter is before us for the second time, the first appeal having been dismissed by this court, on its own motion, for the reason that it was prematurely taken. See Cordoba v. Wiswall, 5 Ariz.App. 265, 425 P.2d 576 (1967). The appellant’s two-pronged attack on the judgment raises the following questions:

1. Did the existence of a material,, genuine issue of fact preclude the granting of summary judgment?
2. Was the motion for summary judgment improperly granted for the reason that certain “indispensable parties” were not given notice of the hearing on the motion and were thereby deprived of an opportunity to participate therein?

Review of the challenged ruling necessitates a rather detailed examination and analysis of the proceedings below.

PROCEEDINGS

Since the appellant’s initial complaint was dismissed for failure to join indispensable parties, with leave granted to amend, we need not concern ourselves with the allegations contained therein but direct our attention to the claim for relief asserted in the amended complaint against the appellee. The complaint was denominated “complaint for declaratory judgment and to impress trust.” The appellee, as executor of the estate of Mary Greene Wiswall, deceased, and certain children and grandchildren of the decedent were named as defendants. The appellant alleged double payment for certain shares of stock and sought to have the appellee-executor declared a constructive trustee of either a part or all of the proceeds paid the estate for the sale of such stock by the estate to the appellant.

In his complaint Cordoba alleged substantially that Mary Greene Wiswall, the decedent, was a resident of Sonora, Mexico, and at the date of her death, owned bearer shares of stock in Banco de Cananea. The stock was inventoried by the estate of Mary Greene Wiswall, deceased, Cochise County, Arizona, Probate File No. 7243, and also was inventoried in the Mexican administration proceedings at Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. Although the stock certificates were in the possession of the Arizona executor, the defendants, Virginia Greene [146]*146Sturdivant Miller, and Florence Greene Sharp, under the laws of Sonora, Mexico, sold their hereditary interests in the stock to the appellant.

Subsequently, the executor in the Arizona proceedings offered to sell the bearer shares of stock, which were physically in his possession, and the appellant “was forced to purchase the shares of stock from the Arizona executor,” thereby paying twice. The appellant purchased the stock from the Arizona executor then demanded that Virginia Miller and Florence Sharp repay him. They refused to do so. The appellant sought to have the Arizona executor declared to be a trustee for his benefit contending that Virginia Miller and Florence Sharp would be unjustly enriched by double payment upon the decree of final distribution. [The complaint additionally sought relief against the defendants Miller and Sharp in the form of damages or imposition of a constructive trust on all proceeds received by them from the sale of the stock.]

The appellee moved for summary judgment contending that there was no genuine issue of material fact and that he was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because no liability existed either on his part or on the part of the estate of the decedent. In support of the motion, the appellee filed a stipulation of facts between himself as executor and appellant. The appellant filed a memorandum in opposition to the motion for summary judgment, wherein it was stated that the motion was premature for the reasons:

“1. There are other parties to this suit who are concerned greatly with the outcome of the motion, and who have not been given an opportunity to participate;
“2. There are numerous facts which have not been resolved and upon which testimony must be made.”

It was further argued “that all of the facts alleged in the amended complaint— not all of which have been stipulated to or proven—set out a good cause of action under the theory of constructive trust * * Unresolved issues, according to the appellant, were:

“1. Who got the double payment?
• “2. Who was legally entitled to sell bank stock to Andres O. Cordoba?
“3. Who is entitled to retain the money, the estate or the two heirs of Mrs. Wiswall ?”

No affidavits opposing the motion for summary judgment were filed. On the basis of the pleadings and the stipulation of facts, the trial court granted appellee’s motion and entered judgment in accordance therewith.

The stipulation of facts included the following material facts: When Mrs. Wis-wall died, she owned 2,828 shares of Banco de Cananea stock, which was personal property. At the time of her death these shares were in the Miners and Merchants Bank in Bisbee, Arizona. Under the terms of her will, Mrs. Miller was a beneficiary for life in the income from the trust of one sixth of the estate with the remainder over to Mrs. Miller’s children. Mrs. Sharp was provided for in the will in like fashion. The probate of Mrs. Wiswall’s estate was commenced in Cochise County, Arizona, and executors were duly appointed. At approximately the same time, a proceeding was started in the state of Sonora at Cananea.

Mrs. Wiswall’s will was not a valid testamentary document in the Republic of Mexico, and could not be probated there in a domiciliary proceeding, because not properly witnessed according to Sonora statutes, and because it provided for trusts which are not legal in Mexico. Under the laws of the state of Sonora and the Republic of Mexico, the heirs-at-law of a deceased person become co-owners of the estate property prior to distribution. This ownership is subject only to the payment of taxes and administration costs. Once taxes and administration costs have been paid, each heir then has the right—even before distribution of the estate—to sell his interest in the estate. This right is subject only to the requirement that the other heirs or [147]*147co-owners be given the first opportunity to purchase the interest being sold.

With the approval of the other heirs-at-law, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Sharp, respectively, entered into written agreements to sell their rights in the stock to appellant. As a result of these agreements, appellant paid Mrs. Miller the sum of $37,680 and Mrs. Sharp, the sum of $23,600. These agreements, which were in writing, for the sale of hereditary rights were made in Mexico, under Mexican law, subsequent to a determination by the Cochise County Superior Court that Mexico was the domiciliary probate and Arizona merely the ancillary probate.

There were creditors’ claims, administration costs and estate taxes outstanding in Cochise County. For a period of about one and a half years preceding the execution of the written agreements with the heirs-at-law, the appellant negotiated for purchase of the stock from the Arizona estate. No sale was confirmed during this period of time. Approximately six months after execution of the agreements for purchase of the hereditary rights, the appellant entered into an agreement with the appellee for the purchase of the stock.

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Related

Edwards v. Hauff
682 P.2d 1 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1984)
Norman v. Transamerica Title Insurance
493 P.2d 112 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1972)
In Re Estate of Wiswall
464 P.2d 634 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1970)
Brown v. Walls
457 P.2d 355 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1969)
Cordoba v. Wiswall
436 P.2d 922 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1968)

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Bluebook (online)
436 P.2d 922, 7 Ariz. App. 144, 1968 Ariz. App. LEXIS 341, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cordoba-v-wiswall-arizctapp-1968.