Corwin v. McMurtrey

664 S.W.2d 22, 1984 Mo. App. LEXIS 3445
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 10, 1984
DocketNo. 45312
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 664 S.W.2d 22 (Corwin v. McMurtrey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Corwin v. McMurtrey, 664 S.W.2d 22, 1984 Mo. App. LEXIS 3445 (Mo. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

KELLY, Judge.

Sheldon Corwin and Mary L. Frame1 appeal from an Order of the Circuit Court of Lincoln County granting the respondents, William McMurtrey and Diane McMur-trey, a Summary Judgment pursuant to a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the McMurtreys as authorized by Rule 74.04, in a civil action based upon breach of contract. For reasons hereinafter stated we reverse and remand to the trial court for further proceedings.

The law of Missouri regarding appellate review of summary judgments is well settled. We examine the record in the light most favorable to the party against whom the judgment was rendered and give to that party the benefit of every doubt. Edwards v. Heidelbaugh, 574 S.W.2d 25, 27[1] (Mo.App.1978).

The facts, as gleaned from appellants’ First Amended Petition, respondents Answer, and affidavits filed both in support of and against the motion are as follows. In August of 1973 the appellants were husband and wife, as were the respondents, when both couples entered into a contract with Alvin and Adell Adams, husband and wife, for the purchase of the Adams’ 340 acre farm and personal property therein. According to the terms of this written contract the purchase price of the farm was $500,000.00, with a total down payment of $50,000.00. Upon payment of the purchase price, title was to be conveyed by the Ad-amses by General Warranty Deed to the parties as tenants in common, with an undivided one-half interest in all of the personal property conveyed with the land. The parties also had an oral understanding that they were to live on the real estate which was the subject of the contract of purchase and share jointly in the management obligations as well as the income produced from the real estate and the personal property therein.

[23]*23Each couple was to pay Vz of the $50,-000.00 down payment and Vz of the $50,-000.00 annual installment payment on the total purchase price of $500,000.00. The Corwins paid their share of the down payment and of the first installment, a total of $50,000.00; this constitutes their cash contribution to the purchase of the farm and the personalty.

The parties entered into an oral agreement whereby they were to live on the farm and share jointly in the management obligations and the income produced from the realty and personalty. They did live on the farm and jointly managed it until sometime later. At a time the record does not disclose, a second oral agreement was entered into between the parties whereby the McMurtreys became the sole managers of the farm and the personalty, and were to enjoy all of the profits and “pain” [sic], from its operation after they paid their share of the obligations outstanding to the Adamses.

About this time the Corwins’ marriage ran on the rocks; she shot him, and divorce proceedings were instituted.

On June 7, 1974, William McMurtrey was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, for possession of controlled substances and sometime thereafter Sheldon Corwin was also arrested as a co-conspirator with William McMurtrey on the same charge.

In August, 1974, while the Corwins were having their marital problems and Sheldon Corwin was still suffering from the multiple gunshot wounds inflicted upon him by his wife, the McMurtreys presented the Corwins with an “Assignment” reciting that “for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) and other good and valuable considerations” the Corwins agreed to assign, sell and convey to the McMurtreys all of their undivided one-half interest in and to the real and personal property purchased from the Adamses for a total price of $500,000.00. This document also recited that in consideration of the assignment the McMurtreys would assume and agree to meet the installment payments under the Adams contract, that they would indemnify and hold harmless the Corwins “from any claim, demand or cause of action arising out of said agreement,” and, further, that the Adamses consented to the assignment and agreed to release the Corwins “from any claim under said agreement.”

At some subsequent date, not alleged in the First Amended Petition nor mentioned in the supporting affidavits, the respondents took title to the realty and personalty from the Adamses without naming the Cor-wins as having a one-half undivided interest in the real estate and personalty.

The relief sought by appellants was an Order (1) declaring appellants have an undivided one-half interest in the realty and the personalty being used for the farming operation; (2) for the partition and/or sale of the realty and personalty; (3) for reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, and for such other and further orders as the court deemed proper.

Respondent’s joint Answer admitted that they were husband and wife and residents of Lincoln County, Missouri; that the cause of action arose in said county; the purchase contract of August, 1973, for the farm and personalty wherein it was provided that the parties were each to have an undivided one-half interest in same, and denied all other allegations contained in the First Amended Petition. It also contained allegations that: (1) appellant’s cause of action was barred by the Statute of Frauds, § 432.010 RSMo 1969; (2) the appellants assigned their interest and title in said real and personal property to respondents; and (3) the appellants’ First Amended Petition failed to state a cause of action.

On September 15, 1981, respondents filed a Motion for Summary Judgment contending that the undisputed evidence, as shown by a copy of the assignment, and affidavits of the McMurtreys attached to the Motion for Summary Judgment proved “beyond dispute” that the appellants had assigned all of their right, title and interest in the real and personal property in dispute to the respondents for full and valuable consideration; so there was “no issue of material fact.”

[24]*24The affidavits of the McMurtreys were identical, stating that they were defendants in the action and that “Exhibit A,” attached to their affidavits, was a true and correct copy of the assignment signed and executed by the plaintiffs as assignors and the affi-ants as assignees.

Sheldon Corwin and Mary L. Frame filed almost identical counter-affidavits, the thrust of which are that: (1) the assignment was not supported by any consideration; (2) at the time it was signed by them, Sheldon Corwin was critically injured from multiple gunshot wounds and the Corwins were involved in divorce litigation and settlement proceedings; (3) that William McMurtrey’s arrest on drug charges in June, 1974, put Ms. Frame in apprehension of further joint dealings with the appellants at the time the assignment was procured; (4) that at the time the Corwins signed the assignment, respondents represented that if the Corwins would execute the assignment, the McMurtreys would manage the property until such time as the Corwins’ emotional and physical condition would permit them to resume their role in the joint venture, as they had previously; (5) that they further represented to the Corwins at that time that the Corwins’ ability to retain their lh interest in the realty and personalty would not be impaired by their signing the assignment; (6) that Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
664 S.W.2d 22, 1984 Mo. App. LEXIS 3445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/corwin-v-mcmurtrey-moctapp-1984.