Day v. Hupp

528 S.W.3d 400
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 16, 2017
DocketNo. ED 104168
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 528 S.W.3d 400 (Day v. Hupp) 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
Day v. Hupp, 528 S.W.3d 400 (Mo. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

LAWRENCE E. MOONEY, JUDGE

The plaintiffs, Leah and Mariah Day, appeal’ the judgment of the Circuit Court of St. Charles County entered in favor of the defendants, Pamela and Mark Hupp, following a bench trial. Our standard of review compels us to defer to the trial court’s credibility determinations. These credibility determinations led the trial court to conclude that Pamela Hupp made no enforceable promise to the plaintiffs’ late mother and that the plaintiffs failed to carry, their burden of proof to establish either constructive fraud or unjust enrichment. Consequently, we must , affirm the tried court’s judgment.

Factual and Procedural Background

The plaintiffs are sisters Leah and Mari-ah Day, the only children of the late Betsy Faria. The defendants are Pamela Hupp, a friend of Betsy Faria, and Hupp’s -husband, Mark Hupp. Late in 2011, Betsy Faria suffered from stage-IV breast cancer, had received a terminal diagnosis, and was undergoing chemotherapy. On December 23, 2011, Betsy Faria changed the beneficiary designation on her State Farm life-insurance policy for $150,000 from her husband, Russell Faria, to Pamela Hupp.1 Faria was murdered in her home four days later, on December 27, 2011. Leah Day was then 21 years old, and Mariah Day was 17. Faria died intestate.

The Lincoln County Prosecutor charged Faria’s husband with her murder, and a jury convicted him in November 2013. Ex-eluded at Russell Faria’s criminal trial was evidence that Betsy Faria had named Hupp the beneficiary on her life-insurance policy just four days before her murder. Russell Faria sought to introduce this as evidence that there was an alternate suspect in Betsy Faria’s murder.2 During an offer of proof in the criminal trial, Hupp testified about establishing, a trust for the Days. During the pendency of the appeal of Russell Faria’s criminal conviction to this Court, he filed a motion to remand for new trial due to newly discovered evidence. The newly discovered evidence consisted of Hupp’s 2014 deposition testimony in this case that contradicted her testimony at Russell Faria’s criminal trial about Betsy Faria’s plans for the life-insurance proceeds and the reasons that Hupp established a trust for the Days. This Court granted Russell Faria’s motion for remand.3 On remand, Russell Faria was granted a new trial, and was acquitted of his wife's murder in November 2015.

- In the meantime, the Day sisters sued Pamela and Mark Hupp for the proceeds of their mother’s $150,000 State Farm life-» insurance policy, alleging constructive fraud and unjust enrichment.. The Days asserted that Faria changed the beneficiary on her life-insurance policy to Pamela Hupp in reliance on Hupp’s promise and resulting agreement with Faria to use the insurance proceeds' for the benefit of the Days.

The record reveals the following evidence adduced during the bench trial of the Days’ claims. On December 23, 2011, Faria and Hupp went to the Winghaven branch of the St, Charles City-County Library where librarian Lauren Manganelli [405]*405witnessed Faria’s execution of the change-of-beneficiary form. Manganelli testified at trial that she spoke with both Hupp and Faria. She believed it was Hupp who said that Faria was divorcing and changing the beneficiary on her life-insurance policy so that Faria’s children could be included. After her initial testimony, Manganelli read from her 2014 deposition in which she had stated that. she. did not remember Hupp and Faria specifically talking about spending the money. In her deposition, Manganelli stated she believed it was Fa-ria who mentioned the divorce and changing her insurance to her children. In a portion of her deposition read at trial, Manganelli had further stated that the implication for her was that the life-insurance proceeds were to take care, of Faria’s children.

Faria underwent a chemotherapy treatment on December 27, 2011, four days after changing the beneficiary of her State Farm life-insurance policy. A longtime family friend, Bobbi Wann, accompanied Faria. Wann testified via deposition that Faria had told her no one else planned to attend Faria’s chemotherapy treatment that day. Wann said that Faria seemed surprised when Hupp arrived. Wann testified that Faria stated in Hupp’s presence that she—Faria—had removed her husband from her insurance policy because she wanted the girls—Leah and Mariah Day—to receive the insurance proceeds. According to Wann, Hupp then stated that she would make sure the girls received the money. Wann explained that she had no discussion, nor did she overhear any discussion, about why Faria named Hupp the beneficiary if Faria wanted her daughters to'have the life-insurance proceeds. Wann never heard Faria say that the girls should receive the funds immediately. Wann did not ask Faria why she did not name a family member as her beneficiary.

Faria was murdered in her home later that day. The day after Faria’s death, family members gathered, at the apartment of Faria’s mother. Several witnesses testified that Hupp was also present. Faria’s sister, Pamela Welker, testified'that the day after Faria’s murder, Hupp volunteered to her that-Faria had requested the" change in beneficiary in order to make sure her children were taken card of. Welker stated Hupp- was very clear that Faria intended the money for Leah and Mariah Day although Hupp provided no specifics about when and how much each of her daughters was to receive. Welker-testified that Hupp said she intended to give the insurance money to the girls as requested. Welker had no knowledge of any specific terms concerning the Days’ receipt of the money. Wann also testified in her deposition that she heard Hupp tell Faria’s mother at this time that the insurance money was for the girls.

Janet Meyer, Faria’s mother, 'testified that Hupp came to visit her in January 2012. Meyer reported asking Hupp whether she remembered that the insurance money was for the girls. Meyer testified that Hupp “shook” her head as if she agreed with what Meyer said. Meyer had trusted Hupp to give the money to Faria’s daughters.

Another of'Faria’s sisters, Julie Swaney, testified that Hupp and Faria had met through work in the insurance business and had been friends for several years. She knew that Faria had other life-insurance policies in addition to the State Farm policy in question, and to her knowledge, Hupp was not named beneficiary on those policies. Swaney did not know why Faria named Húpp as her beneficiary. She also testified that Faria died intestate, and as far as she knew, Faria had never established a trust or a guardianship for her daughters. Swaney stated she telephoned [406]*406Hupp in March 2012 to ask about Hupp’s plans for the life-insurance proceeds. Swa-ney reported that Hupp said she had given all the money to charity. Swaney described telephoning Hupp again two to three weeks later, and at that time Hupp talked about establishing a trust for the girls. Swaney testified that Faria had problems with her daughters’ behavior, including possible drug use, stealing, and irresponsibility. She stated, however, that Leah and Mariah Day “were always [Faria’s] top concern.”

Rita Wolf had been friends with Faria since high school. Wolf believed that Faria was “somewhat” competent at her job selling insurance, that Faria “flew by the seat of her pants,” and “asked for a lot of help off and on.” Wolf testified that in October 2011, Faria asked her to be the beneficiary on Faria’s life-insurance policy.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Miguel Torres v. State of Missouri
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2024
J.A.W. v. V.W.
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2024
K.E.S. v. S.R.S.
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2024
State of Missouri v. Brian V. Milazzo
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2024
CHRISTOPHER J. GARDNER v. CATHY J. GARDNER
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2024
In the Matter of: M.L.H. v. Juvenile Officer
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2021
Wegmann v. Ethicon, Inc.
E.D. Missouri, 2020
Dorgan v. Ethicon, Inc.
W.D. Missouri, 2020

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
528 S.W.3d 400, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/day-v-hupp-moctapp-2017.