Edmonston v. Carter

79 S.W. 459, 180 Mo. 515, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 73
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 17, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 79 S.W. 459 (Edmonston v. Carter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edmonston v. Carter, 79 S.W. 459, 180 Mo. 515, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 73 (Mo. 1904).

Opinion

YALLIANT, J.

This is an action of ejectment for 240 acres of land in Audrain county.

The real defendants are A. Gr. Turner, who claims to hold the legal title in trust for certain purposes, and the widow and children of Thomas Helm, who was a defendant, but who has died since the judgment in the case and while it has been pending in this court on appeal.

The defendants endeavored to convert the action into a suit in equity by pleading in their answers certain matters which they conclude render the judgment in a certain other suit against them, out of which they assert that the plaintiff’s claim of title arises, void.

At the trial the plaintiff introduced in evidence a. deed from the sheriff of Audrain county conveying the land in question to one Thomas F. Roden, dated June 26, 1899. That deed recited that on March 21, 1899, a judgment was rendered in the circuit court of that county in favor of Roden against the above named defendants for $1,495.10 and costs, which was by the judgment declared to be a lien on the land and a special execution awarded to satisfy the same; that under such execution the land was regularly seized and sold by the sheriff, and at the sale Roden became the purchaser.

Next in evidence was a deed from Roden to the plaintiff. Then followed evidence of the rental value of the land and of demand for possession. The plaintiff then rested.

The defendants introduced in evidence the record, in the case of Roden v. Helm et al., out of which the plaintiff’s title came. The petition in the Roden case was in,two counts. The first count was a declaration on a promissory note for $1,450 dated October 31, 1898. The second count referred to the same note and stated that Thomas Helm (who was the husband and father of the other Helms) in the years past owned real and personal property to the amount of $10,000, and caused [520]*520that amount to be invested in the land in question (describing it), and caused it to be deeded to defendant Turner as trustee for the use and benefit of himself and his wife and children; that on 31st of October, 1.898, the defendants executed and delivered to plaintiff an instrument in writing, which was attached to and made a part of the petition, by which they created a lien on the land in favor of Boden to secure the note. The prayer of that count was that the judgment on the note be decreed to be a special lien on the land, that the trustee be ordered to pay the amount, and in default of such payment that the land or a sufficient quantity thereof be sold to satisfy the same. A copy of the writing sued on was filed with the petition, and is as follows:

“Mexico, Mo., Oct.'31, 1898.

“Whereas, Thomas Helm has become indebted to Thomas F. Boden in the sum of fourteen hundred and fifty dollars on account of necessaries furnished said Helm, his wife and family, and whereas said Thomas Helm and his wife, Anna, and his daughter, Elizabeth, have this day executed to said Boden their promissory note for fourteen hundred and fifty dollars, due one day after date, bearing eight per -cent compound interest, and whereas- the said Thomas, Anna and Elizabeth Helm have an interest in certain real and personal property now held in trust for them and others by one A. Gr. Turner as trustee, and as security for said note, we give and grant to said Thomas F. Boden a lien on said trust estate and create a charge in said Boden’s favor against our interest in said trust estate for the purpose of securing said debt or note, and agree that said trust estate, in whatever form it now is or may be in the future, shall stand as security to said Boden for said note and interest.

* ‘ Thomas Helm,

Anna S. Helm,

Elizabeth Helm.”

[521]*521There was a demurrer to the petition, which was overruled. The defendants in that case then filed an answer in which they stated in substance that in November, 1880, Thomas Helm and his wife made a deed in consideration of one dollar and love and affection conveying certain lands in Illinois then belonging to Helm to one Rodes as trustee, who was to pay the income from the property to Helm during his life, and if his wife should survive him one-half of the income to her, and the other half to his heirs, and in case he should survive his wife then at his death the whole income to go to his heirs; the trustee was also empowered to sell and re-invest; there was provision in the deed also for resignation of the trustee and the substitution of another ; that Rodes did resign and the defendant Turner was appointed in his place and that Turner received from Rodes in cash and notes as proceeds of the trust land $7,370; that Turner also received from the former trustee $833^52, which had been bequeathed by Thomas Helm’s grandmother to the trustee for the use of Thomas Helm, but of which Helm was to have only the income; that the land in Audrain county in suit was bought by the trustee Turner with these trust funds. The answer concludes that under those facts the land in question could not be disposed of by Thomas Helm and his wife, but was held by the trustee Turner for the benefit of Thomas Helm and his wife and children.

The defendants also introduced in evidence the deed from Thomas Helm and wife to Rodes conveying in trust for the purposes mentioned in the answer the Illinois land. Then followed evidence of the resignation of Rodes and the appointment of Turner; then the will of Helm’s grandmother to the effect as stated in the answer.

The deeds from the former owners of the land in question conveying it to Turner “ trustee for Thomas Helm, Anna Helm his wife and children of said Thomas and Anna Helm” were introduced by the defendants. [522]*522These deeds expressed that they were “in trust, however, so that the said Thomas Helm shall for and during his natural life use, occupy and enjoy, with all rents and profits,” and also that after his death, if his wife should survive him, she should have one-half the rents and his children the other half as stated in the answer in the case.

The decree in the Roden case was also in evidence, which recited a finding of the issues for the plaintiff and a special finding that Thomas Helm, Anna Helm and Elizabeth Helm had an interest in the land in question deeded to Turner as trustee, and that they made the instrument of writing sued on. Then followed in due form a personal judgment against the Helms for the amount due on the note and a decree that the same was a lien on the land, and that the same be foreclosed by sale under special execution.

Defendants also introduced evidence as to the rental value of the land, and evidence tending to show that the plaintiff in this case was the attorney for Roden and attended the sheriff’s sale, and that at that sale the attorney for the defendants gave notice that there was no judgment in that case against Turner, and that the other defendants had no interest in the land.

In rebuttal there was testimony for the plaintiff tending to show that at the time Helm and wife made the deed to the Illinois land to Rodes as trustee, Helm was engaged in dangerous speculation and was not very temperate in his habit as to drink.

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Related

Abbey v. Altheimer
263 S.W. 471 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1924)
State ex rel. Buchanan County v. Patton
197 S.W. 353 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1917)
Vantine v. Butler
157 S.W. 588 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1913)
Turner v. Edmonston
109 S.W. 33 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1908)
Roden v. Helm
192 Mo. 71 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1905)
Rodney v. Gibbs
82 S.W. 187 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1904)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
79 S.W. 459, 180 Mo. 515, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 73, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edmonston-v-carter-mo-1904.