Frederick v. Shorman

147 N.W.2d 478, 259 Iowa 1050, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 911
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedDecember 13, 1966
Docket52136
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 147 N.W.2d 478 (Frederick v. Shorman) 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
Frederick v. Shorman, 147 N.W.2d 478, 259 Iowa 1050, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 911 (iowa 1966).

Opinion

Mason, J.

Hilda Frederick, principal plaintiff, seeks to enjoin Yvonne Shorman, principal defendant, from attaching certain real estate and for a declaratory judgment that Robert L. Shorman, also a defendant, Yvonne’s former husband, had no interest in the premises or in the alternative that plaintiff and her present husband, Howard Frederick, have a lien on Robert’s interest (for purchase, improvement, repairs and taxes) superior to the attachment lien.

From decree determining that Robert had no interest in the real estate subject to attachment and permanently restraining Yvonne from proceeding with attachment and levy, she appeals.

Since the real contest is between Hilda and Yvonne the former will be referred to as plaintiff and the latter as defendant.

I. Yvonne held a judgment against Robert, her former husband, for child support. Robert had record title to a joint tenancy in real estate consisting of a residence property in Cedar *1054 Eapids, with his mother, plaintiff Hilda Frederick. This property was purchased in 1950 but the title was taken in the joint names of Hilda Bjornsen, plaintiff’s maiden name, and her son, Eobert. Hilda paid the entire consideration. The deed conveying the property reads:

“[We] hereby Sell and Convey unto Hilda H. Bjornsen (unmarried) and Eobert L. Shorman (unmarried), Mother and Son, as joint tenants and not as tenants in common, with the full right of the survivor to take the whole title and right of property to both in fee simple and absolutely.”

Eobert later married Yvonne, and bis mother married her co-plaintiff, Howard Frederick. A child, Eoberta, was born to Eobert and Yvonne; later they were divorced and a judgment for child support was entered against Eobert. He failed to pay, Yvonne obtained an execution on the judgment and levied upon bis interest in the realty.

Thereupon plaintiffs brought this action. Upon trial the court held that since Eobert contributed nothing to the purchase price of the property or its upkeep he had no interest and entered the decree from which this appeal is taken.

Plaintiff pleaded “The purchase of the property was for the purpose of making and establishing a homestead for plaintiff and her son and under an agreement with her son, Eobert, that be would continue to reside in said premises and would contribute from his (Bobert’s) funds and earnings, a sum equal to Yz of the purchase price and further sums equal to Yz of the upkeep, taxes and maintenance of the home,” and she and Howard Frederick made substantial and valuable improvements in the premises, paid all taxes, insurance and repairs.

II. Defendant assigns three propositions relied on for reversal: The court erred (1) in failing to find a completed gift from Hilda to her son; (2) in finding Eobert had no interest in the attached real estate; and (3) in giving consideration to a letter as having probative force to which objections had been mad< hat it was incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial.

fendant contends under her first assignment the court overlooked the fact there was a gift of an interest in real estate and Eobert’s failure to contribute to the purchase price is of *1055 no significance since consideration is not requisite- to a valid gift; the question is the extent of the interest conveyed as- a gift; and plaintiff failed to show the transfer in the form contained in the deed, supra, was not a gift.

Plaintiff, on the other hand, asserts the gift theory is raised for the first time on appeal; it was not considered by the trial court because, among other things, defendant failed to plead it.

Defendant replies this is a matter of general defense; since the deed is regular on its face, the burden is on plaintiff to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the grantees were not equal joint owners; plaintiff is attempting to overcome a presumption arising from the record title; the issue made by plaintiff’s petition was that her son had no interest in the property; it was as much plaintiff’s duty to negative an interest arising through gift as through purchase; since Robert paid nothing toward the acquisition or improvement of the house, his interest, if any, must have been acquired by gift.

Plaintiff pleaded a special contract to the effect that at the time she purchased the property she had an agreement with her son that he would repay her for the half interest he acquired under the deed, which agreement he failed to carry out. By commencing this action she took the burden of proving Robert had no interest in the real estate which could be Reached by defendant’s writ of execution.

III. “The legal or equitable nature of a declaratory judgment proceeding is to be determined by the pleadings, the relief sought, and the nature of each case.” Henderson v. Hawkeye-Security Insurance Co., 252 Iowa 97, 100, 106 N.W.2d 86, 88.

This action is equitable in nature and is so treated here. The court gives weight to the findings of the trial court but is not bound by them. Rule 344(f) (7), Rules of Civil Procedure.

Under a general denial defendant may prove anything tending to show plaintiff’s allegation is untrue. Thus in an action to recover property based on a superior ’ right or title proof of a gift to defendant may be made under a general denial, 38 C. J. S., Gifts, section 64. ■

*1056 If an unqualified transfer to the donee is proved, one asserting the delivery was made on some condition or trust has the burden of establishing such condition or trust. 38 C. J. S., Gifts, section 65.

Plaintiff is required to carry the burden on this issue by a preponderance of the evidence, “ * * but this is not a fixed or unvarying standard. What would be sufficient to constitute a preponderance of the evidence and to sustain a judgment in an ordinary case might not suffice in another, where, in addition to the burden resting upon plaintiff in any case, particular presumptions are to be overcome. This is especially true where a plaintiff seeks by parol evidence to overcome the presumptions arising from the express terms of a conveyance, or from the relations of the parties concerned therein. * * * The very terms of the conveyance are evidence, and must be overcome. Hence, much more certainty and conclusiveness are requisite than in ordinary cases.’ ” Hein v. W. T. Rawleigh Company, 167 Neb. 176, 183, 92 N.W.2d 185, 190.

To sustain this burden plaintiff is required to overcome certain rebuttable presumptions. First, a deed is presumed to be that which it purports to be and the burden is on the one asserting otherwise. When a deed sufficient to vest title is executed and delivered, the law raises the presumption of an intent to pass the title in accordance with its terms and the burden rests on the one who avers a different intention. 26A C. J. S., Deeds, section 181. Second, there is a presumption that joint tenants hold in equal shares. 48 C. J. S., Joint Tenancy, section 6.

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Bluebook (online)
147 N.W.2d 478, 259 Iowa 1050, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frederick-v-shorman-iowa-1966.