Freedman v. Freedman

83 N.E.2d 112, 52 Ohio Law. Abs. 404, 1948 Ohio App. LEXIS 897
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 14, 1948
DocketNo. 20777
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 83 N.E.2d 112 (Freedman v. Freedman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Freedman v. Freedman, 83 N.E.2d 112, 52 Ohio Law. Abs. 404, 1948 Ohio App. LEXIS 897 (Ohio Ct. App. 1948).

Opinion

OPINION

By MORGAN, J.

This is an action by Leland Sidney Freedman, a minor, by Leona Freedman, his mother and next friend, against A1 Freedman and Louis E. Freedman, in which the plaintiff alleges that Al and Louis Freedman were and are holders of the legal title to certain properties located on Crawford Road and Chesterfield Avenue, in trust for plaintiff Leland Sidney Freedman, a minor.

The plaintiff prays that subsequent conveyances of • the said properties be set aside and held for naught, that defendants be removed as trustees, that plaintiff be adjudged to be the owner of said lands, and for an accounting.

[405]*405The defendants filed their answer in which they denied that plaintiff has or has ever had any interest in the said properties and that the defendants are now or ever were trustees of the said properties for the plaintiff.

For a second defense the defendants aver that the action, is really brought by Leona Freedman and that she is the real party in interest; that she has another action pending in common pleas court in which she denies the existence of any trust in the properties and asserts that said properties, belong to a corporation of which she is half owner.

In the court below, the trial judge entered a judgment, for the defendants. The plaintiff appeals on law and fact.

Leland Sidney Freedman, plaintiff, is the son of Leona Freedman and Louis Freedman, who formerly were husband and wife but who are now divorced. Al and Louis Freedman are brothers.

The record discloses that in 1919 Morris and Ida Freedman,, the parents of the defendants herein, purchased the Crawford Road property taking title in both their names. Sublots 9 and 16, a part of the Crawford Road property, were sold by Morris and Ida Freedman to an outsider in 1921 and after several mesne conveyances were acquired in 1930 by The Mutual Investment Company. In October, 1935, this company transferred title to said property to Leona Freedman. Sublot 17, also a part of the Crawford Road property was conveyed in 1924 by Morris to his wife, Ida Freedman. In 1931 she quit-claimed it to The Certified Realty & Improvement Company, the stock of which was in the name of A1 and Leona Freedman. In October, 1933, this corporation conveyed this property to Louis Freedman and in July, 1934, Louis Freedman conveyed it to Leona Freedman.

The Chesterfield Avenue property was purchased in 1935- and was deeded to Leona Freedman.

Accordingly, in 1935, the record title to the said properties being all the properties described in the petition stood in the name of Leona Freedman.

On December 18, 1935, Leona Freedman by deed transferred all of the said Crawford Road properties to Al and Louis Freedman as “trustees for Leland Sidney Freedman (a minor) * * * for the consideration of $10.00 and other valuable considerations as love and affection, received to her full satisfaction of Louis E. Freedman and A1 Freedman, trustees for Leland Sidney Freedman, under a certain trust agreement entered into and dated Dec. 1, 1935.”

This deed further provided that “said parcels cannot be disposed of unless both trustees or their successors unanimously agree to said sale; one or the other cannot dispose of it individually.”

[406]*406The grantor, Leona Freedman, in the deed warranted said properties to be “free from all encumbrances whatsoever except a mortgage to Alphonse Cohn which said grantor and grantees assumed to pay under the trust stipulation.”

Louis Freedman, as the husband of Leona, also released and quit-claimed to the said grantees his dower interest in the said properties.

On Jan. 17, 1936, Leona conveyed the Chesterfield property to “Louis E. Freedman.and A1 Freedman, Trustees for Leland Sidney Freedman under a certain trust agreement entered into and dated December 1, 1935.”

Louis Freedman also released his right of dower in the Chesterfield Avenue property to the said grantees.

On Nov. 22, 1936, all of the said properties including the Crawford Road and Chesterfield Avenue properties were conveyed to the Nard Realty Company. The opening words of the deed are:

“Know all men by these presents that Louis E. Freedman and A1 Freedman, Trustees for Leland Sidney Freedman, under a certain trust agreement entered into and dated December 19, 1935 * * *.”

Then following the customary words of conveyance to The Nard Realty Company. After the description of the Crawford Road properties the following appears in the deed:

“This property is sold in accordance with Article 4 of said Trust Agreement which reads as follows: ‘Said parcels cannot be disposed of unless both trustees or their successors agree to said sale; one or the other cannot dispose of it individually.’ Both trustees have agreed this property is being sold to further the estate.”

This deed to the Nard Realty Company is signed as follows:

“A1 Freedman and Louis E. Freedman, Trustees for Leland Sidney Freedman under a certain trust agreement • entered into and dated December 1, 1935.”

In the deeds to Louis and A1 Freedman as trustees for Leland Sidney Freedman, the grant is to the. defendants “their successors and assigns.” The printed word “heirs” in the deed is stricken and the word “successors” is substituted by typewritten interlineation.

In 1944 and in 1945 The Nard Realty Company in two deeds conveyed all of the said properties to A1 Freedman. Al[407]*407though in the deeds to The Nard Realty Company the trust for Leland Sidney Freedman was recognized and recited, The Nard Realty Company in its said two deeds made no reference-to the trust.

The defendant at the trial claimed that title had been conveyed by A1 Freedman to his mother, Ida Freedman and a copy of the deed was offered in evidence as an exhibit. An examination of this deed discloses that it was not witnessed-was not notarized and was never recorded.

At the trial the defendants offered evidence seeking to-show that Leona Freedman was never the owner of the equitable interest in these properties and had no right to convey them in trust for anybody. That on the contrary, Morris-, and Ida Freedman were the owners at all times of these properties; that they furnished the entire consideration for them except for certain loans made by A1 Freedman to his. parents; that they had managed the properties until the death of Morris in 1940 and that after his death A1 Freedman, had managed the properties for the benefit of Ida Freedman and he had paid to her the entire net income after her husband’s death.

If Ida Freedman were a party to this case she could, assert her alleged equitable title and the evidence bearing on that issue would be competent. Ida Freedman, however, is not a party in this case and A1 Freedman is not asserting-any title derived from her. He is asserting that when property was conveyed to him in trust for a named cestur que trust and afterwards conveyed by him as a trustee for the named cestui que trust to a corporation, the corporation can re-convey the properties to him ignoring the trust and that he can defend against a claim toy and for the cestui by-showing equitable title in a third party, not a party in the case.

It is our opinion that such a defense is not open to the defendants in this case.

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Bluebook (online)
83 N.E.2d 112, 52 Ohio Law. Abs. 404, 1948 Ohio App. LEXIS 897, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/freedman-v-freedman-ohioctapp-1948.