Goldsberry v. Hile

126 N.W.2d 881, 176 Neb. 651, 1964 Neb. LEXIS 219
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 13, 1964
DocketNo. 35595
StatusPublished

This text of 126 N.W.2d 881 (Goldsberry v. Hile) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goldsberry v. Hile, 126 N.W.2d 881, 176 Neb. 651, 1964 Neb. LEXIS 219 (Neb. 1964).

Opinion

Yeager, J.

This is an action in equity instituted by petition of Gay R. Goldsberry, plaintiff and appellee, against Edythe [652]*652Gayle Hile and Joe E. Hile, Jr., defendants and appellants, the purpose of which is to require the defendants to account to the plaintiff for an interest he claimed in real estate that has been denominated as Cotner Boulevard property, and in profits accruing therefrom; to require the defendants to account for and deliver to plaintiff personal property belonging to him; and that the court declare and establish a trust in certain described real estate owned by the defendants to the extent that the plaintiff supplied the purchase money therefor, and that if necessary this real estate be sold by decree and sufficient of the proceeds applied to the satisfaction of the interest of the plaintiff in the land. There is also a prayer for general equitable relief. The pleaded cause of action was denied by the defendants. There was no request by them for any kind or character of affirmative relief.

The case was tried to the court and a judgment rendered in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants, and therein the interests of the parties were declared. Motion for new trial was duly filed. It was overruled. From the judgment and the order overruling the motion for new trial the defendants have appealed.

By the petition it is substantially alleged that from a date prior to January 1, 1949, and up to June 1, 1953, the plaintiff was the owner of certain real estate in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, located on Randolph Street, which was his home; that the defendant Edythe Gayle Hile, who is a daughter of the plaintiff, and Joe E. Hile, Jr., who is the husband of Edythe Gayle Hile, and their children, came to live in the home of plaintiff and continued to live there until together all of these parties moved elsewhere; that this property was sold on June 1, 1953, for $11,500; that in February 1953, the plaintiff purchased a parcel of real estate in Lincoln, Nebraska, known as 601 South Cotner Boulevard for which he paid $3,000; that on this property a new house was built ánd the $11,500 received was by the defendants taken and ápplied to the new house at 601 South [653]*653Cotner Boulevard; that the details of this transaction were handled by the defendants; that the title to the Cotner Boulevard property was taken in the name of the defendant Edythe Gayle Hile, without the knowledge of the plaintiff on March 7, 1953; that on July 20, 1953, the defendant Edythe Gayle Hile caused this property to be conveyed to herself and her husband as joint tenants without the knowledge of the plaintiff so to do; that the cost of the house was estimated at not to exceed $18,000 but it exceeded that amount and money to take care of the excess was contributed by the defendant Joe E. Hile, Jr.; that it was agreed that the taxes and the monthly cost of utilities should be paid by the defendants; that the Cotner Boulevard property was purchased, used, and occupied on this basis by the parties until June 1958, at which time it was sold and Lot 3, Garvey’s Subdivision of Lots 1, 2, and 3, Woods Bros. South Acres Addition, Lincoln, Lancaster County, otherwise known as 4725 South Street was purchased, and was thereafter occupied by the plaintiff and the defendants and their family; that the money acquired from the sale of the Cotner Boulevard property was used in the purchase of this property; that in addition to the furniture, household equipment, and effects which came from the other home the plaintiff purchased for this home all equipment and furniture except a piano, a desk, and an electric stove; and that the arrangement for use and occupancy continued until March 1962. In point of fact the defendants took title to this property as joint tenants without the knowledge of the plaintiff. This is the property which is of immediate concern in this case.

The pleaded conclusion of the plaintiff is that the arrangement was one of use and not transfer of interest or title; that he was not conscious of and never intended to part with title to any of the property to which reference has been made; and that what has been done is the result of misplaced trust in the defendants flow[654]*654ing from their intimate and confidential relation, and on this account he seeks the relief claimed in his petition.

As already pointed out the defendants did not by answer seek affirmative relief. They did however plead facts which they assert defeat a right of recovery on the cause of action pleaded by the plaintiff.

By the answer the relationship of the parties was admitted. It was admitted that the parties lived together for the period of time and in the locations declared in the petition, and that the record title of the three properties involved was correct.

By the answer to the extent necessary to state herein they deny that the title to the Cotner Boulevard property was placed in the defendant Edythe Gayle Hile without the knowledge and consent of the plaintiff; and pleaded it was later placed in her and the other defendant as joint tenants, and that the title to the property at 4725 Squth Street was transferred by deed of conveyance to the defendants.

They pleaded that the plaintiff purchased the Cotner Boulevard lot, took title to it in the name of the defendant Edythe Gayle Hile, and gave it to her as a present; and that the plaintiff knew about and was fully informed as to all later transactions.

They substantially denied any right or interest in the title to the real estate or personal property in the home or to the use or occupancy thereof in the plaintiff. They prayed for dismissal of the petition, for costs expended, and for general relief.

By the judgment of the district court certain personal property was ordered returned to plaintiff within 20 days from the date of judgment. A constructive trust was declared in the real estate at 4725 South Street to the extent of $16,704 and declared to be a lien subject only to accrued taxes and superior existing liens. The judgment provided for payment within 30 days and upon failure, direction was made for sale of land and improvements to provide funds for the payment of this [655]*655charge. A judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiff and against the defendants for $1,700 which the defendants could satisfy by delivering to plaintiff all household goods, furniture, equipment, and tools owned by plaintiff and wrongfully retained in the possession of the defendants within 20 days of the judgment. The plaintiff was awarded judgment in an additional amount of $1,131 for his living expenses for the period between the commencement of the action and the time of trial. The court reserved jurisdiction to carry out the provisions of the judgment.

It is pointed out here that the record does not disclose that during the period of pendency and trial in the district court and in this court that the rights which the plaintiff claimed and the theory on which the case was presented by the pleadings and proof were not of an appropriate character for presentation of his claims, and likewise it is not contended that the judgment rendered fails to respond in appropriate character to the issues presented by the pleadings and tried by the court.

In this light the only substantial question for consideration on this appeal is that of whether or not the evidence is sufficient to sustain the judgment of the district court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
126 N.W.2d 881, 176 Neb. 651, 1964 Neb. LEXIS 219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goldsberry-v-hile-neb-1964.