Halliday v. Halliday

366 P.2d 130, 83 Idaho 524, 1961 Ida. LEXIS 219
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 10, 1961
DocketNo. 8908
StatusPublished

This text of 366 P.2d 130 (Halliday v. Halliday) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Halliday v. Halliday, 366 P.2d 130, 83 Idaho 524, 1961 Ida. LEXIS 219 (Idaho 1961).

Opinion

TAYLOR, Chief Justice.

Plaintiff (appellant) commenced this action February 27, 1959, against his father [527]*527and mother seeking a decree quieting title in him to certain real property, alleging that he acquired title to the property by gift from them and that, relying upon the gift, plaintiff had taken possession of the property, made valuable improvements and paid taxes thereon.

December 15, 1959, the defendant Peter R. Halliday died at the age of 79 years, and thereafter the defendant Sylvia V. Halliday, aged 80 years at time of trial in February, 1960, was appointed executrix of Peter’s estate, and substituted as a party defendant.

The property involved, twenty to twenty-three acres in extent, is located on the shore of Pend Oreille lake in Bonner county. The Hallidays, residents of Spokane, Washington, acquired the property by purchase in 1940 for a consideration of $300; in 1947 they purchased a “crew car”, referred to in the evidence as a “box car”, from a railroad company and moved it onto the property at a cost of $300. Thereafter, Peter Halliday and the plaintiff, his son, (also a resident of Spokane, Washington, and 41 years of age at the time of trial) did some finishing and remodeling and built an addition onto the back of the car, and put down a well on the property.

Plaintiff testified that in March, 1953, he and his wife were desirous of moving to Sandpoint, Idaho, twelve miles from the property (sometimes referred to as the lake property); that at that time he discussed the proposed move with his mother, in his father’s presence; and “it seemed that we spent all of our time, free time you might say, recreational and so on, up here, so I asked my mother again to confirm the fact if she would for me, so that — if this property was going to be mine, and I said because we were contemplating a very serious move in our lives, and I said if she would confirm this and she asked me what I meant, and I told her that we would like to come up here and establish this and build it as our home because it was near the things that we liked to do and in a part of the country that we liked, so I said before we make this move, I said, we are going to be giving up considerable positions on both our parts, and I said I want you to please confirm for me that you are going to convey this property to me and before we make this move and she told me that she would, and she wasn’t specific that it would be immediately that day or the next day but she said that I could rest assured that this would be done and as a result my wife and I both gave up our jobs and made this move to come to the property which we assumed would in the near future be conveyed to us, or some manner that we would feel secure”.

Plaintiff further testified that he and his wife moved onto the property in the spring of 1953; that he procured a divorce in August, 1955,. was married to present [528]*528wife in August, 1958; that he continued in possession of the property, and was in possession at the time of trial; and that he actually lived on the property continuously, except for the months of winter when because of road conditions it was more convenient to live in Sandpoint where he was employed; that in 1955 he built an addition on the front of the house and added two bedrooms and a bath, and thereafter made other improvements to the house, surrounding land and adjacent beach; that he had expended for labor and material in such improvements the sum of $3,479.23, in addition to his own labor which he estimated at 1,000 hours, average time each year, which he valued at $1 per hour; that in 1958, while his mother was visiting on the property, he told her that he had discontinued making further improvements because he had no security, by deed or otherwise, and “she said, ‘As a token, I would like to give Grace and Josephine’ [who are my two sisters] she said, ‘At least $500.’ ”; that he also told her he was willing to waive any right he might have to any other part of his parents’ estate; and that “maybe I can borrow a thousand dollars and you can give them the $500 and strike me from your Will or any other way from the town property, * * * because this is the onfy thing that I am interested in is right here and because * * * this is my home, this is where I want to make my home, continue to make my home,” and “she immediately, as usual, she rebuffed this suggestion and the conversation was stricken at that point”; that his mother at that time “she went on to say that I always — that I should be ashamed of myself because I was acting as though they were already dead and buried, and she said ‘We are going to live for a long time,’ and she said, ‘Don’t you worry,’ she said, ‘you will be taken care of, * * * You’re crowding us and you’ll be taken care of.’ ”

Plaintiff paid taxes on the lake property for the years 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1956 in the total amount of $64.57.

Defendant (respondent), Mrs. Sylvia V. Halliday, testified that neither she nor her husband ever gave or promised to give the lake property to the defendant; that she and her husband had discussed their estate at various times and pursuant to agreement had made their wills leaving their estate in equal shares to their three children — the plaintiff and his two sisters; that she had so advised plaintiff and that he knew of his parents’ wishes, but he continued to urge them to convey the lake property to him; that she at times had refused to discuss with plaintiff his proposals “because Paul always lost his temper about it, so I wouldn’t discuss it with him”; that neither she nor her husband had ever requested the plaintiff to move upon the property or to make any improvements or [529]*529to pay the taxes thereon; that they never considered or requested rental from plaintiff; that in taking possession, improving the property, and paying taxes thereon, the plaintiff acted of his own free will, for the enhancement of his own enjoyment of the property, and for the use and benefit of his parents; that at one time she and her husband planned to sell their home in Spokane and move to the lake property in retirement; that Peter Halliday fell from the steps at the lake property in May or June, 1959, and was later placed in a rest home where he remained until his death.

Mrs. Cleaver, a long time friend of the family, testified to the improvements made by plaintiff and that a few days before the trial Mrs. Halliday had told her “We always had intended for him (Paul) to have it” but that she had the younger daughter to consider.

An abstract of title to the lake property was introduced in evidence as plaintiff’s exhibit 1. It contains a copy of the will of Peter R. Halliday, executed December 2, 1958, paragraph IV of which is as follows :

“At this time my principal assets consist of my home at West 2409 Broadway Avenue, Spokane, Washington, and a 23'1/^-acre tract on the shores of Pend Oreille Lake, described as Government Lot 3, of Section 30, State of Idaho. My son, Paul R. Halliday, has been residing at Sand-point, Idaho, for the past several years and has been using the Lake property for a residence in the summer time without any charge. Since the past summer he has made some claim to the Lake property on the basis of an alleged oral gift from his mother and myself. He has further threatened suit to establish this oral gift. I do not recognize any such gift and am desirous of discouraging any litigation on this account after my death.”

Two real estate brokers testified as to the value of the property.

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Bluebook (online)
366 P.2d 130, 83 Idaho 524, 1961 Ida. LEXIS 219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/halliday-v-halliday-idaho-1961.