Hill v. Conover

191 Cal. App. 2d 171, 12 Cal. Rptr. 522, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2039
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 13, 1961
DocketCiv. 24780
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 191 Cal. App. 2d 171 (Hill v. Conover) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hill v. Conover, 191 Cal. App. 2d 171, 12 Cal. Rptr. 522, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2039 (Cal. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

WOOD, P. J.

Plaintiff sought a judgment (1) that a trust agreement made by M. 0. Conover and his wife, defendant Naomi Conover, was invalid, (2) that the trust agreement had been revoked by Mr. Conover, (3) that the trust agreement was of no force and effect for the reason that it was induced by the fraud and undue influence of defendant, and (4) that plaintiff’s title to the trust agreement property be quieted.

Judgment was in favor of defendant.

*173 Plaintiff appeals from the judgment and contends, among other things, that certain findings are not supported by the evidence.

On July 14, 1941, M. 0. Conover and Naomi Trolinger entered into a prenuptial agreement which stated that Mr. Conover thereby conveyed to Naomi a market building in Twin Palls, Idaho, a cocktail bar in Long Beach, California (known as the Crystal Bar), a bank account of approximately $2,500, a 1940 Buick automobile, and a policy of life insurance in the amount of $1,000. The agreement provided further that in the event Naomi did not marry Mr. Conover, the agreement would be of no force and effect; that the conveyance was “conditioned upon the agreement” of Naomi to pay to Mr. Conover’s daughter, Vivian Laird (now Vivian Hill), the sum of $8,000 in four equal annual installments commencing one year after the death of Mr. Conover; that Mr. Con-over, during his lifetime, should have control of, and the income from, all the property, except that Naomi should have control of the cocktail bar and the right to dispose of the bar and the revenue therefrom. The property referred to in the agreement was all the property which Mr. Conover owned, or in which he had an interest, except a half interest in a ranch in Idaho. On the same day, July 14, 1941, Mr. Conover executed a deed whereby he conveyed the market building in Idaho to Naomi. That deed was not recorded. On July 17, 1941, three days after the execution of the trust agreement, they were married in Las Vegas, Nevada. At that time he was 70 years of age and she was 44 years of age. He had two daughters by a previous marriage—Thelma Greenhall and Vivian Laird (now Vivian Hill). Naomi had a son by a previous marriage.

The Crystal Bar had been purchased by Mr. Conover in May 1941. According to the testimony of Vivian Hill (plaintiff), the purchase price of the bar was $6,500; she lent Mr. Conover $3,500 for use in purchasing the bar; he repaid the loan about a year later. According to the testimony of Naomi, she and Mr. Conover borrowed about $5,000 from her sister for use in purchasing the bar.

After the marriage, and prior to April 1945, Mr. Conover and Naomi purchased four parcels of real property. Title to those parcels was taken in the name of Naomi as her separate property. According to Naomi’s testimony, the first parcel (dwelling house) was purchased by paying $500 of her own money as a down payment and by using income from the *174 Crystal Bar. The second parcel (dwelling house) was purchased with the proceeds from the sale of the first parcel and with money from a joint account. The third parcel (apartment house) was acquired by an exchange of the second parcel. The other parcel (service station) was purchased with money from a joint account. The money in the joint account was income from the Crystal Bar and “income from Twin rails.”

About April 10, 1945, the market building in Idaho was sold for $27,500, and the proceeds from the sale were deposited in Mr. Conover’s bank account in Idaho. On April 10, 1945, Mr. Conover gave Naomi a check (on that bank account) for $1,000. On April 11, 1945, Mr. Conover, as purchaser, and Irwin Stevens, as seller, signed escrow instructions regarding the purchase and sale of property in Long Beach, hereinafter referred to as the Apple Valley property. The purchase price of the property was $35,000, which was payable as follows: $25,000 through the escrow, and the balance by a note for $10,000 secured by a trust deed on the property. The escrow instructions provided that title to the property was to be vested in Mr. Conover as his separate property. On April 13, Mr. Conover and Naomi signed an amendment to those instructions, which amendment provided that title to the property was to be vested in Mr. Conover, 11 a married man. ’ ’ On April 19, Mr. Conover gave the bank, as escrow holder, a check (on the bank account in Idaho) for $25,000. Mr. Conover executed a note in the amount of $10,000 and executed a trust deed on the property to secure the note. The note represented the balance of the purchase price. (The record does not show whether Naomi also signed the note and the trust deed. Naomi states in her brief that the trust deed was “executed by both parties,” apparently meaning Mr. Conover and Naomi.) The Apple Valley property consists of a commercial building and a parking lot. At the time Mr. Conover purchased the property it was rented to a firm engaged in the cleaning and dyeing business. On July 31, 1945, Mr. Conover, as lessor, leased the property for a term of five years for use as a restaurant, cocktail bar, and parking lot. According to Naomi’s testimony, $5,000 was paid from the joint account for improvements on the building at that time.

On April 1, 1946, Mr. Conover made a will by the terms of which he gave the Apple Valley property to his daughter Vivian (plaintiff), gave $100 “out of the value” of the Apple Valley property to his daughter Thelma, and gave the re *175 mainder of his estate “including my [his] interest in the Crystal Bar” to Naomi. The will included the following statement: “SIXTH: I further declare that the property particularly described herein is my sole and separate property.” He also stated therein that Thelma “has been provided for by County land [the ranch] in Twin Palls, Idaho.” The Bank of America was named as executor of that will, and Julian Van Dyke (who prepared the will) was named as attorney for the executor.

Sometime between April 1, 1946 (the date of the will referred to above), and December 12, 1946, Hr. Conover and Naomi purchased property referred to in the briefs as the Army and Navy Club. Title to that property was taken in the name of Naomi as her separate property. According to Naomi’s testimony the property was purchased with money received from sales of the Crystal Bar and the apartment house referred to above.

On December 12, 1946, Mr. Conover made a new will by the terms of which he gave the Apple Valley property to Vivian, and directed her to pay $100 to Thelma “out of the value” of that property, and he gave the remainder of his estate to Naomi. Vivian was named as executrix of that will. He also stated therein that Thelma “has been provided for by County land [the ranch] in Twin Palls, Idaho.”

Late in 1947, Naomi learned that Mr. Conover had executed the wills referred to above, and she “ordered” him to leave their residence. He left the residence and lived in an apartment for several months. According to Naomi’s testimony, he visited her every day during the time he was living in an apartment. After several months he returned to the residence. The record is not clear as to the date he returned.

On December 10, 1948, Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
191 Cal. App. 2d 171, 12 Cal. Rptr. 522, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2039, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-conover-calctapp-1961.