Hoefer v. Probasco

1921 OK 73, 196 P. 138, 80 Okla. 261, 1921 Okla. LEXIS 54
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 1, 1921
Docket11298
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1921 OK 73 (Hoefer v. Probasco) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hoefer v. Probasco, 1921 OK 73, 196 P. 138, 80 Okla. 261, 1921 Okla. LEXIS 54 (Okla. 1921).

Opinion

McNEILL, J.

This action was commenced in the district • court of Kay county by George M. Probaseo, administrator of the estate of Susan S. Strom against Joseph Strom to enforce an antenuptial contract entered into -by Susan S. Strom and Joseph Strom, and to declare a resulting trust. Joseph Strom is now deceased, and the case is prosecuted in the name of John E. Hoefer, executor.

The material facts as disclosed by the evidence may he stated as follows: Joseph Strom and 'Susan S. Probaseo were married in Cowley county, Kansas, in the year 1890; both had been previously married. Mrs. Strom was the mother of ten living children, and Mr. Strom the father of 14 children, and both about 50 years of age. Mrs. Strom, at the time of the marriage was the owner of an interest in 80 acres of land in Cowley county, Kansas, the property of her former husband, which upon his death descended to her and her children, and she was residing upon the land with three of her minor children. Mrs. Strom was the owner of several horses, and seven or eight head of cattle, eight or ten hogs, and a number of chickens and some corn. After the marriage, she and Mr. Strom lived on the 80 acres of land with Mrs. Strom’s two minor children, and they farmed the land for several years, supporting the two minor children of Mrs. 'Strom and a minor son of Mr. Strom from the fruits of their labor.

In the year 1893, Mr. Strom, at the opening of the Cherokee Strip, made the run and located upon 120 acres of land in Kay county. fThat same year the parties moved from Kansas to Oklahoma, settling upon the land, ■and Mr. Strom filed upon the same as his homestead. They brought with them from Kansas a team and a few head of cattle and a few hogs and a small amount of farm machinery and some furniture, of the approximate value of $150. There was a small house, about 12x14 feet, removed from the Kansas land to the farm in Kay county, which was thereafter sold. The parties lived upon the homestead in Kay county and Mr. Strom obtained a patent to the same and, about the year 1910, built a fairly good house and barn upon this land.

In 1911, the Kansas land was sold by Mrs. Strom and the children, and she received ■about $1,500. In regard to the disposition she made of this $1,500, the evidence discloses the same was deposited in a bank at Kaw City, and -checked out by her, except approximately $250 which was in the bank at the time of her death. 'She executed a check for $100 to Mrs. Miller, and one for $100 to Mrs. Chandler, both her daughters, and one for $200 to her son-in-law, Art Passley. She bought a house and lot at Uncas, paying about $550 therefor, and one day went to the bank and executed a check payable to Mr. Strom, and instructed the banker to credit Mr. .Strom’s account with the $300. She made a loan of some money to a man by the name of Miller, and made a small donation to the church, and paid $50 to a party for husking corn.

In 1913, Mrs. Strom died, leaving a house and lot in Uncas, Okla., approximately $250 in the bank, and several small notes amount *262 ing to about $100. Mr. Strom relinquished bis interest or quitclaimed bis interest in tbe Uncas property to tbe beirs. After tbe death of Mrs. Strom, be continued to live on tbe farm, and made bis borne a part of tbe time with one of bis step-daughters, to wit, one of Mrs. Strom’s daughters, and a portion of the time with bis own - daughter, who lived in Kansas. During bis lifetime be made a will bequeathing tbe land in question, bis homestead, to bis own children, and to tbe stepdaughter with whom be made bis home, share and share alike.

This suit is brought 'by tbe administrator of Susan S. Strom to enforce an antenuptial contract claimed to have been entered into between Mr. and Mrs. Strom prior to their marriage, contending that the antenuptial agreement provided that tbe property belonging to Mrs. Strom should at her death be her property, and that tbe property accumulated thereafter should be equally divided between tbe beirs of Mrs. Strom and Mr. Strom. Tbe petition further contended that Mrs. Strom bad advanced tbe money to prove up the homestead and had paid tbe purchase price therefor, and that Mr. Strom held tbe title in trust for her. It was contended the antenuptial contract was lost or destroyed, and, for tbe purpose of proving the execution of the contract and tbe terms of tbe -same, several witnesses, tbe children of Mrs. 'Strom, were produced, who testified they bad read said contract. One witness purported to be present at tbe time the same was executed. One or two other witnesses testified that they were present when portions of such a contract were read, but did not know whether the contract was signed or not, but heard the contract talked about.

Mr. Strom’s deposition was taken prior to his death, and he denied that any such contract had been entered into. Upon trial of the case to the court, the court, in passing upon the evidence, stated as follows:

“I believe there has been sufficient evidence here to find that there was an ante-nuptial contract made and that contract provided that a division of the property accumulated during their married life should be made. I do not believe that contract was in conflict with the federal homestead laws. If he had died first, she surely would have been entitled to her interest in that property, or had she sued for a divorce, she would have been entitled to her share of the property. There is no question about that. I don’t believe that contract was in conflict with the homestead laws, and the finding of the court is that the personal property be left as it is; I think that -perhaps has been divided and used up, and they have each perhaps had the benefit from that, probably about equally, and that the land out here— whatever the numbers are — be declared the equal property of the Probasco children and the -Strom children; that it be divided equally between the families; that is, the Stroms take one-half and the Probascoes take one-half.”

Thereupon the court rendered judgment that the real estate be divided, one-half to the heirs of Susan 'Strom and one-half to the heirs of Mr. Strom. Prom said judgment, John E. Hoefer, executor of the estate of Joseph Strom, has appealed to this court. Por reversal, there are numerous assignments of error urged. One goes to the sufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment of the court.

Upon the question of whether there was an antenuptial contract between the parties prior to their marrige, the evidence upon this question ig conflicting and we are unable to say that the finding of the court upon this questiop is clearly against the weight of the evidence. The evidence regarding the provisions and terms of the contract is not clear and unambiguous, nor is the finding of the court -unambiguous as to the exact terms and provisions contained in the contract. The only evidence as to the terms and provisions of the contract was the evidence of Prank 'Pr-obasco and his brother, William Próbaseo, bqth sons of Susan S. Probasco. The testimony of-William Probasco as to the terms and provisions of the contract is as follows:

“A.

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Bluebook (online)
1921 OK 73, 196 P. 138, 80 Okla. 261, 1921 Okla. LEXIS 54, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hoefer-v-probasco-okla-1921.