Hofteizer v. Prange

186 N.W. 963, 45 S.D. 228, 1922 S.D. LEXIS 40
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1922
DocketFile Nos. 4923, 4963
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 186 N.W. 963 (Hofteizer v. Prange) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hofteizer v. Prange, 186 N.W. 963, 45 S.D. 228, 1922 S.D. LEXIS 40 (S.D. 1922).

Opinion

WHITING, J.

This action is in effect one on behalf of the children and grandchildren of one Jane W. Radstaak, against the devisees, legatees, and next of kin of one Arend John Radstaak. Throughout this opinion we will use the word' “plaintiffs” as referring to those upon whose behalf this action was brought, and the word “defendants” as referring to those claiming adversely to plaintiffs. Plaintiffs sought to be adjudged the owners of all the property claimed by defendants as the estate of Arend John Radstaak.

Trial was to the court without a jury. Findings of fact, con-cíüsions of law, and judgment were entered. The conclusions and judgment were in favor of the plaintiffs, the court adjudging that defendants held in trust for plaintiffs the title to an undivided two-thirds interest in 480 acres of land and the proceeds of the crops grown.on such land since the death of Arend John Radstaak. From such judgment both parties appeal; and such appeals are now before us.

[1] Defendants assign as error certain rulings of the court in the admission of evidence and the insufficiency of the evidence to support the findings of the court. We cannot, approve of the method adopted by defendants’ counsel in presenting their assignments of error. The rules of this court as well as the statutes relating to assignments, contemplate assignments of error, and not an assignment of errors. While rule 4 (170 N. W. vii) encourages the grouping, for purposes of discussion, “of assignments if they present a like question,” it was still intended that each alleged error should be separately assigned and its assignment given a number distinct from that of any other assignment. Numerous alleged errors, even though they may “present like questions,” should not be grouped as one assignment.

[2] We have carefully considered all the alleged errors in admission of evidence, and we are satisfied that there is ample competent evidence to support findings warranting the judgment appealed from.

There is virtually no conflict in the evidence; and no useful purpose could be subserved by a lengthy review thereof.

[233]*233This evidence related to matters extending over a period of nearly 50 years. 'As to some of the matters in issue, plaintiffs’ lips were sealed 'because of statutes rendering their testimony incompetent. Plaintiffs were therefore compelled, to a great extent, to rely upon the recollection of neighbors as to transactions and circumstances scattered over this long period, including statements and admissions made by Arend John Radstaak.

The following facts are- established by direct evidence or are fairly inferable from established facts or from proven statements and admissions of Arend John Radstaak. Jane W. Radstaak was at one time the wife of one John Hofteizer; and plaintiffs are their children and grandchildren. During Hofteizer’s lifetime, he and his family lived in Wisconsin, where he owned considerable land. He also held a contract on several tracts of land in Kansas, to which state he eventually moved, and where he died about the year 1868. The widow returned to Wisconsin and there married Arend John Radstaak, a man without property or children and without near relatives in America. To this marriage no children were born. Arend John Radstaak, while he and his wife remained in Wisconsin, lived away from his family much of the time, .and did little to help accumulate property. • ■ The lands in both Kansas and Wisconsin were eventually sold, and in 1891, upon) the suggestion of (Radstaak, he and his wife moved to South Dakota, where they at once bought 400 acres of land. The purchase price of this land was moneys derived from properties formerly, owned by the wife. Another 80 acres was thereafter purchased and paid for by the wife. The title to' all this land was taken in the name óf the husband. ' The wife died in 1901. Rad-staak, upon several occasions, assured his wife that all the property was eventually to go to her children; he made such, assurances at times when she objected to putting more of 'her money into the property that stood in his name. After their mother’s death plaintiffs sought a division of the land; and it may fairly be inferred, from the facts proven, that the reason why their claim to a division was not pushed was because of promises made to them that, if Radstaak were left in possession of all the property, he would will it all to plaintiffs. He stated several times after his wife’s death that he was- going to leave the property to some or all of plaintiffs; and there is some evidence of [234]*234statements by him to the effect that he had' made* a will leaving the property to plaintiffs. 'Statements made 'by him show that he undoubtedly fully intended to make such a will up to a few years before his death, when he made a trip to Holland, his motherland and the country where his near relatives lived.

[3] Under the above facts, Radstaak took the title to the 480. acres charged with a resulting trust in favor of his wife. Section 372, R. C. 1919; 39- Cyc. 138-142. Defendants contend that plaintiffs’ right of action, 'if they ever had a right of action to have such trust declared in their favor, accrued upon the death of plaintiffs’ ancestor, and that laches as well as the 10-year statute of limitations had barred such right of action when this action was brought. Furthermore, they contend that, even though it should be conceded that their ancestor originally held the property in trust for his wife, he long since acquired absolute title thereto, through adverse possession and the payment of taxes, under section 2291, R. C. 1919.

[4] While it is true that plaintiffs’ ancestor might, at any time, have brought an action to have title to this land quieted in her; and likewise, after her decease, plaintiffs might, at any time, have brought such an action; it does not necessarily follow that either were bound to do so in order to protect their rights. This court, in Stianson v. Stianson, 40 S. D. 322, 167 N. W. 237, 6 A. L. R. 280, differentiated between express, and constructive trusts, and announced as to express trusts.

“The rule is well settled that the running of statutes of limitation and, laches begins at the time such trust 'is openly repudiated, or acts are done by the trustee which are hostile to, or in fraud' of, the rights of the beneficiaries, and of which they have actual knowledge, or of facts from which knowledge must be imputed to them.”

In that case we explained fully why such a rule could have no application to a constructive trust; 'but we had no occasion to speak of resulting trusts. In 261 R. C. L. 1215, it is said:

“A resulting trust, though by no means an express one, because not declared by the deed out of which it arises, ap.-proaches more nearly 'thereto than' a constructive trust, in that it rests upon a presumed intention, whereas a constructive trust is supported by no such presumption, but is entirely in invitum, and [235]*235is raised and enforced by a court of equity, as a principle of justice.”

What is this “presumed intention” upon which a resulting trust rests and which differentiates it from a constructive trust? Certainly nothing more than the presumption that the trustee intends to hold the property for the benefit of his cestui que trust, which presumption does not exist in the case of a constructive trust.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
186 N.W. 963, 45 S.D. 228, 1922 S.D. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hofteizer-v-prange-sd-1922.