Huffey v. Lea

491 N.W.2d 518, 18 A.L.R. 5th 962, 1992 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 390, 1992 WL 296048
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 21, 1992
Docket91-515
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 491 N.W.2d 518 (Huffey v. Lea) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Huffey v. Lea, 491 N.W.2d 518, 18 A.L.R. 5th 962, 1992 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 390, 1992 WL 296048 (iowa 1992).

Opinions

SCHULTZ, Justice.

The principal issue on appeal is whether the doctrine of claim preclusion prevents an action for tortious interference with a bequest when the action is not brought with the underlying will contest. The district court and the court of appeals held that the failure to join the tort action with the will contest bars a later action. We disagree.

This is a dismissal of the action based on the pleadings; therefore, we accept those allegations as true. We also take judicial notice of the appellate decision involving the will contest, Matter of Estate of Olson, 451 N.W.2d 33 (Iowa App.1989).

This appeal has its genesis in the wills of Hjalmar Olson and his wife Margaret, whose maiden name was Lea. Following their marriage in 1946, Margaret and Hjal-mar lived on a farm until their deaths in 1986. The Olsons did not have children; however, they had a close relationship with Hjalmar’s nephew, George Huffey. Huf-fey lived with the Olsons for several years and after that was a tenant on the Olson farm. For further details of the relationship, see Matter of Estate of Olson, 451 N.W.2d at 35.

On June 18, 1986, two days after Hjal-mar’s death, Margaret executed a will. Under this will, she, like her husband before her, provided that the Olson farm should become the property of George Huf-fey. In July 1986, Margaret executed a new will revoking her June 18 will. Under the new will, George Huffey would not receive the Olson farm and her brother, Ambrose Lea, and his children would receive the bulk of her estate.

Margaret died in August 1986 and the July will was admitted to probate. George and Jean Huffey (Huffeys) commenced an action contesting the will. The case was tried to a jury which found that Margaret lacked testamentary capacity and that the July will was procured by undue influence. The defendants to the will contest successfully moved for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict and a new trial. On appeal, the court of appeals reinstated the jury verdict. Id. at 37.

On December 5, 1990, plaintiffs commenced this action against defendants Ambrose Lea, Eunice Lea, his wife, and [520]*520their children (Leas). We are concerned with the tort actions which are counts one and two of the petition, maintaining that the defendants unduly influenced Margaret and tortiously interfered with her intent to devise her farm to George. They seek money damages for legal fees, loss of farming time, mental anguish and embarrassment.

In addition to dismissing the tort action under the doctrine of claim preclusion, the district court gave an additional ground for dismissing Jean Huffey’s claim by ruling that she was not a real party in interest. The court also granted Donna Lea-Faber’s motion to quash service. The court did not rule on the affirmative defense that the action was barred by the statute of limitations.1 Huffeys challenge these rulings on appeal. Leas cross-appeal on the court’s failure to rule on their limitation defense. Our review is for errors at law. See Iowa Rule of Appellate Procedure 4.

I. Tortious interference with a bequest. In Frohwein v. Haesemeyer, 264 N.W.2d 792 (Iowa 1978), we recognized a law action for tortious interference with a bequest. Id. at 795. We explained that we could see no compelling reason for not extending the tort of wrongful interference with business advantage to a noncommercial context. Id. Intentional interference with an existing or prospective contract is described in Restatement (Second) of Torts, sections 766A and 766B (1979), and continues to be recognized in Iowa as a basis for recovery of damages in civil tort actions. Nesler v. Fisher & Co., Inc., 452 N.W.2d 191, 194-96 (Iowa 1990).

The Restatement also has addressed the concept of wrongful interference within other forms of advantageous economic relations. Restatement (Second) of Torts, ch. 37A (1979). Under this chapter, section 774B relates to the tort of intentional interference with inheritance or gift. This section provides:

One who by fraud or other tortious means intentionally prevents another from receiving from a third person an inheritance or gift that he would otherwise have received is subject to liability to others for the loss of the inheritance or gift.

In discussing the remedies available under this section, the Restatement recognized that the normal remedy for the loss suffered by the one deprived of the legacy or gift is an action in tort. § 774B cmt. e. These remedies include recovery of damages for pecuniary loss, consequential loss and emotional distress. Restatement § 774A. A claim for emotional distress in tortious interference claims does not require proof of outrageous conduct. Nesler, 452 N.W.2d at 199-200.

II. The doctrine of claim preclusion. As previously indicated, the fighting issue involves application of the doctrine of claim preclusion to Huffeys’ tort action. Leas defend the district court’s ruling by asserting that the tort action involves the same “claim” that was advanced in Huffeys’ pri- or will contest. As an initial matter, we discuss the doctrine of claim preclusion.

As a general rule, the doctrine of claim preclusion bars further litigation on the same “claim” or cause of action. See Leuchtenmacher v. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co., 460 N.W.2d 858, 859-60 (Iowa 1990). Under this doctrine, an adjudication in a former suit between the same parties on the same claim “is final as to all matters which could have been presented to the court for determination, and a party must litigate all matters growing out of its claim at one time rather than in separate actions.” Id. at 860. The court explained:

Claim preclusion under the doctrine of res judicata is based on the principle that a party may not split or try his claim [521]*521piecemeal, but must put in issue and try his entire claim or put forth his entire defense in the case on trial.
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[To make that determination, it] is necessary to determine whether plaintiffs first and second actions were the same claim or cause of action within the meaning of this principle.

Id. (quoting B & B Asphalt Co. v. T.S. McShane Co., 242 N.W.2d 279, 286 (Iowa 1976)). A second claim is likely to be considered the same as a first claim, and therefore precluded, “if the acts complained of, and the recovery demanded, are the same, or when the same evidence will support both actions.” Leuchtenmacher, 460 N.W.2d at 860. We now examine whether the will contest and the tort action are the same claim or cause of action within the meaning of claim preclusion. We do not believe that they are.

When a will is contested on grounds of undue influence and lack of testamentary capacity, as it was here, the required proof focuses on the testator’s mental strength and intent and whether infirmities or undue influence have affected the disposition of property under the will. See Olson, 451 N.W.2d at 36.

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Bluebook (online)
491 N.W.2d 518, 18 A.L.R. 5th 962, 1992 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 390, 1992 WL 296048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huffey-v-lea-iowa-1992.