Jenkins v. Jenkins

36 N.W.2d 637, 151 Neb. 113, 1949 Neb. LEXIS 69
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 7, 1949
DocketNos. 32494, 32495
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 36 N.W.2d 637 (Jenkins v. Jenkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jenkins v. Jenkins, 36 N.W.2d 637, 151 Neb. 113, 1949 Neb. LEXIS 69 (Neb. 1949).

Opinion

Messmore, J.

This appeal involves two actions in equity, one for the partition of certain real estate, the other to quiet title to an undivided two-fifths interest therein of Pearl E. Crable, deceased.

It appears from the record that from and after 1902, until 1941, William H. Jenkins was the owner of the northwest quarter and the southwest quarter of Section 19, Township 14 North, Range 32 West, sixth principal meridian, situated in Lincoln County, Nebraska, except a strip of land conveyed to the state for road purposes and a strip of land conveyed to a drainage district and occupied by it for right-of-way across said lands, subject to two mortgages in the amount of $16,000. William H. Jenkins departed this life in 1941. By his will he devised this land to his children, Elmer R. Jenkins, Lizzie LaFevers who predeceased him her share going to Dorthey Leatherwood her daughter and sole surviving heir at law, Pearl E. Crable, Harry E. Jenkins an adjudged incompetent, and Jay O. Jenkins, each an undivided one-fifth interest, and to his daughter Laura E. Bales he devised the residue of his estate consisting of real estate and personal property. The mortgage indebtedness was compromised with the approval of the [115]*115district court by the administrator with the will annexed, giving a mortgage to one A. E. Holtgren in the amount of $12,000. After the distribution of the estate of William H. Jenkins, Dorthey Leatherwood and her husband conveyed her one-fifth interest in this land to Jay O. Jenkins and Pearl E. Crable for $2,500, and on the same day Jay O. Jenkins, his wife, and Pearl E. Crable, gave to Dorthey Leatherwood a mortgage for $1,850 as part of the purchase price of her interest in the land, subject to a $12,000 mortgage to A. E. Holtgren. The deed was subject to the same mortgage.

On August 10, 1944, Elmer R. Jenkins commenced a suit for partition of this land, alleging that he and Harry E. Jenkins each owned an undivided one-fifth interest therein and that Jay O. Jenkins and Pearl E. Crable each owned an undivided three-tenths interest therein, the entire estate being subject to the Holtgren mortgage of $12,000, and the one-fifth interest acquired by Jay O. Jenkins and Pearl E. Crable from Dorthey Leatherwood being subject to a $1,850 mortgage.

At the refere ’s sale held November 1, 1944, Jay O. Jenkins bid $34,000 which included the mortgage indebtedness to Holtgren upon which there was due approximately $10,000. This bid was subject to drainage district assessments in the amount of $2,695 exclusive of the mortgage. The sale was confirmed on February 5, 1945. After deducting the mortgage indebtedness and the expenses of the proceedings there was a net sum of $23,469.84 for distribution among the owners of the land: To Harry E. Jenkins and Elmer R. Jenkins each the sum of $4,693.94, and to Jay O.. Jenkins and Pearl E. Crable each the sum of $7,040.95 subject to the mortgage interest of Dorthey Leatherwood in the sum of $450 which sum was to be deducted equally and proportionately from the shares otherwise due Jay O. Jenkins and Pearl E. Crable. The referee filed receipts showing distribution of the proceeds of the sale, including the release of the Dorthey Leatherwood mortgage.

[116]*116The Holtgren mortgage was released on February 9, 1945, and on the same day Jay O. Jenkins and wife, and Pearl E. Crable gave a mortgage to Holtgren on this land for $18,400 to secure their notes for that sum. Ten thousand dollars of this sum represented the balance due Holtgren on the prior mortgage and $8,400 was paid to the referee upon the bid of Jay O. Jenkins to satisfy it.

On February 9, 1945, the referee’s deed was executed in favor of Jay O. Jenkins and was recorded March 19, 1945. On the same day Jay O. Jenkins and wife executed a deed to an undivided two-fifths interest in the land to Pearl E. Crable, “subject to first mortgage to A. E. Holtgren for $18,400.00 which both parties have executed upon the entire premises and of which said mortgage grantee assumes and agrees to pay two-fifths thereof as between the parties hereto.” The deed recites a consideration of “one dollar and assumption of indebtedness.”

Before confirmation of the sale Elmer R. Jenkins 'was dissatisfied with the amount to be paid by Jay O. Jenkins and threatened to file objections' to confirmation of the sale. By agreement between Jay O. Jenkins and Elmer R. Jenkins, the latter was to receive $5,000 for his one-fifth interest in consideration of permitting the sale to be confirmed without objections on his part so, on November 25, 1944, when this agreement was made, Jay O. Jenkins gave his check for $1,500 to Elmer R. Jenkins to apply on the agreement. On December 6, 1944, Elmer R. Jenkins and wife executed a warranty deed to Elmer R. Jenkins’ one-fifth interest to Jay O. Jenkins.

Pearl E. Crable died March 10, 1946, intestate. Her estate was administered in the county court of Lincoln County. She left as her sole and only heirs át law Elmer R. Jenkins, Harry E. Jenkins, Jay O. Jenkins, Laura E. Bales, and Dorthey Leatherwood, niece, and whatever estate she owned at the time of her death descended to her said heirs each an undivided one-fifth interest. At the time of her death Pearl E. Crable was the guardian of Harry E. Jenkins, incompetent. The [117]*117inventory filed by the administrator for Pearl E. Crable’s estate listed an undivided two-fifths interest in the land heretofore described.

After the administration of his father’s estate, Jay O. Jenkins managed the farm, collected the rents, and paid the expenses, certain amounts on the principal, and interest on the mortgage. On March 15, 1943, Pearl E. Crable gave a power of attorney to Jay O. Jenkins with respect to the management of her interest in the land left to her by her father. Another agreement appears in the record under date of December 23, 1941, between the parties and the mortgagee A. E. Holtgren, appointing him to manage and operate the land during the term of the mortgage and until the same was fully discharged.

The defendant Jay O. Jenkins, in his answer and cross-petition in the two actions, alleges that he is the sole fee simple title owner of all the real estate described in the plaintiffs’ petition, and that none of the parties have any interest or acquired any title thereto, and prayed title be quieted in him.

In the partition action the defendant Jay O. Jenkins, in his cross-petition, alleged an oral agreement made between himself and Pearl E. Crable to the effect that he should have the absolute fee simple title in the land, and in consideration of the same he was to assist Pearl E. Crable during her lifetime with reference to taking care of her and managing her financial affairs for the reason that she was in poor health; and, further, the agreement provided that upon his death his wife would have the life estate, and upon her death the land would go to Pearl E. Crable. Pursuant to and in the performance of the understanding of such agreement, the deed to Pearl E. Crable was never delivered to her nor recorded, but left within the exclusive possession of Jay O. Jenkins.

The defendant Jay O. Jenkins further alleged that he had never been repaid by Pearl E. Crable for any part of the interest purchased by him from Dorthey Leather-[118]*118wood, nor any part of other moneys expended by him for said real estate. The prayer was to quiet title to the real estate in Jay O. Jenkins, and that all the other parties to the action be adjudged to have no title or interest therein. .

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Osborn v. Boatmen's National Bank of St. Louis
811 S.W.2d 431 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1991)
Nemaha Natural Resources District v. Neeman
315 N.W.2d 619 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1982)
Kuhlman v. Cargile
262 N.W.2d 454 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1978)
Dunmire v. Cool
237 N.W.2d 636 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1976)
Carey v. Humphries
107 N.W.2d 20 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1961)
Beacom v. Daley
81 N.W.2d 907 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1957)
Short v. Kleppinger
81 N.W.2d 182 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1957)
Vielehr v. Malone
63 N.W.2d 497 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1954)
Anderson v. Benson
117 F. Supp. 765 (D. Nebraska, 1953)
Nelson v. Glidewell
51 N.W.2d 892 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1952)
Wiskocil v. Kliment
50 N.W.2d 786 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1952)
Busteed v. Sheffield
44 N.W.2d 471 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1950)
Noetzelmann v. Noetzelmann
43 N.W.2d 515 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1950)
Casper v. Frey
41 N.W.2d 363 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
36 N.W.2d 637, 151 Neb. 113, 1949 Neb. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jenkins-v-jenkins-neb-1949.