Jill Rosendahl, V. Gina Justice

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 13, 2024
Docket58300-3
StatusUnpublished

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Bluebook
Jill Rosendahl, V. Gina Justice, (Wash. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

February 13, 2024

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II JILL ROSENDAHL, No. 58300-3-II

Appellant,

v. UNPUBLISHED OPINION

GINA JUSTICE, and all other persons asserting an interest in Kitsap County Parcel No. 4268-000-001-0404

Respondent.

MAXA, P.J. – Jill Rosendahl appeals the trial court’s order granting summary judgment in

favor of Gina Justice in her lawsuit against Justice relating to an alleged oral agreement to

convey property.

Rosendahl conveyed property she owned to her sister Justice by quitclaim deed.

Rosendahl claims that there was an oral agreement that she would convey the property to Justice

so Justice could build a house on the property, but if Justice did not build a house on the property

she would convey the property back to Rosendahl. When Justice listed the property for sale,

Rosendahl filed a lawsuit against her.

Rosendahl argues that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because there

were factual issues regarding her claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, constructive

trust, and quiet title. Justice argues there are no genuine issues of material fact and that all of

Rosendahl’s claims are barred by the statute of frauds, RCW 64.04.010. No. 58300-3-II

We hold that (1) as a matter of law, Rosendahl cannot recover on her breach of contract

claim; (2) there are genuine issues of material fact regarding Rosendahl’s unjust enrichment and

constructive trust claims; and (3) Rosendahl’s quiet title claim remains viable depending on

resolution of the constructive trust claim. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court’s grant of

summary judgment in favor of Justice regarding the breach of contract claim, but we reverse the

trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Justice regarding the unjust enrichment,

constructive trust, and quiet title claims and remand for further proceedings regarding those

claims.

FACTS

Background

Rosendahl and Justice are sisters. In January 2015, Rosendahl conveyed by quitclaim

deed a parcel of property (“the property”) that she owned in Kitsap County to Justice. The

quitclaim deed stated that the consideration for the transfer was “love & affection.” Clerk’s

Papers (CP) at 119. Rosendahl filed a Real Estate Excise Tax Affidavit (REETA) in which she

claimed a tax exemption because the transfer was a “gift without consideration.” CP at 29.

Rosendahl alleged that she transferred the property to Justice because Justice planned to

build a house on the property. And Rosendahl claimed that she and Justice had an agreement

that if Justice did not build a house on the property, she would convey the property back to

Rosendahl. However, Justice eventually purchased a house elsewhere and listed the property for

sale. Rosendahl then filed suit against Justice to recover damages regarding Justice’s breach of

the alleged oral agreement to transfer the property back to Rosendahl and to quiet title.

Rosendahl’s original complaint asserted causes of action for breach of contract, breach of

the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, conversion, and quiet title. She later filed an

2 No. 58300-3-II

amended complaint in which she asserted additional causes of action for unjust enrichment and

constructive trust. In the amended complaint, Rosendahl alleged that she deeded the property to

Justice so Justice could obtain financing to build a house on the property. Rosendahl also

alleged that she and Justice agreed that if Justice did not build a house on the property, she would

convey the property back to Rosendahl.

Summary Judgment Motions

After Rosendahl filed her original complaint, Justice filed a summary judgment motion

regarding the asserted claims. That motion was continued to allow Rosendahl to gather more

evidence. Rosendahl subsequently agreed to dismiss her claims for breach of the covenant of

good faith and fair dealing, fraud, and conversion.

After Rosendahl filed her amended complaint, Justice filed a second summary judgment

motion. Justice argued that she was the owner of the property based on the quitclaim deed, the

quitclaim deed was silent regarding any claimed agreement to convey the property back to

Rosendahl, and the statute of frauds barred any oral contract to convey the property back to

Rosendahl. Justice also argued that the statute of frauds barred Rosendahl’s unjust enrichment

and constructive trust claims and that the evidence did not support those claims.

In support of her motion, Justice relied on the quitclaim deed and the REETA that

Rosendahl signed. She also relied on interrogatory answers that Rosendahl provided. In the

interrogatory answers, Rosendahl stated, “The agreement was that Ms. Justice was going to build

a home on the property for her to live in and, if she did not do so, she was to give the property

back to me.” CP at 101. However, Rosendahl admitted that “[t]here are no written agreements.”

CP at 101.

3 No. 58300-3-II

In opposition to summary judgment, Rosendahl submitted a declaration in which she

stated:

It was my goal and intention to create an area where a bunch of us family could live in close proximity. My sister Gina expressed eagerness to join in this if she could. She explored building a house on the property and told me she could only do it if the parcel was in her name, and to have my name even partially still on it would cause issues with getting the financing she needed. I discussed with her that I was perfectly fine doing that so long as she built there – and if at any point she decided not to build there, she would transfer the parcel back to me. She stated that this was her agreement. After the transfer was complete, she told me she needed time to work on financing to be able to build. For the next several years, it was my understanding based on my conversations with her that she was still pursuing this.

Once she purchased a different home elsewhere and indicated definitively she was not going to be building there, I started trying to get her to transfer it back to me. Once she indicated she was going to list it for sale, I had no choice but to file this action to enforce our agreement.

CP at 42 (emphasis added).

Regarding the REETA, Rosendahl stated:

I did sign the supplemental statement stating no consideration was given. In my transfer to Gina, no money changed hands. Gina did promise to give back the property if she didn't build on it, and no, I would not have transferred it to her without that promise. However, there is no way to place a value on her promise to do so. Her promise isn’t something I could sell or cash in for value. My statement above my signature was accurate, as no money changed hands. The only thing I received in exchange for this property was a promise, by my sister, to return the property if she ended up not building – a promise that had no way of being valued.

CP at 43.

Rosendahl also submitted a declaration from Celia Rosendahl, Rosendahl’s daughter and

Justice’s niece. The declaration stated:

I spoke with my aunt Gina several times during that year and the following year. Aunt Gina was making plans to build, but said the property needed to be in her name to build.

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