Kimm v. Kimm

464 N.W.2d 468, 1990 Iowa App. LEXIS 457, 1990 WL 212985
CourtCourt of Appeals of Iowa
DecidedOctober 23, 1990
Docket89-1520
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 464 N.W.2d 468 (Kimm v. Kimm) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kimm v. Kimm, 464 N.W.2d 468, 1990 Iowa App. LEXIS 457, 1990 WL 212985 (iowactapp 1990).

Opinions

HAYDEN, Presiding Judge.

In 1973 Porter Kimm, along with Harlan Kimm and his wife, LaDonna, purchased a farm on contract as joint tenants with full right of survivorship and not as tenants in common from Mary Zuber. In February 1977 Harlan and LaDonna quit claimed their interest in the farm to their son, Charles. They also assigned all their interest in the real estate contract with Zuber to Charles. In October 1979 Porter Kimm, the father of Harlan and the other named plaintiffs, died intestate.

In 1982 Charles and the Porter Kimm Estate filed a petition against Harlan and LaDonna seeking their removal from the farm. In January 1985 a stipulated agreement concerning this litigation was filed of record. The decree provided for immediate possession of the property by the plaintiffs. In addition, the agreement provided the Porter Kimm estate would have a 25% ownership interest and Charles and his wife, Marcia, would have the remaining 75% interest in the farm. The parties also executed a separate agreement on January 21, 1985.

The agreement recited the ownership interests of the parties but provided the property would be sold and the proceeds would be distributed with 25% to the estate, 37.5% to Charles and Marcia, and 37.5% to La-Donna and her attorney. Taxes, contract payments, and other obligations were to be borne in the same ratio. Likewise, rents and other benefits were to be divided in the same ratio. LaDonna further agreed she would pay from her net share $10,000 to Charles and Marcia as payment for farm equipment of Charles’ which was lost or destroyed.

Meanwhile, GMAC had obtained a judgment against Harlan in April 1979, Elwood obtained a judgment against Harlan in June 1981, and Pollock obtained a judg[470]*470ment against Harlan in June 1984. All three filed liens against the property in question.

In 1989 plaintiffs filed this partition action seeking to sell the farm. Following the partition decree, the farm was sold. After a hearing, the district court entered its ruling concerning the distribution of the proceeds. The court awarded 25% to the estate, 37.5% to Charles, and 37.5% to Harlan. The court found the provision of the agreement to distribute the proceeds to LaDonna and not to Harlan to be fraudulent and done solely for the purpose of preventing the judgment creditors from collecting on their judgments. The award to Harlan was to be reduced by the claims from the three judgment creditors. After-the creditors were paid, Charles was to receive $10,000 from Harlan’s share. Charles filed an appeal, and Harlan and LaDonna filed a cross-appeal.

This is an action in equity for partition of real property under Iowa R.Civ.P. 270. Therefore, our scope of review is de novo. Iowa R.App.P. 4. We give weight to the trial court’s findings, but are not bound by them. Iowa R.App.P. 14(f)(7).

This partition action was brought by the heirs of the Kimm Estate. Upon a search of the property abstract, it was discovered three judgment creditors of Charles’ father, Harlan, had filed liens on the property. The petition was amended to include them as indispensable parties. Iowa R.Civ.P. 273(a); see Smith v. Piper, 118 Iowa 363, 365, 92 N.W. 56 (1902) (reversed and remanded for determination of judgment lienholder’s rights in partition action where he was not made a party as required).

The trial court found the January 21, 1985, agreement was a fraudulent conveyance in that Harlan was again attempting to shield himself from his creditors. Therefore, the trial court construed Harlan in LaDonna’s place in the agreement. The parties do not appeal the trial court’s finding of a fraudulent conveyance. We therefore accept the trial court’s determination of this matter.

Charles contends he should have priority over the judgment creditors for Harlan’s share of the proceeds from the partition action. His contention is based on the 1985 agreement wherein he was to be paid $10,-000 for equipment lost or destroyed. The trial court, in an order for expanded findings, ruled the $10,000 was a lien against Harlan’s share of the proceeds. The trial court held the $10,000 lien should follow those of the judgment creditors in priority. Its apparent rationale was the $10,000 lien dated from the time of the 1985 agreement. It is from this ruling Charles appeals.

I. Legal Title

In 1977 Harlan and LaDonna quit claimed their interest in the property to Charles. In doing so, the joint tenancy interest between themselves and Porter Kimm was severed. From 1977 to 1985 Charles and his wife held a two-thirds interest in the property as tenants in common. Porter, and after his death his estate, held the remaining one-third interest.

All three creditors of Harlan filed valid judgment liens on Harlan’s property in Iowa County after Harlan’s interest was quit claimed and assigned to Charles. Charles argues since he, and not Harlan, was the legal titleholder during this period, the liens are invalid or alternatively, are invalid against him.

The trial court did not rule on whether the conveyance to Charles by Harlan in 1977 was fraudulent, although there is evidence the 1977 transfer was to avoid creditors. The issue is not before us, and we do not address it.

The issue is whether the judgment liens filed against the real property while Charles was the two-thirds legal owner were valid against the property. We look to the Iowa Code for the answer.

Judgments in the appellate or district courts of this state, or in the circuit or district court of the United States within the state, are liens upon the real estate owned by the defendant at the time of such rendition, and also upon all the defendant may subsequently acquire, for [471]*471the period of ten years from the date of the judgment.

Iowa Code § 624.23(1).

The judgment lien attaches to the real estate of the judgment debtor within the county where the judgment was entered. Iowa Code § 624.24. The judgment lien attaches against property held by the judgment debtor in another county only upon filing an attested copy of the judgment with the clerk of court for that county. Id.

In this ease all three judgments in question were entered in Iowa County. The real property is also in Iowa County. Therefore, the judgment entries are effective as liens against the property if Harlan held an interest in it.

[Tjitle to a decedent’s real estate descends and vests instantly upon the death of the decedent in the heirs, devi-sees, and spouse, subject to the payment of debts and costs of administration.... a prior judgment attaches the instant of the intestate’s death.

Central Fibre Products Co. v. Lorenz, 246 Iowa 384, 391, 66 N.W.2d 30, 34 (Iowa 1954).

Porter Kimm died intestate in 1979. At the time he held a one-third interest in the property. Harlan’s legal title to his share of Porter’s estate vested at the instant of Porter’s death. Thus, the judgment liens in question attached immediately to Harlan’s distributive share of the real estate, including any real property held by Porter in Iowa County

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Kimm v. Kimm
464 N.W.2d 468 (Court of Appeals of Iowa, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
464 N.W.2d 468, 1990 Iowa App. LEXIS 457, 1990 WL 212985, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kimm-v-kimm-iowactapp-1990.