Kula v. Kula

31 N.W.2d 96, 149 Neb. 347, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 28
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 25, 1948
DocketNo. 32297
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 31 N.W.2d 96 (Kula v. Kula) 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
Kula v. Kula, 31 N.W.2d 96, 149 Neb. 347, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 28 (Neb. 1948).

Opinion

Wenke, J.

This action was brought in the district court for Platte County for the purpose of having three deeds declared void; title to the lands therein described quieted and confirmed in the heirs of Stanislaus Kula, deceased, the grantor; and a partition thereof. It also asks that an accounting of the rents and profits therefrom be made to the legal representative of the grantor’s estate.

The trial court found that the three deeds had never been delivered by the grantor and were therefore void; that the will of grantor, Stanislaus Kula, made no disposition of his real estate and that he died intestate with reference thereto; and that the executrix of the estate of Stanislaus Kula, deceased, had a lien on said real estate for costs of administration and the claims filed and allowed against the estate.

It decreed the deeds to be void; determined the interests of the parties in the real estate and quieted and confirmed their title therein, except as to the rights of the executrix of the estate of Stanislaus Kula, deceased; and decreed partition of the real estate. The court deferred the question of an accounting of the rentals until the issue as to the ownership of the real estate had been finally determined.

After the entry of this decree the defendants Richard [349]*349Kula and Eleanor Kula filed a motion for new trial and from the overruling thereof they appeal.

The three deeds involved in this litigation' are as follows:

The first, executed on December 24, 1943, is from Stanislaus Kula, unmarried, to his son Richard Kula and covers the south half of the southeast quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, less the road now thereon, of Section 8, Township 17 North, Range 1 West, of the 6th P. M., in Platte County, Nebraska. It was recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds of Platte County on the 19th day of February, •1944, in Book 85 of Deeds at page 670.

The second, executed on April 24, 1940, is from Stanislaus Kula, unmarried, to his daughter Caroline Kula and covers the east 10 acres of the west 20 acres of the north half of the northeast quarter, less the railroad right-of-way, of Section 8, Township 17 North, Range 1 West, of the 6th P. M., in Platte County, Nebraska. This deed was recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds of Platte County on the 23rd day of February, 1944, and recorded in Book 85 of Deeds at page 693.

The third, executed on April 24, 1940, is from Stanislaus Kula, unmarried, to his daughter Eleanore Kula and covers the west 10 acres, less the railroad right-of-way, of the north half of the northeast quarter of Section 8, Township 17 North, Range 1 West, of the 6th P. M., in Platte County, Nebraska. This deed was recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds of Platte County on the 23rd day of February, 1944, in Book 85 of Deeds at page 694.

All three of these deeds were either delivered to the grantees and recorded or recorded after the death of the grantor. Before this action was tried Caroline Kula La Porte conveyed to Eleanor Kula whatever interest she had in the 10 acres described in the deed to her [350]*350and the court decreed the interests of these parties accordingly.

The record shows that Stanislaus Kula was an elderly man and, during the period of time herein involved, unmarried. He had been married twice. To the first marriage two children were born. They are Joseph Kula, a son, age 56, and Thomas Kula, a son, age 61. To the second marriage the following children were born who survived him, to wit: Stanley A. Kula, a son, age 37; Eleanor Kula, a daughter, age 35; Caroline La Porte (nee Kula), a daughter, age 33; Wallace T. Kula, a son, age 28; and Richard Kula, a son, age 25. It appears that one son had died prior to the death of the father but left no heirs surviving. The above are all the heirs at law of Stanislaus Kula.

On December 24, 1943, Stanislaus Kula executed the deed, already referred to, to Richard and then placed it, and the other two deeds herein referred to and which he had executed on April 24, 1940, in an envelope and deposited it with the firm of Becher, Hockenberger & Chambers Company in their offices in Columbus, Nebraska.

This envelope had endorsed thereon, over the signature of the grantor, the following:

“Columbus, Nebraska December 24, 1943.

I hereby direct Becher, Hockenberger and Chambers Company to deliver the within deeds to my children, viz: Richard Kula, Eleanore Kula and Caroline Kula, and to my grand-daughter Lorene Kula, at the date of my death.

I hereby reserve the right to withdraw any and all of within deeds at any time during my lifetime.”

This envelope contained four deeds covering all of the real property of the grantor, being 180 acres of land described in the three deeds as hereinbefore set forth and a small residence covered by a deed to a granddaughter, Lorene Kula. However, Lorene Kula has not [351]*351been made a party to this suit and the deed to her is not involved in this litigation.

Thereafter, on December 26, 1943, the grantor made his last will and testament. It was allowed and admitted to probate by the county court of Platte County on April 6, 1944, the testator having died in February 1944. This will made no disposition of the testator’s real estate and with reference thereto he died intestate.

It does contain the fallowing provision: “THIRD: It is my sincere wish, desire and intention that my sons, namely, Thomas Kula, Joseph Kula and Richard Kula, receive nothing under this my Last Will and Testament, for the reason that they have received their proportionate share of my property during my life time.”

However, .this provision does not prevent these three sons from inheriting for, as stated in 18 C. J., Descent and Distribution, § 76, p. 843: “The fact that a will expresses the intention of the testator to disinherit certain persons does not prevent such persons from sharing as heirs at law or next of kin in property as to which the testator died intestate.” See, also, 69 C. J., Wills, § 1149, p. 101, and Zimmerman v. Hafer, 81 Md. 347, 32 A. 316,

With reference to the effect of the endorsement placed upon the envelope containing these deeds we approved in Huenink v. Heitbrink, 104 Neb. 520, 177 N. W. 796, the following from Paxton v. State, 59 Neb. 460, 81 N. W. 383: “An instrument is not delivered until it has passed beyond the dominion, control and authority of the maker, and is no longer capable of being recalled.” See, also, Wheeler v. Brady, 126 Neb. 297, 253 N. W. 338; 10 R. C. L., Escrow, § 8, p. 626.

As stated in 16 Am. Jur., Deeds, § 110, p. 499: “In other words, the delivery "of a deed in the law of conveyancing is a transfer of it from the grantor to the grantee or his agent or to some third person for the grantee’s use in such manner as to deprive the grantor of the right to recall it at his option and with intent to convey title.” Then going on to say in section 130, page [352]*352512: “* * * and if the deed remains within the grantor’s control and liable to be recalled, there is, according to almost unanimous authority, no delivery, notwithstanding he has parted with its immediate possession.”

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

Related

Larsen v. Morrison
293 N.W.2d 468 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1980)
Weiss v. Union Insurance
276 N.W.2d 88 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1979)
In Re Estate of Swanson
140 N.W.2d 665 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1966)
In Re Coryell's Estate
118 N.W.2d 1002 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1963)
Short v. Kleppinger
81 N.W.2d 182 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1957)
Cain v. Killian
54 N.W.2d 368 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1952)
Lovenburg v. Justice
51 N.W.2d 895 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1952)
Byers v. Byers
46 N.W.2d 800 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1951)
Dowding v. Dowding
40 N.W.2d 245 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
31 N.W.2d 96, 149 Neb. 347, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kula-v-kula-neb-1948.