Lennox v. Anderson

1 N.W.2d 912, 140 Neb. 748, 1942 Neb. LEXIS 201
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 9, 1942
DocketNo. 31221
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 1 N.W.2d 912 (Lennox v. Anderson) 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
Lennox v. Anderson, 1 N.W.2d 912, 140 Neb. 748, 1942 Neb. LEXIS 201 (Neb. 1942).

Opinion

Messmore, J.

Plaintiff seeks to establish fee simple title to real estate and certain personal property, based on an oral agreement that, in the event plaintiff would make her home with the owners thereof and care for them during their lifetime, she woüld receive all of such property. Plaintiff alleges performance of the oral agreement and prays for specific performance. From an adverse decision, plaintiff appeals, predicating error in that the judgment of the court is contrary to the law and the evidence.

The following facts are established without dispute by the pleadings: Hilma and Charles J. Sanders were husband and wife, the former a sister of the plaintiff. Hilma Sanders died June 26, 1937, leaving a last will and testament which was duly probated. Her husband, Charles J. Sanders,' died February 20, 1940. Plaintiff’s petition alleges, that, by joint efforts and contributions of Hilma and Charles J. Sanders, they accumulated certain real estate which they [750]*750occupied as a homestead, fee simple title thereto being in Hilma during her lifetime, and she, by her will, devised such interest to her husband. Defendants’ answer denies generally the allegations of plaintiff’s petition and denies such devise of real estate; alleges that Charles. J. Sanders had expended considerable sums of money in maintaining the premises and had treated the same as his real estate; that the plaintiff had full knowledge of Hilma’s will. The object of the defendants in denying ownership of the real estate in Hilma Sanders was to compel the plaintiff to prove first such ownership. The answer pleads the contract is not in writing and, therefore, violative of the statute of frauds. An analysis of the pleadings warrants us in drawing the conclusion that ownership of the real estate was in Hilma Sanders during her lifetime and thereafter in Charles J. Sanders. He, by will, left all his property, real and personal, to his sister, Jennie Anderson, one of the defendants.

The oral contract, constituting the basis, of this action, is as. follows: Upon plaintiff’s arrival in Omaha, Hilma and Charles J. Sanders orally agreed with her that, if she would make her home with them and care for Hilma during her lifetime and for Charles J. Sanders-, the home occupied by them, together with its contents, would become the property of the plaintiff. In accordance with such agreement, plaintiff assumed the duties as provided therein by living in the home with the Sanders, taking care of them, performing the duties of a practical nurse, doing the housework, cooking the meals, and performing all things necessary to maintain the household. We hereafter set forth the substance of the competent testimony to establish the oral agreement. Due to the confusing nature of the testimony of the witness Mary E. Hinterlong, and in that the greater portion thereof constitutes conclusions and opinions of this witness, we purposely refrain from stating her testimony. The testimony of the following witnesses is pertinent.

Mrs. Robert Carlton, a close neighbor of the Sanders, [751]*751recalled that plaintiff came to the Sanders home in the fall or winter of 1936. One evening, three or four days prior to Hilma’s death and during plaintiff’s absence, this witness took care of Hilma, “fixed her for the night.” Hilma told her she would not live much longer, “but that Gussie (plaintiff) would be taken care of, because everything they had would go to herthat plaintiff “had given up a lot to come here and stay with them, and she felt it was the thing to do, that she should have all that was left.”

Alfilda Nelson, who had known Hilma Sanders for 60' years and her husband for more than 50 years, visited their home frequently, and on several occasions, during Hilma’s last illness, Hilma told this witness she wanted them to stay together and have Hans cared for; that if anything happened to them it would be plaintiff’s home as long as she lived. The “Hans” referred to was one Hansen, who lived on the premises, worked about the place and kept up the yard. Three weeks after Hilma’s death, this witness, had a conversation with Charles J. Sanders in which she said: “I am so glad * * * you all stayed together,” and Charles said: “Oh, yes,” “That was Hilma’s wish that we should all'stay together and that Mrs. Lennox (plaintiff) should have a home here with us so long- as she lived, and that Hans should be taken care of.”

The witness Gertrude Kurtz, a neighbor, had known the Sanders 37 or 38 years, visited their home frequently and was there during Hilma’s last illness. A month before Hilma’s death she told this witness that “she wanted her (plaintiff) to have the things after, if anything happened to her,” and wanted Mr. Sanders and the plaintiff “to be together as long as they lived.” Ella Wright, a frequent visitor in the Sanders home, testified to a conversation she had with Hilma Sanders in the early part of 1937, wherein Hilma told this witness that the plaintiff should have all she owned, all of her property; that she “was going to fix it that she (plaintiff) got what she had.”

Florence Workman, a neighbor of the Sanders, was frequently in the home, and during the last illness of Charles [752]*752J. Sanders on several occasions administered insulin to him, and at such times visited with him with reference to the plaintiff and the property. He told her that plaintiff “was very good to him, and he said that when he passed away, that he wanted her to have all the property * * * because she had worked so hard for him and stayed up nights, and had taken care of him.” Other evidence appears in the record which we deem unnecessary to set out, except to say that evidence of performance of the oral agreement is sufficiently persuasive, in that it is not contradicted by the defendants.

The law is well established that a court of equity will grant specific performance of an oral contract to leave property to another, where the terms of the contract are established' by evidence which is clear, convincing and satisfactory, and where it has been fully performed by one party, and its nonfulfilment would amount to a fraud upon that party. Kofka, v. Rosicky, 41 Neb. 328, 59 N. W. 788; Harrison v. Harrison, 80 Neb. 103, 113 N. W. 1042; McNea v. Moran, 101 Neb. 476, 163 N. W. 766; Davis v. Murphy, 105 Neb. 839, 182 N. W. 365; Denesia v. Denesia, 116 Neb. 789, 219 N. W. 142; Weber v. Crabill, 123 Neb. 88, 242 N. W. 267; Craig v. Seebecker, 135 Neb. 221, 280 N. W. 913.

In Weber v. Crabill, supra, it was held: “Courts will compel specific performance of an oral contract to convey specified real estate in consideration of personal care to be given to the owner during the remainder of his- natural life, when the terms of. the contract are fair and reasonable and the evidence to establish such contract and its performance is clear, satisfactory, and convincing.”

In Overlander v. Ware, 102 Neb. 216, 166 N. W. 611, this court held: “In an action for specific performance of an oral agreement with a deceased person to convey land, held, that not only must the terms of the contract be established by evidence that is clear, satisfactory and unequivocal, but the work constituting the performance required under the statute of frauds must be such as is referable solely to the contract sought to be enforced, and not [753]*753such as might reasonably be referable to some other and different contract or relation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1 N.W.2d 912, 140 Neb. 748, 1942 Neb. LEXIS 201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lennox-v-anderson-neb-1942.