Lerner v. Lerner

113 So. 2d 212
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJune 12, 1959
Docket978
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 113 So. 2d 212 (Lerner v. Lerner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lerner v. Lerner, 113 So. 2d 212 (Fla. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

113 So.2d 212 (1959)

Max LERNER, Appellant,
v.
Lydia E. LERNER, Appellee.

No. 978.

District Court of Appeal of Florida. Second District.

June 12, 1959.

*213 Morrice S. Uman, Tampa, for appellant.

Hall, Farnsworth & Rousseau, Tampa, for appellee.

OGILVIE, CLAUDE, Associate Judge.

This appeal and cross-appeal involve the right of ownership to some $7,000 cash withdrawn from a savings account, the proceeds of a life insurance policy, and forty-six shares of corporate stock. The appellant, Max Lerner, was a defendant below, and the appellee was the plaintiff. The appellee, Lydia E. Lerner, and her husband, Robert Lerner, during his lifetime, acquired certain cash by their separate endeavors, and deposited same in a savings bank in their names as joint tenants with right of survivorship; they also acquired jointly-owned real estate, the purchase price of which had been contributed by both; and said husband (now deceased), procured certain life insurance on his own life, naming his wife, the said Lydia E. Lerner, as the sole beneficiary in said policy. Subsequently, in 1957, said husband developed a heart condition while residing in Florida, and in May, 1957, travelled to New York for an operation therefor. While in New York, and not in the presence of either his wife, the appellee, *214 or his brother, Max Lerner, the appellant, he changed the beneficiary on said life insurance policy from appellee to appellant, notifying his said brother shortly thereafter, but giving no such notice to his wife. Thereafter said Robert Lerner returned to his residence in Florida, and while his brother, Max Lerner, appellant, was visiting him in Florida, in September, 1957, said Robert Lerner and his wife, appellee, conveyed to a newly organized corporation certain jointly-owned real estate, the said wife merely executing the deed at the request of her husband, without being told anything concerning the nature of the business; and as a part of the same transaction, and without the knowledge or consent of the said appellee, and without any consideration to her whatsoever, the said Robert Lerner received from said newly organized corporation forty-six shares of stock in same in his individual name; and immediately thereafter, and without the presence of his said wife, appellee, and in the presence of appellant, Max Lerner, the said Robert Lerner transferred and delivered the said forty-six shares of said stock to appellant, Max Lerner, as a gift, and without consideration. The said Robert Lerner died November 18, 1957, at Tampa, Florida.

Thereupon, the said Lydia E. Lerner, filed a complaint against Max Lerner, seeking the recovery of the proceeds of said life insurance policy, and the proceeds of said bank account, and the said forty-six shares of corporate stock.

Chancellor heard the testimony and received the proofs and decided by Final Decree that the deceased, during his lifetime, assigned the life insurance policy to appellant, Max Lerner, in the exercise of his volition and without duress or the practice of undue influence on the part of anyone; that the said Max Lerner, appellant, is the rightful owner of the proceeds of said life insurance policy by virtue of being the duly named beneficiary thereof. That because of the origin of the purchase price of the land in question, title to which was taken in the joint names of husband and wife (appellee), and the origin of the cash constituting the joint bank account in the names of husband and wife, with right of survivorship, and the peculiar phraseology of the agreement with the bank at the time of the deposit, and since said husband, during his lifetime, had attempted to convey and transfer said estate by the entireties, without the knowledge or consent of his said wife to his brother, Max Lerner, as a gift and without any consideration whatsoever — the Chancellor held that the appellant, Max Lerner, should return to the appellee, Lydia E. Lerner, the proceeds of said bank account and the forty-six shares of stock representing the estate by the entireties in the real estate conveyed by said husband and wife to the said newly organized corporation.

The record is replete with substantial and corroborating testimony and proofs, supporting the Chancellor in said Final Decree, with respect to each of the three properties in question; and there has been shown no reason by the appeal and cross-appeal why said Final Decree should be reversed or altered. This Court, after consideration of the record and briefs filed herein, affirms the Final Decree of the Chancellor.

There are many authorities in Florida supporting the Chancellor in his finding with respect to his awarding the proceeds of the bank account to the appellee, the surviving widow, Lydia E. Lerner.

Plaintiff's exhibit No. 11, is shown on page 70 of Vol. 1 of the original record brought up in said case No. 108 520-c, constituting a photostat copy of the contract of Lydia E. Lerner and Robert R. Lerner with the First Federal Savings and Loan Association at the time of the inception of said account. Since the phraseology of the contract is material to the determination of the nature of the account, which in this case, creates an estate by the entireties, with right of survivorship, the same is quoted here verbatim:

*215 "Account No. 22018 Joint Account (1) Lerner R. Robert (Surname) (First name) (Middle name) (2) Lerner Lydia E.

The undersigned hereby apply for a membership and for a Savings share account in the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Tampa, Tampa, Florida, and for the issuance of evidence of membership in the approved form in the joint names of the undersigned as joint tenants with the right of survivorship and not as tenants in common[*]. Receipt is hereby acknowledged of a copy of the charter and bylaws of said association. Specimens of the signatures of the undersigned are shown below and the association is hereby authorized to act without further inquiry in accordance with writings bearing any such signature, it being understood and agreed that any one of the undersigned who shall first act shall have power to act in all matters related to the membership and any share account in said association held by the undersigned, whether the other person or persons named in the certificate be living or not. The repurchase or redemption value of any such share account or other rights relating thereto may be paid or delivered in whole or in part to any one of the undersigned who shall first act, and such payment or delivery of a receipt or acquitance signed by any of the undersigned shall be a valid and sufficient release and discharge of said association.

Signature (1) R. Robert Lerner (2) Lydia E. Lerner Street Address P.O. Box 72 Same City and State Lutz, Florida _______________________ Telephone 99-4042 Occupation ____________ Dated 6/26/56 Introduced by _________

[*] The certificate issued pursuant to this application for membership of joint holders must be filled out by inserting in the first blank space the name of the joint holders: for example. John Doe and Richard Doe, immediately followed by the words: as joint tenants with the right of survivorship and not as tenants in common. Joint tenants with the right of survivorship constitute one member as a partnership constitutes one member."

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Bluebook (online)
113 So. 2d 212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lerner-v-lerner-fladistctapp-1959.