Loco Credit Union v. Reed

516 P.2d 1112, 85 N.M. 729
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 14, 1973
Docket9747
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 516 P.2d 1112 (Loco Credit Union v. Reed) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Loco Credit Union v. Reed, 516 P.2d 1112, 85 N.M. 729 (N.M. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

OMAN, Justice.

Plaintiff, Loco Credit Union, brought suit against defendant, Fred A. Reed, to recover on a note executed on March 10, 1972, and to foreclose Loco’s claimed interest in collateral purportedly pledged by Fred to Loco as security for payment of the note. Janet Reed, the former wife of Fred, claimed an interest in the said collateral, and, therefore, was made a party defendant. The collateral consisted of funds on deposit in a shares account with Loco. The position of Loco was that these funds were held in a joint account by Fred and Janet, and so much thereof as was necessary to satisfy the indebtedness of Fred on the note was subject to Loco’s lien. Janet’s position was that the funds constituted a trust res; that Fred was the trustee at the time of the execution of the note on March, 10, 1972; that she had been named as successor trustee on June 2, 1972; and that as such successor trustee she was entitled to all funds on deposit with Loco in the shares account.

Fred defaulted and judgment was entered against him for the balance owing on the principal and interest of the note and for attorney fees. This portion of the judgment is not in question on this appeal.

The trial court held that the funds on deposit in the shares account were owned jointly by Fred and Janet; Loco had a valid first lien against one-half thereof; and Janet was entitled to the other half. Judgment was entered accordingly. It is from this portion of the judgment that Janet has appealed and Loco has cross-appealed. We reverse.

The questions to be resolved on this appeal are:

(1) Whether a trust was created;

(2) If a trust was created, whether it was revocable; and

(3) If an irrevocable trust was created, was a breach of this trust proven.

Fred and Janet were divorced by final decree entered on June 16, 1969 in a prior suit. They were the parents of three minor children. They were represented by counsel in these divorce proceedings and entered into a detailed written stipulation, subject to the approval of the trial court, concerning the custody and support of the children, division of community property, etc. The stipulation was approved by the trial court and incorporated into and made a part of its said final decree. No appeal was ever taken from this decree or from any portion thereof. One of the provisions of the stipulation and, consequently, of the final decree, was:

“That it is understood by and between plaintiff [Fred] and defendant [Janet] that they have on deposit with the L. O. Co. Credit Union [Loco] the sum of approximately $2,018.00, said account being deposited in the name of the plaintiff; that said sum shall be retained in trust by the plaintiff for the expenses for the college education of Bruce Allen Reed, the minor son of the parties, and so much of said sum as shall not be used for the college education of Bruce Allen Reed shall be used toward the expense of the college education of the minor daughter, Nancy Lynn Reed; * *

Loco received a letter and a copy of the stipulation and final decree on December 29, 1970 from Janet’s attorney. These were reviewed by Loco’s manager. Thereupon there was typed across the face of Loco’s ledger covering the account in question for the period ending December 31, 1970 the following: “NO SHARE WITHDRAWALS EXCEPT FOR COLLEGE SEE LETTER IN FILE.”

No further action was taken by anyone to transfer or have transferred the funds in the account from the names of Fred and Janet. Apparently some dispute arose between Fred and Janet over the management of the account, and under date of March 24, 1971 Loco’s attorney wrote a letter to Janet, with copies thereof to Loco, Fred and Janet’s attorney, in which it was stated in part :

“* * * Neither L.O.CO. Credit Union nor myself can settle this dispute for you. It is my opinion, based on the language used in the Final Decree, that Mr. Reed has the authority as trustee to withdraw sums from this account.”

On March 10, 1972, Fred executed a promissory note in favor of Loco and undertook to pledge the funds in the account, as security for the payment thereof.

The district judge, who had presided over the divorce proceedings and who had undertaken to establish the trust by the decree entered in the divorce proceedings on June 16, 1969, recused himself and another district judge was designated by the Chief Justice of this Court to preside over that case. By order entered in that case on June 22, 1972, Fred was removed as trustee of the account and Janet was appointed as trustee.

In addition ■ to the foregoing recited facts, the trial court found: ■

(a) That pursuant to the final decree entered in the divorce action on June 16, 1969, Fred was to hold the funds in the account “for the minor children of the parties.”

(b) Loco had knowledge that the funds in the account were pledged by defendant as collateral for a personal loan.

(c) Loco acknowledged at trial that it understood the duties and obligations of a trustee as to trust funds.

The trial court refused to find that Loco knew the funds were held in trust by Fred for the children as beneficiaries, and refused to conclude that a trust existed or that Janet was entitled to the balance in the account as successor trustee. As stated above, the trial court concluded that the funds were held and owned by Fred and Janet jointly, even though it found these funds were to be held by Fred for the minor children.

Janet’s position, concerning the existence of the trust, is that the trust was clearly created by the stipulation and the court decree approving the same. Loco contends that no trust was established because of (1) lack of necessary intent on the part of Fred and Janet to establish a trust and (2) lack of necessary certainty as to the essential elements of a trust.

As to the matter of intent to create a trust, the evidence is that an eight page written agreement in the form of a stipulation was executed and acknowledged under oath by both Fred and Janet whereby they agreed as to the division of their obligations and community property and upon the custody, support and educational expenses of and hospital and surgical insurance for their minor children. One of these agreements, which is quoted above, was that the funds they had in the account with Loco “ * * * shall be retained in trust by the plaintiff [Fred] * * * ” for educational expenses for two of the children. Fred and Janet were each represented by a reputable attorney. It is apparent that these attorneys either prepared, or very largely prepared, the stipulation, and that they certainly approved and filed it in the divorce proceedings with the request that it be approved by the district court. It was approved by the district judge presiding over those proceedings and was incorporated into the decree entered by the court in that cause. This decree was approved by the attorneys for Fred and Janet.

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Bluebook (online)
516 P.2d 1112, 85 N.M. 729, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loco-credit-union-v-reed-nm-1973.