Logan v. Brown

1908 OK 29, 95 P. 441, 20 Okla. 334, 1907 Okla. LEXIS 41
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 9, 1908
DocketNo. 1740, Okla. T.
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 1908 OK 29 (Logan v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Logan v. Brown, 1908 OK 29, 95 P. 441, 20 Okla. 334, 1907 Okla. LEXIS 41 (Okla. 1908).

Opinion

Dunn, J.

(after stating the facts as above). Under the demurrer filed by the defendant to plaintiff’s petition, three propositions are argued: First, that the action herein was one for relief on the ground of fraud, and that the same was not commenced within two years of the discovery; second, that “inasmuch as it concerns an interest in land, and is in parol, it is void by the statute of frauds, and, appearing as it does on the face of the bill, the defense of the statute of frauds may be taken advantage of on demurrer”; and, third, under the allegations of the petition, defendant was constituted trustee of an express trust, and “that no trust, in relation to real property is valid unless in writing”; and that under either or all of these contentions the petition showed that it did not “state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against the defendant and in favor of plaintiff.”

We are unable to agree with defendant that this action is one for relief on the ground of fraud committed by the defendant against the plaintiff, and from which fraud she is seeking relief. The allegations of the petition in reference to the fraud are more *341 in the nature of inducement and explanation than a statement of the grounds upon which she relied to recover. These are set forth to show the relationship existing between the parties, and the conditions under .which she claims the contract was made, rather than a statement of the gist of her action. She alleges that the property which defendant secured from her produced a certain amount of money, that he received this money in the capacity of her agent, and that, having so received it, he was indebted to her in this sum, and then asked in her prayer for an accounting between them. She would be just as much entitled to recover without these allegations of the deceit as she is with them. They add nothing to her right to the money received by Logan on the sale of her property. It would be a sad commentary upon the law of our land if it were such that, leaving out all question of confidential relationship or deceit, a man. dealing with another could receive from him on a verbal contract a deed to his real property for the purpose of sale and then sell it and appropriate the money, refuse it on demand, and the courts be unable to assist the owner in getting it. Such is not the case, however, for they may do so, and that, too, when there is absolutely no fraud committed. The grantor cannot compel grantee to sell because of the written letter of the statute, but when he does sell and receives the money, the courts will compel him to account for it.

The limitation fixed by the statute for actions of this character comes within the provisions of the second subdivision of section 18, art. 3, e. 66, of the Code of Civil Procedure, which provides that such a cause of action can only be brought within three years after it shall have accrued, and not under the third subdivision, which provides “for relief on the ground of fraud,” which can only be brought within two years. The limitation in the subdivision last mentioned is that “the cause of action in such case (fraud) shall not be deemed to have accrued until the discovery of fraud.” In our judgment, the petition, even though it were strictly sounding in fraud, and sought damages by reason thereof, would not be barred under its allegations, as it alleges that “on and since the *342 1st day of January, 1900, the plaintiff'has repeatedly asked and demanded of the defendant that he give to her a full and correct accounting,” etc. There does not appear to have been any demand and refusal of accounting prior to this time. The discovery of fraud, if fraud existed, would not be concluded against plaintiff until a demand on her part for an accounting, and the refusal of the defendant, had transpired. The last sale of property was made July 17, 1899. This action having been begun on June 24, 1901, was within the two-year limitation, even though fraud was relied upon. But this is not an action sounding in fraud. Plaintiff was not required to allege fraud in her pleading, nor to prove fraud to entitle her to relief. In the case of Brown et al. v. Cloud County Bank et al., 2 Kan. App. 352, 42 Pac. 593, the court held in the syllabus that:

“The statutory limitation of the time within which ‘an action for relief on the ground of fraud’ must be commenced only applies when the party against whom the bar of the statute is interposed is required to allege fraud in pleading his cause of action, or to prove fraud to entitle him to relief.”

The defendant next contends that the petition fails to staie a cause of action for the reason that it was based on a contract for the sale of real property or interest therein, and hence invalid unless in writing. An inspection and reading of the petition fails to disclose whether the agreement plaintiff contends for was in writing or was merely oral, and the rule seems to be that, “if the complaint fails to show whether the contract in suit was verbal or iu writing it will be presumed to have been in writing for all the purposes of the demurrer.” Miles v. Thorne, 38 Cal. 335, 99 Am. Dec. 384; Broder v. Conklin, 77 Cal. 330, 19 Pac. 513; 20 Cyc. 308, and cases cited. Hence the demurrer cannot be sustained on this ground.

The third proposition raised by the defendant is one most insistently argued and contended for both under the allegations of the demurrer and under the proof offered in the case, and the statute invoked is section 64, art. -4, c. 65, Wilson’s Rev. & Ann. St. *343 1903, under the title of “TJses and Trusts,” which provides as follows :

“No trust in relation to real property is valid, unless created or declared:
“First: By a written instrument, subscribed by the trustee vtrustor) or by his agent thereto authorized by writing.
“Second: By the instrument under which the trustee claims the estate affected; or
“Third: By operation of law.”

. If the petition was good against the demurrer under the statute of frauds, it was also good under the provisions of ihe statute of uses and trusts. The former statute provides that the contract shall be invalid, and the latter statute provides that no trust in relation to real property is valid unless in writing; but the statute last referred to provides, in addition thereto, “unless created or declared by operation of law.” Under this last provision the courts have exercised very broad discretion in excepting and taking out of the operation of the statute many cases where accident, fraud, or mistake have intervened, and where it would be inequitable to allow the grantee to retain real property, title to which had been procured under a verbal promise. So that the demurrer must of necessity be overruled for the reason that the petition is not vulnerable owing to any of the deficiencies mentioned appearing on its face, as well as appearing that it is not a suit to enforce an unwritten trust in relation to real property.

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

Related

Finer v. Loeffler-Green Supply Co.
1969 OK 108 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1969)
LaDoux v. Bohn
1966 OK 223 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1966)
Delp v. Schiel
354 P.2d 299 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1960)
In Re Richter's Estate
182 P.2d 378 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1947)
Richter v. Ritchie
175 P.2d 997 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1947)
Dillon v. Helm
1945 OK 303 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1945)
Huber v. Newman
145 P.2d 780 (Utah Supreme Court, 1944)
Abraham v. McSoud
1941 OK 27 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1941)
White v. Morrow
1940 OK 91 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1940)
Blackstock Oil Co. v. Caston
87 P.2d 1087 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1939)
Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Co. v. Killingsworth
1935 OK 937 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)
Blunck v. Blunck
1935 OK 522 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)
Birchard v. Simons
240 N.W. 490 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1932)
Teuscher v. Gragg
1929 OK 186 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1929)
McDaniel v. Schroeder
1927 OK 434 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1927)
Eason v. Walter
1926 OK 276 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1926)
Taylor v. Walker
1925 OK 521 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1925)
Schuerer v. Crockett
1925 OK 335 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1925)
Begley v. Beavers
1924 OK 789 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1924)
Murphy v. Smith
226 P. 206 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1924)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1908 OK 29, 95 P. 441, 20 Okla. 334, 1907 Okla. LEXIS 41, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/logan-v-brown-okla-1908.