Lung v. Lung

259 S.W.2d 253, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1832
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 20, 1953
Docket10126
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 259 S.W.2d 253 (Lung v. Lung) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lung v. Lung, 259 S.W.2d 253, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1832 (Tex. Ct. App. 1953).

Opinion

GRAY, Justice.

Margarita Lung, a widow and the surviving wife of Jesse Lung, deceased, filed this suit against Sam P. Lung, individually and as independent executor of the estate of Dora Lung, deceased; John Lung; Charlie Lung; Jimmie Joe Lung; Inez Lung, a feme sole; Annie Lung Wong, a widow; Arthur Lung; Lula Lung Powell, and her husband Wilbur Powell, and prayed for judgment declaring her to be the equitable owner of an interest in various properties, the legal title to part of which was in Dora Lung and legal title to part of which was in Sam P. Lung.

The defendants (except Jimmie Joe Lung who is the son of Jim Lung, deceased, and Wilbur Powell, the husband of Lula Lung Powell) are children of Joe Lung and Dora Lung, both deceased. Joe Lung died intestate in 1926, leaving as his surviving heirs his wife Dora and their nine children: Annie, Lula, Jim, Jesse, Charlie, John, Inez, Arthur and Sam P. Jesse died intestate September 4, 1945, leaving surviving him his wife, the plaintiff, but no children. Dora Lung died testate in 1947, and by her will gave her property to her eight living children. She named Sam P. Lung independent executor of her estate. Jim died subsequent to 1947, and left as his surviving heir, Jimmie Joe.

At the death of Joe Lung in 1926, the family’s property consisted of the home *255 stead, the Joe Lung- Cafe and cash of approximately $1,156.50. However at that time it appears there were two pieces of real property held in the name of Dora Lung, both of which were apparently acquired during her marriage to Joe Lung. After 1926; the Joe Lung Cafe was operated by Dora and the children — it appears however that Inez Lung and Mrs. Wong lived in China and did not actively participate in the operation. For their work the children were paid the same wages that they could have received elsewhere for the same kind of work. The profits from the cafe were deposited in the bank accounts (or kept in cash) and investments were made in property. In the early 1930’s the management of the cafe was turned over to Sam P. Lung. Thereafter he was in charge of the cash, the bank accounts, and other assets properly belonging to the business. Generally he carried two bank accounts: the Sam P. Lung account in the American National Bank in which account the profits from the Joe Lung Cafe were deposited, and (2) the Sam P. Lung account in the Austin National Bank, the same being his personal account. It also appears that accounts in the name of Dora Lung were carried in each of these banks. Money was transferred from the Sam P. Lung account in the American National Bank to his account in the Austin National Bank, and to the accounts of Dora Lung. There has never been any accounting or settlement between the interested parties, and prior to this suit none had been asked.

There is no evidence of the existence of any strained relations existing between the parties, and the evidence shows that all parties had complete confidence in Sam P. Lung. He loved them and they loved him. He never consulted the others about investments or as to withdrawals of money from the American National Bank accounts and they never questioned him about them.

It appears that Sam P. Lung successfully managed the Joe Lung Cafe and that profits were made from that business. Property was purchased by Sam P. Lung in his name and also there was property purchased in the name of Dora Lung, which property Sam P. said was purchased by her, although he was often or usually consulted.

The source of Sam P. Lung’s income was the profits from the Joe Lung Cafe and the profits from his investments. Dora Lung’s income was from the cafe profits, from her investments and a “few hundred” dollars she earned sewing.

The Joe Lung Cafe was closed in June,. 1950, but the furniture, fixtures and the equipment is still on hand and has an estimated value of $15,000.

In April, 1946, Sam P. Lung opened another cafe known as the Chinese Kitchen and which he claims as his own. Others, however, testified that they had a working interest in it.'

Sam P. Lung testified that in 1926, “some savings was about all I had.”

Plaintiff is of Spanish descent and testified that she was not familiar with legal terms and legal relations. Jesse Lung reached the fifth grade in school. Sam P. Lung attended the University of Texas two-years.

On December 22, 1945, plaintiff executed and delivered a quitclaim deed to Dora Lung and the eight surviving brothers and sisters of her deceased husband, quitclaim-ing to them all claims, rights, titles, interest, debts, demands, choses in actions and causes of action owned or held by her by virtue of her being the surviving widow of Jesse Lung, deceased. The recited consideration for this instrument was the payment of $1,109.61 — the proceeds of an insurance policy on the life of Jesse Lung and payable to Dora Lung as beneficiary; U. S. Government bonds totalling $2,750 payable to Jesse Lung and to Jesse Lung and wife Margarita, and a deed from Dora Lung to-a house and lot — the same being the house occupied by Jesse Lung and plaintiff during-his lifetime.

This quitclaim deed was not filed for record until after this suit was filed September 8, 1950.

Plaintiff sought to have the quitclaim deed cancelled and set aside on various grounds including fraud, and offered to do-equity by restoring the consideration' or, in the alternative, crediting it on her recovery.

*256 On August 24,-1949, John Lung executed a quitclaim deed to Sam P. Lung, trustee, “in trust for the benefit of Sam P. Lung, Lula Lung Powell, Charlie. Lung, Arthur Lung and Jimmie Joe Lung” quitclaiming to them various properties. The recited consideration for this quitclaim deed is $1 “receipt of -is hereby acknowledged from Sam P. Lung, independent executor of the estate of Dora Lung, deceased, said cash and other property being in full satisfaction of my interest and claims against the estate of my mother, Dora Lung, deceased.”

Arthur Lung answered, adopted the pleadings of' plaintiff and prayed that he be declared to be the owner of a one-seventh interest in the alleged partnership, for a partition, an accounting and an adjustment of equities.

The defendants (except Arthur) made no claim to the property standing in the name of Dora Lung except by inheritance and under her will — claimed no interest in the property standing in the name of Sam P. Lung, but in the alternative prayed that in the event that plaintiff is adjudged to be the owner of any interest in said property that they each recover a like judgment.

A jury trial was had and in answer to special issues the jury found: that on January 1, 1936, Dora Lung, Inez Lung and Annie Lung Wong each gave their respective interest in the Joe Lung Cafe to the seven Lung children who worked there; that the real estate, bonds, cash and other assets standing in the name of Dora Lung at the time of her death (except real estate purchased prior to Joe Lung’s death) were not placed in her name to be held by her for the benefit of the owners of the Joe Lung Cafe, and that the cash in the name of Dora Lung and the profits from the Joe Lung Cafe used in the purchase of real estate, bonds and other assets in the name of Dora Lung after Joe Lung’s death were intended by the owners as a gift to her.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
259 S.W.2d 253, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1832, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lung-v-lung-texapp-1953.