McMunn v. Upperman

83 Pa. D. & C.4th 103
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County
DecidedAugust 21, 2006
Docketno. 11267 of 2003, C.A.
StatusPublished

This text of 83 Pa. D. & C.4th 103 (McMunn v. Upperman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McMunn v. Upperman, 83 Pa. D. & C.4th 103 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2006).

Opinion

WHERRY, S.J.,

This opinion is issued pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) in support of the order of court issued July 21,2005, which held: (1) that, although the affidavit of the plaintiff, Debbie M. Upper-man, is valid and recordable, said document did not constitute a valid transfer of ownership from plaintiff to defendants of the contested property pursuant to the standards enunciated in Manley v. Manley, 238 Pa. Super. 296, 357 A.2d 641 (1976); and, (2) that the defendant, Buddy Upperman, was entitled to receive $49,500 from the plaintiff.

[105]*105The relevant facts are as follows: The defendants, Buddy L. Upperman (Husband) and Debbie M. Upper-man (Wife), were married sometime in March of 2001. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 13.) On or about the time of defendants’ marriage, Debbie M. Upperman (plaintiff) indicated that she wanted to give the defendants a certain tract of land (contested property) as a wedding present. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 14.) Sometime after the defendants’ marriage, the parties viewed the land that plaintiff intended to give to the defendants and memorialized their understanding via a sketch drafted by Husband. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 16-17.) On the back of this sketch, Wife drafted certain language purporting to memorialize the parties’ understanding that the land was to be transferred from plaintiff to the defendants. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 17.) Wife testified that she reviewed the map and written understanding with plaintiff, after which time, Wife and plaintiff traveled to Attorney Shumaker’s office, where plaintiff and Wife signed the written understanding attached to the map and Attorney Shumaker notarized and recorded the affidavit. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 18-19.) The affidavit has been recorded in volume 1877 p. 37. (See N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 32.) Husband testified that he relied on the recorded memorialization of plaintiff’s intent to convey the property. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 33.)

Plaintiff testified that she signed the recorded instrument; however, she claimed that, prior to signing, she did not read the document and that there was no map drawn on the reverse side of the document when she signed it. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 40-41.) Plaintiff testified that there was a witness to support her version of the signing of the affidavit and the original contents of the same; however, plaintiff declined to name this witness [106]*106and expressed in her testimony that the witness was unavailable to testify. (See N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 5,46-47.) Plaintiff also disputed Wife’s recollection of the amount of times plaintiff visited the contested property, but did admit to viewing it with Wife approximately 12 times. (N.T 09-14-2004 pp. 42-43.) Plaintiff also denied walking the property with the defendants prior to signing the recorded instrument. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 45.) Plaintiff admitted that she knew defendants were conducting a perk test on the contested property, but denied any understanding of the purpose of said test. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 45-46.)

Wife testified that, from October 2001 through 2003, plaintiff accompanied Wife on approximately 20 to 25 separate instances to the contested property to view the progress of the defendants’ work on the property. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 22.) Additionally, Husband further testified that plaintiff visited him without Wife on approximately 30 additional instances. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 35.)

Plaintiff was kept informed of the progress of the defendants’ efforts to build their residence on the contested property, including their application for building permits and the undertaking of a perk test. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 23.) During these updates, and until the defendants were removed from the contested property, plaintiff never voiced objections to the defendants regarding their work. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 13.)

The defendants attempted to have the contested property surveyed by Greg Tomo; however, Mr. Tomo was unable to complete the survey because someone allegedly removed the flags he had placed. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 25-26.) Defendants testified that she and Husband were unaware that permits were required for the construe[107]*107tion of a bridge on the contested property. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 26, 36.)

Husband testified that he spent $ 10,000 on equipment used solely on the contested property and an additional $10,000 on supplies. (N.T. 09-14-2004 pp. 38-39.) The testimony indicated that Husband removed 300-400 trees on the contested property in order to make it suitable for building. (N.T. 09-14-2004 p. 21.)

The first issue for this court to address is the status of the outstanding counterclaim filed by Wife in this action. After a review of the file, the court believes that it inadvertently failed to address Wife’s motion for leave to file Rule 2252(d) counterclaim as to defendant, Buddy Upperman. This court notes that, pursuant to Pa.R.C.R 2253, defendant was required to obtain the consent of all counsel, or, in the alternative, permission by order of court, due to the fact that the filing of this petition on December 22, 2004 was well beyond 60 days from the November 13,2003 filing of the complaint by plaintiff. Since there is no record of consent by counsel in this matter, this court respectfully submits that the Superior Court retains jurisdiction based upon the fact that Wife’s proposed order granting her leave to file a counterclaim pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 2252(d) was “crossed out” and essentially denied by this court.

The second issue for the court to address is whether the evidence in this case established the existence of a parol sale or gift of land between family members under the case of Manley v. Manley, 238 Pa. Super. 296, 305, 357 A.2d 641, 645-46 (1976). The Pennsylvania Superior Court has established the high standards for establishing title to land via parol evidence:

[108]*108“The standards for establishing by parol evidence the existence and contents of a lost deed are the same as those for establishing a parol sale or gift of land: ‘We are virtually establishing title to land by parol, and the proofs should therefore be as explicit as in the case of the specific enforcement of a parol sale under the statute of frauds and perjuries: Good’s Petition, 1 Dist. Rep. 569.’ Nicholls’ Petition, 190 Pa. 308, 313, 42 A. 692, 694 (1899). Compare Myers v. Marquette, 311 Pa. 198, 166 A. 361 (1933). Aparty seeking to establish title to land by parol testimony must meet a very high burden: ‘To overcome a record title, a claimant relying upon an oral agreement of sale or exchange must present evidence of the same that is “direct, positive, express and unambiguous,” expressly defining all the terms and conditions of the contract and leaving nothing to guesswork or subject to misinterpretation. If the evidence submitted fails to meet these requirements, the Statute [of Frauds] strikes down the alleged bargain as inoperative, turning it into a mere lease or estate at will: Act of March 21, 1772, 1 Sm. L. 389, sec. 1, (33 P.S. sec. 1); Glass v. Tremellen, 294 Pa. 436, 144 A. 413 (1928); Hart v. Carroll, 85 Pa. 508; Sample v. Horlacher, 177 Pa. 247, 35 A. 615 (1896); Wright v. Nulton, 219 Pa. 253, 68 A. 707 (1908); Sorber v. Masters, 264 Pa. 582, 107 A. 892 (1919); Breniman v. Breniman, 281 Pa. 304, 126 A. 751 (1924).’ Kirk v. Ford, 330 Pa. 579, 580-81, 200 A.

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83 Pa. D. & C.4th 103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcmunn-v-upperman-pactcompllawren-2006.