Merrill v. Thompson

161 S.W. 674, 252 Mo. 714, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 133
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedDecember 6, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 161 S.W. 674 (Merrill v. Thompson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Merrill v. Thompson, 161 S.W. 674, 252 Mo. 714, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 133 (Mo. 1913).

Opinion

WOODSON, P. J.

This was a bill in equity instituted in the circuit court of Livingston county, by the [720]*720plaintiffs against the defendants, to quiet title, but-in reality, to specifically enforce an oral contract alleged to have been entered into by and between Harriett A. Merrill, nee Thompson, and her sister Sophia, with Nathan Thompson, their father, whereby he agreed to convey to them a certain forty acres of land situated in said county, and particularly described in the bill, in consideration that the former agreed to live with, care for, support and maintain him and his wife, their mother, during their natural lives; Harriett, alleging* and claiming that she, prior to the institution of the suit, purchased the interest of her sister Sophia, and that she intermarried with her coplaintiff, "William T. Merrill.

The pleadings are in no manner assailed1, and we will therefore put them aside.

A trial was had and the court found the issues as to the contract (title also having been alleged to have been acquired by the Statute; of Limitation) in favor of the plaintiffs (there being no finding either way as to the claim of title by adverse possession), and in due time and in proper manner defendant duly appealed the cause to this court.

The evidence as usual in such cases, is quite voluminous, which we have carefully read, and that for the plaintiff tended to prove the following facts:

That sometime in the year 1869, Nathan Thompson acquired title to the land in controversy, moved thereon and there resided until his death. His family consisted of himself, wife and eight children. One, Dora, died withouit marrying. Prior to 1882, all of the other children married and left home, except the two daughters, Harriett and Sophia, who were living with their parents. At that date, both of them were past the age of minority, and the former had been teaching* school for a number of years, in the neighborhood, but resided with her parents. For some two or three years prior to this time, the father and mother depended [721]*721largely upon these daughters for support. Harriett, when not teaching, resided with her father, and assisted in doing the household work, and assisted her sister Sophia,who devoted all of her time to the house and to her parents.

At and prior to that date, the father’s health had failed and he was able to do scarcely any labor. Likewise, the mother was an invalid and needed care and attention. That it was common knowledge to the members of the family and to the community, that if left alone, they would not he able to make a living. That the rent of the farm would1 not he sufficient to support and maintain them.

For years Nathan Thompson had been more or less in debt, some of which was secured by the land.

I think the record shows practically without contradiction, that at this time the condition of Nathan Thompson and his- wife was such that they needed constant care and attention, and that they must depend upon some one for care and maintenance.

They had im means, practically, except this forty acres of land, and were unable to earn a dollar, both having been in poor health for years, and were growing worse all the time. He was then sixty-five and she was sixty-one years of age.

It was under those conditions that in 1883 or 1884, not later than 1886, the father is alleged to have made and entered into the contract with his two daughters, which is the subject of this litigation.

The evidence tended to show that he agreed with them, if they would take care of and support him and their mother, as long as they lived, stay with and look after them and provide them a home on this tract of land so long as they lived, pay their debts and keep the place in repair, that he would will the land to them when he died.

[722]*722That Sophia was to stay with them, in the future and care for them and do the household work, as she had in the past, and that Harriett was to continue teaching and reside with them and assist in the household work and in caring for them while there.

That she was to furnish the necessary means by which the house and premises were to be kept up, also the money necessary for the care and support of the father and mother, as well as for all medicines- and medical attention as might be necessary. That she should procure the means for those purposes from the income, rents and profits realized from the forty acres of land and from her salary as teacher.

That they agreed to all that and faithfully carried out the agreement. That they took charge of the place and maintained, cared-for and supported their father and mother; also provided them with all necessary medicines and medical attention as long as they lived.

The former died in November, 1893, and the latter in February, 1899, he being about seventy-five and she about seventy-seven when they respectively died.

That Harriett paid all of her father’s.debts, individual as well as those against the farm. She made all necessary improvements, kept the place in good repair and paid all the taxes during all of those years and after the death of her parents she paid all the funeral expenses and had suitable monuments erected at their graves.

That at the time this agreement was made, said forty acres of land was worth from $1200 to $1400.

The debts of the father amounted to several hundred dollars, the exact amount not shown, which were all paid by Harriett. She had also furnished hex father considerable sums of money prior to making this agreement with him, in order to help him make a living.

That in 1886, in order to carry out his part of the agreement, her father made and published a will by [723]*723which he devised all of said land to his daughters Harriett and Sophia, subject to a life estate to the mother.

Fountain K. Thompson, a son, was made executor of the will, which after the death, of Nathan Thompson, was duly probated in the probate court of Livingston county, on March 7,1894.

After its probation and after the death of the mother in February, 18991, it was discovered that the will was defective, in that, through an error of the scrivener, it failed to name the other children or heirs of the testator. Upon the discovery of this defect, Harriett and Sophia undertook to correct the defect by getting quitclaim deeds from all of the children of Nathan Thompson, their father, conveying their interest in this land to them, Harriett and Sophia. That all the children except the defendant Elliott W. Thompson, in compliance with their request, without reward or compensation, executed and delivered such quitclaim deeds to them.

That on August 3, 18991, this defendant brought a partition suit against all the children and heirs of Nathan Thompson, including Harriett and Sophia, to partition this land. This suit was returnable to the September term, 1899, of the circuit court.

The plaintiff here, the defendant there, filed a motion requiring the plaintiff to give security for the costs, for the reason that he had no interest in the property and was insolvent. The motion was sustained and defendant having failed to give security for costs, as ordered by the court, the cause was dismissed.

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Bluebook (online)
161 S.W. 674, 252 Mo. 714, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 133, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/merrill-v-thompson-mo-1913.