Newton v. Wimsatt

791 S.W.2d 823, 1990 Mo. App. LEXIS 746, 1990 WL 61908
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 14, 1990
DocketNo. 16503
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 791 S.W.2d 823 (Newton v. Wimsatt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Newton v. Wimsatt, 791 S.W.2d 823, 1990 Mo. App. LEXIS 746, 1990 WL 61908 (Mo. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

PARRISH, Judge.

Cleda and Paul R. Newton (hereafter referred to as “appellants”) by their first amended petition brought an action to quiet title to certain real estate (Count I) and for unlawful detainer (Count II). That action [825]*825was brought against Robert B. Wimsatt (hereafter referred to as “respondent”). Respondent filed a counterclaim seeking, in equity, an order for the real estate to be conveyed to him, or, alternatively, a money judgment “for the reasonable value of the services provided, materials furnished, and funds expended by Defendant for Jeanette Thummel [sic].” Following trial and the filing of written findings of fact and conclusions of law, judgment was entered:

“[0]n Count I of Plaintiffs [sic] Petition quieting title in favor of the estate of Jeannette [sic] Teenie [sic] Hummel, deceased, such title now being vested subject to the terms and conditions of the Last Will and Testament of Jeannette [sic] Teenie [sic] Hummel passing title to Defendant Robert Wimsatt; that judgment is entered in favor of Defendant and against Plaintiffs on Count II of Plaintiffs [sic] Petition; and judgment is entered in favor of Plaintiffs and against Defendant on Defendant’s Counterclaim. Costs taxed to Plaintiffs.”

Appellants appeal from the judgment entered on Counts I and II of their first amended petition. No appeal was taken from the judgment entered on the counterclaim. The judgment as to Counts I and II is reversed and the case remanded.

Appellants claim ownership and right to possession of certain real estate. That claim is based upon a trust instrument and a warranty deed dated August 26, 1980, executed by Jeanette Tennie Hummel. Respondent claims ownership and right to possession of the same real estate. Respondent’s claim is based upon the will of Jeanette Tennie Hummel executed in 1985. Jeanette died in 1988. Respondent challenges the validity of the trust instrument. If the trust instrument is valid, appellants prevail; if invalid, respondent prevails.

The real estate in question is a 20-acre parcel located in Texas County, Missouri. Prior to April 26, 1941, the property was owned by Ernest and Rosetta Vollmar. By warranty deed dated April 26, 1941, Ernest and Rosetta conveyed the 20-acre tract to Jeanette Snyder (Jeanette Tennie Hummel) and her then husband, Frank Snyder, as tenants by the entirety. Frank died, thereby leaving Jeanette, as the surviving tenant by the entirety, as sole owner of the real estate. Jeanette later married Pete Hummel. Pete was killed in an automobile accident.

In 1959, after Pete’s death, Jeanette arranged with her sister, Laura Vollmar, to exchange deeds to the property in question for unexplained business purposes. Jeanette was to convey the real estate to Laura, who was unmarried, and Laura was to convey the property back to Jeanette. Jeanette, by quitclaim deed dated April 10, 1959, conveyed the property to Laura, but Laura failed to reconvey the property to Jeanette.

In 1980, Jeanette went to an attorney and had an instrument entitled “Revocable Real Estate Trust” and a warranty deed prepared. The trust instrument named Jeanette Tennie Hummel as grantor and as trustee. It stated that the grantor, “simultaneously with the execution of this agreement, has by deed conveyed to Jeanette Tennie Hummel, Trustee, under this declaration of trust,” the real estate in question. Jeanette, as trustee, acknowledged and declared that she would hold the property in trust for the purposes set forth in the trust instrument, subject to its provisions. The trust instrument provided that the property would be held for the use and benefit of Jeanette as “First Beneficiary” and upon her death, prior to the termination of the trust, for the use and benefit of Cleda Newton as “Second Beneficiary.” The trust agreement further provided that upon the death of Jeanette, unless the “Second Beneficiary” shall have predeceased, the successor trustee was directed to transfer immediately all right, title, and interest in the real estate subject to the trust and any income from that real estate that may be in the trust to the “Second Beneficiary” and terminate the trust. Cleda Newton was designated “Successor Trustee” in the event of the death or legal incapacity of Jeanette as trustee. Jeanette, as grantor, reserved the power and right to execute a deed of trust, mortgage, or place any other kind of lien upon the real estate in question, to lease and collect rents from that [826]*826property for her own use, and to pay any other income from the property to herself.

As grantor, Jeanette further reserved the right and power to revoke the trust in whole or in part during her lifetime or to amend it without any notice or without obtaining the consent of any beneficiary named in that agreement. The trust instrument provided that “the sale or other distribution of the whole or any part of the real estate described aforesaid, or any income that may be in the trust shall constitute as to such whole or part a revocation of this trust.” Jeanette Tennie Hummel executed the trust as both grantor and as trustee. Both signatures were acknowledged before a notary public. On the same date, August 26, 1980, Jeanette Tennie Hummel, a single person, executed a warranty deed to the real estate in question to “Jeanette Tennie Hummel, as Trustee under a Declaration of Trust dated August 26, 1980.” In June 1981, Jeanette mailed the executed trust agreement and the executed warranty deed to Cleda Newton. Jeanette had previously told Cleda about the transaction. The warranty deed and the trust instrument had not been recorded at the time Cleda received them.

Jeanette had talked about selling the real estate both before and after the date she executed the trust agreement and warranty deed conveying the property to herself as trustee. In 1981 a buyer was found and a sales contract signed; however, the sale was not consummated. Jeanette had forgotten about the 1959 quitclaim deed conveying the property to Laura. That deed was discovered in the course of a title examination. An action was brought seeking to quiet title to the property and to set aside the 1959 quitclaim deed to Laura. Judgment was entered quieting title to the real estate in question and declaring Jeanette Snyder Hummel to be the “owner in fee simple.” The judgment further declared the April 10, 1959, deed whereby Jeanette had conveyed the real estate to Laura to be “vacated, set aside, annulled and declared of no force and effect.”

Respondent first met Jeanette about 1960. Jeanette owned the property in question at that time. She lived and worked in St. Louis and would come to the Texas County property on weekends or on vacations. There was a house on the property that Jeanette’s former husband, Frank, had begun building prior to his death.

Respondent moved into Jeanette’s house on the property in Texas County about 1962. At that time, Jeanette was still living in St. Louis. She owned and operated several beauty shops there. She would come to Texas County on weekends and stay at the property with respondent. About 1966, Jeanette sold the beauty shops in St. Louis and returned to her property in Texas County. She lived there with respondent until the time of her death in 1988. Respondent and Jeanette did not marry. In 1985 Jeanette executed a will in which she left all her property to respondent.

Cleda Newton’s father, Andy Yollmar, was Jeanette’s brother. Cleda’s parents died when she was small. Cleda was raised by her grandparents, Frank and Mollie Vollmar, who were Jeanette’s parents. Cleda’s grandfather died, when she was four.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
791 S.W.2d 823, 1990 Mo. App. LEXIS 746, 1990 WL 61908, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/newton-v-wimsatt-moctapp-1990.