Richardson v. Hardman

125 S.E. 442, 97 W. Va. 573, 1924 W. Va. LEXIS 233
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 25, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 125 S.E. 442 (Richardson v. Hardman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Richardson v. Hardman, 125 S.E. 442, 97 W. Va. 573, 1924 W. Va. LEXIS 233 (W. Va. 1924).

Opinion

Litz, Judge:

This suit was brought to January rules, 1923, by the administratrix, distributees and heirs at law of Francis D. Hardman, deceased, against the administrator, distributees and heirs at law of O. W. 0. Hardman, deceased. Francis D. Hardman and 0. W. 0. Hardman died intestate, the former January 22, 1919, and' the latter July 17, 1917. They were brothers and sons of Harrison IT. Hardman. The object of the suit is to recover from the administrator, distributees and heirs at law of 0. W. 0. Hardman, oil, gas and gasoline royalties accruing to Francis D. Hardman in his lifetime and to the plaintiffs, as his distributees and heirs at law, since his death, on account of alleged joint ownership by Francis D. Hardman and 0. W. 0. Hardman of oil, gas and mineral interests in lands; and to obtain a commissioner’s deed conveying to the plaintiffs the disputed oil, gas and mineral interests.

The bill alleges that Harrison- D. Hardman died intestate November 30, 1864, owning equally with Z. C. White six several tracts of land situated in Tyler and Doddridge Counties, West Virginia, containing respectively 1,683 acres,- 303 acres, 76 acres, 54 acres, 5% acres and 25 acres, and leaving as his distributees and heirs at law a widow, Amanda F. Hardman and five children, to- wit: 0. W. 0. Hardman, Francis D. Hardman, H. H. Hardman, Florence M. Hard- *575 man (who afterwards married Thomas Smith), and Hattie Hardman (later the wife of W. H. Furbee)that thereafter the interest of Z. C. "White in said lands was sold under a deed of trust •given to secure the payment of a debt to Harrison H. Hardman, and purchased for the benefit of the Harrison H. Hardman estate by W. S. Morey, a son of Amanda F. Hardman by a former marriage; that having obtained a deed to himself, under his purchase for the interest of Z. C. White in said lands, about the year 1865, before carrying out the trust, W. S. Morey died intestate leaving the following heirs and distributees: his mother, Amanda F. Hardman, a sister, Margaret Morey, and brother, D. M. Morey; that Margaret Morey after intermarrying with D. H. Smith, died intestate, survived by her husband, D. H. Smith, and a son, the defendant, H. W. Smith; that the deed dated May 18, 1891, D. H. Morey quit-claimed to O. W. 0. Hardm'an for the benefit of Harrison H. Hardman’s estate his claim and interest in said lands, and by deed of October 7, 1892, .the defendant, H. W. Smith, and his father, D. H. Smith, likewise quit-claimed to 0. W. 0. Hardman their claim and interest therein; that H. H. Hardman and Florence M. Smith, (nee Hardman) and husband having theretofore conveyed to 0. W. 0. Hardman their interests in the estate, on October 8, 1892, Amanda F. Hard-man, 0. W. 0. Hardman and wife, Francis D. Hardman and ■wife, Hattie Furbee (nee Hardman) and husband, executed an oil and gas lease to Michael Murphy and S. H. Bradley covering a tract of about 1,000 acres of said lands, providing that payment of delay rentals stipulated therein, "may be made in bond or by-deposit to the credit of O. W. 0. Hard-man in the National Bank of Wheeling, West Virginia”.

That on July 18-, 1893, Hattie Furbee and husband conveyed to O. W. 0. Hardm,an her entire interest in said éstate, the consideration being $3,000.00 cash and payment of the oil and gas royalties on said interest to her two daughters, Daisy and Hazel, during their minority; that the sums paid by 0. W. 0. Hardman under this agreement for the benefit of'Daisy up to April 28, 1908, when she become twenty-one,’and-for the benefit of Hazel up to March 20, 1912, the date of reaching her majority, aggregated about $20,000 to each; that on Juné *576 18, 1895, Florence M. Smith and husband; in consideration of $1,000.00 executed a curative deéd conveying to O. W. O. Hardman her entire interest in her father’s estate.

The bill further alleges .that notwithstanding their previous quit-claim deeds, about 1893 or 1894, D. H. Morey and H. W. Smith set up- claims to part of the oil and gas royalties from said lands, in settlement of which O. W. 0. Hardman, with the consent of Francis D. Hardman, agreed by parole to pay each of them for life 2/25 of said oil and gas royalties; and that H. H. Hardman, who had obtained from O. W. 0. Hard-man a reconveyance of his interest in the estate, contributed one-fifth of the oil and gas royalties therefrom as his share of the burden assumed in effecting this settlement.

The bill further charges that the interests of Hattie Furbee and Florence M. Smith were purchased by O. W. 0. Hardman for-the joint benefit of himself and Francis D. Hardman, the latter paying one-half of the consideration therefor; and asks for an accounting by defendants to the plaintiffs of oil and gas royalties collected by O. W. 0. Hardman and defendants, as follows:

(1) On -one-half of the! Hattie Furbee interest since the majority of her two daughters, -Daisy and Hazel.

(2) On one-half of the Florence Smith interest since October 12, 1903, when it is alleged that the D. H. Morey claim was purchased by O. W. 0. Hardman for the joint benefit of himself and Francis D. Hardman, less 1/5 thereof received by Francis D. Hardman and the plaintiffs, and also 1/10 thereof, the share of Francis D. Hardman and plaintiffs in the amount paid by O. W. 0. Hardman and the defendants to H. W. Smith; or 1/5 of the Florence Smith interest from said date.

In opposition to the plaintiffs’ claim, the bill shows:

(1) O. W. 0. Hardman by deed of May 26,1913, conveyed to Francis D. Hardman an undivided 1/5 interest in the lands, subject to an express reservation to the grantor of 4/5 of the coal, oil and gas royalties.

(2) On June 2, 1913, O. W. 0. Hardman and Francis D. Hardman entered into a written settlement involving many thousands of dollars, in which the latter was given credit for *577 only 6/25 of the accrued oil and gas royalties from the lands, theretofore collected by the former; the total of royalties at that time being $241,031.56.

(3) November 17, 1917, after the death of O. W. 0. Hard-man, Francis D. Hardman, in order to obtain payment of royalties direct to himself, signed a written order to the Pure Oil Pipe Line Company, operating and paying royalties under the oil and gas lease, which set forth his interest as 6/25 of the royalties.

(4) July 24, 1921, after the death of Francis D. Hard-man, the plaintiffs for the same purpose also signed a like order to the- Pure Oil Pipe Line Company, stating their interest in said royalties to be 6/25.

(5) The claim here asserted was never prosecuted until the institution of this suit.

Plaintiff’s counsel attempt to excuse the long delay on the part of Francis D. Hardman and those claiming under him. It is argued that 0. W. 0. Hardman, up to the time of his death having collected and distributed royalties under the oil and gas lease, and otherwise exercised general supervision of his father’s estate, became trustee for his brother Francis D. Hardmjan of the property in controversy; and the trust being “express,” “implied” and “resulting” neither laches nor the statute of limitations has barred its enforcement. This argument must assume that laches and the statute of limitations being disregarded, a prima facie case for relief has been pleaded.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
125 S.E. 442, 97 W. Va. 573, 1924 W. Va. LEXIS 233, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richardson-v-hardman-wva-1924.