Ridgway v. Ridgway

212 P.2d 6, 95 Cal. App. 2d 46, 1949 Cal. App. LEXIS 1081
California Court of Appeal·Decided December 12, 1949·No. Civ. No. 17119·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

McCOMB, J.

Plaintiff’s decedent, John L. Ridgway, filed an action against defendants to quiet title to certain real property. While the action was pending, Mr. Ridgway died and Loretta Ridgway, special administratrix of his estate, was substituted as plaintiff herein. After trial before the court without a jury judgment was entered in favor of defendants decreeing that plaintiff had no interest in the property and enjoining her from asserting any right thereto. Prom this judgment plaintiff appeals.

The evidence being viewed pursuant to the rules set forth in the Estate of Isenberg, 63 Cal.App.2d 214, 217 [146 P.2d 424], and Shaver v. Canfield, 21 Cal.App.2d 734, 736 [70 P.2d 507], the record discloses the following facts:

[48]*48Decedent and Anise Ridgway were married in 1882. There were five children of the marriage who are defendants in the present action. Subsequent to their marriage decedent and his wife lived in Oklahoma until they came to California in 1908. They lived together here until the date of her death in 1942. In 1940, decedent and his wife told their son Claude that they desired to tranfer all of their property to their children, and asked him if he knew anyone they might consult regarding the matter. At this time decedent was 78 and his wife was 80 years of age. In October, 1940, decedent and his wife went to an attorney’s office where they gave instructions to him to prepare deeds transferring the property to their children. ' Subsequently on May 3, 1941, in the .office of the attorney, decedent executed the deeds which had been prepared, told the attorney to keep the deeds and to deliver them to Claude Ridgway, their son. Sometime later on the same day this was done. Claude Ridgway in turn gave the deeds to his sister, Delpha, who placed them in her safe deposit box and in February, 1947, the deeds were placed of record. At the same time Anise Ridgway had deeded all of her interest in the property held by her husband and .herself to John L. Ridgway, her spouse. On June 19, 1942, decedent’s wife, Anise Ridgway, died. On January 1, 1943, decedent married Loretta Ridgway. On March 19, 1947, the present action was filed by decedent. In July, 1947, he was adjudicated incompetent and on December 17,1947, he died.

Questions: First: Was there substantial evidence to sustain the following findings?

(a) That the deeds here in question were delivered to the grantees.

This question must be answered in the affirmative. The finding is supported by the evidence hereinafter set forth and these rules of law:

(1) An unrecorded instrument is valid as between the parties and those who have notice thereof. (Civ. Code, § 1217.)

(2) A grant deed not actually delivered into the possession of the grantee is deemed constructively delivered where it is handed to a stranger for the benefit of the grantee and his assent made known or presumed. (Civ. Code, § 1059, sub-sec. 2.)

Kenneth B. Morrison, the attorney consulted by decedent and his wife, gave testimony regarding his conversations with them. They asked if it would be possible to give their property to their children and make a will for what was left after [49]*49deeding out the property. The attorney advised them it would be possible to deed their property to the children, but they must understand that in deeding the property, the deeds must, be delivered. This would mean that if the children desired to record the deeds decedent and his wife would lose complete control of the property, and he suggested that because of the seriousness of the matter they should think it over and discuss the matter with him later. He testified that two more conversations followed relative to the disposition of their property during the period from October, 1940, to May 3,1941. Thereafter, pursuant to the request of decedent and his wife, Attorney Morrison prepared deeds naming the children as grantees, and on May 3, 1941, these deeds were executed by decedent in the attorney’s office, at which time he told them the deeds must be delivered. He also stated that if they were delivered and the grantees desired to record them the grantors would lose control of their property. Mr. and Mrs. Eidgway, Sr., stated they understood the matter and desired it to be that way.

After executing the deeds they were handed to Attorney Morrison with instructions to deliver them to Claude Eidgway. This was done the same day and thereafter Claude Eidgway gave the deeds to his sister, Delpha, who in turn placed them in a safe deposit box where they remained until they were recorded February 3, 1947. Claude Eidgway testified that while he was taking his mother and father home from Attorney Morrison’s office after they had signed the deeds, his mother said to him; “Well, we don’t own any more property. We have given it all to you children.”

The foregoing testimony in conjunction with rules (1) and (2), supra,, without question sustain the trial court’s finding that the deeds were delivered to the grantees. Conflicting inferences and testimony we must, of course, on appeal disregard.

(b) That after the deeds were delivered the grantees held the title to the property in fee simple absolute, and that a trust was not created.

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Ridgway v. Ridgway, 212 P.2d 6, 95 Cal. App. 2d 46, 1949 Cal. App. LEXIS 1081 (Cal. Ct. App. 1949).

212 P.2d 6 (Ridgway v. Ridgway) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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