Robinette v. Sidener

33 F.2d 37, 1929 U.S. App. LEXIS 2648
Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit·Decided May 6, 1929·No. No. 8278·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

LEWIS, Circuit Judge.

S. D. Robinette, a citizen and resident of Kansas, died in 1916. He left a will that was brought in contest as to its validity, but that litigation seems to have been adjusted and settled between his named legatees and heirs. He named appellee Sidener, E. A. Northrup, and M. B. Gamble as his executors. They qualified and settled his estate.

This suit involves the interests of the decedent in nine quarter-sections of land in Kiowa county, Kansas. In seven of those quarters Robinette, Sidener, and Henry Waeker each had a third interest, and in the other two quarters Robinette and Sidener each had a half-interest; such title as they had was in Robinette at the time of his death. The land had belonged to one Burton. It was sold to satisfy a mortgage. Burton died. His heirs were not able to redeem from the foreclosure sale, so Robinette, Sidener, and Waeker furnished to one of the Burton heirs the necessary funds to make the redemption, and the Burton heir then conveyed the nine quarters to Robinette. The other Burton heirs then sued claiming the redemption inured to them also.- We gather from what is said in the pleadings here and in proceedings in the state courts that the Burton suit failed. Anyhow, the land finally went to Robinette, Sidener, and Waeker. Thereafter two partition suits were brought in the state district court by two of Robinette’s executors, Northrup and Gamble, one against Sidener and Waeker as to the seven quarters, and the other against Sidener as to the two quarters. The lands were appraised in those suits, the two executors elected not to take the lands or any part of them in either suit at their appraised value, Waeker elected not to take the seven quarters or any part of them at their appraised value, and Sidener elected to take all of the nine quarters at their appraised value. The court found that the total appraised value of the seven quarters was $43,-698.00, and ordered that Sidener pay Robinette’s executors one-third thereof and one-third to Waeker, and that the costs be divided equally between the parties. In the other case the court found the appraised value of the two quarters to be $15,000.00 and ordered that Sidener pay to the executors one-half thereof, and that the costs be apportioned between them. All of this appears from the court’s record as of date February 13, 1917. The sheriff conveyed the lands to Sidener, and he later sold all of the lands.

On March 6, 1918, the three executors made report to the probate court of Kiowa county, in which they stated they had received $18,666.66 for the interest of the Robinette estate in the seven quarters and $9,000.00 for its interest in the two quarters. On November 25, 1918, they filed an additional report in probate, and set up that they had made a mistake in their prior report in stating the amounts received for the interest of the Robinette estate in the lands. In that report they set up the proceedings in the two partition suits, that in those suits Sidener elected to take the lands at their appraised value, that the lands were all sold to him in those suits by the sheriff at their appraised values, were deeded to him by the sheriff pursuant to said sale, and the sale confirmed by the district court. The mistake, they alleged, consisted in reporting $18,666.66 instead of $14,-566.00 as the amount received for the estate’s interest in the seven quarters, and $9,000.00 instead of $7,500.00 for the two quarters. This report was approved by probate order, and the executors were authorized to make the corrections. In fact, no money was paid to the executors; credit was taken on a note given for money borrowed to redeem from the Burton mortgage sale.

Sidener sold the seven quarters for $54,-500 and the two quarters for $15,500.

This suit was brought by the heirs of Robinette against Sidener. It is averred in the complaint that the heirs as such first brought a suit against the executors and all of the beneficiaries named in the will to set aside the will of S. D. Robinette; that in March, 1919, that litigation was terminated by agreement, in which all rights of parties interested in the estate were fixed. That agreement, of date January 22, 1919, is set out in full as though it were the basis of this action, and the ease was tried and submitted to the jury on that theory, although the contract was not executed by defendant Sidener in his individual capacity hut as one of the three executors, and also as president of the Bank of Greens-burg, Kansas, which was interested in the estate of S. D. Robinette. The particular part of the agreement relied upon and set out in the complaint is this:

“Whereas, the late S. D. Robinette is interested with B. A. Sidener, and H. W. Wacker in certain lands known as the Burton [39] lands, in which Robinette had one-third interest as to certain lands, and one-half interest as to certain lands which lands have been partitioned and title to them taken by said Sidener, and the same sold or contracted to be sold, and there being some question as to the title thereof.

“Now therefore it is agreed as a separate stipulation that whenever said titles are passed and the lands fully disposed of, that said Sidener shall pay to the complainant heirs, the proportion of the profit above expenses as to each quarter, and pending such final settlement, the heirs agree to deposit at the Home State Bank. $5000, of their bonds, as a guarantee against loss to the said Side1ner, in case the Burton heirs are permitted to redeem and obtain any portion of the said lands. ■ Before accounting to the said Robinette heirs for the proceeds of said land, the said Sidener shall deduct all costs and attorneys fees, and other expenses paid by him in the partition of said lands and in the perfection of said titles.”

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Robinette v. Sidener, 33 F.2d 37, 1929 U.S. App. LEXIS 2648 (8th Cir. 1929).

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