Saak v. Hicks

1958 OK 18, 321 P.2d 425, 1958 Okla. LEXIS 315
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 28, 1958
Docket37297
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 1958 OK 18 (Saak v. Hicks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Saak v. Hicks, 1958 OK 18, 321 P.2d 425, 1958 Okla. LEXIS 315 (Okla. 1958).

Opinion

JACKSON, Justice.

This action is by Ella Hicks Saak, Administratrix, v. Helen W. Hicks, et al.

The principal issues presented in this appeal are (1) whether plaintiff has proved a constructive or resulting trust in the land in question; and (2) whether a deed conveying a homestead is valid without the signature of the grantor’s spouse where the deed has been of record with the county clerk for more than ten years as provided in 16 O.S.1953 Supp. § 4.

In 1928, Wilbert Herbert Hicks owned three pieces of property, described as the “Deep Fork Place” (120 acres), the “Pati-quah Place” (40 acres), and the “Stroud Property” (5 acres in Stroud). On June 19, 1928, for “$1.00 and other consideration” Hicks executed a quitclaim deed conveying these three pieces of property to his daughter, Helen W. Hicks, principal defendant herein.

Wilbert Herbert Hicks died on March 18, 1947, having lived on the Stroud property since 1915 or 1916. Hick’s wife, Justine Hicks, lived on the Stroud property from about 1916 until she was committed to an institution for the insane on June 20, 1922. She remained in the institution until her death on December 20, 1952.

Ella Hicks Saak, granddaughter of Wilbert and Justine Hicks, was appointed ad-ministratrix of their estates on April 20, 1954, and filed this action on April 30, 1954.

In seeking to establish a trust in the “Deep Fork Place” and the “Stroud Property” plaintiff, Ella Hicks Saak, administra-trix, alleged in substance that Helen W. Hicks paid no consideration for the quitclaim deed; that the deed was given upon the implied and express oral agreement that Helen would hold the title to the premises for the use and benefit of her father and mother and their heirs.

Plaintiff further alleged that Helen paid the income from these properties to Wilbert *427 and Justine Hicks during their lifetime, and never asserted a beneficial title until November 18, 1953.

Plaintiff further alleged that the Sterling Oil Company, a defendant herein, has four producing oil wells on the Deep Fork Place under a lease executed by Helen on November 18, 1951, and that Helen had divided the lease bonus money among the heirs; and that she had theretofore divided lease bonus money from the Patiquah Place.

The proof does not show what consideration Helen paid for these properties, if any, and there is no proof that Helen ever gave her father or mother any of the income from these properties.

The proof shows that Helen is a schoolteacher and lived away from home most of the time. Her father had confidence in her and on one occasion is reported to have stated that “Helen is the only one left in the family to transact business and he knew she would divide up with all the children.” At or about the time of her father’s death Helen told plaintiff’s mother “if anything valuable comes off the land that the children would equally share it.”

In a letter written by Helen to plaintiff in 1948, she stated that “We leased the Patiquah place for $850.00. I paid the rest of the funeral expenses and got a grave marker for Dad. There was $84.00 each for the kids. You and Lucille get (your father) Joy’s part. Anytime I divide money at all you and Lucille will get your part. Wish it had been more.”

The lease bonus money from the Deep Fork Place was divided among the children and plaintiff got her part.

On November 18, 1953, Helen wrote plaintiff a letter and stated in part as follows:

“ * * * at one time I had ideas of doing things differently, but as things now stand I’ve changed my mind and have decided to do things like Dad said for me to do. That is, look after the needy members of the family first. * * * After all the land is mine * * *. That is the way Dad wanted it. It is not inheritance. At no time did he ever say share and share equally. * * * He wanted me to look after the small children that might need it. * * * he thought my judgment about such things was all right. * * * Besides Dad intended for me to look after me too. * * * If the income ever gets such that it will amount to a great deal I’ll share with any member of my family. * * * Right now I intend to help the poorer members.”

At the conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence the trial court sustained demurrers to plaintiff’s evidence and from judgment thereon, plaintiff appeals.

We think the demurrers to plaintiff’s evidence were properly sustained. There is no evidence of fraud in the procurement of the deed and it does not appear necessary to raise a constructive trust in order to prevent an injustice. In De Moss v. Rule, 194 Okl. 440, 152 P.2d 594, 599, it is said:

“Fraud, actual or constructive, is an essential element in the creation or existence of a constructive trust. Actual or intentional fraud is not necessary. A constructive trust will arise whenever the circumstances under which property was acquired make it inequitable that it should be retained by him who holds the legal title as against another, provided some confidential relation exists between the two, and providing that raising a trust is necessary to prevent failure of justice.”

In the third paragraph of the syllabus in Maynard v. Taylor, 185 Okl. 268, 91 P.2d 649, in reference to resulting trusts, it is held:

“A resulting trust arises by operation of law where the legal estate in property is disposed of, conveyed, or transferred, but the intent appears or is inferred from the terms of the disposition, or from accompanying facts and circumstances, that the beneficial interest is not to go to or be enjoyed with the legal title.”

*428 When the evidence in this case is taken as a whole it is reasonably clear that Wilbert Hicks wanted his daughter, Helen, to have both the beneficial and legal title in order that she might effectively look after the needy members of the family and small children. It is further observed that there is nothing in the evidence indicating that he made these purposes a condition in transferring the estate to her. Apparently he had confidence that she would look after the needy members of the family and small children. This could not be accomplished unless he intended that beneficial title would be enjoyed with the legal title.

In Hough v. Foster, 208 Okl. 226, 254 P.2d 364, 367, Mrs. Foster conveyed all of her property to her son, the defendant. She gave nothing to her other son, the plaintiff, who was addicted to the use of alcohol. In the body of the opinion we said:

“The great weight of the testimony is that * * * she (Mrs. Foster) knew at the time the situation of plaintiff and believed that the defendant would take care of the plaintiff in so far as he was able to do so. She did not make this a condition in the transfer of the estate to him, but left that entirely to his own judgment.”

In the syllabus we held that the evidence was not sufficient to support the creation of an express trust or an implied trust in equity, or a constructive or resulting trust in favor of the plaintiff as to a one-half interest in the property so conveyed.

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Bluebook (online)
1958 OK 18, 321 P.2d 425, 1958 Okla. LEXIS 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/saak-v-hicks-okla-1958.