Simmons v. Friday

224 S.W.2d 90, 359 Mo. 812, 1949 Mo. LEXIS 675
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedSeptember 12, 1949
DocketNo. 41257.
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 224 S.W.2d 90 (Simmons v. Friday) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Simmons v. Friday, 224 S.W.2d 90, 359 Mo. 812, 1949 Mo. LEXIS 675 (Mo. 1949).

Opinions

On August 23, 1943, Arthur U. Simmons, as Administrator c.t.a. of the estate of Gustav A. Franz, deceased, and G.A. Buder sued G.A. Buder, as Executor of the Estate of Sophie Franz, deceased, for principally a claimed balance due on Trustees' commissions of the Sophie Franz trust estate. In due course, Jesse T. Friday, as Administrator ad litem of the Estate of Sophie Franz, deceased, was substituted party defendant in lien of said G.A. Buder, as Executor aforesaid. For convenience we sometimes refer to appellants as plaintiffs and as Trustees, and to respondent as defendant.

Defendant's motion to dismiss plaintiffs' petition was sustained. Upon plaintiffs' appeal, defendant contends plaintiffs' action is barred by the general statute of limitations, and that said petition fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

This review is up on plaintiffs' second amended petition, which is in two counts. The first count sets out verbatim the Sophie Franz trust instrument, executed by the settlor January 30, 1909. The trust estate consisted of securities (stocks, bonds, notes et cetera), owned by Sophie Franz absolutely and securities in which the will of Ehrhardt D. Franz, her deceased husband, vested her with a life estate only, remainder to his ten children. Among other things, she appointed Gustav A. Franz and G.A. Buder as Trustees of said trust estate and named herself and others (we understand, said remaindermen) *Page 817 as beneficiaries. The Trustees were to pay specified amounts to the beneficiaries every three months, and were to account semiannually on the condition of said trust. The trust was to continue for the life of Sophie Franz. She died April 14, 1930, and G.A. Buder was appointed Executor of her Estate on May 14, 1930.

The prayer of said first count was (1st) that the court approve the final account of said Trustees; (2nd) that the court, after a hearing respecting the services rendered, fix and allow the Trustees "reasonable and just compensation for such services under all the facts and circumstances of this case"; (3rd) that the court direct the defendant to pay to plaintiffs "such sum" as the court may allow and to take credit accordingly in his accounts; (4th) that the court approve the action of plaintiffs as Trustees in delivering to the Executor of the Estate of Sophie Franz, deceased, such assets as belonged to said Estate "as disclosed by the final audit, report or account" of plaintiffs as Trustees, and certify the same to the probate court; and (5th) for general equitable relief. Other material facts will be developed in the course of the opinion.

The second count of said petition sought to impress the assets in the hands of defendant with a trust in favor of plaintiffs and an accounting by defendant to plaintiffs of their claimed interest in certain assets et cetera.

[1] If we have jurisdiction, it is because of the amount involved. The Trustees, without citing authority, say we have jurisdiction because the appeal involves "an accounting of the Sophie Franz Estate totaling in excess of a valuation of $1,800,000.00 and Trustees' reasonable compensation in excess of $7,500.00." Our jurisdiction has given much concern, for "under a constitutional government the acts of a court not within the powers prescribed by the organic law are usurpations, and when[93] done by a court of last resort may become a grave menace."1

We have jurisdiction when appellate jurisdiction turns on the amount involved only "where the amount in dispute exclusive of costs, exceeds the sum of seventy-five hundred dollars." (Emphasis ours.) The fact that the estate has "a valuation of $1,800,000.00" does not establish that the amount in dispute exceeds $7,500.2

Whether the amount in dispute respecting the Trustees' compensation exceeds $7,500 is more involved. The trust instrument did not specify their compensation. Courts of appeal have general appellate jurisdiction. This court has limited appellate jurisdiction and its jurisdiction is not to be left to speculation or conjecture, the burden *Page 818 being on the party asserting jurisdiction here.3 Where defendant prevails in actions for monetary relief, the petition and particularly the prayer is ordinarily resorted to for a determination of the amount in dispute.4 By filing an amended petition a plaintiff usually abandons the prior petition and all matters not restated in the amended petition.5

The Trustees pray for "reasonable and just compensation." Our new Civil Code (Laws 1943, pp. 353 et seq.; Mo. R.S.A., §§ 847.1 et seq.) provides in § 36: "If a recovery of money be demanded, the amount shall be stated." There are allegations that after the death of Sophie Franz the assets of the trust estate were segregated by the Trustees into the assets owned by Sophie Franz absolutely and the assets of the Estate of Ehrhardt D. Franz, deceased, in which Sophie Franz had only a life interest, and that the Trustees claimed commissions of "five per cent on the assets of each of said trust estates." However, amounts are not stated and we find no affirmative showing in the second amended petition that in excess of $7,500 remains in dispute with respect to the Trustees' compensation.

Our new Civil Code, supra, provides in § 44: "An exhibit to a pleading is a part thereof for all purposes." Barnett v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. (Mo. App.), 194 S.W.2d 317, 318[1]. Prior to its enactment exhibits filed with a pleading were not a part thereof for determining the sufficiency of the pleading on demurrer.6 There is no exhibit attached to the second amended petition.

The case was presented in the trial court and here on the theory that matters disclosed by the Trustees' original petition and the account attached thereto as Exhibit A, which is the only account of record that might be the subject matter of approval by the court, were for consideration. This is apparent from the record presented to us for review by the Trustees [94] and from the briefs filed by *Page 819 them as well as the brief of defendant. Appellate courts generally hold the parties to their trial theory.7

The original petition, within itself, is subject to the faults of the second amended petition with respect to establishing appellate jurisdiction, but differs in that it refers to and has attached as Exhibit A the Trustees' only account of record.

Considering this Exhibit A, we find, without detailing the account, that it is dated June 22, 1931, and is referred to in the original petition as "a final statement of account of their [the Trustees'] administration, management and stewardship as such Trustees"; and in the amended petition as "final report, audit or account"; that under "Income and Expenses" it discloses "Combined Income, Belonging to Sophie Franz Estate" "Total, January 30, 1909, to June 22, 1931, $3,348,131.85"; and under "Expenses and Distributions" total payments to the Trustees for commissions from January 30, 1909, to June 22, 1931, of $90,624.87. Under the subhead "Liabilities" under "Assets and Liabilities," there is an item "Due G.A. Franz and G.A. Buder, Trustees," "Actual Value June 22, 1931," "$10,062.87"; and an item "Net Estate, Per Exhibit D" "Actual Value June 22, 1931" "$1,720,314.98." Exhibit I of said account is a "Statement Showing Net Estate Distributable to Heirs by G.A.

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Bluebook (online)
224 S.W.2d 90, 359 Mo. 812, 1949 Mo. LEXIS 675, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simmons-v-friday-mo-1949.