Taber v. Zehner

93 N.E. 1035, 47 Ind. App. 165, 1911 Ind. App. LEXIS 29
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 17, 1911
DocketNo. 6,919
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 93 N.E. 1035 (Taber v. Zehner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taber v. Zehner, 93 N.E. 1035, 47 Ind. App. 165, 1911 Ind. App. LEXIS 29 (Ind. Ct. App. 1911).

Opinion

Myers, C. J.

— On May 17, 1907, appellee filed in the Marshall Circuit Court her amended verified claim against the [167]*167estate of Thomas O. Taber, deceased, represented by appellants as administrators. Thereafter a trial was had, and judgment rendered in favor of appellee for $398.02.

Prom the claim, as filed, among other facts, it appears that on January 10, 1894, appellee was the widow of William A. Tichenor, deceased, whose estate was then pending for settlement in the State of Michigan; that she and one child, Cora Tichenor, were the sole heirs of her said husband, and were entitled to a certain legacy due her said husband from the estate of Levi Tillottson; that Thomas O. Taber, deceased, was a nephew of claimant, and a banker residing at Argos, Marshall county, Indiana, and in whom she had great confidence as to his honesty, business ability and integrity, and on account of which she intrusted to him the collection of said legacy; that said Thomas O. Taber on March 15, 1894, and May 3, 1894, collected said money due to claimant, amounting to $1,940.20, and which he received for the use and benefit of claimant; that, with the exception of $700, said Thomas O. Taber never paid any of said money to this claimant or to any person for her use and benefit, and has during all said time retained said money in his possession, and had it at the time of his death; “that on account of said confidential relations and relationship existing between said decedent and this claimant, and on account of the superior knowledge in business affairs which said Taber possessed, and his ability to loan, manage and control said money, this claimant permitted him to retain said money, with the agreement and understanding that said Taber would keep it loaned at interest, and would manage and control it for her, and that said Taber did retain and take control thereof, and did loan out at least a part of said money, as hereinbefore set out, and said Taber, in retaining and accepting said money, accepted said trust and agreed to account to claimant therefor; that claimant on divers times thereafter called upon said decedent for a [168]*168settlement of their said trust matter, at each of which times said Taber, through some plausible excuse, deferred such settlement and accounting until he was taken suddenly sick, ’ ’ from which siclmess he died; that for the use and benefit of said claimant said Taber, on March 15, 1894, received $750, and on May 3, 1894, $1,190.20; that said administrators have refused to pay or settle said claim.

Appellants answered in four paragraphs; (1) a general denial; (2) six-year statute of limitations; (3) payment; (4) facts from, which it appears that prior to the beginning of this action, and before the death of said Thomas O. Taber, all claims of claimant against him had been fully settled and compromised.

A separate demurrer to the second and fourth paragraphs of answer was overruled, to which ruling plaintiff reserved an exception.

Appellants have assigned as error that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action; that the court erred in not carrying plaintiff’s .demurrer to the second and fourth paragraphs of the defendant’s answer back to the complaint and in not sustaining said demurrer to the complaint, and in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

1. 2. The first and second assignments may be considered together. Counsel by these assignments present the question: Do the facts stated in the claim filed present a demand barred by the statute of limitations? This being a claim against an estate, it is only necessary to state facts showing a prima facie claim. Masters v. Jones (1902), 158 Ind. 647; Stanley’s Estate v. Pence (1903), 160 Ind. 636; Woods v. Matlock (1898), 19 Ind. App. 364; Leimgruber v. Leimgruber (1909), 172 Ind. 370. It appears that the claim originated in 1894, and counsel for appellee insist that the facts stated justify the conclusion that a direct and continuing trust was created, [169]*169not cognizable at law, but one which, was wholly within the jurisdiction of equity. If this be true, it is clear that appellee’s claim, was not barred by the statute, “for when such a trust is shown to exist there can be no limitation of time. ’ ’ Hitchcock v. Cosper (1905), 164 Ind. 633.

3. In this case the subject-matter of the action in question was personal property, and it has often been held that a trust in personal property may be created by parol. Cowan v. Henika (1897), 19 Ind. App. 40; Woods v. Mattock, supra; Stanley’s Estate v. Pence, supra.

4. 5. 6. It is elementary that no particular form of words is necessary in order to create a trust, so that each case usually depends upon its own facts and circumstances from which the intention of the parties to create a trust is to be determined. In this case, if we were to stop with the facts showing the employment by appellee of Thomas O. Taber to collect the money claimed by her from Levi Tillottson’s estate, that he collected the money and failed to turn over a portion of it, to the knowledge of appellee, we would not have a case cognizable only by a court of equity, and the statute would begin to run from the time Taber received the money. Sheaf v. Dodge (1903), 161 Ind. 270. The pleaded facts here show not only a blood relationship between the parties, but they also show their relations to be confidential, and on the part of Taber superior knowledge and ability to loan, manage and control said money, as an inducement for the parol agreement whereby Taber was to keep the money so belonging to the appellee, and manage and control it for her; that in pursuance of said agreement he did keep it, loaned and managed it with the understanding that he should account to appellee therefor; that he never did account for it or the accumulations thereon. These facts present an entirely different case from that considered in the ease of Hitchcock v. Cosper, supra. Taber having agreed to [170]*170keep and hold the money for the use and benefit of appellee, shows such a relationship between the parties as to make it unconscionable to permit his representatives, because of lapse of time 'only, to defeat appellee’s claim, otherwise justly due and owing to her. Thornburg v. Buck (1895), 13 Ind. App. 446. In view of our statute (§2828 Burns 1908, Acts 1883 p. 151, §5) requiring the holder of a claim against an estate to “file a succinct and definite statement” thereof, we are satisfied that the facts set forth by appellee are sufficient to authorize proof in its support.

The question for decision is whether appellee had a just and enforceable claim against the estate of Thomas O. Taber.

In substance, the evidence shows, without contradiction, that Thomas O. Taber, deceased, was a nephew of appellee, and in the year 1894 he received from the estate of Levi Tillottson, deceased, $3,880.40, one-half of which belonged to appellee. He made said collection in pursuance of a contract, dated December 1, 1893, between appellee and himself, whereby he was to “bear his own expenses in costs of said collection,” and as compensation therefor he was to receive one-third of the sum collected. The other half of said sum so collected belonged to Cora Tichenor, for whom said Taber was appointed guardian.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

MacK v. American Fletcher National Bank & Trust Co.
510 N.E.2d 725 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)
Forth v. Forth
409 N.E.2d 641 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1980)
Zorich v. Zorich
84 N.E.2d 694 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1949)
Weir v. Lake
41 N.E.2d 828 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1942)
McCabe v. Grantham
31 N.E.2d 658 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1941)
Logan v. Hite, Admr.
13 N.E.2d 702 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1938)
Warner, Etc., Admrs. v. Keiser, Etc., Exrs.
177 N.E. 369 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1931)
Rickes v. Rickes
141 N.E. 486 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1923)
Massachusetts Bonding & Ins. v. Guthrie Savings Bank
1922 OK 20 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1922)
Camp v. Camp
100 N.E. 478 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1913)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
93 N.E. 1035, 47 Ind. App. 165, 1911 Ind. App. LEXIS 29, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taber-v-zehner-indctapp-1911.