Torgerson v. Hauge

159 N.W. 6, 34 N.D. 646, 3 A.L.R. 164, 1916 N.D. LEXIS 50
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 21, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 159 N.W. 6 (Torgerson v. Hauge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Torgerson v. Hauge, 159 N.W. 6, 34 N.D. 646, 3 A.L.R. 164, 1916 N.D. LEXIS 50 (N.D. 1916).

Opinion

Goss, J.

The quarter section, the subject matter of this suit, was bhe government homestead of Torger J. Hauge. It is the southwest quarter of 6, township 149 north of range 71 west, and within Wells ■county. Torger Hauge made proof thereon in 1902. Britha Hauge, .now his widow, is still living. Their children were the defendants •other than the widow appellant, and also their youngest son, Andrew Torgerson. The plaintiffs are his children suing by guardian the mother and the brothers and sisters of their father, Andrew Torgerson. Both Andrew Torgerson and his father, Torger J. Hauge, are dead. The son died from tuberculosis June 5, 1914, after a lingering illness. His father, Torger J. Hauge, died in October following.

In 1899 Torger J. Hauge and his wife were living upon this tract ns their unproven government homestead. Andrew Torgerson, their youngest son, unmarried, was residing upon a government homestead near Balfour. The other four children of Torger and wife had married ■and had left the parental roof. In 1889 the father and mother entered into an arrangement with Andrew that he should return to their home, reside with and care for them for the balance of their lives, and should receive therefor all their property, including their unproven homestead, upon the death of both of them. Andrew thereupon made commutation proof upon his homestead near Balfour and sold it, realizing some ■$1,500 net from its sale. He immediately returned to the home of his .parents, purchasing a quarter of school land adjoining, and making the first payments thereon to the state with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of his homestead. He took possession of all personalty on the father’s homestead and cropped it, taking those also. The father soon afterward, in 1902, made proof upon his homestead and patent therefor presumably has been issued. In 1899 the father’s homestead was worth approximately $10 per acre. The buildings were of sod. Substantial frame buildings, consisting of a house worth twelve or fifteen hundred dollars, a large hip-roofed bam, worth from ten to twelve hundred dollars, and several other frame buildings, as granaries and the like, have been built upon the father’s homestead by Andrew since his return. There is substantial proof that a portion of the proceeds from the son’s homestead went into the frame house, the first building erected. The buildings and improvements, in the aggregate of the value of approximately $3,500, upon the father’s homestead, were placed [652]*652there by Andrew from part of the proceeds of the sale of his homestead, but in larger part from the crops he had raised upon the land in question and the school quarter. All the buildings and improvements were placed upon the father’s homestead, instead of upon the school land quarter, and during all the years from 1899 until Andrew’s death he had resided thereon.

Andrew married in-1907, and he and his family, together with his father and mother, have always lived there. During all this time the old people had been well and comfortably cared for by the son and his wife, and were apparently well satisfied during these fifteen years with their condition and with the performance of the agreement under which they were maintained. Dor some years before the son’s death in 1911 he had been ailing, but no complaint has been made that during that time and up to his death the old people were not properly cared- for. In fact, the contrary is the proof. During all this time peace and harmony prevailed, and at various times the old people have referred to the understanding with Andrew, and declared that his wife and children in case of his death should not be dispossessed, but should perform the contract the same as Andrew did when living, and receive the same benefits. They even consented to the giving of a deed for said purposes a few days before Andrew’s death; but evidently for sentimental reasons such as the consideration for the feeling of the son during his last illness, they did not trouble themselves or him to make the transfer.

This original understanding or contract does not rest entirely in parol. Soon after the return of Andrew in 1899, and evidently to carry out the agreement and place it and the good faith of the parties beyond question for all time, the father and mother had a will prepared, and which they executed and attested in the presence of witnesses, and subsequently delivered to Andrew. In part, it reads: “We do hereby jointly and severally give, devise, and bequeath to our beloved son, Andrew Torgerson, all our estate whether held jointly or severally, of whatever name, title, or description, real, personal, or mixed. This will to become operative only upon the death of the survivor of us. We do hereby make, constitute, and appoint Andrew Torgerson the forenamed, sole executor of this last will and testament without being required to give bonds for the discharge of his trust as such executor.” The possession of this will has been retained at all times by Andrew and since [653]*653bis death by his widow or the plaintiffs. Its execution and delivery is admitted and also is established by the uncontroverted proof. Each and all of the defendants knew of its provisions and the arrangement under which the son Andrew, and later his wife, had occupied the premises in question and cared for and maintained the old people. As above stated, the son died first, and at a time when the father was very feeble and in poor health and needed continuous personal attention and care. At Andrew’s death his widow was six months pregnant, and physically unable to render all the care to the aged parents of Andrew that was necessary, and was assisted by her sister and other hired help; and several times a week by another son, a brother of Andrew.

Some six weeks after Andrew’s death, evidently under prearrangement for the purpose, but without informing Andrew’s widow thereof until it occurred, a meeting of the surviving brothers and sisters of Andrew, the defendants in this action, took place at the home of the old people and the widow and children, at which time the father and mother were induced to make a second will, under the provisions of which the father’s homestead, still standing of record in his name, was devised to all his children, share and share alike, devising to the three minor children of Andrew only a one-fifth share of this property. Its purpose was to disregard and annul the earlier will, and avoid any rights of the heirs of Andrew under it and the contract entered into in connection therewith and performed under for more than fifteen years. There is evidence in the record that the father and mother were reluctant to do this, but did it under the solicitation, if not under what amounted to the coercion and duress, of their other four surviving children, these defendants. There is evidence from which to conclude that the old lady and her remaining children, defendants, desired to keep this property from Andrew’s widow. And on the same day the aged couple were removed to the residence of one of the defendants. Andrew’s widow, realizing the drift that matters were taking, offered to care for the father and mother that they might remain with her, and that she would give them a home and fulfil the contract years before entered into with Andrew and frequently referred to in conversation with her or in her presence. This, they refused to do. Subsequently the administrator of Andrew’s estate made a similar offer, and also offered to contribute [654]*654a portion of the crops or a monthly allowance for their support, in the-performance and fulfilment of said previously existing contract. But this was declined.

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Bluebook (online)
159 N.W. 6, 34 N.D. 646, 3 A.L.R. 164, 1916 N.D. LEXIS 50, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/torgerson-v-hauge-nd-1916.