Trust v. Paulson (In re Paulson)

150 B.R. 960, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 2262
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. North Dakota
DecidedMay 27, 1992
DocketBankruptcy No. 91-05596; Adv. No. 91-7085
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 150 B.R. 960 (Trust v. Paulson (In re Paulson)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. North Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trust v. Paulson (In re Paulson), 150 B.R. 960, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 2262 (N.D. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER

WILLIAM A. HILL, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the court is a motion for summary judgment filed by the defendant, Phillip D. Armstrong, Chapter 7 trustee of the estate of Errol Zane Paulson, on May 4, 1992, seeking a judgment for dismissal of the case. The plaintiff, Meyer Trust, the alleged constructive trust for Ivan Meyer (Ivan), opposes the motion.

The complaint to this adversary proceeding was filed on October 11, 1992, wherein Meyer Trust alleges that a constructive trust is somehow created by Ivan’s execution and satisfaction of an agreement to guarantee the loan made by Western Savings Credit Union (Bank) to the Debtor, Errol Zane Paulson (Paulson). In the alternative, Meyer Trust contends that because Ivan, as the guarantor on the loan, satisfied Paulson’s debt obligation to the Bank, it supplants the Bank’s prior position as the secured creditor.

In his motion for summary judgment, the trustee contends that no trust exists, and that even if one did exist, it is avoidable pursuant to the strong arm provision found in 11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(3).

Summary judgment is available where the pleadings and other, documents on file show there to exist no genuine issue as to any material fact and where the moving party is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Froholm v. Cox, 934 F.2d 959 (8th Cir.1991). When considering motions for summary judgment the weight of authority is that summary judgment may be rendered in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Simmons v. Diamond Shamrock Corp., 844 F.2d 517 (8th Cir.1988). The facts and issues as they presently appear will be considered with these statements in mind.

[962]*962 Findings of Fact

To procure certain real estate property located in Stark County, North Dakota, Paulson executed a mortgage and a note on October 18, 1984, to the Bank with Ivan guaranteeing the loan. The description of said property is as follows:

Lots Seventeen (17) and Eighteen (18) in Block Five (5), of the Replat of Lots 5-11, Block 1 and all of Block 5 of Country Oakes Estates Second Addition to the City of Dickinson, Stark County, North Dakota.

Monthly installment payments were set at $1,250.00. An agreement, although not in writing, was reached between Paulson and Ivan wherein Paulson would make monthly payments of $900.00 to the Bank and Ivan would pay the remaining balance of $350.00. According to Paulson, Ivan made the $350.00 payment to the Bank because he owned some sort of interest in the property. It was also Paulson’s understanding that the reason Ivan paid off the debt was because he had other loan obligations at the Bank, which was then in financial difficulty, and that to establish that it had equity, the Bank offered some of its clients write-downs on their loans for payment.

In March 1986, after Paulson failed to make his payments pursuant to the mortgage, Ivan was called by the Bank to pay off the remaining debt obligation of $90,-000.00, which Ivan honored. Thereafter, several requests were made upon Paulson to transfer the deed of the said property over to Ivan. This request, however, was never granted. After the debt was paid off, Paulson made several payments of $700.00 to Ivan because he personally believed he owed Ivan some money on the property.

Meyer Trust contends that whatever property interests Ivan may have had was conveyed to it on July 21, 1990, as a result of Ivan paying off the loan. This contention by Meyer Trust is contrary to the statements set forth in the affidavit of David J. Ridl, an attorney specializing in the area of real estate law, who, after examining several recording offices, concludes that from the period of October 18, 1983, through April 23, 1992, the above described property was vested solely in Paulson. Upon further inquiry into the records in the county court and district court for Stark County, Mr. Ridl determined that no trust documents or trust registrations, captioned as the “Meyer Trust” the “Ivan Meyer Trust,” or the “Irrevocable Living Trust of Ivan Meyer and Patricia Meyer, Trustors for the benefit of James Ivan Meyer,” have been filed with the state courts. Furthermore, the said trust did not appear on the record in the Register of Deeds office as having an interest with respect to the property in question.

Conclusions of Law

1.

In its motion, the trustee asserts that no basis exists for Meyer Trust’s claim that a trust should be imposed in its favor. In response to the trustee’s motion, Meyer Trust argues that the existence of a trust does not depend upon the registration of a trust, and a trust remains in effect even if not registered. Meyer Trust, however, misses the boat in that the court can only address the registration question if it finds that a trust does in fact exist. The court is somewhat confused by Meyer Trust’s reliance on section 59-01-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, the express trust statute, since an express trust requires that there be an external manifestation of a trust, Binder v. Binder, 386 N.W.2d 910 (N.D.1986), whereas a constructive trust is generally imposed by the court to prevent unjust enrichment. Loberg v. Alford, 372 N.W.2d 912 (N.D.1985). It appears that the more appropriate section governing the allegation of a constructive trust is found in sections 59-01-05 and 59-01-06, the implied trust provisions. In any event, the court proceeds to address the express trust issue as well as the constructive trust issue.

An express trust is “an obligation arising out of personal confidence reposed in and voluntarily accepted by one for the benefit of another.” N.D.Cent.Code § 59-[963]*96301-02. Said trust is created by any words or acts of the trustor indicating with reasonable certainty of his intention to create a trust along with an affirmation by the trustee indicating with reasonable certainty of his acceptance or acknowledgement of the trust; the words or acts must also convey the subject, purpose and beneficiary of the trust. N.D.Cent.Code § 59-01-04. Reasonable certainty has been defined as an external manifestation which serves as the basis of the trust sufficiently clear to indicate, by a reasonable construction in light of all the facts surrounding the external manifestation, the necessary elements of the trust. Binder, supra. In the instant case, there is absolutely no indication by Ivan, in words or acts, that a trust was to be created, nor is there any indication that Paulson accepted the trust.

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Bluebook (online)
150 B.R. 960, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 2262, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trust-v-paulson-in-re-paulson-ndb-1992.