Tyson v. Pathman

688 F. Supp. 240, 1988 WL 54988
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedJune 2, 1988
DocketNo. WC86-145-NB-D
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 688 F. Supp. 240 (Tyson v. Pathman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tyson v. Pathman, 688 F. Supp. 240, 1988 WL 54988 (N.D. Miss. 1988).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

BIGGERS, District Judge.

This cause comes before the court on the defendants’ motion for summary judgment on the ground that this action is barred under the doctrines of res judicata and collateral estoppel. The court has waived the page limitation for briefing and, after due consideration of the parties’ memoranda and exhibits, is ready to rule on the motion for summary judgment on the plaintiff’s claim.

I. Introduction

The plaintiff brought this action against the executors of Ruth Tyson’s estate, Fred Pathman and McSweyn Shattuck, and Ruth Tyson’s sister, Kathryn McSweyn Small-wood, to recover certain bank stock, bank accounts, and certificates of deposit owned by Ruth Tyson at the time of her death. Ruth Tyson was the plaintiff’s stepmother and adoptive mother whose last will and testament was the subject of a previous action in state court. In that action, Cause No. 19,839 of the Chancery Court of Marshall County, Mississippi, plaintiff sued the defendants herein and other heirs of Ruth Tyson to impose a constructive trust upon [241]*241all real and personal property of the plaintiffs father, Robert Tyson, devised to Ruth Tyson and remaining in Ruth Tyson’s possession at her death. The complaint in state court alleged that Robert Tyson devised his entire estate to Ruth Tyson in exchange for Ruth Tyson’s oral promise that she would devise to the plaintiff all “real and personal property previously owned by [plaintiff’s] father, Robert A. Tyson” and retained by Ruth Tyson. The complaint described the “Robert A. Tyson property upon which the constructive trust should be imposed.”

Robert Tyson’s will reads in part:

Well knowing that my beloved wife will adequately care for my daughter Harriet Tyson and make provisions for her, by this expression not creating any trust, charge, or other restraint, I give, devise and bequeath to my beloved wife, Ruth McSweyn Tyson all my property of every nature and wherever situated, to her own use for ever [sic] in fee simple.

Consistent with her alleged promise, Ruth Tyson’s original will, executed contemporaneously with Robert Tyson’s will, provided the following:

I give devise and bequeath all property which was devised and bequeathed to me by my beloved husband Robert A. Tyson to the daughter of the said Robert A. Tyson ... Harriet Tyson to her own use for ever [sic] in fee simple.

The same provision was included in a second will executed on July 30, 1954 to correct a defect in the attestation clause of Ruth Tyson’s former will. On January 19, 1965, Ruth Tyson executed a third will devising the property of Robert Tyson to defendants Pathman and Shattuck as co-trustees. Under the trust the plaintiff and defendant Smallwood were to receive equal shares of the income derived from Robert Tyson’s property. Upon the plaintiff’s death, the trust would terminate and the trust corpus and accumulations thereon would vest in defendant Smallwood and Ruth Tyson’s brother.

The state court made the following findings:

(1) Robert Tyson intended “for his daughter to receive all that was left of his estate after the demise of his wife.”
(2) Ruth Tyson promised and agreed to carry out Robert Tyson’s intention.
(3) In a letter dated July 19, 1973 to the plaintiff, Ruth Tyson reaffirmed her promise to Robert Tyson as follows, "... when your father made his will ... I told him, that all that I owned which I received from your father would go to you at the time of my death.”
(4) Ruth Tyson received her husband’s estate “in the form of a constructive trust, as Trustee, for the use and benefit of his daughter____”
(5) Ruth Tyson “inherited income producing assets.”
(6) Ruth Tyson acquired from her husband “his entire estate to use, possess, enjoy and control, together with the power of disposition. That portion of her husband’s estate remaining in her possession at the time of her death on October 24, 1983 passed by operation of law to Roberta Alexander Tyson [the plaintiff]. No part of the Robert A. Tyson properties, real or personal, belong to or are a part of the estate of Ruth McSweyn Tyson.”

The parties stipulated to the real and personal property of Robert Tyson which was devised to Ruth Tyson and still owned by Ruth at the time of her death as follows:

(1) the real property described in the complaint;
(2) 630 shares of common stock in the Bank of Holly Springs; and
(3) personal property reflected in the Barzizza inventory, exclusive of items from the Smallwood estate.

The court held that the above-described property is subject to the constructive trust.

The issue in this action is whether the constructive trust reaches income and products of income from the property left by Robert Tyson to Ruth Tyson. Specifically, the plaintiff claims she is entitled to certain bank accounts allegedly established with income from Robert Tyson’s estate and certificates of deposit and stock alleg[242]*242edly acquired by Ruth Tyson with income from Robert Tyson’s estate, to wit:

(1) savings accounts, checking accounts, and certificates of deposit titled “in name of Ruth M. Tyson or Kathryn M. Smallwood”; and
(2) 95.5 shares of common stock in the Bank of Holly Springs titled “in name of Mrs. Ruth M. Tyson, P.O.D. Mrs. Kathryn M. Smallwood.”

The plaintiff did not know of the existence of the property in dispute at the time the state action was filed. In her affidavit, the plaintiff admits, however, that she learned of the bank accounts and certificates of deposit from her attorney while the action was pending. She further states that she did not learn of the stock until after entry of the judgment although her attorney “apparently learned of the stock during the pendency of No. 19,839,” the state court action.

The state action was filed in February, 1984. The court issued its opinion on February 18, 1985 and its decree on March 6, 1985, which the parties did not appeal. In an affidavit, defendant Shattuck states that on July 11,1984 his attorney furnished the plaintiff’s attorney and accountant a copy of the federal estate tax return for Ruth Tyson’s estate. Schedule B of the tax return reflects a certificate for 630 shares and a certificate for 95.5 shares in the Bank of Holly Springs. Schedule E reflects jointly owned savings accounts, checking accounts and two certificates of deposit totaling 91,563.41 in the names of Ruth Tyson or Kathryn Smallwood. The tax return was introduced as an exhibit at trial and the accountant who prepared the return described schedules B and E in his testimony. In addition, the plaintiff’s attorney received a letter from the Bank of Holly Springs dated October 12, 1984 stating that the certificate for 630 shares originated in stock owned by Robert Tyson at his death. On or about November 2, 1984, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint to claim the 630 shares of common stock included in Robert Tyson’s estate. At no time did the plaintiff seek title to the remaining shares or the jointly owned bank accounts and certificates of deposit.

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Related

Tyson v. Moore
613 So. 2d 817 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1993)
Tyson v. Pathman
872 F.2d 421 (Fifth Circuit, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
688 F. Supp. 240, 1988 WL 54988, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tyson-v-pathman-msnd-1988.