Vanderwall v. Crawford County Trust & Savings Bank

229 Iowa 666
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedDecember 10, 1940
DocketNo. 44980
StatusPublished

This text of 229 Iowa 666 (Vanderwall v. Crawford County Trust & Savings Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vanderwall v. Crawford County Trust & Savings Bank, 229 Iowa 666 (iowa 1940).

Opinion

Miller, J.

Appellant’s statement of facts is prefaced with the following sentence, “The general fact situation in this case [668]*668is not in much dispute and such conflict as may exist in the evidence is on propositions which, under well established principles of law, are not of controlling importance.” With this statement we agree.

The ward was adjudged incompetent and one M. E. Jones was appointed his guardian in 1906. The appointment of such guardian was controverted, but, on appeal to this court, the appointment was sustained. Guardianship of Nelson, 148 Iowa 118, 126 N. W. 973, Ann. Cas. 1912B, 974.

At the outset of the guardianship proceedings, the ward was 25 years of age, unmarried, and had inherited a 160-acre farm. A contract in reference to this farm was set aside by the guardian. Thereafter the farm was leased to one Lingle, under an arrangement whereby the ward was to continue to live upon the farm, and the furnishing of a home, board and washing by Lingle for the ward was a part of the annual rental. This arrangement continued during the years 1906 to 1909, inclusive. In 1909 and 1910, the ward became dissatisfied and began spending more or less of his time in and about Denison, Iowa, which was not far from his farm. The claimant was operating a boarding and rooming house in Denison and about 1910 the ward began staying at claimant’s place. This continued until claimant and her husband removed to a farm about 1914. Since then they have been engaged in farming as tenants of various farms, including the ward’s, during all of which period the ward has been making his home with claimant.

The claimant testified that she had an agreement with Jones, as guardian, that she be paid $5.00 per week for the support of the ward. Certain payments were made to her. Jones, as guardian, reported to the court that one of these payments was in full payment up to that time. Claimant’s testimony was that the payment was merely on account.

On March 17, 1927, claimant filed a claim in the guardianship estate for $4,051.70 for board, lodging, laundry and care of the ward for the agreed price of $5.00 per week from September, 1910 to February 15, 1927, and prayed that the claim be allowed against the estate. In May 1927, Jones resigned as guardian, the appellant, Crawford County Trust & Savings Bank, was appointed as his successor, and qualified as such. On November [669]*66919, 1937, claimant filed an additional and amended claim asserting that, since February 15, 1927, she has furnished the ward board, lodging, laundry and care; that the reasonable value thereof is $30 per month and for the period from February 15, 1927, to November 15,1937, she is entitled to $3,870. The prayer was that the original claim of $4,051.70 and the additional claim of $3,870 be allowed in the total sum of $7,921.70, with interest; that the guardian be ordered to pay the same and that claimant have judgment therefor with interest and costs.

On November 19, 1937, the court entered an order fixing November 27, 1937, as the time for hearing upon the claims and on the same day notice of such hearing was served upon the appellant as guardian. On February 24, 1938, the bank, as guardian, filed an answer in five divisions. Division No. I contained a general denial of all allegations not expressly admitted; the guardianship proceeding was admitted, as was the fact that the ward had made his home with claimant since 1910, but the guardian denied there was any contract, express or implied, for payment to claimant for such care and support, and also asserted that certain credits had been received by claimant which were sufficient compensation for the services rendered by her. Division No. II re-pled division No. I and asserted that the care of ward was included in the rental for the farm occupied by the claimant, also that the ward rendered services for claimant and claimant has had the use of his automobile and, by reason of said matters, claimant is estopped to claim any other or additional compensation. Division No. Ill asserted the statute of limitations as to all claims for care and support antedating five years from the date of the notice of hearing. Division No. IV asserted that “the court is without jurisdiction to hear and determine said claim for the reason that said claim and a denial of the validity thereof raises an issue which can only be determined by an independent action; that for the court to attempt to pass on said claim in a summary proceedings would be to determine the merits of a lawsuit which can only properly be done by a plenary suit.” Division No. V asserted that the support was furnished the ward with full knowledge of the guardianship proceedings, that no conduct of the ward could be binding upon the estate in the hands of the guardian, and further that no approval of the court [670]*670had been secured for the arrangement upon which claimant relied and, in the absence of such, the estate was not liable to the-claimant. The guardian prayed that the claim be dismissed. Claimant filed a reply to the answer, which is primarily an elaboration of the details, originally asserted in the claims.

In the meantime, on February 12, 1938, the court entered an order reciting that hearing on the claim of Mrs. Vanderwall was had, by agreement of the parties a jury was waived and the claim was tried to the court without a jury, evidence was introduced and the guardian was granted one week within which to file a resistance to the claim. The abstract shows that considerable testimony was taken. On February 16, 1939, the court entered its findings and judgment, reciting that the cause came on for hearing and trial on February 12, 1938, both parties having waived a jury and having agreed to try the cause to the court without the intervention of a jury, evidence was introduced, the cause submitted, briefs and arguments filed and the court being fully advised, found and determined that, as to the claim filed March 17, 1927, the claimant had entered into an oral agreement with the guardian, M. E. Jones, whereby Jones agreed to pay claimant the sum of $5.00 per week for the furnishing of board, lodging, laundry and care; that the services were rendered for the sole benefit of said ward from September-7, 1909, until February 15, 1927, with the knowledge and consent of said guardian, that said services were necessities of life, suitable to the ward’s station, and that claimant’s charges therefor are-fair and reasonable. The court further found that Jones resigned as guardian and appellant bank was appointed his successor, qualified as such and still continues to act as such guardian; that claimant furnished the ward board, lodging, laundry, nursing and care from February 15, 1927, to November 15, 1937, with the knowledge and consent of the bank as guardian; that all such services so rendered were necessities of life, suitable to the' ward’s station and that the claimant’s charges therefor are fair and reasonable. The court further found that the claimant and her husband are tenants on the farm of the ward and there is an unpaid balance of rent owing to the bank as guardian; that such unpaid rent should be deducted from the amount of claimant’s two claims; that, after making the ■ allowance for un[671]*671paid rents, claimant should be allowed the aggregate sum of $4,500 with interest thereon at 5 percent per annum from May 15, 1938, and costs, and that the matter of services rendered by the claimant from November 15, 1937, and the rents owing from March 1, 1938, be left for future determination. Judgment was entered accordingly, from which the bank, as guardian, appeals.

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Bluebook (online)
229 Iowa 666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vanderwall-v-crawford-county-trust-savings-bank-iowa-1940.