Warren v. Steele

1959 OK 137, 344 P.2d 574, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 348
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided June 30, 1959·No. No. 38270·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinions

IRWIN, Justice.

This is an action by C. A. Steele and George S. Downey, a co-partnership d/b/a Steele and Downey, against Victoria Warren, Administratrix of the Estate of R. B. Warren, Sr., deceased, for recovery of fees for legal services rendered to R. B. Warren, Sr., during his lifetime and costs and fees expended. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and from judgment entered thereon, the defendant perfected this appeal. The parties will be referred to as they appeared in the trial court.

R. B. Warren, Sr., and Victoria Warren were married in 192S or 1926, at which time each owned a separate business. After the marriage each sold his or her business and engaged in the business of acquisition of real estate which was jointly managed by them. Title to property acquired by them was taken sometimes in individual names and sometimes in their joint names. The estate was appraised at approximately one-half million dollars. A claim against the estate was duly filed by plaintiffs, and the same was disallowed by the Administra-trix.

The testimony of R. B. Warren, Jr., discloses that in March and April of 1956, Victoria Warren, wife of R. B. Warren, Sr., later appointed Administratrix of his estate, contacted her step-son, R. B. Warren, Jr., and asked him to talk to his father about his estate planning; that his father was getting along in years and he should do something about it. R. B. Warren, Jr., agreed to talk to his father, only if his father agreed. Subsequently, she telephoned him that his father was ready to talk to him. About April 10, 1956, he picked up his father at the home and took him for a drive. That after his father got in the car he directed his son to drive by certain properties and as each piece of property was passed, R. B. Warren, Sr., stated to whom he wanted the property to go. After viewing the different properties, they drove to the farm of R. B. Warren, Jr.; that on the way R. B. Warren, Sr., told him he wanted his wife, Victoria, to have the property at Third and Cincinnati, as it is compact, rents well, and she would not have to work with or worry about it like the other pieces of property. That he also discussed his bank accounts and savings and loan accounts and told him what disposition he wanted made of them. After the ride, they returned to the home of R. B. Warren, Sr., where Mrs. Warren was informed that R. B. Warren, Sr., had expressed a desire to make a division of the property. After discussion, R. B. Warren, Sr., instructed his son to contact George Downey, one of the plaintiffs herein, and John McNamee, a tax man, to handle the estate planning. That he did contact both men and the three of them went to the home of R. B. Warren, Sr.; that Victoria Warren was present and heard everything that was said. That R. B. Warren, Sr., told Downey and McNamee what he had told him on Saturday, how he wanted the property divided, and for them to handle the details. That Mr. Downey arranged to get abstracts, deeds, bank statements and books covering the savings and [577] loan accounts. Thereafter, he and Downey went back to the home of R. B. Warren, Sr.; that Mr. Downey had deeds, new passbooks, and signature cards of bank and savings and loan accounts. That R. B. Warren, Sr. and Victoria Warren signed all deeds and signature cards at that time and returned them to Mr. Downey so he could file the deeds and present the new signature cards.

In addition to the testimony above set out, it was stipulated that plaintiffs performed the following legal services:

1. Examination of title to all real estate involved ;

2. Examination of contracts and titles to property covered by contract;

3. Examination and transfer of seven savings and loan accounts;

4. Examination and transfer of bank checking and savings accounts;

5. Assembling of information relative to assessment of, and income from all real estate involved;

6. Presentation and obtaining permission for approval of a lot-split through the Metropolitan Planning Commission;

7. Investigation into the State and Federal Tax Laws relative to gift and estate taxes;

8. Various conferences with tax counsel, and the parties involved;

9. Necessary time spent on above work between April 24, 1956, and June 23, 1956.

Testimony was offered by three witnesses that the services as outlined above were of the value of $1,250, and this was not denied by the administratrix.

The defendant argues three propositions. 1. Error of the Court in admitting testimony of R. B. Warren, Jr., concerning ownership of property involved and refusing like testimony by defendant. 2. Permitting testimony which tended to impeach defendant and refusing testimony which tended to impeach the testimony of R. B. Warren, Jr., 3. The giving of instruction No. 4, and refusal to give defendant’s requested instructions numbered 2 through 6.

The Court submitted the matter to the jury under instructions to determine if a contract of employment, either express or implied were entered into between R. B. Warren, Sr., during his lifetime and the plaintiffs for the performance of certain legal services; and, if such contract were entered into, were the services performed as prescribed by R. B. Warren, Sr., and if so, the value of the services so rendered.

In establishing that a contract of employment was entered into, the Court permitted R. B. Warren, Jr., to testify as to certain conversations he had with his father concerning the property he owned, and his desire relating to the disposition thereof, and that R. B. Warren, Sr., instructed R. B. Warren, Jr., to contact Steele & Downey, attorneys-at-law, to do the work. That at the meeting between R. B. Warren Sr., George S. Downey and John Mc-Namee, R. B. Warren, Sr., instructed them to divide the property on a fifty-fifty basis between R. B. Warren, Jr., and Victoria Warren.

During the testimony of Victoria Warren, an objection was sustained to the question of her attorney as to her or her husband’s contribution of any capital in buying and selling real estate. Thereafter, and out of the hearing of the jury, the defendant offered to prove that she and her husband furnished a substantially equal amount of capital for the business; that she was the owner of a portion of the property R. B. Warren, Jr., stated his father said he owned, and that Mr. Warren did not own all of the property he recited he did own; that the property at 3rd and Cincinnati was at that time the property of Victoria Warren. The Court rejected the offer and we think rightly so. The question as to whether R. B. Warren, Sr.,* did or did not own any particular piece of property and whether he had a certain sum of money in the bank or in a savings and loan account and whether he had already deeded certain property to his wife, Victoria Warren, was not germane to the issue of whether R. B. Warren, Sr., had employed plain[578] tiffs to perform certain legal services for him; and if they performed such services and are therefore entitled to pay therefor. We think the Court correctly stated it when he said “Whether or not the conveyances will stand, whether or not they will be set aside, whether or not there was any other implication with reference to these deeds, and what will happen to this estate after this matter is not subject matter for this Court.” In the Case of Keahey v. Craig, 186 Okl. 162, 96 P.2d 521, 522, we said:

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