Dwyer v. Sell

• Decision Date: 05 August 2021
• Docket Number: No. 20200188,20200188
• Citation: 963 N.W.2d 292
• Parties: Timothy S. DWYER, a/k/a Tim Dwyer, Jr., Plaintiff, Appellant, and Cross-Appellee v. Margret SELL, Co-Trustee of the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust; John Dwyer, Co-Trustee of the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust; Jane Dwyer Morgan; Barbara Dwyer Rice; Peggy Dwyer Sell a/k/a Margret Sell; John W. Dwyer a/k/a John Dwyer, Defendants, Appellees, and Cross-Appellants and Patrick Sell; Johnny Dwyer; Molly Binger; Olin Sell; Dana Dwyer ; Ingrid Kalinowski a/k/a Ingrid A. Sell; Andy Dwyer; Jack Dwyer; Rachel Meuchel; Dan Dwyer; Tommy Dwyer; Joey Dwyer; Sadie Bro, Defendants and Appellees and Ruth Dwyer Coleman; Michael A. Dwyer; Sarah Grossman; Johnny Coleman; Sam Coleman; Josh Dwyer; Katie Montplaisir; Anne Dwyer; Billy Morgan; Katie Joraanstad; Mike Morgan; Judah Coleman; Beky Olson; Will Rice; Janna Schmidt; Paul Rice; Charles Coleman; David Morgan; Taylor Dwyer; Tessa Dwyer; Teddi Dwyer; Tianna Dwyer, Defendants
• Court: North Dakota Supreme Court

963 N.W.2d 292

Timothy S. DWYER, a/k/a Tim Dwyer, Jr., Plaintiff, Appellant, and Cross-Appellee

v.Margret SELL, Co-Trustee of the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust; John Dwyer, Co-Trustee of the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust; Jane Dwyer Morgan; Barbara Dwyer Rice; Peggy Dwyer Sell a/k/a Margret Sell; John W. Dwyer a/k/a John Dwyer, Defendants, Appellees, and Cross-AppellantsandPatrick Sell; Johnny Dwyer; Molly Binger; Olin Sell; Dana Dwyer ; Ingrid Kalinowski a/k/a Ingrid A. Sell; Andy Dwyer; Jack Dwyer; Rachel Meuchel; Dan Dwyer; Tommy Dwyer; Joey Dwyer; Sadie Bro, Defendants and Appellees

and

Ruth Dwyer Coleman; Michael A. Dwyer; Sarah Grossman; Johnny Coleman; Sam Coleman; Josh Dwyer; Katie Montplaisir; Anne Dwyer; Billy Morgan; Katie Joraanstad; Mike Morgan; Judah Coleman; Beky Olson; Will Rice; Janna Schmidt; Paul Rice; Charles Coleman; David Morgan; Taylor Dwyer; Tessa Dwyer; Teddi Dwyer; Tianna Dwyer, Defendants

No. 20200188

Supreme Court of North Dakota.

FILED AUGUST 5, 2021

Dwight C. Eiken, Williston, ND, and Seymour R. Jordan, Crosby, ND, for plaintiff, appellant, and cross-appellee.

Craig E. Johnson, Fargo, ND, for defendants, appellees, and cross-appellants Margret Sell and John Dwyer, as Co-Trustees of the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust, and Peggy Dwyer Sell, a/k/a Margret Sell, and John W. Dwyer, a/k/a John Dwyer, individually.

James A. Lodoen, Minneapolis, MN, for defendants, appellees, and cross-appellants Jane Dwyer Morgan and Barbara Dwyer Rice.

Joseph M. Barnett and Klay C. Ahrens, Edina, MN, for defendants and appellees Patrick Sell, Johnny Dwyer, Molly Binger, Olin Sell, and Dana Dwyer.

Sean T. Foss, Fargo, ND, for defendants and appellees Andy Dwyer, Jack Dwyer, Rachel Meuchel, Dan Dwyer, Tommy Dwyer, and Joey Dwyer.

Ingrid Kalinowski a/k/a Ingrid A. Sell, Alexandria, VA, self-represented, defendant and appellee.

Sadie Bro, Bismarck, ND, self-represented, defendant and appellee.

Crothers, Justice.

[¶1] Tim Dwyer Jr. appeals from an amended judgment deciding his claims against Margret Sell and John Dwyer as co-trustees of the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust. The co-trustees and Jane Dwyer Morgan and Barbara Dwyer Rice, as beneficiaries of the Trust, cross-appeal from the amended judgment. The district court concluded the co-trustees have broad discretion to sell Trust property, any sale of Trust property must be under a contract for deed with no option for prepayment and a reservation of a right to access Trust property for hunting was prohibited. We affirm.

I

[¶2] Tim Dwyer Sr. owned more than 7,000 acres of real property in McKenzie County. In December 2004, Dwyer Sr. established the Tim Dwyer Farm Trust and conveyed the property to the Trust. Dwyer Sr. named Margret Sell and John Dwyer as co-trustees of the Trust. Dwyer Sr.’s son, Tim Dwyer Jr., had a continuing right to lease the farm and ranch land from the Trust as long as the Trust owned the property. Dwyer Jr. also had a first right to purchase Trust property if the co-trustees decided to sell the property. Dwyer Sr. died in January 2005.

[¶3] In October 2018, the co-trustees believed a sale of Trust property was in the beneficiaries’ best interests. The co-trustees informed Dwyer Jr. of their decision and acknowledged his first right to purchase. After informing Dwyer Jr. of their decision, issues arose over the co-trustees’ authority to sell Trust property, the financing of a potential sale, and whether rights for hunting and outdoor recreation could be reserved.

[¶4] Dwyer Jr. sued the co-trustees, seeking declaratory relief relating to certain terms of the Trust agreement. The complaint requested the district court to interpret the Trust agreement and settle the parties’ dispute. Dwyer Jr. requested the court to declare: (1) the co-trustees are obligated to first offer for sale all of the Trust property to Dwyer Jr., and he then has the right to purchase all or any part of the property; (2) the co-trustees cannot withdraw Trust property from a possible sale to Dwyer Jr. after appraisals have been completed; (3) a contract for deed for the sale of Trust property will not prohibit prepayment of principal and interest; and (4) any sale of Trust property will include a reserved right of access for Trust beneficiaries for purposes of hunting, hiking and other outdoor recreational activity.

[¶5] Dwyer Jr. and the co-trustees moved for summary judgment. After a hearing, the district court concluded the Trust agreement was unambiguous and granted partial summary judgment in the co-trustees’ favor. The court concluded the Trust agreement grants the co-trustees broad discretion to sell none, some or all of the Trust property as they deem to be in the beneficiaries’ best interests. The court concluded the co-trustees may withdraw Trust property from a proposed sale if the property appraisals are not satisfactory. The court concluded Dwyer Jr. must purchase Trust property under a 15-year contract for deed with annual principal payments, 4.5 percent interest and no prepayment option. The court also concluded N.D.C.C. § 47-05-17 prohibits the co-trustees from reserving a right to access Trust property for hunting.

II

[¶6] This Court's standard of review for summary judgments is well established:

"Summary judgment is a procedural device for the prompt resolution of a controversy on the merits without a trial if there are no genuine issues of material fact or inferences that can reasonably be drawn from undisputed facts, or if the only issues to be resolved are questions of law. A party moving for summary judgment has the burden of showing there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. In determining whether summary judgment was appropriately granted, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, and that party will be given the benefit of all favorable inferences which can reasonably be drawn from the record. On appeal, this Court decides whether the information available to the district court precluded the existence of a genuine issue of material fact and entitled the moving party to judgment as a matter of law. Whether the district court properly granted summary judgment is a question of law which we review de novo on the entire record."

Krebsbach v. Trinity Hosps., Inc. , 2020 ND 24, ¶ 7, 938 N.W.2d 133 (quoting

Pennington v. Cont'l Res., Inc. , 2019 ND 228, ¶ 6, 932 N.W.2d 897 ).

III

[¶7] Dwyer Jr. claims the district court erred in its interpretation of the Trust agreement.

[¶8] This Court's primary objective in construing a trust agreement is to ascertain the settlor's intent. Tr. of Roger S. Linn Restated Tr. Agreement , 2019 ND 58, ¶ 10, 923 N.W.2d 815. When a trust agreement is unambiguous, the settlor's intent is ascertained from the language of the agreement itself. Id. "An ambiguity exists when rational arguments can be made in support of contrary positions as to the meaning of the term, phrase, or clause in question." Id. Whether a trust agreement is ambiguous is a question of law, fully reviewable on appeal. Id.

[¶9] General rules of interpretation of written instruments apply to the construction of trust documents. Tr. of Roger S. Linn Restated Tr. Agreement , 2019 ND 58, ¶ 11, 923 N.W.2d 815. The parties’ intent is ascertained from the writing alone if possible. N.D.C.C. § 9-07-04. "The language of a contract is to govern its interpretation if the language is clear and explicit and does not involve an absurdity." N.D.C.C. § 9-07-02. If a contract is ambiguous, extrinsic evidence may be considered to determine the parties’ intent, which becomes a question of fact. Hallin v. Inland Oil & Gas Corp. , 2017 ND 254, ¶ 9, 903 N.W.2d 61.

A

[¶10] Dwyer Jr. contends the co-trustees have limited authority relating to the sale of Trust property. He argues they must first offer him all of the property, they do not have the discretion to choose which property to sell and they cannot withdraw property from a potential sale after the property is appraised.

[¶11] Article VII of the Trust agreement, relating to the sale of Trust property, states in part:

"I hereby authorize my Co-Trustees to purchase, sell or otherwise encumber the land, if in their sole discretion to do so, is necessary for the payment of debts or taxes and also, if the Co-Trustees believe to do so is in the best interest of the beneficiaries of this Trust.

"My Co-Trustees are directed that in the event that this land is to be sold, TIM DWYER, JR., shall have the right to purchase all or any part of the land provided that the purchase price shall be determined upon the appraisal of two qualified appraisers as selected by the Co-Trustees and the proposed purchaser with the average of the two appraisals being the sale price. If TIM DWYER, JR., agrees to purchase the land, he shall do so on a Contract for Deed extending for a period of 15 years at an interest rate of 4½ percent. The Contract for Deed entered for this property shall require equal annual installments of interest and [principal]. In the event that my son, Tim Dwyer, Jr., fails to exercise this first right to purchase, then any other child of mine shall have the right to purchase all or any part of the property based upon the same valuation."

[¶12] The district court concluded:

"[T]he co-trustees have been granted flexibility in their ability to buy and sell trust property for the sole benefit of the beneficiaries. The terms of the trust give Tim Jr. the same flexibility by allowing him to pick and choose which parcels, if any, to purchase when and if offered for sale. Therefore, the co-trustees are given broad discretion to sell none, some, or all of the land at a time [they] deem in the best interests of the beneficiaries."

[¶13] We agree with the district court. The plain language of the Trust agreement grants the co-trustees broad discretion to sell Trust property. They may sell property to pay the Trust's debts and taxes, or if they believe a sale is in the beneficiaries’...