Kester v. Crilly
| Decision Date | 22 March 1950 |
| Docket Number | No. 31293,31293 |
| Citation | 405 Ill. 425,91 N.E.2d 419 |
| Parties | KESTER et al. v. CRILLY. |
| Court | Illinois Supreme Court |
Frank Moland, of Chicago, for appellant.
Harry J. Busch, and Seymour Rady, both of Chicago (Myer H. Gladstone, Chicago, of counsel) for appellees.
The plaintiffs, Patricia Kester and Mary Kelly, brought an action in the circuit court of Cook County against the defendant, Bernice M. Crilly, to establish a constructive trust with respect to an improved parcel of real estate in Chicago, and for other relief. The master to whom the cause was referred found the issues for defendant and recommended a decree accordingly. From the decree of the chancellor setting aside the master's report and ordering defendant to convey an undivided one-third interest in the property to each plaintiff, defendant prosecutes a direct appeal, a freehold being necessarily involved. The decree appealed from is restricted to a determination of the rights of the parties in the real estate.
Plaintiffs and defendant are sisters and the only living children of James C. and Marguerite Crilly. The property involved, a five-room frame bungalow was formerly owned by their parents, as joint tenants, and constituted the family home. Mary married in 1935, and Bernice and Patricia continued to live with their partents. In 1943, James Crilly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which left him partially paralyzed and an invalid. He was unable to dress himself and, although he could walk a little or ride in an automobile, he had to be watched. His paralysis affected his speech and it was difficult for him to talk.
Marguerite Crilly died on January 22, 1945, and James Crilly, as surviving joint tenant, became the sole owner of the property. He was greatly affected by the loss of his wife and appears to have been under the care of a doctor. He cried frequently, seldom spoke and, when friends came to visit, would do little more than exchange greetings. For a long time, he even refused to listen to the radio.
Mary, Bernice and Patricia were about thirty, twenty-seven and twenty-four years of age, respectively, when their mother died. Very shortly thereafter, Bernice and Patricia opened a joint checking account. They deposited their own pay checks and their father's pension and other checks in this account and used it to operate the household.
On the afternoon of January 28, 1945, the first Sunday after Marguerite Crilly died, James Ronan, a lawyer, appeared at the house at the request of Patricia and as an accommodation to her employer. Patricia stated that Bernice had asked her to obtain a lawyer. Ronan received no fee for his services and was the only disinterested witness at the trial. He testified that all three sisters were present; that James Crilly, dressed in a bathrobe and looking very ill, sat in the dining room, cried frequently, and did not participate in the discussion; that Patricia did most of the talking; that he was informed of their intention to use the proceeds of their mother's insurance (payable to their father) to discharge the mortgage indebtedness on the house; that Bernice asked a number of questions; that either Patricia or Bernice, or both, requested him to prepare deeds transferring title to the real estate to Bernice and James Crilly, as joint tenants; that, apparently, they had reached an understanding about the matter prior to his arrival, and that there was no discussion as to the disposition of the property upon the death of their father.
The accounts of the meeting given by Patricia and Mary are substantially the same as Ronan's except for their mistaken impression that this meeting took place on the second Sunday following their mother's death and their testimony that Bernice reiterated earlier promises to share the property equally with them upon the death of their father, which had induced them to consent to Bernice's demand that title to the property be placed in herself and their father, as joint tenants. Mary testified as to several prior conversations and promises by Bernice, all out of the presence of their father. Patricia recounted two conversations with Bernice prior to Ronan's first visit, the first, 'I think maybe three or four days after my mother died or after the funeral,' and the other, 'Oh, I would say about a week or two after my mother died.' In substance, Patricia stated that these were two of several conversations with Bernice relative to the real estate; that their father was present; that each time Bernice brought up the subject and stated the property should be placed in her name, as the oldest unmarried daughter living at home, because, if it became necessary to convert the property into cash to care for their father in a hospital, it would be simpler if only one signature were required, and that Bernice promised she would divide the property equally with her sisters upon the death of their father. She added that Bernice also wanted to be named the beneficiary in their father's insurance policy and promised to share the proceeds in the same manner. When asked about her father's part in these conversations, Patricia stated he would usually cry and say, 'Whatever you decide on is all right with me.'
Bernice denied she was present during Ronan's first visit, denied that Mary was at the house on the first Sunday after their mother died, and denied that she had ever promised her father or her sisters she would divide the property and the insurance proceeds equally with Mary and Patricia. Bernice testified that, on Sunday afternoon, January 28, 1945, only she, Patricia, and their father were at home; that he directed them to open a joint checking account the next day; that he asked Patricia to arrange for a lawyer, and that he then told Patricia he wanted the real estate placed in his name and Bernice's as joint tenants, saying that was the way he and their mother had always wanted it. Bernice did not testify as to any other conversation relative to the conveyance of the family home to her as a gift.
On Sunday, February 4, 1945, Ronan stopped at the house briefly to have the deeds signed. Only Patricia and her father were at home. Ronan testified that Crilly, although looking better, still had the appearance of a sick man, was unsteady and spoke very little. Ronan explained the deeds to him and asked if they were drawn the way he desired the transfer of title to be made. Crilly replied that, if it was satisfactory to Patricia, it was satisfactory to him. Thereupon, Crilly executed a quitclaim deed, dated February 3, 1945, to Patricia and Patricia executed a quitclaim deed, dated February 5, 1945, to her father and Bernice, as joint tenants. Ronan took both deeds on the actually executed, namely, February 4, and had them recorded the following day, February 5.
In addition to acting as intermediary in the transfer of title, Patricia drew the check in payment of the mortgage indebtedness on the property, procured the necessary forms to have Bernice named as the beneficiary of their father's insurance, and took the appropriate steps to have Bernice substituted for their mother as the joint owner with their father of cerain bonds valued at about $500.
Bernice testified she first saw the deeds in July, 1945, when Ronan mailed them to Patricia. In the following month, Patricia married, her husband moved into the house, and she and Bernice terminated their joint bank account. On December 25, 1945, James Crilly died. As a result, Bernice became the surviving tenant and also received $4411 as the beneficiary of his insurance. About two weeks after their father's death, Bernice demanded and Patricia agreed to pay her the sum of $30 a month. Bernice insisted the money was paid as rent, but the first receipt so indicating is dated October 20, 1946, and by this time Bernice had retained a lawyer and was seeking to evict Patricia's husband. Patricia testified the money was paid for board and for the upkeep of the house, and it is undisputed that Bernice paid all taxes, fuel and repair bills, and other like items.
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