Lindeman's Estate v. Herbert
Decision Date | 19 February 1940 |
Docket Number | 34050 |
Parties | LINDEMAN'S ESTATE et al. v. HERBERT et al |
Court | Mississippi Supreme Court |
Suggestion Of Error Overruled April 1, 1940.
APPEAL from the chancery court of Hinds county HON. V. J. STRICKER Chancellor.
Proceeding by Ernest Herbert and others against the estate of Mrs Elizabeth Lindeman, deceased, W. B. Fontaine, executor, and others, involving validity of an alleged gift inter vivos. From an adverse decree, defendants appeal. Affirmed.
Affirmed.
May & Byrd, Green & Green, and W. B. Fontaine, all of Jackson, for appellants.
Does the uncontradicted proof establish a completed inter vivos gift of the property involved by the testatrix? The answer to this question will dispose of this appeal, as indicated by the following quotation from the decree appealed from: "The controlling question is, has it been shown that a gift was made." If a gift was made, the chancellor's decree must be reversed and decree rendered for appellants.
In Falconer v. Holland, 5 S. & M. 689, in the concluding syllabus it is stated: "It is the policy of the law, in this state, to construe all possession of property to be under the ownership of the party possessing; and where a controversy arises, between creditors of the possessor and the alleged owner, as to whether the possession is under a gift or a loan, and the evidence is conflicting, and there is no positive documentary evidence of title in the claimant, the presumptions of law operate to regard the possession as under a gift, with all their force."
Carradine v. Carradine, 58 Miss. 286; Timberlake v. Shippers Compress Co., 72 Miss. 323; Scherck v. Montgomery, 81 Miss. 426; Jackson Opera House Co. v. Cox, 192 So. 293; Harmon v. McFarlane, 135 Miss. 284; McClellan v. McCauley, 158 Miss. 456; Jones v. Jones, 162 Miss. 501; Gidden v. Gidden, 176 Miss. 98; Howell v. Ott, 182 Miss. 252; Ford v. Byrd, 183 Miss. 846.
The general rule is stated in 12 R. C. L., Section 19, page 942, as follows:
Hecht v. Boston Wharf Co., 220 Mass. 480, 108 N.E. 65, L. R. A., 1915D, 733; In re Estate of Connell, Deceased, 282 Pa. 555, 128 A. 503, 38. A. L. R. 1362; In re Estate of Chapple, Deceased, 332 Pa. St. 168, 2 A.2d 719, 121 A. L. R. 422; 28 C. J. 658, 659, 672, 674, 675, 682.
The reservation of interest in nowise impaired the validity of the gift. When the certificates passed to Mr. Mosal, the personal property (the subject of the gift) was in his possession, and the law presumes the validity of the gift, the donor having surrendered all dominion or command over the property.
It is respectfully submitted that under the overwhelming and uncontradicted proof contained in this record, and under the uniform holding of the courts generally, a valid gift from Mrs. Lindeman to Mr. Mosal was completed and every condition fulfilled when the only dividend accruing after the transfer of the stock during the lifetime of the testatrix was paid into her estate, as is admittedly shown.
To hold otherwise would be to deny the statement of the testatrix, repeatedly made by her, that
It would further deny the express desire to reward her faithful and devoted nephew for the many years of his valuable services, and would force the same consideration for others not standing in such relation.
The right to give property exists as an inherent right of the owner.
Longmire v. Mars, 124 Miss. 77, 86 So. 753; Burnett v. Smith, 93 Miss. 566, 47 So. 117; Baldridge v. Stribling, 101 Miss. 666, 57 So. 658; 2 Lawrence on Equity Jurisprudence, Sec. 949; Gillis v. Smith, 114 Miss. 665, 75 So. 451; In re Estate of Llewellyn, 296 Penn. 74, 145 A. 810, 66 A. L. R. 222; 28 C. J. 625, 658, 670; In re Chapple, 332 Pa. St. 168, 2 A.2d 719, 121 A. L. R. 422, and note, p. 426; Ratterman v. Lodge, 13 F.2d 805, 807; In re King, 100 N.Y.S. 1090; Compton v. Carr, 59 P. 31; Fant v. Fant, 173 Miss. 472, 162 So. 159; St. Louis, etc., R. Co. v. Nichols, 161 Miss. 795, 138 So. 364; Cunningham v. State, 56 Miss. 269, 31 Am. Rep. 360; Hitt v. Terry, 92 Miss. 671, 46 So. 829; Batiste v. State, 165 Miss. 161, 147 So. 318; Secs. 381-383, Code of 1930; Jacks v. Bridewell, 51 Miss. 881; Waller v. Shannon, 53 Miss. 500; Saffold v. Horne, 72 Miss. 470, 18 So. 433; Kyle v. Rhodes, 71 Miss. 487, 15 So. 40; Shackelford v. Brown, 72 Miss. 380; 1 A. L. R. 48, 77, 105, 106; Murray v. Johnson, 1 Head. 35; Bellows v. Stone, 18 N.H. 465; Brown v. Mortgage Co., 86 Miss. 388, 398; 21 C. J. 561; Am. File Co. v. Garrett, 110 U.S. 228, 28 L.Ed. 149; 10 R. C. L. 545, sec. 328; Lenox et al. v. Prout, 3 Wheat. 520, 4 L.Ed. 449, 451; Development Co. v. Silva, 125 U.S. 247, 31 L.Ed. 678; Petrie v. Wright, 6 S. & M. 647; Ralston v. Rurpin, 32 L.Ed. 747; Sobraines v. Sobraines, 31 P. 910; Cresswell v. Cresswell, 164 Miss. 871, 144 So. 42; 18 C. J. 424, 503; Thornton, Gifts and Advancements, p. 451, sec. 456; Zimmerman v. Frushour (Md.), 69 A. 796, 16 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1087; 2 Pomeroy on Equitable Jurisprudence, p. 1389, par. 959, note 1; Hunter v. Atkins, 3 Myl. & K. 113; Hesse v. Hemberger (Tenn.), 39 S.W. 1063; 70 C. J. 793; Moore v. Railroad Co., 59 Miss. 243; Dunlap v. Richardson, 63 Miss. 449; McClellan v. McCauley, 158 Miss. 456, 130 So. 147; Wherry v. Latimer, 103 Miss. 531; Gholson v. Peters, 176 So. 607; Barnett v. Barnett, 155 Miss. 447; Scally v. Wardlaw, 123 Miss. 857, 86. So. 625, 627; Moore v. Brooks, 84 Miss. 238, 123 Miss. 301; Gillis v. Smith, 114 Miss. 665, 75 So. 451; Alcorn v. Alcorn, 194 F. 275; Security Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Brunson, 176 Miss. 893, 170 So. 824; Jones v. Jones, 162 Miss. 501, 139 So. 873; Howell v. Ott (Miss.), 180 So. 60; Ham v. Ham, 110 So. 583, 146 Miss. 161; Woodson v. Reynolds, 76 P.2d 41; Bourn v. Bourn, 163 Miss. 71, 140 So. 518; Brooks v. Brooks, 145 Miss. 845, 111 So. 376; Watkins v. Martin, 147 So. 652, 167 Miss. 343; Wall v. Wall, 177 Miss. 743, 171 So. 676; Ford v. Byrd, 184 So. 443, 183 Miss. 846.
If the gift was initially invalid, then it was ratified.
Falconer v. Holland, 5 S. & M. 689, 698; Fatheree v. Fletcher, 51 Miss. 271; Pomeroy's Equity Jurisprudence (4 Ed.), Sec. 964, p. 2089; 28 C. J. 44; Pritchard v. Martin, 1 S. & M. Ch. 126; 9 Am. Jur. 389, Sec. 46; Farrand Co. v. Houston, 110 Miss. 40, 69 So. 997; 2 C. J. S. 1078; 2 Am. Jur. 181, sec. 227; Meyer v. Morgan, 51 Miss. 25.
The gift if initially invalid, was validated by acquiesence.
W. B. Fontaine was competent to give Mrs. Lindeman independent advice.
Willoughby v. Pope, 101 Miss. 808; 7 C. J. S. 826; 5 Am. Jur. 297; Todd v. Rose, 108 Kans. 64, 193 P. 894, 16 A. L. R. 425; Restatement Law of Agency, sec. 389 et seq.; Post v. Hagen, 71 N. J. 234, 65 A. 1026, 124 Am. St. Rep. 997.
Green & Green, of Jackson, for appellants.
Mrs. Elizabeth Lindeman made a valid gift of 109.09 shares of stock of Mississippi Foundry & Machine Company, herein called "Company" to Julius Mosal, and in not so holding, the chancellor erred, because:
Appellees not having waived answer under oath, appellant's sworn answer imposed upon the appellees a burden of proof, which burden of proof appellees have not seriously assumed to meet.
70 C. J. 793; Moore v. R. R. Co., 59 Miss. 243; Dunlap v. Richardson, 63 Miss. 449; Fant v. Fant, 173 Miss. 472, 162 So. 159.
Possession of personal property by donee prima facie evidence of gift.
Security Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Brunson, 176 Miss. 893, 170 So. 824, 827; Falconer v. Holland, 5 S. & M. 689, 698; Fatheree v. Fletcher, 31 Miss. 271.
Cancellation is an extraordinary remedy and may not be granted unless the facts are proved by clear and convincing evidence.
2 Lawrence, Equity Jurisprudence, Sec. 949; Gillis v. Smith, 114 Miss. 665, 75 So. 451.
Appellees having stood by until death removed Julius Mosal, may not herein profit from that delay.
Soper v. Cisco (N. J.), 95 A. 1016-1020; 19 Am. Jur. 355, sec. 511.
As to ratification of the gift, see:
Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Perrin, 183 So. 919; Clayton v. Clark, 74 Miss. 499, 21 So. 565; Cratin v. Cratin, 178 Miss. 881, 174 So. 256.
Fraud and wrongdoing are never presumed and herein not even suggested.
Willoughby v. Pope, 58 So. 705, 101 Miss. 808; Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Hall, 118 So. 826, 152 Miss. 413; 7 Miss. Digest, Title "Fraud", Key No. 58; 28 C. J. 658.
Robertson & Robertson, of Jackson, for appellees.
There was no gift of the 109.09 shares of stock to J. A. Mosal.
28 C J. 625, 674; McDaniel v. Bank of Pontotoc, 111 So. 459; McClellan v. McCauley, 130 So. 145, 158 Miss. 456; Yates' Estate v. Ala.-Miss. Conference Assn. of Seventh-Day Adventists, Inc., 176 So. 534, 179 Miss. 642; Ford v. Byrd, 184 So. 443, 183 Miss. 846; Fant v. Fant, 173 Miss. 472, 162 So. 159; Sec. 383, Code of 1930; Falconer v. Holland, 5 S. & M. 689; Carradine v. Carradine, 58 Miss. 286; Timberlake v. Shippers' Compress Co., 72 Miss. 323, 16 So. 530; Gidden v. Gidden, 176 Miss. 98; McWillie v. Van Vacter, 35 Miss. 428, 72 Am. Dec. 127; Howell v. Ott, 182 Miss. 252, 181 So. 740; Estate of Chapple,...
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