Case ID: wis_191/html/0128-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Rosenberry, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Fehlow, Respondent, vs. Orvis and another, Appellants.
    
      September 15
    
    October 12, 1926.
    
    
      Trusts: Person furnishing purchase price of real estate: Resulting trusts.
    
    Where deeds were recorded and real estate held by a grantee i'n her own name without objection or protest on the part of her brother, who long afterwards claimed that he was the owner of a one-half interest in the premises because he furnished one half of the purchase money, no resulting trust arose in the brother’s favor in view of the abolition of .resulting trusts by sec. 231.07, Stats., and the brother not bringing himself within any of the exceptions of sec. 231.09.
    Appeal from a judgment of the circuit court for Keno-sha county: E. B. Belden/Circuit Judge.
    
      .Affirmed.
    
    Ejectment. The defendants, Levi C. Orvis and Flora B. Orvis, are brother and sister, residing upon a farm in Keno-sha county, Wisconsin. The farm was occupied by the mother of the defendants as a life tenant, and upon her death the defendants purchased the interest of the other brothers and sisters of the land in question. It is claimed that Levi furnished more than one- half of the purchase money and that it was agreed that the land was to be owned jointly in equal shares. As each outstanding interest was acquired, however, the defendant Flora, to the knowledge of Levi, procured the title to be taken in her own name. In April, 1924, Flora B. Orvis gave an option upon the premises at an agreed purchase price of $350 per acre. In June, 1924, the plaintiff procured the signature of Flora B. Orvis to a deed of the lands, he claiming to have purchased under the option of Robert C. Abt, and gave to Flora B. Or-vis a note and mortgage. It is claimed that Fehlow negotiated with Levi for a conveyance. Levi refused, however, to convey his interest, and he and Flora continued to remain upon the premises and to occupy the same. Therel upon this action was commenced to eject the defendants, and the plaintiff, in accordance with the verdict of the jury, recovered judgment for damages in the sum of $1,361.55 and costs in the sum of $210.37, from which judgment the defendants appeal.
    For the appellants the cause was submitted on the brief of Roy S. Stephenson of Kenosha.
    
      Edward J. Ruets of Kenosha, for the respondent.
   Rosenberry, J.

There can be no doubt that at common law under the facts proven, the defendant Flora would have been held a trustee under a resulting trust. It is equally plain and certain that under the law of this state resulting trusts have been abolished (sec. 231.07, Stats.), excepting in-those cases mentioned in sec. 231.09; and it is equally certain that the defendant Levi does not bring himself within the exception. Levi parted with his interest in the premises in question in 1894 to his brother Justin. In 1914 Justin conveyed his own interest in the estate, together with the interest purchased from Levi, to Flora. Flora acquired the interest of her brother John and sister Adelaide in 1916 and the interest of her brother Harry F. in 1918. The deeds were recorded, the property'was'held by Flora- in her own name without objection or protest on the part of Levi until after an option had been given for substantially its full value, whereupon Levi set up the claim that he was the owner of the half interest in the premises because there was a resulting trust, due to the fact that he furnished one half of the purchase money. The claim that there was a mistake is untenable.

This case is ruled by Richtman v. Watson, 150 Wis. 385, 136 N. W. 797. We need not here repeat what was said there with respect to the abolition of resulting trusts.

By the Court. — Judgment affirmed.