Title: Brousseau v. Brousseau

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

Brousseau v. Brousseau (2006-142)

2007 VT 77

[Filed 29-May-2007]      

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                                 2007 VT 77

                      SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 2006-142

                            SEPTEMBER TERM, 2006


  Joyce J. Brousseau                   }         APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
      v.                               }
                                       }         Addison Superior Court
                                       }
  Heidi D. Brousseau                   }
                                       }         DOCKET NO. 2525-11-05 Ancv

                                                 Trial Judge: Matthew I. Katz

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       ¶  1.  Mother appeals a superior court decision granting daughter
  summary judgment and  thereby entitling her to one half of the proceeds
  from the sale of mother's property as joint tenant.  We reverse the summary
  judgment order and remand for further proceedings.

       ¶  2.  Mother acquired her interest in the property at issue in 1965
  when it was deeded to mother, mother's mother, and mother's father as joint
  tenants with rights of survivorship.  Mother's parents purchased the
  property for their own use, but included mother as a joint tenant on the
  deed solely for estate planning purposes-to avoid probate upon their
  deaths.  In 1980, mother moved to the property to care for her elderly
  parents.  Mother's father died in September of 1983.  In March 1984, while
  mother's mother was still alive, mother signed a deed purporting to convey
  title to the property to herself and daughter as joint tenants with rights
  of survivorship.  Mother claims that it was not intended as a gift, and
  that both parties understood that the deed was an estate planning tool. 
  Mother's mother died three months after the 1984 deed was signed. 

       ¶  3.  Mother currently lives at an assisted-living facility.  In
  2005, mother decided to sell the property to help her meet the monthly
  expenses for the facility.  Daughter allegedly refused to quitclaim her
  interest in the property to mother or to permit mother to receive the
  entire proceeds from the sale of the property.  Prospective buyers of the
  property later informed mother of a title defect in the 1984 deed; it did
  not include mother's mother who was still living at the time the deed was
  executed.  Mother then petitioned the probate court to adjudge her interest
  in the property, and in December 2005, the court determined that mother
  "possessed . . . an existing enforceable title" and had the right to convey
  the property free of any claims.  
   
       ¶  4.  In November 2005, mother petitioned the superior court to: 1)
  declare that mother is the sole legal and equitable owner of the property;
  2) order daughter to comply with the sale of the property; 3) declare that
  mother is entitled to all proceeds from the sale of the property; and 4)
  enjoin daughter from making any claims against the proceeds of the sale. 
  Daughter filed a motion for summary judgment.  The superior court granted
  the motion, concluding that mother's "voluntary act in titling the property
  in both her and her daughter's names, as joint tenants with rights of
  survivorship" conclusively demonstrated her intent to make an inter vivos
  gift of a one-half interest in the property.  This appeal followed.

       ¶  5.  We review a grant of summary judgment using the same standard
  as the trial court.  Mellin v. Flood Brook Union Sch. Dist., 173 Vt. 202,
  211,