Opinion ID: 1350256
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: donative intent

Text: Poduska testified that [Clifford] told me he has a house that he's going to give me and that I was supposed to take up with the house when he passes away. This statement was made at Clifford's home shortly after the purchase of the property, in Alfreda's presence, and was repeated in essence on a number of later occasions. The district court viewed this evidence as insufficient to establish a gift, observing, There were never any witnesses to these statements, apparently meaning witnesses other than Poduska. However, other witnesses testified to statements by Clifford of the same nature as those testified to by Poduska. Rebecca Poduska testified that in 1976, Clifford asked her if she knew her husband had a house in Omaha. She testified that in 1982, Clifford told her he had been working on Poduska's house. Betty Poduska testified that on six or seven occasions, the last being in June 1986, Clifford had told her that her son owns a house in Omaha. Clifford told his fiancee, Gaye, that Poduska was aware that the property was in his name, adding, [W]hat the hell does he care ... if I die he's got himself a house. Clifford also told Gaye, while visiting 3815 Franklin, that the property was in Poduska's name and that if something happened to him (Clifford), the property would go to Poduska. The trial court found that these corroborative statements were made in no particular context; Lewis and Alfreda similarly argue that the statements were not specific as to the exact house or property being given. Brief for appellees Lewis and Heller at 19. However, that ignores the fact that during this period of time only the one house was titled in Poduska's name. Clifford's statements were made against a background indicating that he intended something other than a resulting trust. In the other instances where Poduska took title to property for the Hellers, Clifford facilitated the reconveyance of the property to him and Alfreda: Clifford would put [the deed] underneath [Poduska's] nose and say, here, Jim, sign this, and Jim did without reading it or anything. However, in the instance of 3815 Franklin, Clifford let the deed reconveying the property from Poduska to himself and Alfreda sit on his desk for 6 years without requesting Poduska's signature. He did this even though he was aware, based on the statements recounted above, that Poduska held title to the property, and even though he saw Poduska on several occasions, including one only 2 months before he died. Lewis and Alfreda argue that Clifford's intent was not to make a gift, but to consummate the kind of sham transaction he had involved Poduska in on previous occasions. While this may have been Clifford's intent at the time of the original conveyance, Clifford's later statements and actions make it clear that his intent changed. If he intended himself to be the beneficial owner of 3815 Franklin, his statements that the property belonged to Poduska, and his failure for over 12 years to have Poduska reconvey the property, are inconsistent with that intent. The evidence is sufficient to indicate that Clifford intended the property as a gift to Poduska, with possession to be taken after Clifford's death.