Opinion ID: 1302816
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Property of the Estate

Text: From the testimony at trial, it is clear that the personal property of the decedent was substantially commingled with property of his mother, Maude Keyes. The main task of the administrator, George Jr., and the rest of the family was to sort out what property belonged to the decedent and what did not. The defendants were not as helpful in this task as they might have been, but they did finally offer George Jr. most of the decedent's property, set aside in boxes at the decedent's house. The main property dispute at trial concerned an automobile titled in the decedent's name, a 1983 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The trial judge found that the car was property of the decedent's estate because, he held, under this State's automobile title system, the certificate of title is conclusive proof of ownership. This was error. As we held in Syllabus Point 3, Commercial Credit Corporation v. Citizens National Bank of Point Pleasant, 148 W.Va. 198, 133 S.E.2d 720 (1963), concerning title to automobiles: A certificate of title is not conclusive proof of ownership but is merely evidence in establishing title which may be rebutted by other evidence. In this case, the evidence was overwhelming that the car in question actually belonged to Maude Keyes. Maude Keyes paid the purchase price for the automobile and was listed on the certificate of title as the only lienholder. There was no evidence that Maude Keyes intended a gift to the decedent. The title arrangement was a ruse: Maude Keyes could not obtain liability insurance on the car if titled in her own name. The car was insured in the decedent's name, and Maude Keyes was specifically excluded from coverage under the policy. The effect of this arrangement as between the Keyeses and third parties does not concern us; as between Maude Keyes and the decedent, however, Maude Keyes was the owner. Legally, Maude Keyes may be said to have held a purchase money resulting trust in the automobile. This is a trust arising by operation of law, tantamount to outright ownership. See generally Note, Purchase Money Resulting Trusts in West Virginia, 39 W. Va.L.Rev. ( W.Va.L.Q. ) 58 (1932), and cases cited therein. The trial judge in his final order, also set forth a detailed list of other property of the estate. We find no error in these other dispositions, and affirm the judgment below in this respect. However, it appears from the trial judge's final order that he may have allotted some unspecified amount of compensatory damages for loss, conversion, or destruction of estate property. Although the evidence of such loss is not overly compelling, we cannot say that the trial judge was clearly wrong in that finding. We therefore must remand the case for a precise determination of such damages, if any.