Court Opinion

ID: 7807251
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:08:02.716162+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:21.696045
License: Public Domain

Smith, J., (after stating the facts). Appellant insists there was a defect of parties in that the court undertook to render a final decree both as to the title to the property, and the accounting for the rents, when a number of the Feild heirs were neither parties plaintiff nor defendant. Appellant also says this action is barred by laches. But we find it unnecessary to consider either of these questions, as we think the chancellor’s finding that there was a trust in the land in favor of the heirs of Silas Feild is contrary to the preponderance of the evidence. Appellees insist that appellant was the agent of the heirs and the administrator, and that as such he could purchase only for his principals, and that the proof shows the money used in the purchase of the lands was secured from Luchesi by an arrangement between the parties for the specific purpose of purchasing for the estate, and that the money was used for this purpose, and that the purchase with this intention made with money raised by appellees for that purpose constituted appellant a trustee, and that he holds the title as such. The reported cases all hold that evidence to establish the existence of such trust must be clear, positive and satisfactory, and some cases say that the evidence must be so clear and positive as to leave no doubt; and all the cases agree that a mere preponderance of evidence is not sufficient to engraft a trust upon property conveyed by deed c.ontaining no recognition of the trust. And we think this evidence is not sufficient to meet that requirement. In our opinion as much as can be said of this evidence and its sufficiency (and we do not decide even that), is that appellant proved recreant to his promise to convey this title to the Feild heirs, or to distribute-the proceeds of the sale of this property among them.  (1-2-3) The agreement between these parties, if the facts were a® appellees contend, is not enforceable as constituting an express trust for the reason that the entire agreement rests in parol. Nor can the evidence in this case be said to constitute a resulting trust because the purchase money was furnished by appellant, and was raised by him through a mortgage which he gave on his own home. This was done after the administrator and heirs had failed in their efforts even to raise the money with which to pay the interest on the mortgage debt. Every one, including Luchesi, to whom application was made for the loan of money, declined to make it upon the security offered, and the entire Feild estate appeared to be imperiled. The mortgage indebtedness, exclusive of interest and costs of suit, was $4,000, and • appellant bought only a portion of the property sold at the foreclosure sale, and the property which was bought by him for $2,615, together with the other property sold, brought the amount of the mortgage indebtedness, including the costs and interest, and at the sale there was competitive bidding, and a large part of the property was bought by the widow of Silas Feild, who was-also the widow of one' of his sons, and the mother of several of the heirs interested in this estate. The exact amount of money which appellant would require could not be known, and was not known until after the sale, when he borrowed from the Pulaski Trust Company the money with which to make his payment. This loan was made to appellant individually upon the use of his individual property as security, and even though an agreement might have existed at.the time of this sale to hold the property as trustee for the Feild heirs, such an agreement would not constitute a resulting trust. Discussing this question in the case of Grayson v. Bowlin, 70 Ark. 145, Mr. Justice Battle, speaking for the court, said: “This court, in Sale v. McLean, 29 Ark. 612, and in Duval v. Marshall, 30 Id. 230, said, in •effect, that, in order to create a trust of this nature (resulting trust), payment of the purchase money must be made at the time of the purchase. By this it was meant that the trust must arise, if at all, from the original transaction at the time it takes place, and at no other time; and that it ©an not be mingled with any subsequent dealings. Some of the cases use the language, ‘at the date of the payment of the purchase money; ’ others, ‘ at the time of the execution of the conveyance. ’ But all of them mean the same thing, namely, that it is impossible to raise a resulting trust, so as to divest the legal estate of the grantee or his heirs, by the subsequent application of the funds of a third person to the satisfaction of the unpaid purchase money. Botsford v. Burr, 2 Johns. Ch. 406; Rogers v. Murray, 3 Paige, 390; Leading Cases in Equity, supra, 338. The trust arises out of the circumstances that the money of the real purchaser, and not of the grantee in the deed, formed the consideration of the purchase, and became converted into land.” And that opinion quoted with approval the following language from the case of Bland v. Talley, 50 Ark. 71: “Now, a parol agreement that another shall be interested in the purchase of lands, or a parol declaration by a person that he buys for another, without an advance of money by that other, falls within the statute of frauds, and can not give birth to a resulting trust.” Nor can it be said that a trust ex maleficio arose from the facts of this transaction. The essentials of such a trust were discussed in Spradling v. Spradling, 101 Ark. 451, in which case it was said: “* * * There is no testimony indicating that the husband fraudulently induced the wife to have the deed made to him by reason of a promise that he would convey the land to, or hold it for, the children. There is no testimony that he acquired the title by any intentionally false or fraudulent promise, so that it could be said that a trust ex maleficio arose from the transaction. To create such a trust, the mere verbal promise, and its breach, is not sufficient. There must be some element of fraud practiced whereby the execution of the deed is induced; and in the case at bar, there is not a tittle of testimony indicating that any such fraud was practiced by the husband upon the wife in obtaining this deed. 3 Pomeroy Eq. Jur., § 1056.” Discussing the proof necessary to establish a trust ex maleficio, Mr. Justice Riddick, in the case of Ammonette v. Black, 73 Ark. 313, said: “There must, of course, in such cases be an element of positive fraud by means of which the legal title is wrongfully acquired, for, if there was only a mere parol promise, the statute of frauds would apply.” Both of the opinions of this court quoted from, cite with approval section 1056, 3 Pomeroy, Equity Jurisprudence, which reads as follows: “The foregoing cases should be carefully distinguished from those in which there is a mere verbal promise to purchase and convey land. In order that the doctrine of trusts ex maleficio, with respect to land, may be enforced under any circumstances, there must be something more than a mere verbal promise, however unequivocal, otherwise the statute of frauds would be virtually abrogated; there must be an element of positive fraud accompanying the promise, and by means of which the acquisition of the legal title is wrongfully consummated. Equity does not pretend to enforce verbal promises in the face of the statute; it endeavors to prevent and punish fraud, by taking from the wrong-doer the fruits of his deceit, and it accomplishes this object by its beneficial and far reaching doctrine of constructive trusts. ’ ’ It follows from what we have said, the chancellor erred in his finding that appellant held the interest to the property in question as trustee, and in his directions that an accounting be had of the proceeds of the sale and disposition of the trust property, and his decree to that effect will therefore be reversed and the cause remanded with directions to the chancellor to dismiss the complaint for want of equity. Kirby, J., dissents.