Court Opinion

ID: 9539732
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:09:18.190543+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:59:17.001310
License: Public Domain

Judge JOHNSON
concurring in the result.
I concur in the opinion up to the summary discussion of Assignments of Error Nos. 1 and 3, based on Exceptions Nos. 1, 3, and 7 wherein plaintiff contends that the court erred by submitting issues and instructions on express and resulting trusts in such manner that the jury was able and, in fact, did reach what appears to be inconsistent verdicts. I disagree with the opinion that these Assignments of Error raise questions already discussed in the opinion; therefore, I wish to more fully address these Assignments of Error.
A resulting trust issues from equity; whereas, an express trust issues from the remedies available at law. It is a fundamental rule that equity will not lend its aid where a plaintiff has a full and complete remedy at law. Jefferson Standard Life Ins. Co. v. Guilford County, 225 N.C. 293, 34 S.E. 2d 430 (1945). Hence, the court should have instructed the’jury to the effect that if the jury answered “yes” to issue 1, it need not address issues 2 and 3, but that if it answered “no” to issue 1, it should go on to issue 2. Likewise the court should have instructed the jury in the alternative regarding issues 2 and 3. By instructing the jury as it did, the court allowed the jury to reach what appears to be inconsistent verdicts. A cardinal distinction between an express trust and a trust by operation of law, which includes a resulting trust, is that the former is based upon a direct declaration or expression of intention embodied in a contract, whereas the latter is raised by a presumption of law based on acts or conduct that are not a *593direct declaration of intention. Bowen v. Darden, 241 N.C. 11, 13, 84 S.E. 2d 289, 291 (1954) (emphasis added). Where there is an express contract, no implied contract can exist. John D. Latimer & Assoc. v. Housing Authority of Durham, 59 N.C. App. 638, 642, 297 S.E. 2d 779, 782 (1982). Plaintiff here has failed to show prejudice; hence, the error is not fatal. “At worst, the jury answered yes to alternative theories of liability.” Hall v. Mabe, 77 N.C. App. 758, 762, 336 S.E. 2d 427, 429 (1985). Either way plaintiff cannot prevail and the property is impressed with a trust in favor of defendant Hattie Watkins, who is entitled to own the land in fee simple absolute, subject to her promise to pay the remainder of the purchase price. See Ray v. Norris, 78 N.C. App. 379, 337 S.E. 2d 137 (1985), disc. rev. denied, 316 N.C. 378, 342 S.E. 2d 897 (1986).