Bonifacio v. Stuart
Bonifacio v. Stuart
Opinion of the Court
The defendant, in the trial court, has appealed from an adverse judgment as to his title to a fractional interest in certain lands in Monterey County. The defendant acted as attorney for the plaintiff in the case of Espinosa v. Bonifacio et al., No. 6436, records superior court, state of California, in and for the county of Monterey, that being the same litigation referred to in Espinosa v. Stuart, ante, p. 477, [199 Pac. 66], and which is hereby referred to for additional facts. In his complaint the plaintiff alleged that he was the owner of an undivided one thirty-second interest in certain lands, describing them; that the defendant claimed some interest which was without right; that the defendant acted as attorney for this plaintiff for a long period in a suit entitled Espinosa v. Bonifacio et al., and in other matters; that during all that time plaintiff had full confidence in defendant; that during said time said attorney asked said client to sign two papers, saying they were papers to clear the title to the lands in dispute in Espinosa v. Bonifacio et al.; that, in truth, one of said papers was a deed by which plaintiff conveyed to defendant three-tenths of his one thirty-second interest ; that the other paper was an assignment of three-tenths of plaintiff’s rentals, aggregating $500 per annum; that the aforesaid statement of said attorney to said client was false; that plaintiff believed and acted on it; that plaintiff did not receive any consideration for said interests; that the defendant had collected $200 of the rentals so assigned; and that the plaintiff had no plain, speedy, and adequate remedy at law.
*489
In point 4 of his brief the defendant argues that the plaintiff took independent advice and he quotes witnesses to that effect. The plaintiff testified that he did not do so. The conflict was for the trial court.
In point 7 the defendant asserts that the plaintiff did not prove any overt acts of or constituting undue influence. In making this attack the defendant is clearly confusing a case of actual undue influence with a case for violation of the duties arising out of a fiduciary relation. Goodwin v. Goodwin, 59 Cal. 560, and Wood v. Carpenter, 101 U. S. 135, [25 L. Ed. 807, see, also, Rose’s U. S. Notes], are cases of the first class; Simpson v. Dalziel, 135 Cal. 599, [67 Pac. 1080], was of the latter class, but it involved the duty of a client after the relations between himself and his attorney had been terminated.
The last attack which appellant makes is based on the fact that in the conclusions of law the court uses the fraction seven-tenths instead of eight-tenths. The findings of fact uses eight-tenths and the judgment uses eight-tenths. The error, if any, was corrected by the decree. (Spencer v. Duncan, 107 Cal. 423, [40 Pac. 549].)
The written contract between the parties, dated September 12, 1916, contained a clause which would have warranted a claim by the attorney for reimbursement for cash expended; but he introduced no accounts or vouchers showing that he had any claim under that clause. Again, he claimed a subsequent alteration had been made in the contract of employment, but he did not show a new consideration which would support such a claim (Main St. etc. Co. *491 v. Los Angeles Traction Co., 129 Cal. 301, 305, [61 Pac. 937]), nor did he show, nor did the court find, that there was a subsequent written agreement nor an executed oral agreement. (Civ. Code, sec. 1698.)
The judgment is affirmed.
Langdon, P. J., and Nourse, J., concurred.
A petition to have the cause heard in the supreme court, after judgment in the district court of appeal, was denied by the supreme court on June 30, 1921.
All the Justices concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- JOHN J. BONIFACIO, Respondent, v. Z. B. STUART, Appellant
- Cited By
- 9 cases
- Status
- Published