Berghauser v. Blanckenburg
Berghauser v. Blanckenburg
Opinion of the Court
— This action was brought by the plaintiff to recover a certain sum of money from the defendants, which they had received for her, and which they refused to pay over, claiming, — 1. That it was due them for commissions as trustees of her husband’s will; 2. That if their demand in this respect was not just, they were entitled to it under a contract with her; and 3. If not so entitled, that it was due and payable to them on a quantum meruit, for services performed for her, at her instance.
In a cause lately adjudicated in Department One of this court, entitled Blanckenburg v. Jordan, ante, p. 171, which was to construe the trust in the will of the plaintiff’s husband, by virtue of which the first contention of the defendants in this action is here sought to be main
“ The will being admitted to probate, the trustees, as executors, continued to manage the property as before, and in 1879, administration being closed, the property was distributed to the trustees, as such, the court in and by its decree of distribution specifically describing each piece of real and personal property so distributed, and correctly describing the interest of the estate which was so distributed in the three parcels of property here under consideration as the undivided two thirds theréof. The trustees thereafter continued to manage the property and account to Mrs. Berghauser,, as before, until 1888, when this action was brought, the plaintiffs claiming that their trust covered the whole, not simply the two thirds of this property, and that they were entitled to fees and commissions for administering the whole, one third thereof to be taken out of the one-third interest of Mrs. Berghauser in the rents and profits; or if that could not be done, then the fees and commissions for administering the whole to be taken out of the two-.thirds interest of the children.
“Such a claim seems to us to be certainly without foundation. From the date of the entry and recording of that decree of divorce John Berghauser never had any power of testamentary or other disposition of this one-third interest in that property. It had passed out of him forever, with no chance of its ever coming back, except it might have been by purchase or descent, and of that there is no pretense in the case. Even the management and control which was accorded to him was a personal trust, which he could neither transfer nor perpetuate. There is nothing in the will to indicate that he attempted or intended to make testamentary disposition thereof, or to create any testamentary trust over the property. The probate court so understood it, and distributed the estate accordingly. If the trustees ever
Thus it will be seen the contention of the appellants here is very plainly disposed of against them, upon all questions except as to whether Mrs. Berghauser employed them to care for her interest, and collect the rents, etc.; or if she did not do that by agreement,' whether they are entitled to retain her money, upon the principle that, as she permitted them to do the work and got the benefit of it, she is under a legal obligation to pay them for it. The court below found against them upon all their contentions, gave judgment for the plaintiff, and refused a new trial, from which, as we have seen, they have appealed.
The two points now to be considered, therefore, are, whether or not the evidence fails to sustain findings 4 and 5 of the trial court. They are as follows: “4. That it was never mutually understood or agreed between plaintiff and defendants that said defendants should hold or care for plaintiff’s interest in all or any of said properties, in trust for her, or for her use or benefit, or should manage or control the same to the extent or on the same terms as they were managing or controlling the property
In his testimony upon these matters, one of the defendants says: “Mr. Blanckenburg [as the witness was Theodore Blanckenburg, it is evident that when he said Blanckenburg he meant to say Medeau] and myself were the executors of the will of John Berghauser, deceased, and, as such, collected the entire rents of the Prescott House, Broadway, and Green Street properties, and paid the running expenses, and paid Mrs. Berghauser her one third of the net rental therefrom, and made no charge against Mrs. Berghauser therefor, either by way of compensation or as trustees’ or executors’ commissions. .... We never told Mrs. Berghauser we intended charging anything for our services, because we never had any conversation on the subject.”
It is manifest, from all the evidence of this witness and John P. Medeau, his co-defendant, that they thought that they had a claim on Mrs. Berghauser’s interest, perhaps as trustees under the will; but that they never pretended or acted under any belief that they had any agreement with her to be her agents, and to receive any compensation therefor, or that they had any claim against her for services rendered upon a quantum meruit, outside of their claim as trustees under John Berghauser’s will. Medeau says: “We considered that we were trustees for Mrs. Berghauser, on the same terms and conditions, from the time that Mr. Berghauser died up to the present time, and are yet.” It is clear, then,
We think the evidence sustains the findings, and that the judgment and order should be affirmed, and so advise.
Gibson, C., and Vanclief, C., concurred.
The Coubt. —For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion, the judgment and order are affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MARGARETHE BERGHAUSER v. THEODORE BLANCKENBURG
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- 1 case
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- Trustees —• Action for Money Received—Compensation under Will — Hotel Property — Tenancy in Common—Management of Divorced Wife’s Interest. —In an action by a divorced wife, against trustees appointed by the will of the divorced husband, to recover money which they had received as the proceeds of her one-third interest in certain hotel property, awarded to her by the decree of divorce, which it was agreed and decreed that the husband should be entitled to manage, but which was not subject to his testamentary disposition, nor disposed of by his will, it is no defense to such action that the trustees are entitled to keep the money as compensation for their services, as trustees under the will, in caring for the divorced wife’s interest in the property. Id. —Contract nor Services—Quantum Meruit—Findings —Appeal — Review oe Evidence. — In such action, where it appears, from the evidence, that the trustees thought they had a claim upon the wife’s interest in the property, for compensation as trustees under the will, for managing the entire property, but that they never pretended or acted under the belief that they had any agreement with her to be her agents for the management of her interest, and to receive any compensation directly from her therefor, or that they had any claim against her for services rendered at her request upon a quantum meruit, outside of their claim as trustees under the will, findings that there was no agreement of the wife to pay them, and that they had rendered no services for her, at her request or otherwise, will be sustained, and there can be no recovery against her for such services.