Bartle v. Tubbs
Bartle v. Tubbs
Opinion of the Court
1. Defendant leased 320 acres of land from deceased, in April, 1914. Tlie lease was to run until March 1, 1915. The rental was $1,000, of which $500 was to be paid January 1, 1915, and $500, March 1, 1915. Deceased died testate in July, 1914. The suit was brought in March, 1915, to recover from defendant an installment of rent payable March 1, 1915. Defendant answered that the unearned portion of the rent accruing after her death became and was the property of the devisees under the will, to whom the said real estate was devised; alleged that he paid to plaintiff the installment of rent of $500 which was payable January 1, 1915, but that it was so paid to plaintiff under a verbal agreement with him to the effect that the question of ownership of lease should be submitted to the court, and that the parties to this suit would abide by the decision of the court thereon; that, in case the district court, should find that the same belonged to the defendant and the devisees under the will, the $500 so paid should be returned to him. Defendant further alleged that the $500 was paid to avoid suit. These facts were pleaded as a counterclaim, in which defendant asked to recover the $500 so paid. Defendant did not allege want of consideration, fraud, mistake or duress.
For reply, plaintiff admits the provisions of the will set out, and that defendant paid to plaintiff $500 as rent, and states further, that he denies that the $500 was paid pursuant to any understanding with defendant or promise on his part to repay or refund;, states that the said sum was paid by defendant and received by plaintiff under a different arrangement from that stated by defendant; that the understanding was that defendant claimed to plaintiff that he (defendant) was owing and should pay as rent such part as would approximately equal the fair rental value of the leased premises down to the date of the death of Mrs. Knapp; that the use of said premises by him for such period was of the reasonable value of $500, which defendant agreed to pay, provided that.
The will of Mrs. Knapp gives a part of the leased land to Clayton and Earl Tubbs, and the rest of it to defendant and his wife for life. Other devisees assigned to defendant any interest they claimed in the rent. Defendant paid the note before referred to, with aceru.ed interest, without protest or objection. Before the execution of the note, defendant and one of his sons counseled with attorneys concerning the matter of rent and payment thereof. The evidence tends to show, if, indeed, it is not undisputed, that, about January 4, 1914, defendant and his two sons appeared in the office of plaintiff’s attorney for the purpose of making settlement of the rent, and then expected and wanted to pay rent down to the death of Mrs. Knapp. This was on the day the note was executed. At that time, there was some talk by plaintiff about enforcing collection of the rent by suit. Some time in February, 3915, counsel for defendant prepared a written agreed statement of facts, as he. claimed them to be, and presented it to plaintiff for signature. Plaintiff declined to sign this agreed statement until he could see his attorney.
The principal question argued is as to whether the judgment should have been for the defendant or the plaintiff. As is often the case, counsel for appellant assume that, because defendant and his witnesses give testimony to sustain their theory of the case, their evidence is necessarily true, and that the evidence from the other side amounts to nothing, and the evidence is undisputed. It would serve no useful purpose to set out the testimony on this, disputed fact question. It is enough to say that there is a decided conflict in the evidence on this point, and the case was tried by defendant on the theory that there was a promise to refund 'as claimed ‘by defendant, and by plaintiff, on the theory that there was a bona fide dispute between the parties as to defendant’s liability for rent after the death of the lessor, and that the payment made by defendant was voluntary, with full knowledge of all the facts.
We are not called upon to now determine in advance the rights of the parties if an action should be brought by plaintiff as an individual. The court, upon objection by plaintiff, excluded the inventory and appraisement bill of personal property belonging to the estate of Mrs. Knapp. Under the issues presented, and in view of the record, we are unable to see how these were relevant or material.
We discover no prejudicial error in the record, and the judgment is, therefore — Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Albert Bartle v. C. J. Tubbs
- Status
- Published