Donivan v. Tibbles
Donivan v. Tibbles
Opinion of the Court
— This was an action for partition of real estate, brought by the appellants against the appellees, who are husband and wife. To the complaint, which was in one paragraph, the appellee Frank E. Tibbies answered in general denial. He also filed a cross-complaint, to which the appellants replied in general denial. The issues thus formed were submitted to the court for trial, which, upon the request of the appellees, made a special finding of the facts and stated its conclusions of law thereon favorable to the appellees. There was a decree for partition accordingly.
The only valid assignments'of error are: (1). Error in conclusions of law; and (2) error in overruling the motion for a new trial. We shall first notice the second assigned error.
In support of said motion it is urged that the decision of the court was not supported by sufficient evidence; that the evidence wholly fails to show that the appellant Mary Tibbies Donivan was guilty of any fraud, and that therefore the decision of the court should have been in her favor.
The appellee in his cross-complaint had alleged that said settlement and said deeds were frauds upon him, and asked that they be set aside and disregarded, and that he be given his share of said property as provided for in said will.
The appellant Mary T. Donivan, while testifying as a witness, admitted that she had assumed the active management and control of said estate, as one of the executors thereof; that she said nothing to her brother about any change of their respective interests in said estate from that as fixed by the will, and that she knew that by said settlement she was getting a larger portion of said estate than that given her by the will. The appellee Frank E. Tibbies testified that he left everything concerning the settlement of the estate to his said sister ; that he thought she would do it right; that she would work to his interest -as well as her own; that upon dis
A careful reading of the evidence convinces us that the special findings are well sustained by the evidence.
Under these facts, the query arises, what was the relationship of these parties? Were they dealing at arm’s length, or was there a relationship of trust and confidence ?
In Robbins v. Hope (1881), 57 Cal. 493, 497, it was said: “The phrases ‘confidential relation’ and ‘fiduciary relation’ seem to be used by the courts and law writers as convertible terms. It is a peculiar relation which undoubtedly exists between client and attorney, principal and agent, * * * executors or administrators and creditors, legatees or distributees, * * *. In these and the like cases the law, in order to prevent undue advantage from the unlimited confidence, affection, or sense of duty which the relation naturally creates, requires the utmost degree of good faith {uberrima fides) in all transactions between the parties.”
In 1 Beach, Mod. Eq. Jurisp. 125, it is said: “But when the relations between the contracting parties appears to be of such a character as to render it certain that they do not deal on equal terms, but that either on the one side, * * * from overmastering influ
In Firebaugh v. Trough (1914), 57 Ind. App. 421, 107 N. E. 301, it was said: “In the .case at bar, without repeating the findings, we hold that the facts found were sufficient to show that the parties did not deal at arm’s length or occupy the same relative position in the transaction and that appellee was justified in imposing confidence in the honesty, fairness and truthfulness of appellants in making the deal; that appellants knew that appellee imposed confidence in them and relied upon their representations and conduct; that thereby the duty was imposed on appellant to act in the utmost good faith and to give to appellee all the information possessed by them which might in any material way influence her in the transaction. While the foregoing rule is often invoked where a fiduciary relation exists, its application is not limited to such cases. It is frequently applied where the facts show a relation of trust and confidence justifying one in relying thereon, and where the party occupying the superior position has abused such confidence and dependence and used it to gain an unfair advantage over the party relying thereon.”
In McCowen, Probst, Menaugh Co. v. Short (1918), 69 Ind. App. 466, 118 N. E. 538, it was said: “When
In Thomas v. Whitney (1900), 186 Ill. 225, 231, 57 N. E. 808, it was said: “Transactions between a party and one bearing a fiduciary relation to him are upon his motion prima.facie voidable upon grounds of public policy, and the burthen of proof, the fiduciary relation being established, is upon the one receiving the benefit to show an absence of undue influence, by establishing the fact that the party acted upon competent and independent advice of another, or such other facts as will satisfy the court that the dealing was at arm’s length, or he must show that the transaction was had in the most perfect good faith on his part and was equitable and just between the parties, or, as some authorities say, that it was beneficial to the other parties.”
Under these authorities, and many more could be cited, we hold that the parties to the transactions involved in this case, were not dealing with each other at arm’s length; that the appellant, Mary Tibbies Donivan, occupied a. superior position, she not only being a sister in whom, ordinarily a brother may repose confidence in matters that affect their mutual interest, but she also was in charge of said estate, as one of the executors, and the brother was a legatee; in short, she, as to said brother, occupied a position of trust and confidence, and the law exacted of her a full explanation, to others interested, of matters affecting said estate.
The court did not err in its conclusions of law. Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.