Bridgman v. Stout
Bridgman v. Stout
Opinion of the Court
Defendant Rosario A. Stout in her individual capacity appeals from a judgment declaring that plaintiff Catherine H. Bridgman is the exclusive owner of certain real property located in Yamhill County. The plaintiff and decedent R. L. Stout acquired the property at a time while they were living together, purportedly as husband and wife. The deed by which they took title conveyed to them as “Reynold L. Stout and Catherine H. Stout, husband and wife.” In a previous case involving the same parties to this appeal, we held that plaintiff and decedent were not common law husband and wife, Bridgman v. Stout, 5 Or App 558, 485 P2d 1101 (1971).
The appealing defendant contends that the deed conveyed only an undivided one-half interest in the real property to plaintiff, and that the other interest belongs to decedent’s estate. Plaintiff contends that her uncontradicted testimony that she and decedent orally agreed that the survivor should own the entire property, and that she expended money and work on the property in support of such agreement, is sufficient for affirmance of the trial court’s decision.
The plaintiff testified that she and decedent dis
“* * * Joint tenancy is abolished [by statute in Oregon (OES 93.180)] and all persons having an undivided interest in real property are to be deemed and considered tenants in common, except where the right of survivorship is expressly declared >» * Erickson v. Erickson, 167 Or 1, 15, 115 P2d 172 (1941).
Where a deed conveys real property to two named people, reciting they are husband and wife, but in fact they are not legally married, they take the property as tenants in common and not by the entirety with rights of survivorship. Merit v. Losey, 194 Or 89, 240 P2d 933 (1952); Emmons et al v. Sanders et al, 217 Or 234, 342 P2d 125 (1959). In the latter case it was argued that a right of survivorship “* * * can be implied from the circumstance that the grantees purported to take the deed as married persons * * ®.” The court expressly rejected this argument saying “* * * the prevailing and better view is to the contrary * * OES 41.580(5) provides:
“In the following cases the agreement is void unless it, or some note or memorandum thereof, expressing the consideration, is in writing and subscribed by the party to be charged * * *; evidence, therefore, of the agreement shall not be received other than the writing * * *:
“(5) An agreement for * * * the sale of real property, or of any interest therein.”
Even if there had been satisfactory evidence that plaintiff and decedent entered into an oral contract, for reasons set out below, it would not be enforceable. In Hunter v. Allen, 174 Or 261, 147 P2d 213, 148 P2d 936 (1944), it was held that alleged contracts such as we are dealing with here are within the statute of frauds (ORS 41.580(5) quoted supra) and void unless
“* * * The contract must be established by clear, concise, convincing and satisfactory evidence * * *. [T]he rendition of the services must be wholly referable to the contract and solely predicated thereon * * 174 Or at 278.
As the court remarked in that case, “* * * we have given painstaking and sympathetic consideration to the claims of the plaintiff with reference to the alleged agreement * * but we simply do not find (1) that it was proved by evidence measuring up to the standard required, or (2) that the performance thereof, if it were proved, was wholly referable to the contract and solely predicated thereon. Therefore, such a contract would be within the statute of frauds, and the rule of Merit v. Losey, supra, would apply.
Reversed and remanded with instructions to enter declaratory judgment consistent with this opinion.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.