Beehive State Bank v. Rosquist
Beehive State Bank v. Rosquist
Concurring in Part
(dissenting in part and concurring in part).
The observations of this author well might be labeled an Anatomy of Near Murder of a Utah Joint Account. It all started after Holt v. Bayles,
The law of Holt v. Bayles
Without any apparent or expressed good reason, Neill v. Royce cut the juris out from under the corpus of Holt v. Bayles— and became the Utah law in the Utah joint account area.
Eight years after Neill v. Royce, in Greener’ v. Greener,
The labor pains of Greener v. Greener almost reflect an apologia for Neill v. Royce. A copious use of triticisms like “This is an equity case,” “The trial judge had the witnesses before him,” and “He could note their demeanor on the stand, judge their ability to register and retain impressions and to transmit them intelligently and to their candor or lack of it,” “In that stage where the court draws conclusions from the basic facts previously found by him, we are on a more equal plane with him,” and others ad infinitum, may have served to obfuscate rule and reason, but they cannot escape the fact that this court, on admittedly contradictory evi
Nonetheless, Neill v. Royce persisted through the Fabulous Fifties, when, in July, 1960, ten years after Greener v. Greener and nineteen after Neill v. Royce, we decided First Sec. Bk. v. Demiris,
In that case Demiris and his wife Iphe-genia, married some 31 years, had several joint accounts and bonds over a considerable period. He had a separate $38,000 account which he converted into a joint bank account with Iphegenia while he was in the hospital, ill and allegedly senile. He died a short time later. His brothers and a sister claimed the money belonged to the estate, because of Demiris’ incompetency and his wife’s undue influence. The trial court found there was no incompetency and no undue influence. The case should have ended there, since Holt v. Bay les, and Neill v. Royce and Greener v. Greener, the only precedents existing at that time, all held that where there was a survivor of a joint account, it belonged to the survivor, — in this case Iphe-genia, — lacking any equitable grounds such as fraud, undue influence, etc. or other equitable infirmity shown by clear and convincing evidence justifying reformation of a clear, unambiguous agreement, in all respects valid and enforceable by its terms or by rebuttable presumption not destroyed by clear and convincing evidence. There was no undue influence shown in this case, although alleged, nor was there any other equitable infirmity either alleged, proved or hinted, nor was there any evidence having to do with the Neill v. Royce presumption. Until this case came along, the three precedents mentioned above were decided by a unanimous court. In the Demiris case, the split came on a 3-to-2 count, — and well it might. The main opinion conceded that the case could not be
The above not only blew a $38,000 asset, it introduced several brand new principles into what was thought to be somewhat doctrinal in joint account situations: 1) It sanctioned an arbitrary finding of fact by this court of the mutual intentions of two signatories to a joint account on the testimony of only one of them, — Iphe-genia, who was the only witness thereto,— the trial court finding no merit to the brother’s and sister’s claim of incompetency and undue influence, no claim having been made on any other than those two grounds; 2) It sanctioned an arbitrary finding of fact by this court of the mutual intentions of two signatories to a joint account, on no evidence at all, since the only evidence thereof was Iphegenia’s testimony which was uncontradicted but disbelieved by a majority of this court, leaving nothing but an inference based on withdrawal of the money, which was inimical to the findings of the trial court that the majority here approved; and 3) It sanctions this court’s approval of a complete violation and evasion of principles with respect to parol evidence, and in truth sanctions our free
A year and a half later we decided Braegger v. Loveland,
About four years later we decided Haywood v. Gill,
The Haywood case was followed by Culley v. Culley,
The next year we decided Hanks v. Hales,
The instant case was here before, Beehive State Bank v. Rosquist, 21 Utah 2d 17, 439 P.2d 468 (1968). It was sent back to take further evidence. I thought it could be disposed of on procedural grounds on the record. Mr. Justice Ellett, in his opinion, said substantially what I do here, in part, about Hanks v. Hales, but I think he did not go far enough in the rule he set forth and which was adopted by the court. The weakness in the rule is the first phrase, that “If the contract between the parties ostensibly creates a joint tenancy * * * there arises a presumption that such is the case unless * * * ” It seems to me that “if” and “ostensibly” beg the question. There having been concededly a joint account contract created in clear, unmistakable language, it would seem that it would not be subject to an attack by parol, since the intentions, as here, clearly are stated, and there is no uncertainty or ambiguity to resolve. If the parties inter se wish to abandon their contract that is well and good and there is no need to invoke the office
About two months after the first Beehive case, we had Continental Bk. v. Kimball
Two and a half years after Continental Bk. v. Kimball, we decided Hobbs v. Fenton,
“The bank account and stock certificates constituted valid, enforceable written contracts. There were two grounds upon which plaintiff could assert his claim: one, the contract was void because of fraud, mistake, incapacity, or other infirmity; or, second, he was entitled to the equitable remedy of reformation of a written instrument because such instrument failed through accident, mistake, or fraud, or a combination of fraud and mistake to express the real agreement or intention of the parties. The latter case is premised on the theory that the parties came to an understanding, hut in reducing it to writing, through mutual mistake or mistake and fraud, some provision was omitted or mistakenly inserted, and the action is to change the instrument as to conform it to the contract upon which the parties had agreed.”
and we further said, quoting from Continental Bank v. Kimball:
“Since the appellant is not trying to reform the contract and is not claiming-fraud, mistake, incapacity, or other infirmity, we think that it is conclusively bound by the contract as made and cannot show that the parties intended a result contrary to that which the law of joint tenancy relationship imposes.”
With this case, I think we have now gone almost full circle back to Holt v. Bayles, supra. The only difference might be said to be the fact that in Holt v. Bayles the court, after concluding that the joint account was immune from attack unless “fraud, mistake, incapacity or other infirmity” is shown, also said the question of intent in joint accounts ceases to be an issue. Reading the latter phrase in context with the former, it seems apparent that the court in Holt v. Bayles did not have in mind that intent was not an issue where mistake was shown. Hobbs v. Fenton, supra, clears up any conceivable inconsistent interpretation that might be advanced in reading Holt v. Bayles when one reads the quotation, supra, from Hobbs v. Fenton. I believe that Hobbs v. Fenton accurately
Since Hanks v. Hales (1966), the case that practically revived Holt v. Bayles, was decided after the creation of the joint account in the instant case (1964), cannot control here because it was decided after the joint account involved in the instant case, nor can Continental Bk. v. Kimball (1968), nor Hobbs v. Fenton (1971), it follows that the cases of First Sec. Bk. v. Demiris, Braegger v. Loveland and Tangren v. Ingalls would prevail here, being the law at the time the joint account was created, they respectively being questions of 1) who owned the money? 2) was there a gift intended? or just plain 3) what was the intention of the parties? — all irrespective of fraud, undue influence, mistake, or other infirmity, or the parol evidence rule. This being the law, or the confused law on the proverbial shifting sands of joint accounts, there is much, to be said for the dissent in the first Beehive case, since it seems obvious that Painter 1) owned the money, 2) a gift or something tantamount thereto was intended if Mrs. Painter survived him, and 3) it was the undisputed intention of the parties that 1) and 2) supra should prevail, — and the trial court should have been affirmed under the procedure invoking the rules anent summary judgment and Mr. Painter’s sworn statements having unre-futedly shown that he came within the existing law enunciated in the three cases mentioned above. There also is much to be said for the main opinion in the instant second appeal, since it cites Braegger v. Loveland and seems to agree with my dissent in the first Beehive case with respect to the procedure where the facts are un-controverted. I dissent therefrom, however, since I dissented in Braegger v. Love-land and because the opinion is based, not on equitable principles but simply on proof of intention other than clearly expressed in the agreement, which proof would seem to be inadmissible on the part of the plaintiff or the intervener. But I can concur in the instant case in its remand, since such procedure would be proper under the cases that prevailed at the time the joint account in this case was created.
At the expense of being the one that everyone is out of step with but, I cannot agree with Mr. Justice Ellett’s dissent, since he bases it on his theory that the garnishment broke up the joint account by destroying the “four unities of title, interest, time
In view of the history of joint accounts in this state, and the chronology of events anent thereto, I think this second Beehive case should be decided as the trial judge in the first case decided it: That at the time this case arose Mr. Painter, on the facts, pleading and the law, was, and consequently still is, the owner of all the funds in the joint account, for two reasons — that 1) he was the owner thereof under the cases applicable at the time to this account, 2) the undisputed evidence showed he was intended to be such under this case, and 3) he undisputedly is the survivor of the fund which all the cases, absent fraud and the like, which is not the case here, say he owns.
It would seem to this writer that the perennially troublesome problem of joint accounts might be resolved by a double-barreled spelled-out joint account agreement device in which the joint depositors agreed to own the funds in an amount represented by a fraction calculated according to their individual contributions, or in percentages to which they agree with the usual provision for complete and conclusive owhership by the survivor as is found in joint account agreements generally and customarily employed, if not offensive to testamentary problems. Expanded laws along the lines of the present Savings and Loan legislation also might lend stability to such accounts and rescue them from the - erstwhile shifting sands in which such accounts have been struggling to extricate themselves.
I would reverse prospectively all previous cases inconsistent with Hobbs v. Fenton.
. 85 Utah 364, 39 P.2d 715 (1934).
. “The undersigned joint Depositors hereby agree” each with the other “that the money deposited” shall be owned by them jointly, with, right of survivorship subject to receipt by either or the survivor.
. Decided December 28, 1934, written by the Hon. William H. Éolland.
. 101 Utah 181, 120 P.2d 327 (Dec. 29, 1941).
. 110 Utah 571, 212 P.2d 194 (1949).
. 10 Utah 2d 405, 354 P.2d 97 (1960).
. 12 Utah 2d 384, 367 P.2d 177 (1961).
. 12 Utah 2d 388, 367 P.2d 179 (1961).
. 16 Utah 2d 299, 400 P.2d 16 (1965).
. 17 Utah 2d 62, 404 P.2d 657 (1965).
. 12 Utah 2d 388, 367 P.2d 179 (1961).
. 17 Utah 2d 344, 411 P.2d 836 (1966).
. 116 Utah 571, 212 P.2d 194 (1949).
. Holt v. Bayles, 85 Utah 364, 39 P.2d 715 (1934).
. 17 Utah 2d 62, 404 P.2d 657 (1965).
. 21 Utah 2d 152, 442 P.2d 472 (1968).
. 101 Utah 181, 120 P.2d 327 (1941).
. 25 Utah 206, 479 P.2 472 (1971).
. 19 Drake Law Review 229 (Dec. 1969).
Concurring Opinion
(concurring).
I concur but wish to direct attention to the recent decision of this court in Hobbs v. Fenton, 25 Utah 2d 206, 479 P.2d 472 (1971).
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
I dissent. This is the second appeal in this case. The facts were set out in the former opinion.
Mr. and Mrs. Painter ostensibly had a joint bank account. Beehive State Bank as judgment creditor of Mrs. Painter attached the funds, claiming all of it. Mrs. Painter died, and Mr. Painter interpleaded himself and moved for a summary judgment for a release of all the funds. This motion was by the trial court granted, and on. appeal we reversed, saying:
If the contract between the parties ostensibly creates a joint tenancy relationship with full right of survivorship, there arises a presumption that such is the case unless and until some interested party*76 shows under equitable rules that the contract should be reformed to show some other agreement of the parties or that the contract is not enforceable because of fraud, mistake, incapacity, or other infirmity.
* * =¡= * * *
We are of the opinion that this case cannot be settled by a summary judgment based upon the undisputed evidence now before the court. The interest of lia R. Painter in and to the fund while she was alive, if any she had, should be applied toward the satisfaction of the appellant’s judgment against her.2
Pursuant to the remand another trial was had wherein Mr. Painter testified that he had deposited all of the funds in the account. The court thereupon signed a memorandum decision containing the following:
1. That the contract in the names of Fred L. Painter and lia R. Painter created a joint tenancy relationship.
2. That the Intervener presented no evidence that the joint deposit contract should be reformed or varied or that the same was unenforceable.
3. That a garnishee judgment should be entered in favor of the plaintiff for the full amount of the joint account.
Thereafter, findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment were duly signed and filed awarding all of the fund to the Beehive State Bank. Mr. Painter has appealed from that judgment.
We held in the prior decision that the fund could be attached and that the interest therein, if any, of Mrs. Painter could be applied to the satisfaction of judgment against her.
The court apparently thought that because Mrs. Painter had the authority to draw all of the money from the account at the time the garnishment was served, the entire fund could be applied pursuant to the garnishment to the judgment creditor’s account. This belief is not well founded. If a true joint tenancy relationship existed, as the court found it did, then there had to be four unities in existence between the joint tenants, viz.: unity of time, title, interest and possession. Each tenant must, therefore, have the same interest in and to the fund as do all other tenants therein.
In the former appeal we said that an ostensible joint tenancy relationship would be presumed to be just that unless the agreement could be reformed to show some other relationship or because of fraud, mistake, incapacity, or other infirmity which would prevent the enforcement of the agreement. Since there was no proof given at the trial which tended to show that the
In Dover Trust Co. v. Brooks, 111 N.J. Eq. 40, 160 A. 890 (N.J. Chancery 1932), court said:
* * * The service of the writ of attachment and the levy under execution worked a severance of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks’ joint ownership in the account in question and made them tenants in common thereof and terminated the right of survivorship. The question then is: What was the extent of Brooks’ interest as a tenant in common, taken under the attachment and execution? I do not think that the fact that the deposits and withdrawals made by Mr. and Mrs. Brooks were unequal in amount has any bearing in determining that question in this case, because by the form in which they opened and maintained the account for nine years, as each made a deposit in the account, he or she gave to the other an interest in such deposit co-extensive with the interest of the one making the deposit and each had equal rights with the other to draw against such deposits and to withdraw any part, or the whole of the account. I conclude that the attachment issued at Jones’ suit and the execution issued on the judgment entered therein effected a severance of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks’ joint interest in the account, and that they thereupon became tenants in common thereof in equal shares. The result is that one half of the fund in court should be ordered paid to Jones, or to the sheriff who holds the execution in his suit against Brooks, to apply on account of Jones’ judgment, and that the other half should be ordered paid to Mrs. Brooks.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey approved the ruling of the Dover Trust Company case in the case of Republic of China v. Pong-Tsu Mow, 15 N.J. 139, 104 A.2d 322, 326 (1954), and said:
The effect of an attachment or execution against the interest of two owners of a joint account makes the owners tenants in common, and under such attachment or execution the debtor’s interest in such an account may be seized. [Citation omitted.]
* * * The writ of attachment in this case has the effect of merely preserving the stahis q%io until the determination of their principal’s claim to ownership of the funds entrusted to them.
In American Oil Co. v. Falconer, 136 Pa. Super. 598, 8 A.2d 418, 421, 422 (1939), the court held:
It seems clear that the joint tenancy in this bank deposit is severable by the ac*78 tion, voluntary or involuntary, of any one of the parties. The effect of the attachment execution is to sever the joint tenancy and to make William Falconer a tenant in common with his mother and sister, and the one-third of such deposit becomes liable to answer for the judgment of the plaintiff against the son. The plaintiff is entitled to a judgment against the garnishee for such sum not exceeding the one-third of the deposit as is necessary to satisfy its , judgment against William Falconer.
An attachment in aid of execution of a judgment lawfully issued against the interest of a joint tenant destroys the unity of possession of that tenant, as he is deprived of any right to possession o'f the fund. The depositors become tenants in common; and the death of one of them thereafter does not affect the title to the interest held under the writ of garnishment.
I, therefore, do not think this case should be remanded for further proceedings. The parties have had their day in court, and it is my opinion that the plaintiff, .Beehive State Bank, as judgment creditor of Mrs. Painter, is entitled to have one half of the fund applied to its judgment and Mr. Painter- is entitled to the other half. I would reverse the ruling of the trial court and direct it to enter judgment as indicated above. The appellant should be awarded his costs-. . . .
. Beehive State Bank v. Rosquist, 21 Utah 2d 17, 439 P.2d 468 (1968).
Opinion of the Court
This is the second appeal in this case. The first appeal in this matter was by the plaintiff from a summary judgment entered by the court below in favor of the in-tervener. After remand and a trial in the court below, judgment was entered in favor of the plaintiff and against the intervener, and the intervener now appeals to this court.
The plaintiff, Beehive State Bank, was a judgment creditor of lia R. Painter and
The joint depositors whose names are signed on the -reverse side of this card hereby agree with each other and with the above bank that all sums now on deposit, heretofore or hereafter deposited by any one or more of said joint depositors with said bank to their credit as joint depositors, with all accumulations thereon, are and shall be owned by them jointly with the right of survivor-ship, and be subject to the check if the account is a checking account or receipt if the account is a savings account of any one or more of them or of the survivors or survivor of them, and the payment to or on the check or receipt of any one or more of them or the survivor shall be valid and discharge said bank from liability.
On the first appeal the court was of the opinion that the matter could not be decided by a summary judgment based upon the affidavit of the intervener alone. The case was remanded to the trial court for the purpose of determining the interest of Ila R. Painter in and to the fund while she was alive, if any she had, which should be applied toward satisfaction of the plaintiff’s judgment.
It may well be that the trial court misinterpreted our decision when this case was first remanded for trial. In that decision we said if the contract between the parties ostensibly creates joint tenancy relationship with full right of survivorship, there arises a presumption that such is the case unless and until some interested party shows under equitable rules that the contract should be reformed to show some other agreement of the parties or that the contract is not enforceable because of-fraud, mistake, incapacity, or other infirmity.
This matter is remanded for a further hearing as to the ownership, if any, of Ila R. Painter in the ■ account either by
. Beehive State Bank v. Rosquist, 21 Utah 2d 17, 439 P.2d 468.
. Neill v. Royce, 101 Utah 181, 120 P.2d 327; Braegger v. Loveland, 12 Utah 2d 385, 367 P.2d 177; Kennedy v. Kennedy, 169 Cal. 287, 146 P. 647.
Union Properties v. Cleveland Trust Co., 152 Ohio St. 430, 89 N.E.2d 638.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BEEHIVE STATE BANK, a Corporation, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Deon ROSQUIST Et Al., Defendants, First Security Bank of Utah, N. A., a Corporation, Garnishee, Fred L. Painter, Intervener and Appellant
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published