Majority
Headnote
[1] Personal Services—Duty to Pay Reasonable Value of—Presumption.—When services are rendered by one person, from which another derives a benefit, although there is no express contract or agreement to pay for the services, there is a presumption of law which arises from the proof of services rendered that the person enjoying the benefit of the same is bound to pay what they are reasonably worth.There is no substantial conflict between the parties as to the facts of the case, but in our statement we shall resolve whatever minor differences there may be, as far as justified by the record, in favor of respondent. The appeal is from a judgment in favor of plaintiff on a claim against the estate of C. P. Dutton, rejected by his administrator, for the reasonable value of personal services rendered the decedent over a period of more than twenty years, terminating in his death in 1915. Mr. Dutton was formerly a prominent well-to-do resident of the city of Aurora, Illinois. In 1873 he married a woman fifteen years his junior and three sons were born of the marriage. In 1894, after some years of estrangement, he and his wife finally separated, and after the separation, at the invitation of Mr. Mayborne, an old friend and acquaintance, Mr. Dutton
The only serious contention by appellant is that the evidence is insufficient to support that portion of the findings to the effect that the services were performed with the understanding and agreement that plaintiff was to be compensated therefor. It is not disputed that plaintiff served the decedent as claimed by her. Indeed, there is no conflict in the evidence as to .that, and the allegation of the complaint in that respect was not denied in the answer. The position of appellant is that there is no evidence of an express agreement for compensation and that there is no rational ground for the inference that it was the understanding and expectation of the parties that plaintiff should be paid for her services. It may be admitted that there is no direct evidence of any such express agreement, but it is the contention of respondent that from the evidence the trial court was warranted in concluding that the parties contemplated and understood that she was to be paid the reasonable value for her services and that such understanding was sufficient to impose a legal liability therefor.
[1] Appellant does not dispute the general rule, as stated in Moulin v. Columbet, 22 Cal. 509 , that “when services are rendered by one person, from which another derives a benefit, although there is no express contract or agreement to pay for the services, there is a ‘presumption of law’ wMch arises from the proof of services rendered, that the person enjoying the benefit of the same is bound to pay what they are reasonably worth.”
[2] It is, though, justly contended that this is a mere presumption and “liable to be rebutted by proof of a special
And as to Mr. Dutton, would it not be doing rather an injustice to his memory to assume or to infer that he, an elderly man of means and somewhat infirm, would willingly be the mendicant recipient of such solicitous and laborious attention from a young woman to whom he was not related by blood or consanguinity ? The cases wherein such services are presumed to be gratuitous rest upon some natural or conventional obligation of mutual care and consideration, and the present instance hardly belongs to that class. Plaintiff was under no legal or moral duty to render services to Dutton. In contemplation of law they were strangers to each other, and as between such, the law says that beneficial services rendered and accepted must be paid for. (McFarland v. Holcomb, 123 Cal. 84 , [ 55 Pac. 761 ] ; Estate of Rohrer, 160 Cal. 574 , [Ann. Cas. 1913A, 479, 117 Pac. 672 ].)
In this connection it is well to remember that when Miss Mayborne began to serve Mr. Dutton, and for some time thereafter, it is fair to assume that there was no such intimacy as developed in subsequent years. It is to this earlier period that we must look for evidence of an understanding as to remuneration, and upon the most liberal construction in favor of appellant, it cannot be held that in consequence of the character of their relations at that time the presumption would be that the services were gratuitous.
Many witnesses testified as to the daily life and conduct of these parties and as to the nature of the services performed by plaintiff; and, to indicate and illustrate its general scope and intent, we quote the testimony of Clara B. Wells, who resided in the Mayborne family as a roomer and boarder from 1898 to 1905, as follows: “Miss Mayborne did everything about the house. She would contribute to Mr. Dutton’s board and to his care. She did everything about him—his personal affairs. I was with her much of the time. We were very companionable and I had a chance to be with her much. She did everything such as taking care of his linen, packing and unpacking, and much of the time Mr. Dutton was not well and she took care of him. He was never strong and when he was well and went to business she always called for him—went to the train with him in the morning and called for him in the evening. It was a long mile, I should say, from the Mayborne home to the train. She conducted the house and was at its head, and when we had no cook she did the cooking and dishwashing and harnessed the horse and looked after the hay for him. It was Miss Mayborne’s house. I should say it was the house which her father and mother lived in before their death.
Describing a later conversation held with Mr. Dutton, the witness said: “I had another conversation with him with reference to the services or compensation that had been made or would be made. This was about the year following my first conversation. I should say now it would be about twelve or thirteen years ago and that it took place at Ottawa, Illinois. Q. What did Mr. Dutton say in that conversation, Mrs. Wells? . . . Mr. Dutton spoke about some farms he had lately acquired in Kane County and spoke about his holdings in farm lands in Kane County, and also spoke about some National Biscuit stock and some Diamond Match stock, which, together with the farming interests and the Diamond Match and National Biscuit stock, would go to Miss Mayborne as compensation for the care she had given to him. Q. Was anything said in that conversation by Mr. Dutton with reference to whether or not he had expressed his intention to Miss Mayborne? . . . Yes, he said that Etta would be well provided for and that it was necessary she know how she stood, because in all probability she would have to take care of Grace. I don’t recall that he said in so many words that he had said this to Miss Etta Mayborne. No, he didn’t speak of any definite conversation he had with Miss Mayborne, but he spoke about having made the arrangement.”
Still later Mr. Dutton again spoke of these matters: “On one of our summer visits to Evergreen Lawn on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Dutton described the home they were planning—in fact, it was then building here in California. He said it was Etta’s. That was in the summer of the year the house out there was built. It was'the summer they were building the bungalita. They called it Redwood Lodge.”
The facts and circumstances detailed by this and other witnesses were as strongly indicative of an understanding that plaintiff should be rewarded as was the showing of an understanding that the earnings of the wife were to be her separate property in the case of Kaltschmidt v. Weber, 145 Cal. 596 , [ 79 Pac. 272 ], to which we may refer for an interesting discussion of a kindred subject.
[3] This view is strengthened by a consideration of the abortive will of the deceased. Of course, he intended it to
“Redwood Lodge, Hollywood, California,
“May 21st, 1915.
“In case of death, I give to Etta Irene Mayborne, all real ‘estate and personal property, of which I may die seized, found in the state of California. Also all shares of stock in my name, in the American Chicle Company and in the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. This I give to Etta Irene Mayborne for care and faithful services rendered. ’ ’
Said instrument while insufficient as a will, was clearly admissible as a recognition by Dutton of the value of the services of plaintiff and a declaration of his purpose and intention to reward her for the same. The significance of such evidence is indicated in the Rohrer decision, supra. Coming, as it does, many years after the services began, said instrument does not, of course, give rise to any presumption that the same purpose existed in the beginning, but it tends to strengthen the inference from other facts and circumstances of the existence of such purpose or, at least, to rebut any inference or presumption that the parties contemplated that the services should be gratuitous.
[4] We may add that it was entirely proper for the trial court in the determination of the intention of the parties to weigh the circumstance that it would be just and equitable for plaintiff to be rewarded for her services. The average person is supposed to be influenced by such considerations, and it would be natural to suppose that Mr. Dutton was not insensible to their controlling force and would entertain a corresponding purpose to reward Miss Mayborne.
In this connection we may call attention to the following additional authorities cited by respondent: Gall v. Gall, 27 App. Div. 173 , [ 50 N. Y. Supp. 563 ] ; Clark v. Gruber, 74 W. Va. 533 , [ 82 S. E. 338 ]; Morrissey v. Faucett, 28 Wash. 52 , [ 68 Pac. 352 ] ; Ellis v. Cary, 74 Wis. 176 , [ 17 Am. St. Rep. 125 , 4 L. R. A. 55 , 42 N. W. 252 ] ; Heffron v. Brown, 155 Ill. 322 , [ 40 N. E. 583 ] ; Briggs v. Estate of Briggs, 46 Vt. 571 ; Wainwright Trust Co. v. Kinder (Ind. App.), 120 N.
That is a recent decision, and in the character of the services performed quite similar to the case at bar, although the evidence herein in favor of the claimant is stronger than it was in that.
In the Briggs case mpra, the supreme court of Vermont said: “In all cases in which it has been held that the law will not imply a promise to pay for valuable services rendered with the knowledge of the recipient, such a relation has existed between the" parties "before the rendering of the services, that the defendant was not bound to pay for the services. The relation is usually that of parent and child. "When the child arrives at majority, but remains or returns to the parent, or when the parent goes to live with the child, the law presumes the parties have retained or returned to the relation that once existed between them, and will not presume that they thereby assumed the relation of debtor and creditor, unless it is shown that they actually understood that they came together with their relation changed from what it formerly had been to that of debtor and creditor.”
In the Ellis case the supreme court of Wisconsin held that, by reason of the fact that the claimant was a stepdaughter, it was incumbent upon her to show that she was to be remunerated for her services. The court said: “To meet this obligation she proved the express parol agreement for compensation. True, such agreement is void as a contract for the reasons stated, and hence cannot be enforced specifically nor constitute the basis of an action for damages.” The said agreement, it may be stated, was in part
The other cases are in harmony with these, nor do we find the cases cited by appellant to be inconsistent with the views herein expressed when the peculiar facts of each are considered.
[5] We think there is no merit in the contention that the claim is barred by the statute of limitations. The services were continuous for a period of twenty years, and it is a fair inference that it was the intention or expectation that they should be rewarded when terminated. They did not cease until the death of Mr. Dutton. The case falls clearly within the rule announced in Krumb v. Campbell, 102 Cal. 370 , [ 36 Pac. 664 ]; Hagan v. McNary, 170 Cal. 141 , [L. R. A. 1915E, 562, 148 Pac. 937 ]; Furman v. Craine, 18 Cal. App. 41 , [ 121 Pac. 1007 ]; Clark v. Gruber, 74 W. Va. 533 , [ 82 S. E. 338 ]; Morrissey v. Faucett, 28 Wash. 52 , [ 68 Pac. 352 ], They are all to the effect that where the contract is for an indefinite time and no time for payment is' specified, the statute does not begin to run until the services end. Of course, the same rule applies to an express contract and to one implied by law.
There is also force in the claim of respondent that said will contains a “direct, distinct, unqualified and unconditional admission of the debt,” sufficient to meet the requirements of the decisions in this state, and thus to take the case without the statute of limitations, but we do not deem it necessary to decide this point.
[6] We think there is no more merit in the contention that the contract herein was invalid by reason of subdivision 1 of section 1624 of the Civil Code, which requires “an agreement that by its. terms is not to be performed within a year from the making thereof to be evidenced by writing, subscribed by the party to be charged.” This rule does not apply to contracts, either express or implied, for the rendition of services for an indefinite period of time and payment to be made at the termination of the relationship. (Dougherty v. Rosenburg, 62 Cal. 32 ; Kutz v. Fleisher, 67 Cal. 93 , [ 7 Pac. 195 ] ; Osment v. McElrath, 68 Cal. 466 , [ 58 Am. Rep. 17 , 9 Pac. 731 ]; Raynor v. Drew, 72 Cal. 307 ,
Indeed, the proper view of this case, as we understand it, is that the services were performed without any express agreement as to compensation, but with the expectation and' understanding that at some time in the future, probably on the death of Mr. Dutton, the plaintiff would be paid the reasonable value of her services.
[7] Nor do we think that subdivision 7 of said section, requiring a writing for the validity of an agreement “which by its terms is not to be performed during the lifetime of the promisor, or an agreement to devise or bequeath any property or to make any provision for any person by will,” applies to a case like this for recovery upon a quantum meruit. (Hagan v. McNary, 170 Cal. 141 , [L. R. A. 1915E, 562, 148 Pac. 937 ] ; Wallace v. Long, 105 Ind. 522 , [ 55 Am. Rep. 222 , 5 N. E. 666 ].) [8] Besides, said section was first incorporated into the statutes in 1905 and it would not control in a case originating before said daté. (Keefe v. Keefe, 19 Cal. App. 310 , [ 125 Pac. 929 ].)
Certain objections were made to the admissibility of evidence and they are briefly referred to in the written argument of appellant, but we do not understand counsel to contend that the rulings are sufficiently grave to justify a reversal of the judgment. At any rate, we have examined them and find therein no prejudicial error.
As we must view the record, we cannot escape the conclusion that the claim of respondent was just and reasonable and established by legal evidence to the extent that an appellate tribunal is not warranted in interfering with the judgment of the lower court.
The judgment is affirmed.
Ellison, J, pro tern., and Hart, J., concurred.
Cases cited
- Crane v. Derrick 157 Cal. 667 p. 182
- Friermuth v. Friermuth 46 Cal. 42 at 45 p. 182
- McFarland v. Holcomb 123 Cal. 84 p. 183
- In re the Estate of Rohrer 160 Cal. 574 p. 183
- Kaltschmidt v. Weber 145 Cal. 596 p. 186
- Gall v. Gall 27 App. Div. 173 p. 187
- Krumb v. Campbell 102 Cal. 370 p. 189
- Hagan v. McNary 170 Cal. 141 p. 189, p. 190
- Furman v. Craine 18 Cal. App. 41 p. 189
- Dougherty v. Rosenberg 62 Cal. 32 p. 189
- Kutz v. Fleisher 67 Cal. 93 p. 189
- Osment v. Mcelrath 68 Cal. 466 p. 189
- Raynor v. Drew 72 Cal. 307 p. 189
- Bank of Orland v. Finnell 133 Cal. 475 p. 190
- Stewart v. Smith 6 Cal. App. 152 p. 190
- Keefe v. Keefe 19 Cal. App. 310 p. 190