Majority
There are three appeals pending herein, numbered, respectively, as above indicated. Civil No. 3720, L. A. No. 9382, is an appeal from an interlocutory judgment in favor of plaintiff. Civil No. 3721, L. A. No. 9383, is an appeal from a judgment denying the motion of defendants to retax costs. Civil No. 3722, L.
This is a suit to quiet title. Its history shows that it was commenced on September 29, 1920, by one Bmelia Pomper to quiet her title to a certain piece of real property described in the pleadings and judgment herein as residence property on Flower Street in the city of Los Angeles, California. The defendant in the action was one Behnke. On motion for new trial, same was granted, which resulted in a judgment in favor of the plaintiff. Another motion for a new trial was made and granted, and thereupon the case was taken before the supreme court on certiorari to review the action of the lower court in granting the said motion. After affirmance of the said order granting the new trial the case was tried for the third time by the superior court, judgment rendered, and appeal taken as above indicated.
The facts are as follows: The plaintiff Bmelia Auguste Pomper and Frederick Emil Pomper (also known as Fritz Pomper) were married in Germany, September 5, 1881, and lived together as husband and wife until August, 1891, during which time there were born their five children, of whom two have died, leaving three daughters surviving, named Anna Wanda Loeffler, Anna Auguste Herold and Freda Camila Rudolph, now named as plaintiffs and respondents herein. They are all of adult age and married. The names given above are their present surnames. In the year 1891 the said Fritz Pomper left his home in Germany and came to America. Either at the same time, or within two or three years later, the said Bmelia Lenk also came to America and began to live with Fritz Pomper in the city of Chicago, whence they removed to the city of Los Angeles, California. They continued to reside together until the death of Fritz Pomper in June, 1918. In the year 1905 Fritz Pomper purchased the property in question from one Eichholz, paying down the sum of $500 and executing a note and mortgage in the principal sum of $4,500 as and for the balance of the full purchase price of $5,000 agreed to be paid for said property ; the said note and mortgage were also signed by Bmelia Lenk, who used the name, in so signing, of “Bmelia Pom-
At the outset respondent raises the objection that the order denying a motion for a new and different judgment last referred to is not appealable. It is well settled, however, in this state that an appeal lies from an order denying motion to enter a new and different judgment. (Gittleson v. Gandolfo, 85 Cal. App. 230 [ 259 Pac. 340 ]; Condon v. Donohue, 160 Cal. 749 [ 118 Pac. 113 ].) Respondent also- argues that this court has no jurisdiction of the appeals, wherein he contends, “no notice of a new trial or motion to vacate” was served on Frank Bryson, administrator of the estate of Fritz Pomper, deceased, a defendant brought in as a party under order of the trial court. With
As will more fully appear hereafter, the public administrator, as the administrator of the estate of Fritz Pomper, did not interpose any special defense, nor after judgment, take any appeal from any order, and no averments may be found in the pleadings seeking any other relief than to quiet any title that might by law vest in him as such administrator.
The notice of intention to move for a new trial in this proceeding was addressed only to plaintiffs, and served on them alone, and filed within the specified time. This may have been upon an erroneous theory, possibly, that Bryson was not an adverse party. Nevertheless, upon the authority of the Estate of Nutt, 180 Cal. 419 [ 181 Pac. 661 ], the appeal was filed within the statutory time after the denial of the motion for a new trial, after due hearing.
The following statement of appellants’ position on this appeal may be taken as a basis for the discussion of the facts and the law applicable to this case, which will follow: (a) Appellants contend that error appears by the record here, as follows: I. That the evidence is wholly insufficient to sustain the basic and essential findings; a. That the real property, the subject matter of this action, was community property of Fritz Pomper and the respondent Emelia Pom-per. b. That the deed of 1908, Fritz Pomper to Emelia Pomper, was without consideration and that it was recorded subsequent to filing of Us pendens in this action, c. That the conveyances under which appellants claim were made with intent to defraud respondent. II. That the court erred in refusing to permit evidence showing consideration to Emelia Pomper of Los Angeles for deed to appellants. III. That even if said property was community property, Fritz Pomper made a valid conveyance to one-half thereof, and that, therefore, order to enter another and different judgment was proper. IV. No estate or interest is shown in respondent children.
(b-e) Appellants assail the court’s findings numbered VII, VIII, IX, XI, XIV and XV as not supported by the evidence. In substance, finding VII is that defendants make claim to the property by reason of the deed dated September 8, 1908, of Fritz Pomper to Emelia Pomper of Los Angeles; that there was not any valuable, or adequate, or any sufficient consideration for said deed; that a nominal consideration of $10 was recited; that the deed was not filed for record until subsequent to the commencement of this action and the filing of lis pendens herein, when recorded by defendant Heinze without right or authority.
Finding IX is that the property was community property of Fritz Pomper and his wife Emelia Pomper (of Germany), having been acquired during coverture, at the price of $5,500, paid by Fritz Pomper from his'wages and earnings.
Finding XI is that Emelia Lenk (Emelia Pomper of Los Angeles) knew at all times of the existence of the true wife and her children, the children, also, of Fritz Pomper.
In looking at appellants’ criticism of finding VII, we keep in mind the code sections: “A written instrument is presumptive evidence of consideration.” (Civ. Code, sec. 1614.) “The burden of showing want of consideration sufficient to support an instrument lies with the party seeking to invalidate or avoid it.” (Civ. Code, sec. 1615.) “ . . . nor can any transfer or charge be adjudged fraudulent solely on- the ground that it was not made for a valuable consideration.” (Civ. Code, sec. 3442.) The presumption as to a valuable consideration, however, is a disputable one and may be overthrown by evidence to the contrary. Proof was adduced at the trial that the property in question had a reasonable value of $5,000. Being but the sum of $10, it is apparent on the face of the transaction that the named consideration was an inadequate and not a valuable one.
“ The statement in the deed that a certain sum has been paid as the consideration is an admission or acknowledgment of the grantor that such is the fact, and such statement may be accepted as prima facie evidence of its truth.” (2 Devlin on Deeds, 2d ed., sec. 817.) Paraphrasing a statement of the late Justice Hart of this court, in an opinion written by him, viz., Kinsell v. Thomas, 18 Cal. App. 683 , at 692 [ 124 Pac. 220 , 224], it may be said here: “There is no evidence in the record rebutting the inference that the amount recited in the deed as the consideration for the conveyance to Emelia Pomper of Los Angeles in 1908, viz., the sum of $10 was the sum actually paid by her to Fritz Pomper for the realty.”
The inadequacy of the nominal consideration, compared with the value of the property, warrants an inference, not that the transaction was fraudulent, but that it was a transfer by way of gift. That inference is strengthened by the execution of the second deed by the same grantor to the
Appellants urge the view that the property was not community property of Fritz Pomper and Emelia Pomper of Germany, but rather was community ‘property of Fritz and Emelia Lenk, also known as Emelia Pomper of Los Angeles. It is said on page 31 of their opening brief that, “It appears that there was the ceremony of marriage between the parties in 1896, and that thereafter they continued to live as man and wife. ’ ’ That statement is not supported by the record. It may be noted that notwithstanding the admissions in the pleadings and the arguments to the contrary, there was offered in evidence a certain paper purporting to be a marriage certificate issued by some person as a justice of the peace, but upon proper objection to the offer, because there was no identification of signatures nor proof of authenticity, the document was not admitted in evidence. The only other showing in this respect in the record is a statement of Mrs. Heinze (now deceased), that she had heard Fritz Pomper say that he and Emelia Lenk were married in Chicago in 1896. Of course, that hearsay statement alone is not sufficient proof of marriage under the marriage law of California as it existed in 1896 after amendment in 1895 to section 68 et seq. of the Civil Code. Appellants’ argument on this point is not sound, the marriage of Fritz Pomper and Emelia Pomper of Germany being a subsisting marriage when Fritz acquired the property, it stood of record in his name. From the ease of In re Boody, 113 Cal. 682 [ 45 Pac. 858 ], we quote from page 686: “The purchase of the lands having been made during marriage, the presumption is that it was community property, and this presumption could be overthrown only by evidence of a clear, certain and convincing character establishing the contrary; and the burden of this showing rested with the parties claiming the separate character of the property. In the absence of such proof the presumption as to the community character of the property was absolute and conclusive.” When the deed of
The finding as to a Us pendens and the recordation thereof by respondent prior to the recordation of the deed of 1908 is immaterial. Th’e gift deed of 1915, if of any effect, merely confirmed the prior deed of 1908, and was recorded long before this litigation was commenced and Us pendens recorded.
We come now to appellants’ point III. It having hereinbefore been shown that the property was community property of respondent and her husband Fritz, when he executed the deed of 1908 as a gift and without having received for it any valuable consideration, the transaction will be regarded in the light of the law of community property, as it was in the year 1908. Section 172 of the Civil Code, at that time, with respect to transactions like those herein involved, stood as amended in 1891. It provided that a husband could not make a gift of community property or convey the same without consideration unless the wife, in writing, consent thereto (5 Cal. Jur. 341), citing Spreckels v. Spreckels, 116 Cal. 343 [ 53 Am. St. Rep. 170 , 36 L. R. A. 497 , 48 Pac. 228 ], and many others. “Though the husband is forbidden by the statute to give away any part of the community property without the wife’s consent in writing, yet a gift made by him in contravention of the statute is not a nullity. On the contrary, the property vests in the donee, subject to the right on the part of the wife to have it revoked. Moreover, since the gift is voidable only at the election of the wife, it binds the husband and his successors. Accordingly, the wife may recover in case of transfer in violation of the amended section, only one-half of the property conveyed- by the husband.” (5 Cal. Jur. 342; Dargie v. Patterson, 176 Cal. 714 [ 169 Pac. 360 ].)
In arguing their point II appellants contend that the court erred in rejecting certain testimony, which is set forth as follows: “Gustav F. Heinze, recalled on behalf of defendants in surrebuttal, being first duly sworn, tes
Plaintiffs, in their complaint, anticipating the defense founded upon the execution of these deeds by Emelia Lenk, alleged that said Emelia Lenk, deceased, was weak-minded and incompetent and under the absolute domination and control of said Fritz Pomper up to the time of his death in 1918; that said Emelia Lenk could not read nor write the English language, and could comprehend very little, if any, German reading or writing; that the defend
We hold, as to appellants’ point III, that if the property in question was the community property of Fritz Pomper and his real wife, Emelia Pomper, that Fritz Pomper conveyed a valid title only to an undivided one-half, and that the trial court erred in refusing to enter another and different decree. As we have shown, the law of this state upholds appellants’ position in this regard. Directly in point is the case of Dargie v. Patterson, supra.
In considering appellants’ point IV we are convinced that the final judgment of the trial court that the children of said respondent Emelia Pomper and Fritz Pomper are now, with their mother, the owners in fee, and entitled to the possession of the described real property, was and is erroneous, and in fact is without any evidence to support it. All the transactions involved in this litigation occurred before the amendment to Civil Code, section 1401, as it now stands.
As to appellants’ point V, we are satisfied that the trial court’s refusal to retax costs, as requested, was proper. The ultimate judgment that should have been rendered in this case, in our opinion, was correctly rendered in so far as it adjudged that the plaintiff Emelia Pomper was entitled to judgment quieting her title to an undivided one-half of the real property described in the complaint, and also entitled to one-half of the sum found by the receiver and referee, for rents. It follows, therefore, that having prevailed to that extent at least, plaintiff would be entitled to judgment for costs. (Witherill v. Breehm, 74 Cal. App. 286 , 289 [ 240 Pac. 529 ].)
It is ordered that the judgment in civil action No. 3721 is affirmed. Judgment in civil action No. 3722, including consolidated civil action No. 3720, is reversed, with directions to the trial court to enter judgment that the plaintiff Emelia Pomper of Germany is the owner of an undivided one-half interest in the real property involved in this litigation, and that the defendant Gustav Heinze is the owner of the other undivided one-half thereof. The rents which have
Thompson (R. L.), J., and Finch, P. J., concurred.
A petition for, a rehearing of causes 3720 and 3721 was denied by the district court of appeal on April 17, 1929.
Cases cited
- Condon v. Donohue 160 Cal. 749 p. 632
- In re Estate of Nutt 180 Cal. 419 p. 633
- Tibbetts v. Fore 70 Cal. 242 at 244 p. 634
- Ord v. De La Guerra 18 Cal. 67 at 74 p. 634
- Schneider v. Schneider 183 Cal. 335 p. 634
- Coats v. Coats 160 Cal. 671 at 675 p. 634
- Kinsell v. Thomas 18 Cal. App. 683 at 692 p. 636
- In re the Estate of Boody 113 Cal. 682 p. 637
- Dargie v. Patterson 176 Cal. 714 p. 638
- Williams v. City of San Pedro 153 Cal. 44 p. 641
- Connick v. Hill 179 Cal. 683 p. 641
- Tillaux v. Tillaux 115 Cal. 663 p. 641
- Lieman v. Golly 178 Cal. 544 p. 641
- Driscoll v. Driscoll 143 Cal. 528 p. 641
- Hodoian v. Garabedian 79 Cal. App. 762 p. 642
- Witherill v. Brehm 74 Cal. App. 286 at 289 p. 642