EDWARD B. TRAUB, SR., AND TRAUB ENTERPRISES, INC., APPELLANTS,
v.
W. E. TRAUB AND RYLAND TRAUB, APPELLEES

Fla. 2d DCA | 1958-04-04
No. 17
ALLEN, Acting Chief Judge, and WARREN, LAMAR, Associate Judge, concur.
102 So. 2d 157 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1958) Positive Treatment
Cited by 13 cases

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Synopsis

In this constructive trust case, Edward B. Traub, Sr. and his corporation Traub Enterprises appealed a lower court decree finding they held beach property in trust for two co-heirs after Traub, Sr. paid delinquent taxes and redeemed the property with an express agreement to hold it in trust. The appellate court affirmed, holding that a confidential relationship and express oral trust agreement supported the imposition of a constructive trust.


Holding

A constructive trust should be imposed on the beach property because a confidential relationship existed between the parties and defendant expressly agreed to hold the property in trust. Each of the three heirs—the two plaintiffs and defendant—is entitled to a one-third interest in the property, and defendant must provide a complete accounting to the plaintiffs.


Key Quotes

“A constructive trust is one raised by equity in respect of property which has been acquired by fraud, or where, though acquired originally without fraud, it is against equity that it should be retained by him who holds it.”

Establishes the foundational definition and purpose of constructive trusts under Florida law

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Facts & Procedural History

Three brothers inherited an estate from their father Charles G. Traub in 1935. Beach property in St. Lucie County, Florida stood in the name of a diss…

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Opinion of the Court
SMITPI, CULVER, Associate Judge.

SMITPI, CULVER, Associate Judge.

The appellants here were the defendants in the lower court, and the appellees were the plaintiffs below. The parties will be referred to as they ^stood in the lower court. The plaintiffs filed their suit seeking to have a trust impressed upon certain beach property in St. Lucie County, Florida, which stood in the name of defendant, Traub Enterprises, Inc. They further prayed the court to decree the interest of the parties in the property, and for an accounting. The defendants did not attack the sufficiency of the complaint, but filed their answer.

Upon hearing of the matter, the Chancellor decreed that the defendants held the property in question in trust for the plaintiffs, ordered that defendants render a com-*158píete accounting to plaintiffs, and decreed that each plaintiff holds a one-third interest in the property.

Briefly stated, the facts, as found by the •Chancellor, are these: In 1935 one Charles G. Traub died intestate leaving his three sons as sole heirs to his estate. These sons are the plaintiffs and defendant, Edward B. Traub, Sr. Prior to his death, Charles G. Traub had conveyed the beach property in question to Charles G. Traub, Inc., a corporation of which he was president. The plaintiffs were also officers and directors of this corporation. The defendant, Edward B. Traub, held no interest in the corporation. In 1936 the corporation was dissolved for non-payment of capital stock tax, and the plaintiffs, as the surviving directors, became trustees of the dissolved corporation.

In 1938 the plaintiff, Ryland Traub, learned that the beach property, upon which taxes were delinquent, was redeemable under the Murphy Act, Laws 1937, c. 18296, F.S.A. §§ 192.35-192.38 and notes. At this time none of the brothers were residing in the State of Florida, nor in the same state. Ryland Traub communicated with the defendant, Edward B. Traub, concerning the property. They investigated the situation at Ft. Pierce, Florida, visited the plaintiff, W. E. Traub, in South Carolina, and discussed the matter of redemption. Both plaintiffs advised defendant, Edward B. Traub, that they were financially unable to furnish funds towards re'demption of the lands. The defendant said he would try to pay the taxes, and that he would hold the property in trust.

On October 20, 1943, defendant Traub wrote plaintiff, Ryland Traub, enclosing a deed to be executed by both plaintiffs as directors and trustees of Charles G. Traub, Inc., a dissolved corporation, to one Marjory Martha Pounder, as trustee. In the letter it was stated,

“ * * * This is going to cost about five hundred dollars and I am thankful that I have the money to put into it now and if it amounts to anything you will get a share and I will set a lot aside for you. I will keep you posted on developments from time to time and please don’t delay getting the deed to Bill. Am setting this up in trust so nothing can happen to it.”

Thereupon the plaintiffs executed the deed as directed. All three brothers were to share equally in the property. The property was subsequently transferred to a second trustee and then to a corporation, now the defendant, Traub Enterprises, Inc., which is a corporation wholly owned by the family of the defendant, Edward B. Traub, Sr. The plaintiffs later made attempts to ascertain the amount of expenditures made by defendant, Edward B. Traub, and made offers of reimbursement but were told that the matter would be straightened out and handled later. The value of the property increased greatly between 1943 and the time of the filing of this action.

Although some conflicts appear in the evidence, the Chancellor’s findings of fact will not be disturbed unless clearly shown to be erroneous. This rule has been enunciated too many times to require citation of authority. There is ample evidence in the record to sustain the findings of fact as related above. It follows that the decree must be affirmed unless some inapplicable rule of law is shown to have influenced the Chancellor’s consideration as to the conclusion reached. See Fickling Properties, Inc., v. Smith, 123 Fla. 556, 167 So. 42 and City of Tampa v. Colgan, 121 Fla. 218, 163 So. 577.

We are of the opinion that this case falls within the rule set forth in the case of Quinn v. Phipps, 93 Fla. 805, 113 So. 419, 54 A.L.R. 1173 and followed in Fickling Properties, Inc. v. Smith, supra; Metcalf v. Leedy, Wheeler & Co., 140 Fla. 149, 191 So. 690 and Tillman v. Pitt Cole Co., Fla., 82 So.2d 672. In Quinn v. Phipps, supra, the Supreme Court of Florida stated [93 Fla. 805, 113 So. 422]:

*159“A constructive trust is one raised by equity in respect of property which has been acquired by fraud, or where, though acquired originally without fraud, it is against equity that it should be retained by him who holds it. Constructive trusts arise purely by construction of equity, independently of any actual or presumed intention of the parties to create a trust, and are generally thrust on the trustee for the purpose of working out the remedy. They are said to arise from actual fraud, constructive fraud, and from some equitable principle independent of the existence of any fraud. 26 R.C.L. 1232. * * *
“Stripped of all embellishing verbiage, it may be confidently asserted that every instance in which a confidential or fiduciary relation in fact is shown to exist will be interpreted as such. The relation and duties involved need not be legal; they may be moral, social, domestic or personal. If a relation of trust and confidence exists between the parties (that is to say, where confidence is reposed by one party and a trust accepted by the other, or where confidence has been acquired and abused), that is sufficient as a predicate for relief. The origin of the confidence is immaterial.”

In the present case the defendant, Edward B. Traub, initially knew nothing of the beach property. It was the plaintiff, Ryland Traub, who started the matter of redemption. No consideration was paid to either of the plaintiffs for conveyance of their interest in the property, nor has any been paid to them since. Defendants contend that since the plaintiffs have not paid their share of the expenditures, they have declined to carry out the deal. The Chancellor found that plaintiffs have actually offered to do so, and further, it nowhere appears in the quoted letter written by the defendant, Edward B. Traub, that any term or condition was fixed within which reimbursement was to be made. The Court below correctly concluded that the beach property was trust property, and that each of the plaintiffs, as heirs, was entitled to a one-third share. No error having been made to appear, the decree entered by the Chancellor below is hereby affirmed.

Affirmed.

ALLEN, Acting Chief Judge, and WARREN, LAMAR, Associate Judge, concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Baum v. Pines Realty, Inc., 164 So. 2d 517 (Fla. 2d DCA 1964)
    …the total commission, a portion of which we hold belongs to appellant Baum, they retained his share for his benefit under the constructive trust created by equitable principles under the facts involved. See 26 R.C.L. 1232; Traub v. Traub, Fla. App., 102 So. 2d 157; Wadlington v. Edwards, Fla., 92 So. 2d 629 ; 33 Fla.Jur., §§ 61-63. Otherwise, their holding would be against good conscience and would subject them to undue enrichment. The securing of a covenant from ap-pellee Gulf American Land Corporation by t…
  • Williams v. Hunt Bros. Constr. Inc., 475 So. 2d 738 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985)
    …v. Ellis, 122 So. 2d 237 (Fla. 2d DCA 1960). Where such relation is reposed by one party and a trust accepted by the other, or where such confidence has been acquired and abused, there exists sufficient predicate for relief. Whittle; Traub v. Traub, 102 So. 2d 157 (Fla. 2d DCA 1958). A fiduciary, be he an attorney or not, must account for and deliver over property or money of a beneficiary, client, or third party which has been entrusted to him for a particular purpose and which he was required to have held i…
  • Traub v. Traub, 135 So. 2d 243 (Fla. 2d DCA 1961)
    …entered in this cause holding that the property in question was held in trust for the appellant and the appellees and that a complete accounting should he had between the parties. This decree was affirmed by this Court, Traub v. Traub, Fla.App.1958, 102 So. 2d 157. Testimony was taken pursuant to the decree before one of the judges of the lower court; but prior to entry of a decree of accounting, this judge resigned and the transcribed testimony was then submitted to another judge who entered the decree on ac…

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