588 S.W.2d 215 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1979
The issue is whether respondent, tenant in common of property purchased by him and Bonnie Sue Parker, deceased, is entitled to contributions made by him in a partition suit, or whether he must accord deceased with an undivided one-half interest in fee simple of the property. The trial court awarded to appellants only the $1,000.00 contributed by Bonnie Sue, and awarded respondent an interest equivalent to the balance of the value of the property.
On August 16, 1974, Doctor Dasher and Bonnie Sue Parker signed an agreement to purchase a house and lot at 304 Locust, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for $89,950. They were not then married, but contemplated that relationship in the future. The couple borrowed $71,950 from the Farm and Home Savings Association and executed a promissory note to repay that amount plus interest, secured by a deed of trust upon the property. It is undisputed that the parties were jointly and severally liable on that note. There was a down payment made of $20,000.00, $19,000.00 by Doctor Dasher, and $1,000.00 by Bonnie, which was required of her as “earnest money” by the relator, she being the only one able to get off work at the time to make the deposit.
The deed, October 30, 1974, ran to Doctor Dasher, a single man, and Bonnie Parker, a single woman. The law is clear that the grantees, not then being married, took title as tenants in common. Anderson v. Stacker, 317 S.W.2d 417, 421[3-5] (Mo.1958); Keller v. Porchey, 560 S.W.2d 257, 258[1, 2] (Mo.App.1978).
Doctor Dasher’s evidence showed that he had paid $42,190.27 toward the purchase price of the property; and the only evidence is that Bonnie paid $1,000.00. The parties were never married, and Bonnie’s death resulted from suicide on March 18, 1975.
The rule as to respective interests of co-tenants is generally stated at 86 C.J.S., Tenancy in Common, § 18, pp. 378-379: “Where a conveyance to two or more persons is silent as to the interest of each, their interests are presumed to be equal, but the presumption is rebuttable by evidence to the contrary, such as evidence showing the contributions of joint purchasers to have been unequal. In the absence of an agreement to the contrary, joint purchasers of an estate hold, shares therein in proportion to their contribution to the purchase price, but it has been held that proof of the fact that at the time of purchase vendees contributed unequal sums in cash is not proof that they took or intended to take in that proportion, where such payment in cash was only part
The judgment of the trial court is correct, and it is affirmed.
All concur.