Appellant was the defendant below, the husband of appellee. "We refer herein to the appellant as the husband, and appellee as the wife.
The wife sued her husband for divorce on grounds of habitual drunkeness, habitual use of drugs, and habitually cruel and inhuman treatment. The bill charged that when the parties married neither had any property; that they have acquired certain property by the joint efforts of the parties; that the wife contributed funds earned from teaching to a common pool; that the wife carried on the business, which was in the husband’s name while the husband was confined for treatment for alcoholism and the drug habit, and managed the business at such times; that the wife had lent her credit in acquiring, maintaining and accumulating said property; that by operation of law a resulting trust was raised in favor of the wife, and the prayer was that the court adjudge the wife to be owner of an undivided one-half interest in the property, and for its sale by a commissioner for division of the proceeds. The chancellor granted the wife a divorce and custody of their thirteen year old daughter; adjudged the wife to be an owner of an undivided interest in the property; gave judgment against the husband for $150 per month' alimony and child support; adjudged the wife entitled to retain half of $5,000
The home was purchased in the name of the husband and wife and no issue arises as to its title.
We first state the facts touching the acquisition and accumulation of the property, all of which was and is in' the name of the husband, for the purpose of determining whether the facts raise a resulting trust in favor of the wife.
The husband had been in the automobile business prior to their marriage in 1936, in which year he established an automobile agency business, which was later closed out and no assets remain from the operation of that business, and while much evidence was taken in regard thereto, we do not deem that evidence material on the issue here involved.
The husband secured a contract in 1946 for the distribution of Pontiac automobiles, and the Brabham Pontiac Company was begun in 1946. The wife had no money and the husband had little, if any, with which to start a business. The husband borrowed $8,000 from his brother-in-law, in consideration of which loan, he gave his brother-in-law a one-fourth interest in the business, which interest was reconveyed to the husband when the money was later repaid. The husband gave his brother-in-law checks, signed only by himself, to be held until the money was repaid as evidence of the indebtedness. With this borrowed $8,000, the husband bought three lots, taking title in his own name. With the balance of the $8,000 and other borrowed money, a building was erected on these lots for the use in the automobile business. After the business began, the husband traded an automobile for additional lots. An additional $3,000 was borrowed by the husband from his brother-in-law, and both the $8,000 loan and the $3,000 loan were repaid from the profits of the business. This is how the business started.
At the beginning of the business known as the Brabham Pontiac Company, including the acquisition of the real property in the husband’s name, the wife did not put up any money, nor did she sign any notes, although at some later time she did sign notes with her husband.
During the operation of Brabham Pontiac Company, the husband would frequently get drunk or be under the influence of drugs, and on numerous occasions had to take treatment for these conditions, and during the absence of the husband, the wife stayed at the business, managed it, and kept it going. There was no contract for the payment of a salary to the wife. She testified that she spent the biggest part of her time working in the business from January 1948 to February 1949, at which latter date the Brabham Pontiac Company was sold by the husband; but the wife could not estimate the time spent in the business prior thereto, saying that the times worked were too numerous and frequent to estimate.
On November 13, 1946, the husband gave power of attorney to his wife to transact business in his name in connection with the Brabham Motor Company. The wife signed checks on the business bank account. From July 13, 1948, and thereafter, the wife held in her name a bank lock box, to which the husband had access, and she put money in and took money out of this lock box from time to time in connection with the operation of the business. The wife testified that she considered this business one-half hers, and based her understanding and
The Brabham Pontiac Company was sold by the husband in February, 1949. The building and the lots were retained. The wife did not join in signing any papers in connection with this sale. After sale of the Brabham Pontiac Company, the lots and business building thereon were leased by the husband for a five-year term, at a monthly rental of $350, with the lessee paying the taxes and insurance. This lease expires in 1956. There is a lien on this property payable at the rate of $200 per month, the notes having been signed by the husband and wife.
The husband leased from Mrs. J. H. Brent certain property known as the Nettles System Building, located on Canal Street in McComb, Mississippi, for $25 per month, the lease being for a term of five years, expiring in 1956. The husband sub-let this property for $75 per month, so that it returns a net income of $50 per month until the lease expires.
The wife contends that the foregoing circumstances raise a resulting trust in her favor entitling her to be adjudged the owner of an undivided one-half interest in and to the lots and buildings above mentioned, and in the leasehold on the Nettles System Property.
“A
resulting trust arises, if at all, in the same transaction in which the legal title passes, at the time that legal title passes, on consideration advanced before or at that time, and not from matters thereafter occurring or on consideration thereafter advanced unless occurring
“Cases involving questions of resulting trusts have often been before this Court. The following principles are recognized and declared by this Court: If one buys land in the name of another and pays a consideration therefor the land will be held by the grantee in trust for the benefit of him who advances the purchase money; and if there has been only a partial advance of the purchase money a trust will result pro tanto. The foundation of the trust in such cases is that the property really belongs to him whose funds have paid for it. But the facts creating the trust must exist at the time of the conveyance; for it is the money which has gone to the vendor as an inducement to the conveyance that creates the equity called a resulting trust. After the title has been conveyed, the application of the funds of another to pay the purchase money for the land creates no trust in favor of such other. The trust arises, if at all, at
‘In order that this affect may be produced, however, it is absolutely indispensable that the payments should be actually made by the beneficiary or that an absolute obligation to pay should be incurred by him as a part of the original transaction of purchase at or before the time of conveyance. No subsequent and entirely independent conduct, intervention, or a payment on his part would raise any resulting trust.’ 3 Pomeroy’s Equity Jurisprudence (3rd Edition), Section 1037.” Bush v. Bush,
The evidence in the case at bar clearly shows that the wife did not advance her money for the purchase price of the property the husband acquired. The husband started the business and acquired the real estate with money borrowed from his brother-in-law. From the profits of the business, the brother-in-law was repaid, the building loan costs repaid, and the parties lived therefrom. The wife bases her claim to a resulting trust in her favor not on what she contributed to the purchase price of the property, but on what was done after the business was begun and the real property acquired. If the wife has any claim to the property involved, it is on the basis that she performed services in the operation and management of her husband’s automobile business and the proof is ample that she did perform valuable services in working in the business and managing it when the defendant was hospitalized four and a half months as a result of a wreck in 1948, as
Under the authorities cited, it is manifest that such services do not raise a resulting trust in the wife’s favor.
Cases such as Griffin v. Griffin,
To hold that complainant is entitled to one-half of the property here involved, would be tantamount to adopting to a limited extent the community property system, which is not known to the common law, and which can' exist only by express legislation. The court has no rightful power to incorporate into the laws of this state features of a property system involving profound considerations of public policy.
The chancellor held that the wife withdrew $5000 from a joint bank account just before filing her bill and charged her with one-half thereof. The husband on this appeal assigns as error the lower court’s action in adjudicating that she was entitled to retain one-half thereon. The record is not clear as to the source of these funds; there is no cross-appeal by the wife as to the court’s action in charging her with one-half thereof, or $2500. We are unable to say from this record that the chancellor was in error in his actions in regard to the $5,000, and the decree below is affirmed as to the said $5000.
The husband assigns as error the allowance to the wife of $500 with which ,to pay her attorney. The
That part of the decree adjudging the wife to own an undivided one-half interest in and to lots 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, Block B, Jones-Grillis Addition, in McComb, Pike County, Mississippi, and the unexpired leasehold in and to that certain property in the City of McComb, Mississippi, known as the Nettles System Building on Canal Street, is reversed and judgment rendered here dismissing the wife’s claim to any interest in and to said property; and that part of the decree of the lower court requiring the husband to account for rentals on the above described property is also reversed and judgment rendered here for the husband.
The husband contends that an award of alimony and support money for the child is excessive. In view of our decision that the wife was not entitled to one-half of the property, we review the income and living conditions of the parties in view of that holding. The husband had an income from the lease of the building formerly used in operating Brabham Pontiac Company of $350, of which $200 per month was paid to retire the loan, leaving a net income of $150 per month. He also had a net income of $50 per month on the leasehold covering the Canal Street property known as the Nettles System Building. The garage apartment, a part of the home owned by the husband and wife, rents for about $30 a month, of which one-half belongs to the husband. The proof at the trial showed that the husband was unable to work. His total income was $215 per month.
The wife, on the other hand, had the free use of the home, the furnishings therein, and the automobile, and the proof shows that she was earning $140 per month, plus her one-half of the rental on the garage apartment. We are of the opinion that the awarding of alimony and child support of $150 per month was excessive. Cupit v. Brooks,
On remand, the lower court should award reasonable sums for alimony and support for the minor child in the light of conditions as they now prevail, including (1) the health of the husband and his earning capacity; (2) the health of the wife and her earning capacity; (3) the entire sources of income of both parties; (4) the reasonable needs of the wife; (5) the reasonable needs of the child; (6) the necessary living expenses of the husband; (7) the estimated amount of income taxes the respective parties must pay on their incomes; (8) the fact that the wife has the free use of the home, furnishings and automobile, and (9) such other facts and circumstances bearing on the subject that might be shown by the evidence. The award of alimony and child support should be made retroactive to December 1, 1953, the effective date of the original award by the court below, and the chancellor
It appears that the husband appealed without supersedeas, and doubtless that part of the decree reversed has been performed. In any event, when the proper award of alimony and child support has been made on remand, proper adjustments should be made by (1) charging the husband with alimony and child support, as may be determined by the chancellor for the period December 1, 1953 to date, (2) crediting the husband with any alimony and child support paid in excess of the amount allowed for the period, (3) crediting the husband with such part, if any, of the $500 attorney’s fee he has paid, (4) charging the wife with one-half, or $2500, of the $5000 withdrawn from the joint account, and (5) charging the wife with any rentals she has collected on the hnsband’s property. It may appear that there are other adjustments indicated by the circumstances which the chancellor may properly consider.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.
