Moftiz v. Moftiz

Dec 29, 1975
Reporters:
, ,

— In a matrimonial action in which plaintiff was awarded a judgment of divorce, she ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍appeals from so much of that judgment of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered July 10, 1975, as dismissed her third cause of action, which sought to impress a trust ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍upon the marital home. Judgment affirmed insofar as appealed from, without costs. The rule has long been settled that in order to establish a constructive trust there must be a ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍confidential relationship wherein one party relies, to his detriment, upon a promise of another, which promise is subsequently breached, resulting in unjust enrichment to the latter (Foreman v Foreman, 251 NY ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍237; Sinclair v Purdy, 235 NY 245). This record does not establish the element of unjust enrichment. The bare relationship of husband and wife is inadequate to support the impression of a ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍constructive trust on property. Hopkins, Acting P. J., Martuscello, Cohalan, Brennan and Munder, JJ., concur.