Camacho v. Escobedo

VAN DYKE, P. J.

This is an appeal from a judgment

quieting title in respondent to certain real property in Stockton, together with the household furniture and furnishings located in the residence upon the property.

The sole question presented is whether the evidence supports the trial court’s findings that there was no delivery of the deed and hill of sale under which appellant claims.

[199]

There is no dispute hut that on May 12, 1953, and after she had caused the preparation of the deed and the bill of sale purporting to convey the property to appellant, Adela Santoyo signed the instruments and acknowledged them before a notary public, nor that in the presence of others she handed the documents to appellant. The evidence, however, is conflicting concerning the intent with which she acted and, as bearing upon that intent, the custody of the documents thereafter. The sole question for this court to resolve on appeal is whether or not the record does contain support for the trial court’s decision. An examination of the record has convinced us that it does. It will be sufficient to recite the supporting evidence, which is as follows: Adela Santoyo was a widow with two adult children, Mary and Alex. She owned the real and personal property described in the deed and bill of sale. She and appellant had been living in the residence upon the real property for some six years before she signed the subject instruments. They had not married. Appellant testified that on the evening of May 12, 1953, Adela delivered to him the deed of gift and bill of sale and that he thereupon placed them in his valise which he kept in an unlocked closet in the bedroom where they remained, as he said, until after Adela’s death when he recorded them. This testimony, however, conflicted with other testimony, much of the conflict resting in contradictory extrajudicial statements made by appellant. It is, of course, well settled that declarations made by a litigant contrary to his position in the action are admissible and constitute positive evidence tending to prove the truth of the matter admitted. Statements so made outside the court room not only impeach testimony given from the stand, but also serve to prove what was thus stated extrajudicially.

(Bonebrake