Criteria for Constructive Trust Not Met

In affirming Supreme Court’s ruling that plaintiff had failed to establish money given to the defendant (plaintiff’s son) by the plaintiff, originally for the purchase of a lake house, was held by the defendant as a constructive trust, the Third Department explained:

Plaintiff failed to establish the necessary elements of a constructive trust, which include a confidential or fiduciary relationship, a promise, a transfer in reliance thereon and  unjust enrichment….    Although plaintiff contends that there was a relationship of trust at the time the money was given to defendant based on the familial relationship and plaintiff’s belief that, despite his criminal history, defendant had  turned his life around,  this argument  is contradicted  by plaintiff’s own testimony that he and defendant were “never too friendly,” his relationship with defendant was  “at arm’s length” and he felt defendant was “always . . . hiding something from me.”    Furthermore, there was no indication that defendant attempted to take advantage of plaintiff’s trust by encouraging the transfer or that plaintiff was under defendant’s influence in any way.    The record supports Supreme Court’s finding that the idea of buying a lake house was eventually abandoned and the money was given to defendant for placement in a mutual fund account in his name alone by plaintiff, who had significantly more education, business and  financial experience  than  defendant.  Garcia v Garcia, 515582, 3rd Dept 7-11-13