Brown v. Brown

199 So. 2d 243, 1967 Miss. LEXIS 1288
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 22, 1967
DocketNo. 44392
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 199 So. 2d 243 (Brown v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. Brown, 199 So. 2d 243, 1967 Miss. LEXIS 1288 (Mich. 1967).

Opinion

INZER, Justice:

This case involves the last will and testament of Vernon H. Woollard, late of Panola County, Mississippi, and a chancery court decree upholding the will. The will was contested by appellant, John D. Brown, and others who are first cousins of the testator and his only heirs at law, except for Hassell Brown, another first cousin who refused to join in the contest. Appel-lee, Joe M. Brown, is the executor named in the will and the sole beneficiary. He is the son of Hassell Brown, and is a second cousin of the testator, who died on or about June 6, 1965.

The will, which had been executed on April 2, 1964, was admitted to probate in common form by decree of the chancery court dated June 11, 1965, and letters testamentary were issued to appellee. On September 20, 1965, a caveat was filed by appellant asking that the issue of devisavit vel non be made up and that upon final hearing the purported will be declared null and void. At the regular February Term 1966, an agreed decree was entered setting the matter in vacation, on March 22, 1966. On that date the issue submitted for trial by the jury was “whether or not, at the time he executed the instrument dated April 2, 1964, and purporting to be his Last Will and Testament, Vernon Wool-lard was of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and free of any influence of Joe Brown.”

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the proponent, and a decree was entered declaring the will to be the true last will and testament of Vernon Woollard. Appellant did not file a motion for a new trial, and recognizes that the finding of the jury relative to the mental capacity is not an issue on this appeal.

[244]*244The principal contention of appellant is that the trial court was in error in refusing to peremptorily instruct the jury to find against the will. The basis of this contention is that the proof shows that at the time the will was executed a fiduciary relationship existed, that appellee actively participated in having the will prepared and executed, and therefore it is presumed to be void in the absence of proof that testator obtained independent and disinterested advice.

Vernon Woollard, testator, was about seventy years of age at the time he executed the will. He had never married, and had lived near Crenshaw in Panola County many years prior to his death. The testimony does not reveal the extent of his education, but it does reveal that he was well informed and kept himself informed by reading newspapers and books. He was especially interested in the study of diseases of cattle, and had read books on this subject. In fact, he not only doctored his own cattle when he was farming, but helped his neighbors with their sick cattle.

A veteran of World War I, Woollard was a member of the Crenshaw post of the American Legion, and his closest associates were World War I veterans who were also members of the legion post. Among these friends were F. H. Womack, L. B. Mote, and Earl Ray. Womack had been for many years postmaster at Crenshaw and had served as commander of the legion post, and was at the time the will was executed the legion post finance officer. Mote was the commander of the post and Ray was a member.

On January 22, 1964, testator burned his hands while removing a burning mattress from his home. Appellee and Bill Overall, the town marshal of Crenshaw, carried testator to the veterans’ hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was treated for his burns, diarrhea, malnutrition, and a cold.

In the latter part of March 1964, L. B. Mote visited testator at the hospital. On this visit testator told Mote that he needed some things and asked him to see appellee and tell him to come up there. Mote delivered the message, and a few days later appellee and Womack went to the hospital to see the testator. Appellee had received word from testator to bring Womack to the hospital when he came. While they were there, testator mentioned to Womack that he needed some things, including a hearing aid, and asked Womack if he would tend to his business for him while he was in the hospital. Womack told him that he needed someone else to tend to his business, because he was as old as the testator. Woollard then asked appellee if he would act as his agent and tend to his business. Appellee agreed that he would do so. Testator then told appellee, “Well, if you will tend to it and look after me until I’m gone, I want you to have everything I have left.”

After some discussion regarding which attorney would be obtained to prepare the necessary documents to carry out what the testator wanted done, the name of a Mr. McClure was brought up by someone, and it was agreed that Womack and appellee would go and see McClure and get his advice and have the necessary papers drawn up.

A day or two later Womack and appellee went to the office of McClure, where Wo-mack told him what the testator desired, and asked him to draw the necessary legal papers. Although appellee was present during this conference, the testimony shows that Womack was the person who actually told Mr. McClure what the testator wanted done. McClure decided that in order to carry out the desires of the testator, a power of attorney, a deed, and a will were necessary. The power of attorney was prepared and delivered to Womack. It was then late in the afternoon, and McClure told the parties that he would prepare the deed and the will and mail them in a few days. This was done.

On the following day, Womack, Mote and appellee went back to the hospital. Womack [245]*245located a notary public who had an office in the hospital building. Vernon Woollard executed the power of attorney and delivered it to appellee.

Two days later, on April 2, 1964, the will and deed having been forwarded by McClure, appellee and Bill Overall took the papers to the hospital and delivered them to testator. The parties went to the office of the same notary, and the deed and will were then executed. The will was witnessed by Overall and Mrs. Hicks, the secretary for the notary. Insofar as the record shows, appellee had not at this time transacted any business for the testator by virtue of the power of attorney.

Testator remained in the hospital for about five months, and then was transferred to the Sunset Rest Home at Water Valley, Mississippi, where he remained until his death on June 6, 1965.

Appellant urges that the trial court should have sustained its motion for a directed verdict, because the proof showed that at the time the will was executed a fiduciary relationship existed between the testator and appellee, who was the sole beneficiary, and because a presumption of undue influence arose which appellee failed to overcome. The rule relied upon is laid down in Croft v. Alder, 237 Miss. 713, 115 So.2d 683 (1959); McElveen v. McElveen, 233 Miss. 672, 103 So.2d 439 (1958) ; Bourn v. Bourn, 163 Miss. 71, 140 So. 518 (1932); and Ham v. Ham, 146 Miss. 161, 110 So. 583 (1926); and other cases. In Croft v. Alder, in summarizing the rule, we said:

In summary, the rule applied in the case of gifts inter vivos, as by deed, that that where a confidential relation exists between donor and donee, it is presumptively void and the burden rests on the donee to produce clear and convincing evidence that the gift is free from the taint of undue influence, is not applicable in that limited sense to bequests or devises made by will.

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Bluebook (online)
199 So. 2d 243, 1967 Miss. LEXIS 1288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-brown-miss-1967.