Couch v. Couch

824 S.W.2d 65, 1991 Mo. App. LEXIS 1910, 1991 WL 271601
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 24, 1991
DocketWD 44169
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 824 S.W.2d 65 (Couch v. Couch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Couch v. Couch, 824 S.W.2d 65, 1991 Mo. App. LEXIS 1910, 1991 WL 271601 (Mo. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

LOWENSTEIN, Chief Judge.

Robert Couch, son of Delores, along with his wife, Diane, filed in the Probate Division of the Platte County Circuit Court to have Delores declared incapacitated under §§ 475.060-.061, RSMo 1986, and for the appointment of a guardian and conservator.

A similar petition was later filed by John Bless, the county’s public administrator, alleging Delores was unable to live on her own, needed constant supervision and could not manage her financial resources. A week later Delores’ other child, Harold, filed a petition for a limited guardianship of his mother claiming she was partially disabled. He alleged Delores had nominated him as her guardian and conservator under a previously executed durable power of attorney.

After a hearing, the court entered an order finding Delores partially incapacitated physically and mentally to care for her person, and totally incapacitated as to managing her finances. The public administrator was then appointed as a limited guardian and full conservator. It was further noted that the “distrust and competition” between the sons, Harold and Robert, had caused “unusual stress” on their mother. In its first order the court also set aside the durable power of attorney to son Harold executed within months of the hearing, under § 475.050(1)(2), as being within five years of the finding of incapacity. Finally, the court found that Delores needed to continue to live in a supervised atmosphere.

Some two weeks later the court entered an amended order substantially the same as the first. However, the court abandoned it ruling setting aside the durable power of attorney based on it being executed within five years of the hearing. Instead, the amended order contained the specific finding that the power of attorney executed in favor of Harold was entered into at a time when Dolores was “unable to make or communicate a reasonable choice,” and therefore “... it would be in the best interest of ... Delores ... to have another person appointed ...” The order then went on to say that whether or not she was incapacitated at the time of execution of the document, “the court still finds that it would be in the best interest of ... Delores ... to have another person appointed ...”

Delores takes this appeal. She was 68 years old in 1989, and in October, 1989, was living in an apartment under “supervised care” in a “residential care facility.” She had some $85,000 in CD’s and real estate worth $65,000. The chronology of events is as follows:

1. September, 1989 — Delores is confused. Harold makes out and signs checks, as gifts, for $6,000 each to himself and Robert on his mother’s account.
2. October, 1989 — Diane Couch has Delores examined by a psychiatrist because of mental deterioration. Harold manages her financial affairs and puts her in a residential center where she suffers from forgetfulness and severe weight loss.
3. December 26, 1989 — Robert and Diane file.
4. January 5, 1990 — Delores executes a durable power of attorney in favor of Harold.
[68]*685. July 17, 1990 — Public administrator files.
6. July 25, 1990 — Harold files.
7. October 10, 1990 — Hearing in Probate Court.
8. October 22, 1990 — Court enters order.
9. November 5,1990 — Court amends order.

As stated earlier, the appeal is taken in the name of Delores, but Harold is the party dissatisfied with the result — he wants to be the conservator and guardian. Delores was represented by private counsel. The sons’ petitions and that of the public administrator prayed for declarations of incapacity, a ruling not appealed, nor in any way questioned in this court. This appeal taken by Harold on behalf of Delores seeks to overturn the decision to appoint Bless, and not Harold, as the conservator and guardian. Some five points are raised 1) the court lacked jurisdiction to enter the amended order; 2) the court should have appointed a son instead of the public administrator as guardian and conservator; 3) Delores did not effectively waive the right to remain silent and forgo a jury trial; 4) insufficiency of the clear and convincing evidence to show Delores’ incapacity to execute the January 5 durable power to Harold; and, 5) there was nothing to justify termination of the durable power of attorney.

I.

The first point states the trial court was without jurisdiction to amend its first order. In the initial order of October 22, 1990, the judgment portion appointed the public administrator as conservator of the estate, granted a limited guardianship and revoked the durable power of attorney. In the findings preceding that result the court recognized the execution of power of attorney but found “it was not five [5] years before the inception of her limited incapacity and full disability and, therefore, the court is not required to follow the choice of the guardian ... in accordance with Section 475.050(2)_” That full statute reads:

1. Before appointing any other person, or corporation as guardian of an incapacitated person, or conservator of a disabled person, the court shall consider the suitability of appointing any of the following persons who appear to be willing to serve:
(1) If the incapacitated or disabled person is, at the time of the hearing, able to make and communicate a reasonable choice, any eligible person or, with respect to the estate only, any eligible organization or corporation nominated by him;
(2) Any eligible person or, with respect to the estate only, any eligible organization or corporation, nominated in a durable power of attorney executed by the incapacitated or disabled person and by two witnesses who signed at his request, before the inception of his incapacity or disability, at a time within five years before the hearing when he was able to make and communicate a reasonable choice;
(3) The spouse, parents, adult children, adult brothers and sisters and other close adult relatives of the incapacitated or disabled person and any eligible person or, with respect to the estate only, any eligible organization or corporation, nominated in a duly probated will of such a spouse or relative executed within five years before the hearing.

On November 5, 1990, without notice to Harold, the court entered amended order reaching the same judgment or result as the prior order. However, the findings were changed only to the extent:

... the Durable Power of Attorney was not entered into before the inception of the Respondent’s, Delores A. Couch, incapacity or disability, rather at a time when the Respondent, Delores A. Couch, was unable to make or communicate a reasonable choice, the Court has considered the suitability of appointing Petitioner, Harold L. Couch, and finds that it would be in the best interest of the Respondent, Delores A. Couch, to have another person Appointed as her Limited Guardian and Full Conservator.
[69]*69The Court further finds that whether or not Respondent, Delores A. Couch, was incapacitated or disabled at the time when she entered into the aforementioned Durable Power of Attorney, for her son, Petitioner, Harold L.

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Couch v. Couch
824 S.W.2d 65 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
824 S.W.2d 65, 1991 Mo. App. LEXIS 1910, 1991 WL 271601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/couch-v-couch-moctapp-1991.