Crippled Children's Hospital School v. Camatsos

349 S.W.2d 178, 48 Tenn. App. 617, 1960 Tenn. App. LEXIS 132
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJune 23, 1960
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 349 S.W.2d 178 (Crippled Children's Hospital School v. Camatsos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crippled Children's Hospital School v. Camatsos, 349 S.W.2d 178, 48 Tenn. App. 617, 1960 Tenn. App. LEXIS 132 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

CARNEY, J.

The defendant below, Mrs. Nina Camat-sos, appeals from an order of the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, refusing to set aside a pro confesso and refusing to permit her to answer the original and amend¿d bill of complainants. In addition, she appeals from a final decree of the Chancery Court adjudging on the basis of the pro confesso that she exercised fraud and undue influence upon her late husband, John George Camatsos, and thereby procured from him deeds to two valuable parcels of real estate located in Shelby [619]*619County, Tennessee. The Chancellor set aside the deeds and divested title out of the appellant, Mrs. Camatsos.

John George Camatsos, aged 69, was a naturalized citizen of the United States and had been a resident of the City of Memphis for many years. Mr. Camatsos was on an extended visit to Greece at the time of his death on September 28,1958. During the years he had acquired the two parcels of real property in Memphis of a value of approximately $50,000.

Prior to leaving Memphis in September, 1956, for his visit to his hometown, Mytilene, Greece, Mr. Camatsos had his longtime friend and attorney, Mr. Joseph M. Bearman, of Memphis prepare for him his last will and testament which was executed by Mr. Camatsos and left with Mr. Bearman for safekeeping. Mr. Bearman was named executor in this will.

Mr. Camatsos had married Nina Camatsos on one of his former trips to Greece. She was much younger being now about 35 years of age. She came to Memphis shortly after their marriage where she lived with him for a short time and later returned to Greece to make her home.

By the terms of the will executed on May 14, 1956, hereinafter referred to as the Bearman will Mr. Camat-sos bequeathed one-third of his gross estate to his wife, the appellant, and the remainder he disposed of by specific gifts. A complete list of his bequests is as follows:

Joseph M. Bearman, Petitioner $1,000.00
Mrs. Marigo Hadjiyani, of Mytilene, Sister 1,000.00
Erifili P. Karavataki of Mytilene, 6 years old 1,000.00
Theodoros P. Karavataki of Mytilene, 18 yrs. old 500.00
Eleni P. Karavataki, of Mytilene, Nephew’s wife 1,000.00
[620]*620Kapiopi G. Bani of Mytilene, 7 yrs. of age 1,000.00
Nikos Voulgarelis of Mytilene, 8 yrs. of age 500.00
Penelope Solaki of Mytilene, niece 500.00
Nirsini Emanouel of Mytilene, niece 500.00
Paraskeva P. Camatsos, Mytilene, nephew 50.00
Elias Kiriagis of Mytilene, nephew 1,000.00
Panagiotis D. Kamatsos of Mytilene, 8 yrs. old 500.00 Laki Makris of Mytilene, 12 yrs. of age 1,000.00
Eugene J. Bearman, Memphis 500.00
Mrs. Elizabeth Evans, Memphis . 250.00
Crippled Children’s Hospital of Memphis 1,000.00
The School of Mytilene, Papados, G-reece 1,000.00
The Church of Mytilene, Papados, Greece 500.00
The School of Mytilene, Scopelos, Greece 2,500.00
The Church of Mytilene, Scopelos, Greece 500.00
The Tuberculosis Sanitarium of Mytilene, Ayasso, Greece 2,500.00
Bostanion Hospital of Mytilene, Greece 1,000.00
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis 500.00
Greek Orthodox Church and School of Memphis 1,000.00
Memphis Heart Association, Inc. 500.00
Memphis Cancer Society, Inc. 500.00
Memphis-Shelby County Chapter of the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis 500.00
National Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation of New York 500.00
The Church Magdalini of Mytilene, Scopelos, Greece 500.00
Antonios G. Voyatjis of Mytilene 600.00
Attorneys Antonios G. Voyatjis and son, George Voyatjis, of Mytilene, Greece. Rest as Trustees for the benefit of the poor and and needy in Spocelos and Papados Residue

[621]*621The two deeds which are the subject of this litigation were executed by Mr. Camatsos in Greece on July 1,1958, and conveyed the real estate in Memphis to his wife, the appellant, in fee simple. These deeds were forwarded and filed for record in the Register’s office of Shelby County on October 8,1958, after the death of Mr. Camat-sos on September 28, 1958.

In addition to claiming title to the real estate under said two deeds, the appellant, Nina Camatsos, contends that on or about November 23, 1957, her husband, John George Camatsos, in Greece executed another will revoking the Bearman will dated May 14, 1956, and leaving all of his property to her in fee simple.

Shortly after the death of Mr. Camatsos, Joseph M. Bearman as executor of the will dated May 14,1956, filed a petition in the Probate Court of Shelby County seeking probate thereof in solemn form.

On December 11,1958, the Crippled Children’s Hospital School filed its original bill in the present cause in behalf of itself and other legatees under the Bearman will averring that the Bearman will had been offered for probate; that Mr. Camatsos left an account in a Memphis bank of approximately $1,200; that the defendant, Edward LeMasters Co., Inc., the rental agent, had in its possession approximately $800 arising from rentals collected from the real estate since the death of Mr. Camatsos and further averring that Nina Camatsos had obtained the two deeds to the parcels of real estate from her husband by fraud and undue influence.

The bill further averred that Mrs. Camatsos had expressed an intention to mortgage or otherwise encumber the real estate. Prayer was made that the court enjoin [622]*622the payment of any funds over to Mrs. Camatsos and also that the two deeds be set aside.

Publication was had upon Mrs. Camatsos as a nonresident. When she came to Memphis the bill was amended and injunction sought against Mrs. Camatsos’ encumbering or disposing of the property. Personal service of process was had on her February 7, 1959. Mrs. Camatsos retained an attorney, Mr. George E. Morrow, and on February 16, 1959, a consent order was entered modifying the injunction so that Nina Camatsos could withdraw the sum of $500 for living expenses.

On March 4, 1959, Mr. Joseph M. Bearman who was named as executor in the so-called Camatsos-Bearman will filed an intervening petition averring that in addition to being named executor in the will he was also a legatee under Item V of the same. This petition averred that Mrs. Camatsos had conspired with her former husband to hold Mr. Camatsos incommunicado from his friends and relatives in Greece and that she had contributed to his death by administering drugs to him all with the evil design to obtain all of his property.

Mr.

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621 S.W.2d 577 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1981)
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418 S.W.2d 432 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
349 S.W.2d 178, 48 Tenn. App. 617, 1960 Tenn. App. LEXIS 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crippled-childrens-hospital-school-v-camatsos-tennctapp-1960.