Davis v. Addy

2006 OK CIV APP 31, 132 P.3d 609, 2005 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 126, 2005 WL 3940426
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 11, 2005
DocketNos. 101,271, 101,278
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 2006 OK CIV APP 31 (Davis v. Addy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Addy, 2006 OK CIV APP 31, 132 P.3d 609, 2005 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 126, 2005 WL 3940426 (Okla. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

Opinion by

JERRY L. GOODMAN, Presiding Judge.

¶ 1 Bobbie Hollingsworth and Inez Addy (collectively “Appellants”) appeal the trial court’s September 3, 2004, order granting Burns Davis’ motion to vacate all orders rendered in Hattie Kilgore Davis’ (Hattie) guardianship proceeding, PG-99-8, and probate proceeding, P-2001-80, because the orders are void and obtained by fraud. Based upon our review of the facts and applicable law, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2 In 1971, Hattie married Leonard Davis (Leonard). Leonard had two adult children from a previous relationship, Burns Davis (Burns) and Barbara Sexson (Sexson). Hattie had no children of her own. Leonard died in 1982. In 1988, at the age of 79, Hattie executed a will leaving her estate to Burns and Sexson. In 1991, Hattie deeded her home to Burns and Sexson, keeping only a life estate, and in the mid-1990s, Hattie purchased several annuities upon which she listed Burns and Sexton as beneficiaries.

¶ 3 In March of 1999, Hattie’s primary care physician filed a report with the Adult Protective Services Division of the Department of Human Services (DHS) indicating that Hattie was in need of care and supervision. Mitzi Aldrich, DHS services worker, was assigned to Hattie’s case. The services worker subsequently visited with Hattie, Burns, Inez Addy (Addy), a family friend, Charles Park (Park), Hattie’s attorney and friend, and others to discuss Hattie’s situation.

¶ 4 On March 23, 1999, Hattie was admitted to the Geriatric Mental Health Unit at Hillcrest Health Center for an evaluation to determine if a guardianship was appropriate. Dr. Jimmie McAdams’ April 5, 1999, written diagnosis provided that Hattie suffered from “Dementia, Alzheimer’s Type with delusions” [611]*611that was “permanent, progressive and non-treatable,” that she was “unable to care for her finances and basic needs of daily living,” that she will “need twenty-four (24) hour supervision in a specialized facility,” and “[s]he should have an objective, non-biased guardian appointed.” He further concluded Hattie “would have difficulty understanding the nature of a guardianship hearing and attending such a hearing could potentially cause a worsening of her delusions.”

¶ 5 The services worker’s March 29, 1999, DHS report provided Hattie suffered from dementia, that a guardian should be appointed, and that she is “not capable of entering into legal agreements.” The April 12, 1999, DHS report provided that Hattie “lacked the capacity to do or consent to anything.”

¶ 6 On April 9, 1999, Hattie’s attorney, Park, filed a petition for appointment of a guardian for Hattie, Case No. PG-99-8. The petition asserted Hattie was partially incapacitated and requested the court appoint Addy as special guardian pending a hearing on the appointment of Bobbie Hollingsworth (Hollingsworth) as permanent limited guardian. The petition identified Hollingsworth as Hattie’s adult cousin who resided in Texas. On April 9, 1999, Judge Richard Van Dyck appointed Addy as special guardian.

¶ 7 On May 6, 1999, a hearing was held on the petition for appointment of a permanent guardian. Hattie, Park, Addy, Hollings-worth, and Burns, who was present with an attorney, attended the hearing. A different judge appointed Hollingsworth as permanent guardian and designated First National Bank and Trust of Chickasha (First National) as guardian’s agent to handle all finances. Burns presented no objection or challenge to the guardianship at this time. Notably, neither Dr. McAdams’ April 5, 1999, diagnosis nor the services worker’s DHS reports were filed of record or attached to any pleading in either the April 9 or May 6, 1999, court proceedings, although Parks believed the court had received Dr. McAdams’ diagnosis prior to the May 6,1999, hearing.

¶ 8 On June 29, 1999, Hattie executed a new will, drafted by Parks, which left a significantly smaller portion of her estate to Burns and Sexson, and added new bequests to Hollingsworth, Addy, members of Park’s family, as well as other friends, relatives, and charities. The will was witnessed by the DHS services worker and Judge Van Dyck. The services worker’s concurrent DHS report noted that Hattie was of sound mind and competent to sign the will. Judge Van Dyck later testified at deposition that at the time he witnessed the will, he believed Hattie to be of sound mind but that he did not recall Hattie’s earlier guardianship proceeding before him. Further, he testified he was not advised of Dr. McAdams’ diagnosis or of the services worker’s previous DHS reports.

¶ 9 At the same time, Hattie executed change in beneficiary forms for each of her annuities, thereby changing the beneficiaries from Burns and Sexson to her estate. One of the annuities, IDS/American Express, refused to change the annuity beneficiary without a court order. Based on their refusal, the annuity beneficiary was not changed during Hattie’s lifetime. Burns and Sexson did not learn of the new will or the change in annuity beneficiary until after Hattie’s death.1

¶ 10 Hattie died on June 13, 2001. On June 28, 2001, Addy, as personal representative, offered the 1999 will for admission to probate in P-2001-80. On July 26, 2001, Burns filed a petition contesting the will as improperly executed and, concurrently, a petition for probate of Hattie’s 1988 will. Cross-motions for summary judgment were filed. In an order filed on November 30, 2001, the trial court granted partial summary [612]*612judgment to the personal representative finding the 1999 will was properly executed. The court, however, reserved ruling on the issue of whether the 1999 will should be admitted to probate. First National Bank was appointed Special Administrator of Hattie’s estate. Burns appealed.

¶ 11 While the appeal was pending, Burns filed an amended petition contesting the 1999 will asserting Hattie lacked testamentary capacity and was unduly influenced at the time the will was executed. To date, these issues have not been addressed and the will has not been admitted to probate. Burns’ appeal was subsequently dismissed on March 18, 2002, for lack of an appealable order.

¶ 12 On October 9, 2002, Burns filed a motion to vacate all orders in PG-99-8 (guardianship), P-2001-80 (probate), and CJ-2001-423 (annuity proceeds).2 Burns asserted the guardianship orders were void for failure to comply with the statutory prerequisites for appointing a guardian and that the orders were obtained through fraud committed on him and the trial court.3 More specifically, Burns alleged that Park and the DHS services worker withheld and concealed from him and the trial court Dr. McAdams’ diagnosis and the DHS reports which specifically provided Hattie was fully incapacitated. This intentional and fraudulent concealment by Park, Addy, and Hollingsworth deceived Burns and the court, and resulted in a judicial finding that Hattie was only partially incapacitated and was competent to execute legal documents, including the 1999 will and the change in annuity beneficiaries forms.

¶ 13 On September 3, 2004, after four evi-dentiary hearings, the trial court sustained the motion to vacate and set aside all orders in PG-99-8 and P-2001-80 as void due to fraud perpetrated on the court, Hattie, and her heirs. The court held 1) the statute of limitations was tolled because the documents (Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2006 OK CIV APP 31, 132 P.3d 609, 2005 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 126, 2005 WL 3940426, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-addy-oklacivapp-2005.