Edwards v. Hudgins

347 S.W.2d 745, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2419
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 8, 1961
DocketNo. 3879
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 347 S.W.2d 745 (Edwards v. Hudgins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Hudgins, 347 S.W.2d 745, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2419 (Tex. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

McDONALD, Chief Justice.

This is a suit to set aside a deed on the ground that the grantor did not have sufficient mental capacity to understand the nature and consequences of her act in signing it, at the time of its execution.

Plaintiff, Dr. Walter T. Edwards, is the son and sole heir of Mrs. Virgie Edwards. Mrs. Virgie Edwards was a widow 68 years of age (in 1956). She ha'd lived most of her life in Cleburne, Texas; had suffered a stroke 17 December, 1955; moved to Ft. Worth in December, 1955; and was living in Ft. Worth (where her only son lived), on 29 October, 1956. About 27 October, 1956, W. B. Hudgins (deceased husband of defendant herein, and a brother of Mrs. Edwards) employed attorney J. E. Ferguson to prepare a deed to some 16 acres of land [746]*746in-Johnson County, Texas belonging to Mrs. Edwards, whereby Mrs. Edwards conveyed such land without any consideration to W. B. Hudgins; on 29 October, 1956, attorney Ferguson carried such deed to Ft. Worth, and secured the execution of same by Mrs. Edwards, at her home. On 1 November, 1956, Attorney Ferguson filed a proceeding in Johnson County to have W. B. Hudgins appointed guardian of Mrs. Edwards. Mrs. Edwards died on 10 June, 1958 and Mr. Hudgins died in 1957.

The instant suit was brought by Walter T. Edwards as sole heir of Mrs. Virgie Edwards, as plaintiff, against Mrs. Hattie May Hudgins as sole heir and independent executrix of the estate of W. B. Hudgins, deceased, to set aside the deed to the 16 acres of land. Trial was to a jury which, in answer to the one special issue submitted, found :

Mrs. Virgie Edwards did have sufficient mental capacity to understand the nature and subject matter of the deed, and the consequences of her act in signing it, at the time of its execution on 29 October, 1956.

The Trial Court entered judgment for defendant upon such verdict.

Plaintiff appeals, contending:

1) The Trial Court erred in permitting the witness J. E. Ferguson to testify as to his opinion of the mental capacity of Mrs. Edwards on the date the deed was executed for the reason that it was not shown the witness had sufficient contact with Mrs. Edwards to form a conclusion as to her mental capacity.

2) The verdict of the jury is so contrary to the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly wrong and unjust.

3) The Trial Court erred in not granting a new trial because of certain jury misconduct, in that prior to the jury’s answering of the issue, one of the jurors told the jury that the witness George Cooper, a witness for plaintiff, was unworthy of belief, a liar, and did not pay his debts.

We revert to plaintiff’s 1st contention that J. E. Ferguson was not a competent witness to testify as to Mrs. Edwards’ mental capacity, because of insufficient contact with her. The record shows that Mr. Ferguson prepared the deed herein involved and carried it from Cleburne to Ft. Worth for Mrs. Edwards to sign. He was admitted to see Mrs. Edwards and talked with her for some 20 to 30 minutes. He talked with her about why and how she had been brought to Ft. Worth and about her desire to return to Cleburne; about the property involved in the deed; and other general conversation. He testified he formed an opinion as to her mental soundness and mental balance, and that such opinion was that she was mentally sound. The testimony is competent, and any objection goes to the weight rather than the admissibility of the evidence. See: Mueller v. Banks, Tex.Civ.App., 273 S.W.2d 88, and cases therein collated. Contention 1 is overruled.

Plaintiff’s 2nd contention is that the jury’s verdict is against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. The jury found that Mrs. Edwards was mentally competent when she executed the deed on 29 October, 1956. The record reflects that Mrs. Edwards was a widow, 68 years of age; that her only child is the plaintiff herein; that on 17 December, 1955 she suffered a stroke; that from the date of the stroke to her death on 10 June, 1958 she suffered with arterio-sclerosis which affected her brain, heart, and circulatory pattern. The issue is whether she had sufficient mental capacity on 29 October, 1956 to understand the nature and consequences of her act. By signing the deed she gave her brother the 16 acres involved, without consideration. She had previously, by will executed in 1950, left the property to her son, the plaintiff herein.

It is the duty of this court under the point of error urged to consider and weigh [747]*747•all evidence in the case and set aside the verdict and remand the cause for a new trial, if we conclude that the verdict is against the weight and preponderance of the evidence and manifestly unjust. In re King’s Estate, 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660; Prewitt v. Watson, Tex.Civ.App., 317 S.W.2d 954, 159 Tex. 305, (n. r. e.); 320 S.W.2d 815.

Plaintiff’s wife testified that Mrs. Edwards never acted like herself after she suffered the stroke on 17 December, 1955; that her mind could not stay on any subject for any period of time; that she had delusions that people were stealing from her; and that she was in jail; that in her opinion she was not mentally balanced.

Mrs. Ramsey, a nurse who cared for Mrs. Edwards and was with her constantly during the spring of 1956 and from September 1956 until March 1957, testified Mrs. Edwards had delusions, thought people were spying on her; thought she was in jail; and that her mind wandered; that she failed to recognize people she had known for years; and in her opinion Mrs. Edwards was mentally unbalanced. She testified that on the very day Mrs. Edwards signed the deed she was mentally unbalanced; and that she thought Mr. Ferguson was George Cooper (who was tenant on her farm).

Mrs. Lindsey testified she visited Mrs. Edwards daily in June, 1956 and that Mrs. Edwards never knew who she was and could not carry on an intelligent conversation for any length of time; and in her opinion Mrs. Edwards did not know what she was doing.

Mrs. Derby, a long-time friend of Mrs. Edwards, testified that she visited Mrs. Edwards in 1955 and 1956; that Mrs. Edwards did not realize who she was; asked to be taken to see her (Mrs. Edwards’) mother, who had been dead for several years; that she felt that Mrs. Edwards had lost her mind. That Mrs. Hudgins (defendant herein) told her in September, 1956 that she doubted if Mrs. Edwards would recognize her and that Mrs. Edwards was getting worse.

Mrs. Pearl Hudgins (no relation to defendant), but a sister-in-law of Mrs. Edwards, testified she had known Mrs. Edwards for many years'; that she-saw Mrs. Edwards a few days before she moved to Ft. Worth, but that Mrs. Edwards did not know her and confused her with another sister-in-law; that she had discussed Mrs. Edwards’ mental condition with defendant on several occasions in the summer of 1956, and that defendant told her Mrs. Edwards could not keep help because of her mental condition.

Mr. George Cooper, tenant on Mrs. Edwards’ farm for the past 8 years, testified he had known her for 30 years; that he saw her regularly while she was in Cleburne and 3 times after she moved to Ft. Worth; that during the 3 months before she moved to Ft. Worth her mind was slipping; that he saw her in Ft.

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Bluebook (online)
347 S.W.2d 745, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-hudgins-texapp-1961.