Holmes v. O'BRYANT

741 So. 2d 366, 1999 WL 309096
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedMay 18, 1999
Docket98-CA-00560-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 741 So. 2d 366 (Holmes v. O'BRYANT) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holmes v. O'BRYANT, 741 So. 2d 366, 1999 WL 309096 (Mich. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

741 So.2d 366 (1999)

Michael W. HOLMES, Individually and as Executor of the Estate of Louie W. Holmes, Appellant,
v.
Elizabeth Ann Holmes O'BRYANT, Appellee.

No. 98-CA-00560-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

May 18, 1999.

*368 Irving Conrad Mord, II, Tylertown, Attorney for Appellant.

Joseph M. Stinson, Tylertown, Attorney for Appellee.

BEFORE BRIDGES, C.J., COLEMAN, AND IRVING, JJ.

BRIDGES, C.J., for the Court:

¶ 1. Michael W. Holmes, individually and as executor of the estate of Louie W. Holmes, is attacking the September 10, 1993 warranty deed in which his father, Louie W. Holmes, conveyed real property and mineral interests in Walthall County to Elizabeth Ann Holmes O'Bryant charging that the conveyance executed by Louie to Elizabeth was procured through undue influence at a time when Louie, because of advanced age, weakness of mind and sickness, lacked mental capacity to understand and appreciate the nature and effect of said conveyance. Michael and Elizabeth are brother and sister and two of four children born to Louie W. Holmes. The other two children are not parties to this action.

¶ 2. Following presentation of Michael's case-in-chief, Elizabeth moved to exclude the evidence and dismiss the complaint and amended complaint pursuant to M.R.C.P. 41(b) arguing Michael had failed to meet his burden of proof. The chancellor, after hearing arguments on the motion and considering Mississippi law, entered a final judgment dismissing the action on its merits. Michael appeals asserting the trial court abused its discretion in sustaining Elizabeth's motion to exclude the evidence and her Rule 41(b) motion to dismiss the action. We affirm.

FACTS

¶ 3. On September 10, 1993, Louie Wesley Holmes, 67 years old, was the father of four children: Michael, Elizabeth, Sherry and Johanna. When Louie and his former wife, Dorothy, divorced, Michael and Elizabeth chose to live with Louie, and Sherry and Johanna went to live with Dorothy. Sherry and Johanna are not parties to this action.

¶ 4. The record shows Louie was an intelligent, industrious man. He had a high school education and served in two branches of the military. He worked at Standard Oil before becoming a self-employed electrician. He was part owner of a restaurant with his former wife. In his later years, Louie worked for the Herd Improvement Association weighing milk. *369 Louie owned three mobile homes and a house on his property that he rented to tenants. Rental payments from tenants were collected by Louie personally. He maintained the property himself.

¶ 5. With eyeglasses, Louie's eyesight was good, and he had no problem with his hearing. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1992.

¶ 6. Louie lived alone. He continued driving his truck until shortly before he was hospitalized in September 1993. In late 1992 or early 1993, Louie drove alone to Beaumont, Texas to visit Michael.

¶ 7. John Holmes, Louie's older brother by nine years, testified that he arranged for Elizabeth and him to meet with John's attorney, Joe Stinson, on August 3, 1993, to discuss having Louie's business affairs turned over to Elizabeth because Louie "just got where he couldn't look after himself." No action was taken as a result of the meeting, however.

¶ 8. About two weeks later, Louie asked Elizabeth to arrange an appointment with Stinson to discuss preparing a deed giving his property in Walthall County to Michael and her. While enroute to Stinson's office, Louie informed Elizabeth that he had changed his mind and wanted to give the land solely to Elizabeth because Louie had done other things for Mike. The record shows that Louie had helped with Michael's medical school costs.

¶ 9. When Stinson had the deed prepared, Elizabeth drove Louie to Stinson's office. Stinson went over the deed with Louie and Elizabeth explaining everything. Elizabeth then drove Louie to the Walthall County courthouse where Louie executed the deed in the presence of Nancy Kennedy, a deputy chancery clerk.

¶ 10. The events surrounding Louie's signing the deed were related by Elizabeth: Louie sat down to wait, while Elizabeth approached the counter to tell the deputy clerk that Louie needed to get a deed notarized. Nancy inquired whether Louie knew what the deed was and Elizabeth answered in the affirmative. Nancy then asked if Louie would like for her to bring the deed to where he was sitting. Without answering, Louie got up and walked to the counter. Nancy asked Louie if he knew what he was signing and he said yes. Nancy did not read the deed to Louie. Nancy acknowledged Louie's signature. The warranty deed, deed of conveyance and mineral deed was recorded the same day. Elizabeth paid the recording fee.

¶ 11. Louie was admitted into the Veterans Administration Hospital on September 17, 1993. Louie had been running a fever for about a week and Elizabeth was unable to get it down. Louie remained in the hospital until October 1993. Upon his discharge, he was transferred to a nursing home in Natchez where he remained for about four months. He was readmitted to the VA Hospital and died on April 28, 1994, approximately six months after the deed was signed.

¶ 12. After Michael finished presenting his case, Elizabeth moved for a M.R.C.P. 41(b) dismissal asserting Michael failed to meet his burden of proof to justify the court in granting any of the relief prayed for in the complaint or amended complaint.

¶ 13. After considering the evidence thoroughly and maturely, the chancellor found, in pertinent part, that:

1. The inter vivos warranty deed, deed of conveyance and mineral deed executed by Louie W. Holmes on September 10, 1993, and acknowledged by the deputy chancery clerk in which Louie conveyed his property in Walthall County to Elizabeth Ann Holmes O'Bryant was properly recorded and was valid on its face.

2. Michael failed to show by clear and convincing evidence that a confidential or fiduciary relationship existed between Louie and Elizabeth.

3. Michael failed to rebut the presumption that Louie had the requisite mental *370 capacity to execute the deed on September 10, 1993.

¶ 14. Based on these findings of fact, the chancellor rendered his opinion that Michael failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the deed should be set aside and canceled on the grounds of lack of mental capacity and undue influence. A final judgment was entered on March 26, 1998, dismissing with prejudice the complaint and amended compliant to cancel deed. Michael appealed.

ARGUMENT AND DISCUSSION OF LAW

WAS THE CHANCELLOR'S DECISION TO SUSTAIN THE M.R.C.P. 41(b) MOTION SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL CREDIBLE EVIDENCE AND NOT THE RESULT OF MANIFEST ERROR?

¶ 15. This Court's review of the chancellor's decision to grant Elizabeth's motion to dismiss is limited to ascertaining whether the record reveals substantial evidence to support the chancellor's findings. We must affirm the chancellor's findings when supported by substantial credible evidence and when not manifestly erroneous. Stewart v. Merchants Nat'l Bank, 700 So.2d 255, 258-59 (Miss.1997).

¶ 16. Rule 41(b) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure provides, in pertinent part:

After the plaintiff, in an action tried by the court without a jury, has completed the presentation of his evidence, the defendant, without waiving his right to offer evidence in the event the motion is not granted, may move for a dismissal on the ground that upon the facts and the law the plaintiff has shown no right to relief.

¶ 17.

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Bluebook (online)
741 So. 2d 366, 1999 WL 309096, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holmes-v-obryant-missctapp-1999.