Lee v. Patton

359 So. 2d 519, 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 16077
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 23, 1978
DocketNo. 77-1054
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 359 So. 2d 519 (Lee v. Patton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lee v. Patton, 359 So. 2d 519, 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 16077 (Fla. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

In the first appearance of this cause before this court (Lee v. Patton, 342 So.2d 542) we were concerned with the ruling of the trial judge setting forth the burden of a donee of an inter vivos gift to rebut a presumption of undue influence which arose from such gift. Based on In re Estate of Carpenter, 253 So.2d 697 (Fla.1971) and Majorana v. Constantine, 318 So.2d 185 (Fla.2d DCA 1975) we held:

“ . . . that the donee’s burden of rebutting a properly raised presumption of undue influence relating to an inter vivos gift is only such as to come forward with a reasonable explanation of the do-nee’s active role in the donor’s affairs, and specifically in the preparation of the gift transfer instrument.”

We further held that the donee is not required to show the gift was freely and voluntarily made with a full understanding of the import and effect thereof and that the gift represented the wish and desire of the donor as the lower court required of the donee.

This court further stated:

“ . . . [T]he judgment below is reversed and the cause remanded to the lower court to apply the Carpenter bur[520]*520den of proof principles on the undue influence issue. A new trial will not be necessary. In so doing, we express no opinion as to whether undue influence has or has not been established by this record.”

The trial judge entered a Final Decree On Mandate making comprehensive and extensive findings of fact and setting forth his conclusions of law.1

Pertinent portions of the Final Decree On Mandate are set forth as follows:

“1. WINIFRED STUART LEE, a longtime resident of Dade County, Florida, died May 24, 1974 at the age of 83 years.

* * * * * *

“2. In the year of decedent’s demise she had been in the hospital from January 31, 1974 to February 19, 1974, and again from April 19, 1974 until her death. Though she had been in failing health since the latter part of 1973, her physical and mental condition deteriorated from January of 1974 onward so that she was from that point totally bedridden, hard of hearing, had poor eyesight, was from time to time confused and disoriented, suffered periodic hallucinations and exhibited numerous symptoms of disability, together with her physical ailments. She was almost totally dependent upon her housekeeper and others to care for her and administer to her necessities of life.

“The decedent had become increasingly concerned about her inability to properly supervise and manage her finances due to her poor health, and with the assistance of her attorneys of long-standing who had represented her and her deceased husband for over 20 years (the Patton law firm), a custodian agreement dated October 25, 1973 with defendant, CITY NATIONAL BANK OF MIAMI, was entered into whereby her personal property in the nature of marketable securities and cash valued at over $100,-000 were managed by the custodian under written agreement. Notwithstanding the custodian agreement, Mrs. Lee retained certain personal checking accounts upon which she could write her own checks in payment of her current obligations and necessities. After the opening of the custodian account, the decedent was hospitalized in December 1973 and again in January of 1974, and her physical and mental condition deteriorated to the point that current bills were unpaid. That the salary of her housekeeper, MARY NOETHEN, was not only unpaid, but the housekeeper found it necessary to advance her own funds for the purchase of food and the payment of immediate expenses. Mail was unopened and in general there was a total inability on the part of Mrs. Lee to manage her affairs. After conferences with the housekeeper and Mrs. Lee regarding this unfortunate situation, and in order to assist in the performance of these everyday tasks for her which were not encompassed within the custodian agency agreement, Mrs. Lee, on March 13, 1974, executed a power of attorney to DONALD W. STOBS, Jr., of the ‘Patton’ law firm for the purpose of enabling him to assist her in the management of her affairs and to keep current the household obligations and immediate necessities of Mrs. Lee. Shortly after the execution of the power of attorney, the personal checking account and banking account of Mrs. Lee were terminated and arrangements made with the custodian bank to take over those funds and for the bank to pay obligations as approved and requested by Mr. Stobs, the attorney-in-fact.

“4. For a period of approximately one and one-half to two years prior to her demise, the decedent had a live-in housekeeper, MARY NOETHEN, who looked after her, performed the required household tasks and was employed on a salary basis. As her health deteriorated, she relied upon MARY NOETHEN increasingly to do everything for her and administer to her needs as a full-time companion and nurse. MARY NOETHEN, during the latter part of 1973 and thereafter, demanded salary raises due to the increase in her duties as the health of [521]*521the decedent failed. These salary demands included statements that she would leave the decedent alone without anyone to care for her unless they were met. She was also being thwarted in her demands for unpaid salary and for reimbursement of expenses she had incurred on behalf of the decedent. Mrs. Noethen became increasingly concerned as first the custodian agency agreement, and then the “Stobs” power of attorney indicated to her that decedent was losing control of her property, and especially was this true when the personal bank accounts of Mrs. Lee were closed and she lost her privilege of writing her own checks on her personal bank account. All of this concern was expressed to Mrs. Lee and when Mrs. Lee realized that her bank accounts had been closed and that her entire financial affairs had been placed in the hands of the bank and Mr. Stobs of the law firm, she became extremely agitated and requested Mrs. Noethen to write a letter to her step-son, ROBERT EMMETT LEE, the son of her deceased husband, asking him to come to Florida from his home in Illinois to discuss with her her personal affairs and assist her in regaining personal control of her property.

“5. The letter to ROBERT EMMETT LEE in Illinois under date of 15 March 1974 was written by MARY NOETHEN and signed by WINIFRED LEE. It requested him to come to Florida at his earliest convenience to discuss Mrs. Lee’s affairs.

“The defendant, ROBERT EMMETT LEE, was the son of WARREN CUBBON LEE, to whom WINIFRED STUART LEE became married in 1955. At the time of this marriage, Mr. Lee was a grown man and was and now is a practicing attorney at law in Illinois. After the marriage of WARREN and WINIFRED LEE, there was little or no contact over the ensuing 20 years between WINIFRED STUART LEE and her step-son, ROBERT EMMETT LEE, other than two visits. The first such visit was in 1957 to attend the funeral of Robert’s father, WARREN CUBBON LEE, in Miami, Florida; and the second such visit was in March 1974 which gave rise to the incidents and transactions at issue in this law suit.

“The Court finds from all the evidence presented in this cause that WINIFRED STUART LEE, the decedent, being agitated and concerned over having relinquished personal control of her financial affairs and having no husband or child to counsel with her, and knowing that her step-son, ROBERT EMMETT LEE, was an attorney at law, she requested his coming to Miami, Florida to assist her in remedying her concerns and to regain personal control of her property.

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Related

Tilzer v. Tilzer
417 So. 2d 777 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1982)
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406 So. 2d 97 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
359 So. 2d 519, 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 16077, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lee-v-patton-fladistctapp-1978.