Specia v. Lucchese

312 S.W.2d 589, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 1953
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 18, 1958
DocketNo. 3377
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 312 S.W.2d 589 (Specia v. Lucchese) 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
Specia v. Lucchese, 312 S.W.2d 589, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 1953 (Tex. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

WALTER, Justice.

Appealed from the 131st District Court of Bexar County.

This is the second appeal of this will contest case. Ben Specia, Sr., died on June 30, 1953, leaving a will dated May 9, 1944, and by its terms he made Ben Specia, Jr., and G. J. Lucchese independent executors and bequeathed $1,000 to Charles Specia, a son by his first marriage, and $500 to each of his daughters, Mary and Mabel, and the residue of his estate was left to his son Ben Specia, Jr., and David Specia, share and share alike. The probable value of the estate was alleged to have been in excess of $400,000.00 in contestant’s first amended petition. Charles Specia was contestant and Ben Specia, Jr., and G. J. Lucchese, independent executors and Mabel Specia Wolfe, Mary Specia Anderson and Effie Beckett Specia were the proponents of the will.

The will was admitted to probate in the county court but in the district court probate was denied at the first trial because the jury found that Ben Specia, Sr., did not have testamentary capacity. An appeal by writ of error was taken from the first judgment to the Court of Civil Appeals at San Antonio which reversed and remanded the case, 292 S.W.2d 818, because the verdict was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.

In the case at bar the contestant pleaded and introduced competent evidence that Ben Specia, Sr., did not have testamentary capacity at the time he executed his will. This issue was submitted to a jury which was unable to agree on a verdict. The court discharged the jury and, upon re[590]*590consideration of a motion for an instructed verdict by the proponents, came to the conclusion that it would have been proper to have withdrawn the case from the jury and instructed a verdict for the proponents. The court accordingly admitted the will to probate and overruled the contestant’s motion for mistrial.

From this judgment the contestant has duly perfected his appeal on one point of error, namely, the trial court erred in withdrawing the case from the jury and rendering judgment for the proponents because there was sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue of lack of testamentary capacity of the testator.

If there was any evidence of probative force that Ben Specia, Sr., did not have testamentary capacity, the court should not have granted the proponents’ motion. On the question of authority of the trial court to instruct a verdict, our Supreme Court in Air Conditioning, Inc., v. Harrison-Wilson-Pearson, 151 Tex. 635, 253 S.W.2d 422, 425, speaking through Justice Sharp, said:

“The courts of this State have repeatedly held that it is error to instruct a verdict when the evidence raises any material issue. In passing upon the question of the authority of the trial court to instruct a verdict, as was done in this case, the evidence must be considered most favorable in behalf of the party against whom the verdict is instructed. A peremptory instruction is warranted only when the evidence is such that no other verdict should be rendered. If there is any conflicting evidence in the record of a probative nature, a determination of the issue is for the jury. White v. White, 141 Tex. 328, 172 S.W.2d 295; Stevens v. Karr, 119 Tex. 479, 33 S.W.2d 725.”

After a careful study and analysis of the evidence in this record, we have reached the conclusion that there was some evidence of probative force that Ben Specia, Sr., did not have testamentary capacity. In considering if there was a jury question on the issue of testamentary capacity, the court in Venner v. Layton, Tex.Civ.App., 244 S.W.2d 852, 856, said:

“This being an original application to probate the will, and the testator having changed the statutory rule of descent and distribution, put upon those who offer the will for probate the burden of proving its execution under and in compliance with all the formalities set out in our statutes, one of which was that the testatrix had testamentary capacity at all material times.
'“In considering the question as to whether there was a jury question on the issue of testamentary capacity, only evidence favorable to a finding for appellants can be considered. Such evidence considered, while it need not be a preponderance of the evidence, must consist of more than a scintilla or a suspicion; it must have substance.”

We find at least four of the witnesses who were called by the contestant in the case at bar who were also used by him when the case was tried the first time. Referring to contestant’s witnesses in the first trial the Court of Civil Appeals said:

“Five persons testified that testator was of unsound mind, after stating their own observations of testator’s demeanor, habits, conduct, and mental condition over a long period of time. We consider the testimony itself as competent. 44 Tex.Jr., Wills, § 41; Jowers v. Smith, Tex.Civ.App., 237 S.W.2d 805; Walston v. Mabry, Tex.Civ.App, 225 S.W.2d 1014; Green v. Dickson, Tex.Civ.App., 208 S.W.2d 119.” Specia v. Specia, 292 S.W.2d 818, 819.

Mrs. Herminia Specia was called as a witness by the contestant, who testified that she had married Ben Specia, Sr., in 1911, was divorced from him in 1916 and that to said marriage'union was born one [591]*591child, Charles Specia, the contestant herein. She testified that from the time she was divorced from the testator up until the time of his death in 1953, he came over to her house twice a week. She recalled that in the year 1944, sometimes the testator visited her about three times a week.

She testified that in 1940 on one of his visits to her home he told her that everybody was against him and that the Government was after him. He also related that when he rode over to her house on the bus a soldier got off of the bus when he did and followed him to her house. He thought someone was sending the Government after him. She related that in 1943, while testator was visiting her she made some lemonade and gave it to him and he poured the lemonade on his head and threw the glass at her.

In 1944 she testified that Ben Specia, Sr., was at her home nearly every day and wanted to marry her again and said that he would keep Effie and have them both. He told her that he had made a will and left equal shares to his five children. In less than five minutes after telling her this, he asked her what was the name of their son. After telling him the name of their son, he then asked her how many children he had. After informing him he had five children and giving him the names, he said, “You are lying to me. I have more.” He asked about little Minnie and Alice and wanted to know where they were. After telling him they had only the one child, he again wanted to know where the girls were, and told her she was lying to him and wanted to see the girls.

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312 S.W.2d 589, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 1953, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/specia-v-lucchese-texapp-1958.