Successions of Tanner

836 So. 2d 1280, 2002 La.App. 4 Cir. 1570, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 307, 2003 WL 283410
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 5, 2003
DocketNo. 2002-CA-1570
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 836 So. 2d 1280 (Successions of Tanner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Successions of Tanner, 836 So. 2d 1280, 2002 La.App. 4 Cir. 1570, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 307, 2003 WL 283410 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

| MAMES F. McKAY III, Judge.

The appellants, Sandra Tanner, Orey Tanner, Jr., and Joan Martin, appeal the judgment of the trial court dismissing their petition to nullify testamentary bequest with prejudice and granting appel-lee’s, Jerald N. Andry, motion for summary judgment.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Clifford Chester Tanner died testate on April 25, 2001; his last will and testament was dated April 12, 2001. His wife, Elise Joynes Tanner, pre-deceased him and died intestate. There were no children born of their marriage. In Mr. Tanner’s last will and testament he bequeathed the following: His furniture and personal belongings to the Volunteers of America; an undivided one-half (1/2) interest in his estate, free of all taxes and administrative charges, to Jerald N. Andry; one-eighth (1/8) interest in his estate, free and clear of all taxes and charges, to Sandra Tanner and Orey Tanner, Jr.; one-eighth (1/8) interest to the Theodore Roosevelt Lodge, # 415, Free and Accepted Masons; one-eighth (1/8) of liJiis estate to the Eneircler Chapter, # 191, Order of Eastern Star; and the remaining one-eighth (1/8) of his estate to Mrs. Joan Martin.

On May 17, 2001, a succession proceeding was filed. The last will and testament of Clifford Chester Tanner was probated and letters’ testamentary were issued to Jerald N. Andry as executor of the succession. On August 9, 2001, the appellants, the only living relatives of the decedent, who are also particular legatees under Clifford Tanner’s will, filed a petition to nullify testamentary bequest. On November 2, 2001, the appellants amended their petition allegations to state that Jerald N. Andry violated the Louisiana Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.8(c), by preparing a testament for a non-relative in which he received a substantial [1282]*1282gift. On April 9, 2002, Jerald N. Andry filed a motion for summary judgment requesting that appellants’ petition be dismissed with prejudice. The matter was heard on May 24, 2002. On June 11, 2002, the trial court signed the judgment granting the appellee’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed the appellants’ petition to nullify testamentary bequest.

The bequest to Jerald N. Andry is the prominent issue of dispute in this appeal with the appellants asserting an undue influence claim against Jerald Andry and a violation of the Louisiana Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.8(c).

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Appellate courts review summary judgments de novo. Schroeder v. Board of Sup’rs of Louisiana State University, 591 So.2d 342, 345 (La.1991). Regardless of whether or not summary judgments are favored, the amended version of C.C.P. art. 966 does not change the law regarding the burden of proof in a summary judgment | ^proceeding. Moore v. Delta Waste System, Inc., 96-1984 (La.App. 4 Cir. 3/12/97), 690 So.2d 1108, 1109. The burden of proof remains on the mover to show “that there is no genuine issue as to material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Id. at 1110. An appellate court thus asks the same questions as does the trial court in determining whether summary judgment is appropriate: whether there is any issue of material fact, and whether the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Daniel v. Blaine Kern Artists, Inc., 96-1348 (La.App. 4 Cir. 9/11/96), 681 So.2d 19, 20. Procedurally, the court’s first task on a motion for summary judgment is determining whether the moving party’s supporting documents, pleadings, deposition, answers to interrogatories, admissions and affidavits, are sufficient to resolve all material factual issues. Id. At that point, the party opposing the motion must “make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of proof of an element essential to his claim, action, or defense and on which he will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Oakley v. Thebault, XYZ, 96-0937 (La.App. 4 Cir. 11/13/96), 684 So.2d 488, 490. In determining whether an issue is “genuine”, courts cannot consider the merits, make credibility determinations, evaluate testimony or weigh evidence. Daniel, 681 So.2d at 20.

DISCUSSION

Appellants assert that the trial court erred in granting the defendant’s motion for summary judgment arguing that they have satisfied the evidentiary burden of proof required under the provisions of La. C.C. Pro. art. 966 C(2) to prove that there is a genuine issue of material fact with respect to both undue influence and | violation of Rule 1.8(c) of the Louisiana State Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct.1

Appellants contend that Jerald Andry unduly influenced Clifford Tanner into changing his last will and testament to include Jerald Andry as the beneficiary of a one-half (1/2) interest in his estate, a bequest valued in excess of $500,000.00. The appellants claim that Jerald Andry was not related to the decedent nor was [1283]*1283there a significant personal relationship between them, thereby casting aspersions upon Jerald Andry’s alleged actions concerning the redrafting of Clifford Tanner’s last will and testament. The appellee refutes these allegations and asserts that he indeed had a good relationship with the decedent that spanned a number of years. He also asserts that he attempted to dissuade Clifford Tanner from naming him a beneficiary. The alleged purpose for the change from the 1997 testament was at the behest of Clifford Tanner because a particular legatee, Clifford Prendergast his friend, had predeceased him.2 Appellee also asserts that he did not draft the final testament of Clifford Tanner but that it was prepared and notarized by attorney, Morris Hyman, and independently witnessed by Gilbert Andry and Newell An-dry.

Clifford Tanner was admitted to the hospital on April 9, 2001, apparently due to complications from terminal cancer. The decedent signed the last will and testament at issue in this appeal on April 12, 2001.3 Clifford Tanner was transferred and admitted to Canon Health Care, a hospice, on April 14, 2001, and died on April 25, 2001 at the age of 93.

| RArticle 1479 of the Louisiana Civil Code provides for the nullification of a donation that is procured through undue influence. It provides:

A donation inter vivos or mortis causa shall be declared null upon proof that it is the product of influence by the donee or another person that so impaired the volition of the donor as to substitute the volition of the donee or other person for the volition of the donor.

Furthermore, Comment (b) to Article 1479 provides, in part:

[Ejveryone is more or less swayed by associations with other persons, so this Article attempts to describe the kind of influence that would cause the invalidity of a gift or disposition. Physical coercion and duress clearly fall within the proscription of the previous Article. The more subtle influences, such as creating resentment toward a natural object of a testator’s bounty by false statements, may constitute the kind of influence that is reprobated by this Article, but will still call for evaluation by the trier of fact. Since the ways of influencing another person are infinite, the definition given in this Article is used in an attempt to place a limit on the kind of influence that is deemed offensive.

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Related

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836 So. 2d 1280, 2002 La.App. 4 Cir. 1570, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 307, 2003 WL 283410, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/successions-of-tanner-lactapp-2003.