Williams v. Williams

329 P.2d 70, 163 Cal. App. 2d 144, 1958 Cal. App. LEXIS 1479
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 25, 1958
DocketCiv. No. 23095
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 329 P.2d 70 (Williams v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Williams, 329 P.2d 70, 163 Cal. App. 2d 144, 1958 Cal. App. LEXIS 1479 (Cal. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

FOX, P. J.

This is a suit for recission of a deed to real property. Plaintiff has appealed from a judgment in favor of defendants.

Laura Williams was the original plaintiff in this case; upon her death Marcilette Ingram, her administratrix, was substituted in her place. Marcilette is one of Laura’s children. Laura’s other children, Ruth Harris and Lewis Williams, are the defendants in this suit along with Lewis ’ wife, Virginia.

Early in 1956 Laura, who was then 61 years of age, became seriously ill and was forced to spend several weeks in a hospital. Laura became concerned over the mounting hospital and doctor bills and had many discussions with each of her children regarding this problem. While Lewis was of the opinion that Laura’s home (the property which is the subject of this suit) should be rented to provide an income, both his sisters wanted the property sold. In fact, the sisters made [146]*146many efforts to persuade Laura to let them sell the furniture. Lewis opposed this action. Finally Laura decided that the house should be sold. It was determined that Laura should either execute a power of attorney or deed the property so that her children could handle the sale for her. Lewis was told by a real estate agent that Laura’s transferring the legal title would be more desirable. Lewis suggested to Laura that all three children should be named in the deed. Laura stated that she did not wish Mareilette to be one of the grantees and even suggested that Lewis should be the sole grantee. However, when Lewis had the deed prepared by his attorney, he directed that Ruth and himself be named as grantees. Thereafter he took the deed to Laura and read her the contents. She approved and executed the deed on March 15, 1956. Although she was in the hospital at the time, she was fully coherent and had command of her faculties. She saw each of her children practically every day.

Lewis contacted several real estate agents in an effort to effect a sale of the property. Laura left the hospital on April 29, 1956, and went to live with Lewis and his family. Laura’s doctor had informed the children that she would need constant care and should not he allowed to live alone. Late in May Laura was still worried about her medical bills and the house had not yet been sold. At this time Lewis and his mother entered into an agreement. Lewis was to receive the entire legal title to Laura’s home. In return Lewis agreed to borrow $6,000 with which he would pay all Laura’s medical bills, pay off the small mortgage on her house and defray certain expenses necessary in moving his family from his home into hers and in preparing his home for rental purposes. Lewis, his family and Laura were to live together in her home and Lewis was to provide food, clothing and care for Laura for the remainder of her life. There was a balance of $2,000 from the original loan which Lewis left in the bank; he told Laura that it was her money and that she could have it whenever she wanted it. The purpose of borrowing this extra $2,000, even though it was not then needed, was to provide a fund for any future operations or hospitalization without having to resort to another loan.

On May 21, 1956, Lewis and Ruth executed a deed conveying the property to Lewis and his wife. Laura approved this transfer. Lewis and his family and Laura moved into the subject property. Lewis effected the loan and paid the various bills. The dressing on Laura’s foot required constant [147]*147changing and she was on a special diet. Lewis and his wife faithfully fulfilled Laura’s needs in these respects.

After a short time Laura became dissatisfied with the arrangement and began to complain. Finally she gave Lewis formal notice of rescission of her transfer of the property in question. Lewis stated in writing that he would be willing to rescind on condition that he received compensation for the various expenses he had incurred and for the services he had rendered Laura. But Laura immediately filed this suit “for rescission, to cancel an instrument, for an accounting, and to quiet title. ’ ’ Laura continued to live in the house with Lewis and his family until the time of her death. Laura died in February, 1957, and the case proceeded to trial with Marcilette substituted as plaintiff. The trial court ruled that neither Laura nor her estate had any right, title or interest in the subject real property and rendered judgment for defendants. The court also denied any accounting.

Appellant’s first contention is that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the finding that Laura’s conveyance was free of undue influence. The rules governing this situation are clear:

“ When a finding is attacked on the ground that there is not any substantial evidence to sustain it, the power of an appellate court begins and ends with the determination as to whether there is any substantial evidence contradicted or uncontradieted which will support the finding of fact. [Citations.]
“ When two or more inferences can reasonably be deduced from the facts, a reviewing court is without power to substitute its deductions for those of the trial court. [Citations.]’’ (Primm v. Prinvm, 46 Cal.2d 690, 693-694 [299 P.2d 231].)

Appellant argues that Lewis was in a confidential relationship with Laura, that Lewis exercised activity in procuring the deed, and that the consideration for the property was disproportionate to its value. From this she concludes that a presumption of undue influence arose, thereby shifting the burden of proof to Lewis. (Kloehn v. Prendiville, 154 Cal.App.2d 156, 161 [316 P.2d 17].) However, even if we assume that undue influence by Lewis could be presumed, the evidence is still sufficient to support the trial court’s finding that the transaction was free of undue influence.

“ Undue influence has been defined to be that kind of influence or supremacy of one mind over another by which [148]*148that other is prevented from acting according, to his own wish or judgment, and whereby the will of the person is overborne and he is induced to do or forbear to do an act which he would not do, or would do, if left to act freely. [Citations.] ” (Well v. Saunders, 79 Cal.App.2d 863, 871 [181 P.2d 43].) “ What constitutes undue influence and what constitutes sufficient proof thereof depend upon the facts and circumstances of each particular case.” (Sparks v. Sparks, 101 Cal.App.2d 129, 135 [225 P.2d 238].) In the instant case the evidence establishes that Laura transferred her title to the property because she wanted it sold; it was her own decision and Lewis, in fact, was opposed to such sale. Although Laura was in the hospital at the time she executed the deed, the evidence showed that she had full possession of her mental faculties, was at all times coherent, and that she knew what she was doing. She saw all her children regularly and constantly asked whether or not the house had been sold. When the property remained unsold after two months, Laura sought another means of solving her financial problem. She was living in Lewis’s home and was being cared for properly. It appeared that neither of her other children could take care of her as well as Lewis and his wife.

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Bluebook (online)
329 P.2d 70, 163 Cal. App. 2d 144, 1958 Cal. App. LEXIS 1479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-williams-calctapp-1958.