Title: McGee v. McGee
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1091798
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: January 13, 2012

r e l : 01/13/2012 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama 
A p p e l l a t e 
C o u r t s , 
300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 
2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made 
b e f o r e t h e 
o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2011-2012 
1091798 
John Coleman McGee 
v. 
W i l l i s Banks McGee, i n d i v i d u a l l y and as executor o f 
the 
e s t a t e o f E l i z a b e t h Banks McGee 
1100247 
W i l l i s Banks McGee, as executor o f the e s t a t e o f E l i z a b e t h 
Banks McGee 
v. 
John Coleman McGee 
Appeals from Greene C i r c u i t 
Court 
(CV-05-037) 
1091798; 1100247 
WOODALL, 
J u s t i c e . 
I n 
c a s e no. 1091798, J o h n C o l e m a n McGee ("Jack") 
a p p e a l s 
f r o m a summary j u d g m e n t and 
a j u d g m e n t as a m a t t e r 
o f l a w 
i n 
f a v o r 
o f 
h i s 
b r o t h e r , 
W i l l i s 
B a n k s 
McGee 
( " W i l l i s " ) , 
i n d i v i d u a l l y and as e x e c u t o r 
o f t h e e s t a t e o f E l i z a b e t h B a n k s 
McGee, t h e i r m o t h e r ("Mrs. M c G e e " ) , i n an a c t i o n commenced by 
J a c k 
t o 
c o n t e s t 
M r s . 
McGee's 
w i l l . 
I n 
c a s e 
no. 
1100247, 
W i l l i s 
a p p e a l s 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
d e n i a l 
o f 
h i s 
r e q u e s t , 
p u r s u a n t 
t o A l a . Code 1 
975, 
§ 4 3 - 8 - 1 9 6 , 
f o r t h e payment 
o f 
l i t i g a t i o n 
c o s t s and 
a t t o r n e y 
f e e s 
i n t h e 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t . 
We 
h a v e c o n s o l i d a t e d t h e a p p e a l s 
f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f w r i t i n g 
one 
o p i n i o n . 
I n c a s e no. 
1091798, we 
a f f i r m i n p a r t , r e v e r s e 
i n 
p a r t , and remand. 
I n c a s e no. 1100247, we r e v e r s e and remand. 
I . 
F a c t u a l and 
P r o c e d u r a l 
B a c k g r o u n d 
On 
J u n e 7 , 1 
992, 
M r s . McGee e x e c u t e d 
a 
w i l l , 
w h i c h 
was 
d r a f t e d by C r a w f o r d W i l l i a m s , h e r a t t o r n e y o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 
30 
y e a r s . 
The 
document p r o v i d e d , 
i n s u b s t a n t i v e 
and 
r e l e v a n t 
p a r t : 
" I , E L I Z A B E T H BANKS McGEE, 
... 
b e i n g 
o f 
s o u n d 
m i n d 
and 
d i s p o s i n g 
memory, 
do 
h e r e b y 
make 
and 
p u b l i s h 
t h i s , 
my 
L a s t 
W i l l 
and 
T e s t a m e n t , 
h e r e b y 
r e v o k i n g any 
and 
a l l f o r m e r W i l l s made by 
me. 
2 
1091798; 1100247 
"ITEM TWO 
" I 
g i v e , 
w i l l , 
d e v i s e and b e q u e a t h 
u n t o 
my 
b e l o v e d s o n , [ W i l l i s ] , 
my home, t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e 
r e a l 
e s t a t e 
upon 
w h i c h 
i t i s s i t u a t e d 
and 
a l l 
h o u s e h o l d f u r n i t u r e , 
f u r n i s h i n g s and a p p l i a n c e s ... 
t o be h i s a b s o l u t e l y . 
"ITEM THREE 
" I 
g i v e , 
w i l l , 
d e v i s e a n d b e q u e a t h t h e sum o f 
$ 2 5 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 
c a s h 
t o e a c h 
g r a n d c h i l d 
o f mine 
who 
s u r v i v e s me ( a n d who m i g h t be b o r n w i t h i n n i n e (9) 
months o f my d e a t h ) t o be r e c e i v e d by and t o be h e l d 
by 
t h e i r 
p a r e n t ( s ) f o r s u c h 
g r a n d c h i l d ' s n e e d s as 
s a i d 
p a r e n t ( s ) , 
i n 
t h e i r 
own 
d i s c r e t i o n , 
m i g h t 
d e t e r m i n e a p p r o p r i a t e 
I n t h e e v e n t t h a t my s o n , 
[ J a c k ] , i s d i v o r c e d f r o m my d a u g h t e r - i n - l a w , CAROL 
S. McGEE, t h e n I d e s i g n a t e my d a u g h t e r - i n - l a w , CAROL 
S. McGEE, as t h e ' p a r e n t ' t o r e c e i v e and h o l d 
s u c h 
sum as b e q u e a t h e d t o my g r a n d c h i l d , K R I S T I N McGEE, 
f o r 
a l l 
p u r p o s e s u n d e r 
t h i s I t e m o f my 
W i l l . 
"ITEM FOUR 
" I 
g i v e , 
w i l l , 
d e v i s e and b e q u e a t h 
u n t o 
my 
b e l o v e d s o n , [ J a c k ] , t h e sum o f ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND 
DOLLARS ($100,000.00) c a s h t o be h i s a b s o l u t e l y , i f 
he s u r v i v e s me. 
"ITEM F I V E 
" I g i v e , w i l l , d e v i s e and b e q u e a t h 
a l l t h e r e s t , 
r e s i d u e and r e m a i n d e r o f my p r o p e r t y , r e a l , p e r s o n a l 
a n d / o r m i x e d , w h e r e v e r 
s i t u a t e d , w h i c h I may own o r 
t o w h i c h I may be e n t i t l e d a t t h e t i m e o f my d e a t h , 
o r t o w h i c h my e s t a t e may become e n t i t l e d 
a f t e r my 
d e a t h , 
o r 
o v e r 
w h i c h 
I may 
have 
any p o w e r 
o f 
d i s p o s i t i o n , 
u n t o my b e l o v e d s o n , [ W i l l i s ] , 
t o be 
h i s 
a b s o l u t e l y . 
3 
1091798; 
1100247 
"ITEM SEVEN 
" I h e r e b y c o n s t i t u t e and a p p o i n t as E x e c u t o r o f 
t h i s , 
my 
L a s t 
W i l l 
and 
T e s t a m e n t , 
my 
s o n , 
[ W i l l i s ] 
" 
( C a p i t a l i z a t i o n i n o r i g i n a l . ) 
M r s . McGee e x e c u t e d t h e w i l l i n h e r home. 
P r e s e n t a t t h e 
s i g n i n g o f t h e w i l l were W i l l i a m s and J i m W a g s t a f f , 
b o t h o f 
whom s i g n e d t h e document as w i t n e s s e s . 
W i l l i s h a d p l a y e d no 
r o l e i n t h e d i s c u s s i o n s b e t w e e n W i l l i a m s and M r s . McGee d u r i n g 
t h e 
d r a f t i n g 
s t a g e o f t h e w i l l , and he was n o t p r e s e n t when 
t h e 
w i l l was 
s i g n e d . 
However, 
s o m e t i m e b e f o r e M r s . McGee's 
d e a t h , 
W i l l i s 
a l l e g e d l y p l a c e d t h e w i l l i n M r s . McGee's b a n k 
s a f e - d e p o s i t b o x . 
M r s . 
McGee 
d i e d 
on 
J a n u a r y 
18, 
2005, 
and 
W i l l i s 
s u b s e q u e n t l y 
o f f e r e d 
t h e 
w i l l 
f o r 
p r o b a t e . 
L e t t e r s 
t e s t a m e n t a r y were i s s u e d t o W i l l i s i n F e b r u a r y 2005. 
On J u n e 
15, 2 0 0 5 , J a c k 
f i l e d a " c o m p l a i n t f o r c o n t e s t o f w i l l . " 
As 
l a s t 
amended, t h e c o m p l a i n t 
a l l e g e d 
(1) t h a t t h e 
w i l l 
was 
" i n v a l i d b e c a u s e i t 
was n o t e x e c u t e d as r e q u i r e d by l a w " ; (2) 
t h a t M r s . McGee " l a c k e d s u f f i c i e n t t e s t a m e n t a r y c a p a c i t y " ; (3) 
t h a t t h e w i l l was t h e p r o d u c t o f undue i n f l u e n c e ; and (4) t h a t 
t h e s u b m i s s i o n o f t h e w i l l f o r p r o b a t e p e r p e t r a t e d a f r a u d on 
4 
1091798; 1100247 
t h e c o u r t . 
I n t h e c o m p l a i n t J a c k a l s o s o u g h t t h e i m p o s i t i o n 
o f a c o n s t r u c t i v e t r u s t o v e r t h e p r o p e r t y o f t h e e s t a t e . 
A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e c o m p l a i n t c o n t a i n e d a c o n v e r s i o n c l a i m , 
s e t 
f o r t h , i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t , as 
f o l l o w s : 
"17. 
W i l l i s 
McGee has 
a l s o 
w r o n g f u l l y 
t a k e n 
a n d / o r w i t h h e l d a number o f i t e m s f r o m M r s . McGee's 
r e s i d e n c e w h i c h b e l o n g t o J a c k McGee. 
"18. 
The 
i t e m s 
b e l o n g i n g 
t o J a c k M c G e e , b u t 
c u r r e n t l y 
r e t a i n e d , c o n t r o l l e d , d e s t r o y e d , s o l d o r 
o t h e r w i s e 
d i s p o s e d o f by W i l l i s McGee i n c l u d e , b u t 
[ a r e ] 
n o t l i m i t e d t o , 
t h e f o l l o w i n g : 
" a . 
a 16 gauge 
s h o t g u n ; 
"b. an a u t o m a t i c 22 c a l i b e r 
p i s t o l ; 
" c . An o v e r / u n d e r 
s h o t g u n ; 
"d. a 22 c a l i b e r 
r i f l e ; 
"e. a 20 gauge 
s h o t g u n ; 
" f . a 410 gauge 
s h o t g u n ; 
"g. two 3 - b a r r e l g u n s ; 
"h. h i s g r a n d f a t h e r s ' g u n s ; 
" i . a m a r b l e t o p ; 
" j . 
two a n t i q u e b e d r o o m 
s u i t e s ; 
"k. two w i n g b a c k a n t i q u e 
c h a i r s ; 
" l . a r o c k i n g c h a i r ; and 
"m. 
m i s c e l l a n e o u s f a m i l y i t e m s . 
5 
1091798; 1100247 
"19. 
D e s p i t e h i s o w n e r s h i p 
o f t h e s e 
i t e m s 
and 
J a c k ' s 
r e q u e s t 
f o r t h e i r 
r e t u r n , W i l l i s McGee 
has 
r e f u s e d a n d / o r 
f a i l e d 
t o r e t u r n 
s a i d i t e m s t o 
J a c k 
McGee." 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t e n t e r e d a summary j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r o f 
W i l l i s 
on 
a l l c o u n t s 
o f 
t h e 
c o m p l a i n t 
e x c e p t 
t h e 
u n d u e -
i n f l u e n c e c o u n t , w h i c h was 
t r i e d t o a j u r y . 
H o w e v e r , a t t h e 
c l o s e o f J a c k ' s c a s e , t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t e n t e r e d a j u d g m e n t as a 
m a t t e r o f l a w ("JML") i n f a v o r o f W i l l i s on t h a t c o u n t , 
" w i t h 
l e a v e f o r [ W i l l i s ] t o p r o v e r e a s o n a b l e c o s t s and f e e s p u r s u a n t 
t o 
§ 4 3 - 8 - 1 9 6 , Code o f A l a b a m a 
( 1 9 7 5 ) . " 
J a c k ' s 
m o t i o n 
t o 
a l t e r , amend, o r v a c a t e t h a t j u d g m e n t 
was d e n i e d by o p e r a t i o n 
o f l a w , and he a p p e a l e d 
( c a s e no. 1 0 9 1 7 9 8 ) . 
M e a n w h i l e , 
W i l l i s 
f i l e d 
a 
" s u b m i s s i o n 
t o 
p r o v e 
c o s t s 
and 
f e e s . " 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t , h o w e v e r , d e n i e d W i l l i s ' s 
r e q u e s t f o r payment o f c o s t s 
and f e e s , and 
W i l l i s 
a l s o a p p e a l e d 
( c a s e no. 
1 1 0 0 2 4 7 ) . 
On 
a p p e a l , J a c k c o n t e n d s 
t h a t t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t e r r e d i n 
e n t e r i n g b o t h t h e summary j u d g m e n t and t h e JML, 
w h i l e 
W i l l i s 
c o n t e n d s t h a t t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t e r r e d i n d e n y i n g h i s r e q u e s t f o r 
t h e payment o f c o s t s and f e e s . B e c a u s e t h e m e r i t s o f 
W i l l i s ' s 
a p p e a l t u r n , i n l a r g e p a r t , on t h e m e r i t s o f J a c k ' s a p p e a l , 
we 
f i r s t 
a d d r e s s 
t h e i s s u e s p r e s e n t e d i n c a s e no. 
1091798. 
6 
1091798; 1100247 
I I . 
D i s c u s s i o n 
C a s e No. 
1091798 
On a p p e a l , J a c k c h a l l e n g e s t h e summary d i s p o s i t i o n b y 
JML 
o f h i s u n d u e - i n f l u e n c e 
c l a i m . He 
a l s o c h a l l e n g e s t h e summary 
j u d g m e n t 
on 
h i s 
f r a u d a n d 
c o n v e r s i o n 
c l a i m s . 
He 
d o e s 
n o t 
c h a l l e n g e t h e summary d i s p o s i t i o n o f t h e f o l l o w i n g two 
c l a i m s 
e l i m i n a t e d 
by 
summary 
j u d g m e n t : 
(1) 
t h e 
a l l e g e d 
i n v a l i d 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
w i l l 
and 
(2) M r s . 
McGee's a l l e g e d l a c k 
o f 
t e s t a m e n t a r y 
c a p a c i t y . 
I n any e v e n t , 
" [ t ] h e de novo 
' s t a n d a r d 
by 
w h i c h 
we 
r e v i e w 
a 
r u l i n g 
on 
a 
m o t i o n 
f o r 
a 
JML 
i s 
" ' m a t e r i a l l y 
i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e f r o m t h e s t a n d a r d by w h i c h 
we 
r e v i e w a summary j u d g m e n t . ' " ' " 
G l a s s v. B i r m i n g h a m 
S o u t h e r n 
 
R.R., 
982 
So. 
2d 
504, 
506 
( A l a . 2007) 
( q u o t i n g 
B a i l e y 
v. 
F a u l k n e r , 
940 
So. 
2d 
247, 
249 
( A l a . 2 0 0 6 ) , 
q u o t i n g 
i n t u r n 
F l i n t C o n s t r . Co. 
v. 
H a l l , 
904 
So. 
2d 236, 
246 
( A l a . 2 0 0 4 ) ) . 
"We 
must d e c i d e w h e t h e r t h e r e was 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e , when 
v i e w e d 
i n 
t h e 
l i g h t 
most 
f a v o r a b l e 
t o 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f , 
t o 
w a r r a n t 
a j u r y d e t e r m i n a t i o n . " 
A l a b a m a Power Co. v. A l d r i d g e , 
854 
So. 
2d 
554, 
560 
( A l a . 2 0 0 2 ) . 
We 
f i r s t 
a d d r e s s 
J a c k ' s 
c o n t e n t i o n t h a t t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t e r r e d i n e n t e r i n g t h e JML 
on 
h i s u n d u e - i n f l u e n c e 
c l a i m . 
7 
1 0 9 1 7 9 8 ; 1100247 
A. 
JML 
Undue 
I n f l u e n c e 
J a c k c o n c e d e s , as he must, t h a t i n o r d e r 
" [ t ] o s u b m i t h i s 
c l a i m 
t o a j u r y " he 
had 
t h e b u r d e n o f p r o d u c i n g 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
e v i d e n c e o f e a c h e l e m e n t o f undue i n f l u e n c e . 
J a c k ' s b r i e f , 
a t 
2 4 - 2 5 . 
T h o s e e l e m e n t s 
a r e : 
" ' ( 1 ) 
t h a t 
a 
c o n f i d e n t i a l 
r e l a t i o n s h i p 
e x i s t e d 
b e t w e e n a f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y and 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r ; (2) 
t h a t 
t h e 
i n f l u e n c e 
o f 
o r 
f o r 
t h e 
b e n e f i c i a r y 
was 
d o m i n a n t and 
c o n t r o l l i n g i n t h a t 
r e l a t i o n s h i p ; 
and 
 
(3) t h a t t h e r e was undue a c t i v i t y on t h e p a r t o f 
t h e 
 
d o m i n a n t 
p a r t y 
i n 
p r o c u r i n g 
t h e 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
 
w i l l . ' " 
F u r r o w v. H e l t o n , 
13 So. 
3d 350, 
353-54 
( A l a . 2008) 
( e m p h a s i s 
added) 
( q u o t i n g 
C l i f t o n v. 
C l i f t o n , 
529 
So. 
2d 
980, 
983 
( A l a . 
1 9 8 8 ) ) . 
T h i s C o u r t has 
o f t e n d e f i n e d 
a " f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y " 
as 
" ' [ o ] n e who, 
i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e p a r t i c u l a r 
c a s e , 
has 
b e e n 
f a v o r e d 
o v e r 
o t h e r s 
h a v i n g 
e q u a l 
c l a i m 
t o 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r ' s 
b o u n t y . 
An 
u n n a t u r a l 
d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , 
l e a d i n g t o a n a t u r a l i n f e r e n c e 
t h a t 
a d v a n t a g e 
has 
b e e n t a k e n by 
one 
i n p o s i t i o n so 
t o 
do; 
and shown t o have b e e n b u s y i n g e t t i n g s u c h 
w i l l 
e x e c u t e d . ' " 
P i r t l e 
v. 
T u c k e r , 
960 
So. 
2d 
620, 
629 
( A l a . 2006) 
( q u o t i n g 
Cook v. M o r t o n , 241 
A l a . 188, 
192, 
1 So. 
2d 890, 
892 
( 1 9 4 1 ) ) . 
A s s u m i n g , 
a r g u e n d o , 
t h a t 
t h e 
p r o p o n e n t 
o f 
a 
w i l l 
i s 
a 
f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y , 
i t 
s t i l l 
must be 
shown t h a t 
t h e r e 
was 
" a c t i v e i n t e r f e r e n c e i n p r o c u r i n g 
t h e e x e c u t i o n 
o f t h e 
w i l l . " 
8 
1091798; 1100247 
C l i f t o n v. 
C l i f t o n , 
529 
So. 
2d a t 984. 
" T h i s 
a c t i v i t y must 
be 
i n p r o c u r i n g t h e e x e c u t i o n o f t h e 
w i l l 
and more t h a n 
a c t i v i t y 
and 
i n t e r e s t 
r e f e r a b l e t o a c o m p l i a n c e w i t h o r o b e d i e n c e 
t o 
t h e v o l u n t a r y and u n t r a m m e l e d d i r e c t i o n s o f t h e 
t e s t a t [ r i x ] . " 
J o h n s o n v. Howard, 279 
A l a . 16, 
21, 
181 
So. 
2d 85, 
90 
(1965) 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
"'Undue 
a c t i v i t y 
i n t h e 
p r o c u r e m e n t 
o r 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f 
a 
w i l l may 
... be p r o v e d by c i r c u m s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e . ' " 
P i r t l e , 
960 
So. 
2d a t 631 
( q u o t i n g A l l e n v. S c o n y e r s , 
669 
So. 
2d 
113, 
117 
( A l a . 1 9 9 5 ) ) . 
However, 
" [ a ] 
c o u r t 
does 
'not 
l o o k 
a t 
i n d i v i d u a l 
f a c t s 
o r 
e v i d e n c e 
i n 
i s o l a t i o n 
i n 
d e t e r m i n i n g 
w h e t h e r 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
s u p p o r t s 
[ t h i s ] 
e l e m e n t 
o f 
undue 
i n f l u e n c e . ' " 960 
So. 2d a t 632. 
" E v i d e n c e 
p r o v i n g t h a t 
t h e r e 
was 
undue a c t i v i t y 
[on t h e p a r t o f t h e named b e n e f i c i a r y ] i n 
p r o c u r i n g 
t h e 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
w i l l 
i s 
c r u c i a l 
t o 
t h e 
d e t e r m i n a t i o n 
o f t h e e x i s t e n c e o f undue i n f l u e n c e . " 
W a l l 
v. 
 
Hodges, 465 
So. 
2d 359, 
363 
( A l a . 1984) 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
C i r c u m s t a n c e s 
e v i d e n c i n g 
undue 
a c t i v i t y 
i n 
t h e 
p r o c u r e m e n t 
o r 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f 
a 
w i l l 
a r e 
t h o s e 
where 
a 
b e n e f i c i a r y 
"'"was 
a c t i v e 
i n 
and 
a b o u t 
t h e 
e x e c u t i o n 
and 
p r e p a r a t i o n 
o f 
s a i d 
w i l l 
s u c h as 
t h e 
i n i t i a t i o n 
o f 
t h e p r o c e e d i n g s 
f o r t h e p r e p a r a t i o n o f t h e 
w i l l , 
o r 
9 
1091798; 1100247 
p a r t i c i p a t i o n 
i n s u c h 
p r e p a r a t i o n , 
e m p l o y i n g t h e 
d r a f t s m a n , 
s e l e c t i n g 
t h e 
w i t n e s s e s , 
e x c l u d i n g 
p e r s o n s f r o m t h e t e s t a t r i x a t o r a b o u t t h e t i m e o f 
t h e e x e c u t i o n o f t h e w i l l , 
c o n c e a l i n g t h e m a k i n g o f 
t h e 
w i l l 
a f t e r i t 
was made, and t h e l i k e 
"'" 
Reed v. S h i p p , 293 A l a . 632, 636, 308 So. 2d 705, 708 (1975) 
( q u o t i n g a p p e l l a n t s ' b r i e f , 
q u o t i n g i n t u r n L e w i s v . M a r t i n , 
210 
A l a . 4 0 1 , 413, 98 So. 635, 647 
( 1 9 2 3 ) ) . 
T h e r e 
was 
i n s u f f i c i e n t r e l e v a n t e v i d e n c e o f s u c h a c t i v i t y i n t h i s 
c a s e . 
The 
o n l y e v i d e n c e p r o d u c e d was t h a t M r s . McGee 
c o n t a c t e d 
W i l l i a m s , 
h e r l o n g - t i m e 
a t t o r n e y 
and 
f r i e n d , 
i n 1992 t o 
r e q u e s t 
a c h a n g e i n an e x i s t i n g 
w i l l . 
The one 
s u b s t a n t i v e 
c h a n g e she r e q u e s t e d 
i n c r e a s e d t h e amount J a c k was t o r e c e i v e 
f r o m $25,000 t o $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 . 
W i l l i a m s made t h e c h a n g e s M r s . 
McGee r e q u e s t e d on a d r a f t c o p y o f t h e f o r m e r w i l l and s e n t i t 
t o 
h e r f o r h e r a p p r o v a l . 
T h a t m a r k e d up d r a f t 
i s i n t h e 
r e c o r d . 
I t 
i s u n d i s p u t e d 
t h a t 
W i l l i s 
d i d n o t 
p r e c i p i t a t e , 
p a r t i c i p a t e i n , 
o r a t t e n d any o f t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n s 
b e t w e e n 
M r s . McGee and W i l l i a m s . 
N e i t h e r was W i l l i s 
p r e s e n t 
d u r i n g 
t h e 
a c t u a l e x e c u t i o n o f t h e w i l l , as we h a v e a l r e a d y 
s t a t e d . 
He h a d n o t h i n g t o do w i t h s e l e c t i n g t h e w i t n e s s e s t o t h e w i l l . 
I n d e e d , t h e r e was no e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t W i l l i s h a d any 
f o r e k n o w l e d g e o f t h e w i l l - m a k i n g p r o c e s s . 
M o r e o v e r , t h e r e was 
10 
1091798; 1100247 
no e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t W i l l i s s u b s e q u e n t l y 
c o n c e a l e d 
t h e 
w i l l 
o r t h e 
f a c t 
o f i t s m a k i n g . 
Thus, we 
n e e d n o t 
c o n s i d e r 
w h e t h e r t h e r e was 
e v i d e n c e 
o f t h e 
f i r s t 
two 
e l e m e n t s o f 
t h e 
u n d u e - i n f l u e n c e 
c l a i m , b e c a u s e J a c k has 
f a i l e d t o p r e s e n t 
any 
e v i d e n c e 
on t h e 
" c r u c i a l " 
t h i r d e l e m e n t . 
See W a l l v. Hodges, 
465 
So. 
2d a t 363 
(even a s s u m i n g 
s u f f i c i e n t 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
t h e 
f i r s t two e l e m e n t s , 
u n d u e - i n f l u e n c e 
c l a i m s h o u l d n o t h a v e gone 
t o 
t h e 
j u r y 
i n 
t h e 
a b s e n c e 
o f 
e v i d e n c e 
t h a t 
t h e 
named 
b e n e f i c i a r y 
"had 
a n y t h i n g 
t o do w i t h t h e p r o c u r e m e n t o f 
t h e 
... 
w i l l 
o r t h e [ s u b s e q u e n t ] 
r e - e x e c u t i o n o f i t " ) . 
J a c k p o i n t s o u t 
t h a t t h e 
w i l l 
was 
f o u n d 
i n an 
u n s e a l e d 
e n v e l o p e 
i n M r s . McGee's s a f e - d e p o s i t b o x , 
t o w h i c h W i l l i s 
had 
a c c e s s . 
These 
f a c t s 
do 
n o t 
a i d J a c k . 
E v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g 
t h a t 
t h e 
t e s t a t r i x 
had 
a p o s t - e x e c u t i o n 
d i s c u s s i o n w i t h 
a 
named b e n e f i c i a r y and gave h i m 
t h e 
w i l l 
w i t h i n s t r u c t i o n s 
t o 
" p u t i t away f o r s a f e k e e p i n g " does n o t c o n s t i t u t e e v i d e n c e 
o f 
undue a c t i v i t y i n t h e e x e c u t i o n o f t h e 
w i l l . 
S m i t h v. 
S m i t h , 
482 
So. 
2d 
1161, 
1164 
( A l a . 
1985) 
( r e v e r s i n g a 
j u d g m e n t 
e n t e r e d on a j u r y v e r d i c t f o r t h e c o n t e s t a n t and h o l d i n g t h a t 
t h e r e was 
n o t 
" s u f f i c i e n t 
e v i d e n c e o f undue i n f l u e n c e t o a l l o w 
t h e 
c o u r t 
t o 
... 
s u b m i t 
t h e 
c a s e 
t o 
t h e 
j u r y " ) . 
B e c a u s e 
W i l l i s ' s o n l y i n v o l v e m e n t 
was 
i n t h e p o s t - e x e c u t i o n p r o c e s s 
o f 
11 
1 0 9 1 7 9 8 ; 1100247 
a l l e g e d l y p l a c i n g t h e w i l l i n M r s . McGee's s a f e - d e p o s i t b o x , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t d i d n o t e r r i n e n t e r i n g a JML i n f a v o r o f 
W i l l i s and t h a t JML i s a f f i r m e d . 
B. Summary Judgment 
J a c k n e x t 
c h a l l e n g e s 
t h e summary j u d g m e n t on h i s f r a u d 
and 
c o n v e r s i o n 
c l a i m s . 
1. 
F r a u d 
I n t h i s C o u r t , 
J a c k e x p l a i n s h i s f r a u d t h e o r y as f o l l o w s : 
" T h e r e a r e ... r e a s o n s why a j u r y c o u l d 
d e c i d e 
W i l l i s 
o f f e r e d 
t o 
p r o b a t e 
a 
w i l l 
o f 
d u b i o u s 
a u t h e n t i c i t y . 
F i r s t , 
t h e r e 
i s e v i d e n c e 
t h a t M r s . 
McGee 
s a i d she w o u l d 
l e a v e h e r e s t a t e t o J a c k and 
W i l l i s i n e q u a l 
p o r t i o n s . 
" S e c o n d , t h e r e i s e v i d e n c e t h a t M r s . McGee and 
t h o s e 
c l o s e 
t o h e r s t a t e d 
t h a t 
she c h a n g e d h e r 
t e s t a m e n t a r y 
i n t e n t i o n s . 
I n 1996, M r s . McGee 
t o l d 
h e r b e s t 
f r i e n d t h a t she h a d j u s t done h e r w i l l . 
A t 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 
t h e same t i m e , 
W i l l i s 
a d m i t t e d t o 
h i s 
t h e n m o t h e r - i n - l a w t h a t M r s . McGee w i s h e d t o t r e a t 
b o t h J a c k and W i l l i s 
f a i r l y 
i n h e r w i l l , and t h a t 
any 
c o n t r a r y 
i n t e n t i o n 
'was no 
l o n g e r 
t h e c a s e . ' 
W i l l i s 
a l s o 
e x p r e s s e d 
i m m e d i a t e 
r e g r e t 
t h a t 
he 
s h a r e d t h a t 
i n f o r m a t i o n . 
"... I n d e e d , t h e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d 
showed t h a t 
W i l l i s knew t h e 1992 w i l l was n o t t h e t r u e 
l a s t 
w i l l 
and t e s t a m e n t o f M r s . M c G e e ; he a d m i t t e d as much t o 
h i s 
t h e n - m o t h e r - i n - l a w . 
W i l l i s n e v e r t h e l e s s 
o f f e r e d 
t h e 1992 w i l l t o t h e p r o b a t e 
c o u r t . 
As s u c h , 
t h i s 
was a f r a u d on t h e p r o b a t e c o u r t , w h i c h i n j u r e d J a c k 
d i r e c t l y . " 
12 
1091798; 1100247 
J a c k ' s 
b r i e f , 
a t 35-37 
( f o o t n o t e and 
c i t a t i o n s 
t o t h e 
r e c o r d 
o m i t t e d ) . 
As 
we 
u n d e r s t a n d 
t h i s 
t h e o r y , 
i t i s t h a t , 
a f t e r 
M r s . 
McGee e x e c u t e d h e r 
1992 
w i l l , 
she c h a n g e d h e r m i n d a b o u t 
t h e 
d i s p o s i t i o n o f h e r e s t a t e and e x e c u t e d y e t a n o t h e r w i l l , 
w h i c h 
W i l l i s a l l e g e d l y s u p p r e s s e d o r d e s t r o y e d . 
J a c k c o n t e n d s t h a t 
h i s 
t h e o r y 
p r e s e n t s 
a c o g n i z a b l e 
c a u s e o f a c t i o n u n d e r A l a . 
Code 1975, 
§ 4 3 - 8 - 5 , w h i c h 
p r o v i d e s : 
"Whenever 
f r a u d 
has 
b e e n 
p e r p e t r a t e d 
i n 
c o n n e c t i o n 
w i t h 
any 
p r o c e e d i n g 
o r 
i n any 
s t a t e m e n t 
f i l e d 
u n d e r 
t h i s 
c h a p t e r 
o r 
i f f r a u d 
i s u s e d 
t o 
a v o i d 
o r 
c i r c u m v e n t 
t h e 
p r o v i s i o n s 
o r p u r p o s e s 
o f 
t h i s c h a p t e r , 
any p e r s o n i n j u r e d t h e r e b y 
may 
o b t a i n 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
r e l i e f 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
p e r p e t r a t o r 
o f 
t h e 
f r a u d o r 
r e s t i t u t i o n 
f r o m any 
p e r s o n 
( o t h e r t h a n 
a 
b o n a 
f i d e 
p u r c h a s e r ) 
b e n e f i t t i n g f r o m 
t h e 
f r a u d , 
w h e t h e r 
i n n o c e n t 
o r 
n o t . 
Any 
p r o c e e d i n g 
must 
be 
commenced w i t h i n one 
y e a r 
a f t e r t h e d i s c o v e r y o f 
t h e 
f r a u d 
o r f r o m t h e 
t i m e when t h e 
f r a u d 
s h o u l d 
h a v e 
b e e n 
d i s c o v e r e d , 
b u t 
no 
p r o c e e d i n g 
may 
be 
b r o u g h t 
a g a i n s t 
one 
n o t 
a p e r p e t r a t o r 
o f 
t h e 
f r a u d 
l a t e r 
t h a n f i v e y e a r s 
a f t e r t h e t i m e o f t h e c o m m i s s i o n 
o f 
t h e f r a u d . 
T h i s 
s e c t i o n has 
no b e a r i n g 
on 
r e m e d i e s 
r e l a t i n g t o f r a u d p r a c t i c e d on a d e c e d e n t d u r i n g h i s 
l i f e t i m e 
w h i c h 
a f f e c t s 
t h e 
s u c c e s s i o n 
o f 
h i s 
e s t a t e . " 
J a c k 
i n s i s t s 
t h a t 
he 
" p r e s e n t e d 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e 
t h a t 
W i l l i s 
v i o l a t e d " 
t h i s 
s e c t i o n by 
s u p p r e s s i n g 
o r d e s t r o y i n g 
a 
w i l l 
e x e c u t e d 
by 
M r s . 
McGee 
a f t e r 
t h e 
1992 
w i l l . 
J a c k ' s 
b r i e f , 
a t 34. 
We 
d i s a g r e e . 
13 
1091798; 1100247 
T h i s 
C o u r t 
and 
t h e 
C o u r t 
o f 
C i v i l 
A p p e a l s 
have 
i n t e r p r e t e d 
§ 43-8-5 
as 
a 
t o l l i n g 
p r o v i s i o n , 
n o t 
as 
J a c k 
p r o p o s e s , 
as 
an 
i n d e p e n d e n t 
s o u r c e 
o f 
f r a u d 
l a w . 
I n 
t h a t 
c o n n e c t i o n , 
we 
r e c e n t l y s a i d : 
" I n 
C h r i s t i a n [ v . M u r r a y , 
915 
So. 
2d 
23 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 5 ) ] , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
i n d i c a t e d i t s a g r e e m e n t w i t h 
a 
p r i o r 
d e c i s i o n 
o f 
t h e 
C o u r t 
o f 
C i v i l 
A p p e a l s , 
h o l d i n g : 
" ' [ A ] p p r o p r i a t e 
r e l i e f 
f o r one 
i n j u r e d 
by 
t h e 
f r a u d c o n t e m p l a t e d by 
A l a . Code 
1975, 
§ 4 3 - 8 - 5 , w o u l d i n c l u d e t h e 
t o l l i n g 
o f 
t h e 
 
t i m e w i t h i n w h i c h 
t o 
f i l e 
a 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t 
 
when " t h e 
f a c t s upon w h i c h a c o n t e s t 
c o u l d 
 
be b a s e d were m i s r e p r e s e n t e d 
and 
c o n c e a l e d 
 
by 
t h e 
f r a u d u l e n t 
a c t s 
o f t h e 
p r o p o n e n t s " 
o f t h e 
w i l l . ' 
" C h r i s t i a n , 
915 
So. 
2d 
a t 
27 
( q u o t i n g 
H o l w a y 
v. 
 
Wanschek, 
690 
So. 
2d 
429, 
433 
( A l a . 
C i v . 
App. 
1 9 9 7 ) ) . 
I n 
d e c i d i n g 
w h e t h e r 
c o n d u c t 
amounts 
t o 
f r a u d 
s u f f i c i e n t 
t o 
t o l l 
t h e 
s i x - m o n t h 
l i m i t a t i o n s 
p e r i o d 
f o r 
f i l i n g 
a 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t 
' t h e 
L e g i s l a t u r e 
i n t e n d e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
f r a u d n e c e s s a r y t o 
t o l l 
t h e 
t i m e f o r 
f i l i n g 
a 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t must be 
t h a t k i n d o f f r a u d t h a t w o u l d 
a l l o w 
r e l i e f 
f o r " f r a u d on a c o u r t . " ' 
C h r i s t i a n , 915 
So. 
2d a t 
28." 
J o h n s o n v. 
N e a l , 
39 
So. 
3d 
1040, 
1044 
( A l a . 2009) 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
T h e r e a r e no t i m e l i n e s s i s s u e s i n v o l v e d i n t h i s 
c a s e , 
and, 
t h u s , 
t h e r e 
i s no n e e d f o r t h e 
a p p l i c a t i o n o f a 
t o l l i n g 
p r o v i s i o n . 
14 
1091798; 1100247 
S u b s t a n t i v e l y , 
t h e 
a l l e g e d 
s t a t e m e n t s 
o f 
M r s . 
McGee 
-¬
e c h o e d 
by 
W i l l i s 
and 
o t h e r s 
-- 
r e g a r d i n g 
M r s . 
McGee's 
d i s p o s i t i o n a l 
i n t e n t i o n s 
do 
n o t 
c o n s t i t u t e 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
a 
m i s s i n g 
w i l l . 
I n e s s e n c e , 
t h i s a r g u m e n t i s a d v a n c e d t o show 
a r e v o c a t i o n 
o f t h e 
1992 
w i l l by a s u b s e q u e n t w i l l . 
However, 
" ' [ i ] t 
i s n o t e d 
i n M c B e t h v. M c B e t h , 
[11 
A l a . 
596 
(1847 
),] 
s u p r a 
[Weeks v. M c B e t h , 
14 
A l a . 
474 
( 1 8 4 8 ) ] , 
t h a t 
t e s t a t o r s 
f r e q u e n t l y make d e c l a r a t i o n s t o u c h i n g 
t h e i r t e s t a m e n t a r y 
a c t s 
" f o r 
t h e 
p u r p o s e 
o f 
m i s l e a d i n g , 
and 
o f 
s t i f l i n g 
t h e 
i m p o r t u n i t y 
o f r e l a t i v e s and 
f r i e n d s . " 
A l l a n v. A l l a n , 
353 
So. 
2d 
1157, 
1158 
( A l a . 1977) 
( q u o t i n g 
A l l e n v. 
S c r u g g s , 
190 
A l a . 
654, 
673-74, 
67 
So. 
301 , 308 
(1 9 1 4 ) ) . 
I n A l l a n , 
L a w r e n c e A l l a n o f f e r e d h i s w i f e ' s 
w i l l 
t o p r o b a t e . 
P r o b a t e 
was 
c o n t e s t e d 
by 
a son 
o f t h e m a r r i a g e on t h e g r o u n d t h a t 
t h e 
w i l l 
"had 
b e e n r e v o k e d by 
a s u b s e q u e n t 
w i l l . " 
353 
So. 
2d 
a t 
1157. 
The 
c o n t e s t a n t 
p r e s e n t e d e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t 
" h i s 
m o t h e r 
had 
t o l d 
h i m 
s e v e r a l 
y e a r s 
b e f o r e 
h e r 
d e a t h t h a t 
she 
had 
e x e c u t e d a new 
w i l l 
i n w h i c h 
she 
l e f t e v e r y t h i n g 
t o h i m 
i n s t e a d o f t o h i s f a t h e r . 
... 
A n e i g h b o r 
o f 
t h e 
A l l a n s 
a l s o 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t , some 
y e a r s b e f o r e 
h e r d e a t h , M r s . 
A l l a n t o l d h e r 
t h a t 
she 
had made a new 
w i l l 
i n w h i c h she 
l e f t 
e v e r y t h i n g 
t o 
h e r 
son 
i n s t e a d o f t o h e r 
h u s b a n d . " 
15 
1091798; 1100247 
353 So. 2d a t 1157-58. 
The t r i a l c o u r t d i r e c t e d a 
v e r d i c t
1 
a g a i n s t 
t h e c o n t e s t a n t a n d 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
a f f i r m e d , 
h o l d i n g : 
" T h e r e i s 
no e v i d e n c e i n t h i s c a s e t h a t t h e p r o p o n e n t o f 
t h e 
... w i l l d e s t r o y e d a s u b s e q u e n t 
w i l l made b y t h e t e s t a t r i x . " 
I d . a t 
1159. 
A l l a n i s i n s t r u c t i v e . 
I n d e e d , 
u n l i k e 
t h i s 
c a s e , 
A l l a n 
i n v o l v e d e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t w i t n e s s e s h a d a c t u a l l y 
s e e n 
t h e 
a l l e g e d l y m i s s i n g w i l l . 
F o r e x a m p l e , t h e c o n t e s t a n t i n 
A l l a n 
" t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t he saw an i n s t r u m e n t w i t h h i s m o t h e r ' s 
name on i t 
a n d t h e names o f two o t h e r p e o p l e , " a n d a n e i g h b o r 
t e s t i f i e d l i k e w i s e . 
353 So. 2d a t 1 1 5 7 - 5 8 . 
However, 
" [ t ] h e r e 
[was] 
no e v i d e n c e 
w h a t e v e r 
t h a t 
t h e i n s t r u m e n t 
w h i c h t h e 
w i t n e s s e s 
s a i d t h e y saw h a d b e e n e x e c u t e d i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f 
two w i t n e s s e s , n o r t h a t s u c h w i t n e s s e s h a d e x e c u t e d t h e same 
i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h e t e s t a t r i x . " 
I d . 
a t 1158. 
Thus, t h e 
c o n t e s t d i d 
n o t w a r r a n t a j u r y ' s c o n s i d e r a t i o n . 
A 
f o r t i o r i , 
t h e e v i d e n c e i s i n s u f f i c i e n t i n t h i s c a s e , where no one c l a i m s 
t o have e v e r s e e n a p o s t - 1 9 9 2 
document p u r p o r t i n g t o be M r s . 
McGee's 
w i l l . 
F o r t h e s e 
r e a s o n s , 
J a c k ' s 
f r a u d 
c l a i m i s 
1A d i r e c t e d v e r d i c t h a s b e e n renamed as a j u d g m e n t as a 
m a t t e r o f l a w . See R u l e 50, A l a . 
R. C i v . 
P. 
16 
1 0 9 1 7 9 8 ; 1100247 
w i t h o u t 
m e r i t , 
and, 
as 
t o 
t h a t 
c l a i m , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
summary j u d g m e n t i s a f f i r m e d . 
2. 
C o n v e r s i o n 
F i n a l l y , 
J a c k 
i n s i s t s 
t h a t 
he 
p r e s e n t e d 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
c o n v e r s i o n 
s u f f i c i e n t 
t o w i t h s t a n d 
W i l l i s ' s summary-judgment 
m o t i o n . 
"The 
e l e m e n t s o f c o n v e r s i o n i n c l u d e a w r o n g f u l 
t a k i n g 
o f 
s p e c i f i c 
p r o p e r t y 
and 
an 
a s s u m p t i o n 
o f 
o w n e r s h i p 
o r 
d o m i n i o n 
o v e r 
t h e 
s e p a r a t e 
and 
i d e n t i f i a b l e 
p r o p e r t y 
o f 
a n o t h e r 
F u r t h e r , 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
must h a v e 
a 
r i g h t 
t o 
i m m e d i a t e p o s s e s s i o n 
o f s u c h p r o p e r t y and 
t h e t a k i n g must 
be 
i n 
d e f i a n c e 
o f t h a t 
r i g h t . " 
Young v. N o r f o l k S o u t h e r n 
Ry., 
705 
So. 
2d 
444, 
446 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
1 9 9 7 ) . 
I n o t h e r 
w o r d s , 
" t o r e c o v e r u n d e r t h e c o u n t o f c o n v e r s i o n , p l a i n t i f f must show  
l e g a l 
t i t l e 
i n h i m s e l f 
t o 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y 
a t 
t h e 
t i m e 
o f 
t h e 
c o n v e r s i o n and h i s i m m e d i a t e r i g h t o f p o s s e s s i o n . " 
S t a t e Farm  
Mut. 
A u t o . I n s . Co. 
v. Wagnon, 53 A l a . App. 
712, 
717, 
304 
So. 
2d 216, 
219 
(1974) 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
I n 
h i s 
s u m m a r y - j u d g m e n t 
m o t i o n 
a d d r e s s e d 
t o 
t h e 
c o n v e r s i o n 
c l a i m , W i l l i s s t a t e d , i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t : 
" I n 
h i s Amended C o m p l a i n t , 
[ J a c k ] 
a l l e g e s t h a t 
numerous i t e m s 
o f p e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y 
l o c a t e d i n 
Ms. 
 
McGee's h o u s e 
a t 
t h e 
t i m e 
o f 
h e r 
d e a t h 
had 
b e e n 
 
g i v e n t o h i m by Ms. McGee p r i o r 
t o h e r d e a t h . 
... 
17 
1 0 9 1 7 9 8 ; 1100247 
" [ J a c k ' s ] 
c l a i m s o f c o n v e r s i o n 
and d e t i n u e a r e 
w i t h o u t 
m e r i t 
as a 
m a t t e r 
o f l a w , b e c a u s e t h e  
s u b j e c t 
m a t t e r 
o f 
t h o s e 
c l a i m s 
r e m a i n e d i n Ms.  
McGee's 
p o s s e s s i o n 
a t 
t h e 
t i m e 
o f h e r 
d e a t h . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
no 
d e l i v e r y 
o c c u r r e d 
as 
r e q u i r e d 
t o 
e s t a b l i s h a v a l i d 
g i f t , and t h e p r o p e r t y a t i s s u e i s 
t h e p r o p e r t y o f Ms. McGee's E s t a t e . " 
( E m p h a s i s 
added.) 
W i l l i s 
t h e n 
c i t e d 
a u t h o r i t y 
f o r t h e 
p r o p o s i t i o n 
t h a t when a l l e g e d l y g i f t e d 
p r o p e r t y 
i s f o u n d i n 
t h e p o s s e s s i o n 
o f t h e t e s t a t o r a t t h e t i m e o f t h e t e s t a t o r ' s 
d e a t h , i t 
i s r e g a r d e d as " p a r t o f t h e d e c e d e n t ' s e s t a t e as a 
m a t t e r o f 
l a w . " 
J a c k r e s p o n d e d t o t h e m o t i o n w i t h h i s own a f f i d a v i t , i n 
w h i c h he s t a t e d , i n p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t : 
" I n a d d i t i o n , t h e r e were s e v e r a l i t e m s i n h e r h o u s e 
t h a t she h a d g i v e n me t h a t I was k e e p i n g t h e r e 
u n t i l 
t h e 
r e m o d e l i n g on my h o u s e was done, 
i n c l u d i n g two 
c h a i r s , a t a b l e and m a r b l e t o p and s e v e r a l p i c t u r e s . 
T h e r e were 
a l s o 
guns o f mine 
t h a t 
I h a d 
r e c e i v e d  
f r o m my g r a n d f a t h e r 
i n t h e h o u s e when she d i e d . 
"11. A t t h e t i m e t h a t m o t h e r d i e d , I h a d s e v e r a l 
i t e m s o f p e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y 
t h a t b e l o n g e d t o me 
t h a t 
were l o c a t e d i n 
m o t h e r ' s h o u s e . 
Some o f t h e s e i t e m s 
were g i v e n t o me by m o t h e r , some were g i v e n t o me b y  
o t h e r s , 
and some were 
i t e m s 
t h a t 
I h a d p u r c h a s e d  
m y s e l f . 
I t o o k 
a c t u a l 
p o s s e s s i o n 
o f a l l 
o f t h e s e 
i t e m s 
b e f o r e 
l e a v i n g 
them 
i n 
m o t h e r ' s 
h o u s e 
i n c l u d i n g t h e t h i n g s 
t h a t 
m o t h e r gave me and t h e 
guns I r e c e i v e d 
f r o m my g r a n d f a t h e r . 
A f t e r I t o o k 
a c t u a l p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e s e t h i n g s , I a s k e d m o t h e r 
i f 
I 
c o u l d 
s t o r e 
them 
i n h e r h o u s e 
w h i l e 
I 
was 
r e m o d e l i n g o u r h o u s e , w h i c h she s a i d I c o u l d . 
18 
1091798; 1100247 
"12. 
A f t e r m o t h e r 
d i e d , 
I 
t r i e d 
t o 
go 
i n t o 
m o t h e r ' s h o u s e 
t o 
see what was 
t h e r e 
and 
r e t r i e v e 
c e r t a i n 
p r o p e r t y 
t h a t 
was 
m i n e . 
However, when 
I 
t r i e d 
t o 
g e t 
i n 
h e r 
h o u s e , 
I 
c o u l d 
n o t 
b e c a u s e 
W i l l i s had c h a n g e d a l l t h e l o c k s . 
I a s k e d W i l l i s i f 
I c o u l d h a v e a key 
t o t h e h o u s e so t h a t I c o u l d 
go 
i n t o 
o u r m o t h e r ' s h o u s e and 
see what was 
t h e r e 
and 
r e t r i e v e 
what 
was 
m i n e . 
W i l l i s 
t o l d 
me 
t h a t 
he 
w o u l d n o t a l l o w me 
t o go 
i n t o t h e h o u s e n o r w o u l d 
he 
r e t u r n any 
o f my 
p o s s e s s i o n s . " 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
A c c o r d i n g 
t o J a c k , 
he 
" o f f e r e d e v i d e n c e 
t h a t t h e r e were 
t h r e e 
c l a s s e s o f 
i t e m s 
t h a t 
W i l l i s 
c o n v e r t e d , " 
n a m e l y , 
(1) 
" h i s 
own 
p r o p e r t y 
t h a t 
he 
was 
s t o r i n g 
a t 
M r s . 
McGee's 
r e s i d e n c e 
a t t h e t i m e 
o f h e r d e a t h " ; 
(2) p r o p e r t y 
" t h a t 
J a c k 
had 
b e e n 
g i v e n 
by 
p e r s o n s 
o t h e r 
t h a n 
M r s . 
McGee"; 
and 
(3) 
" i t e m s 
he 
was 
g i v e n by M r s . McGee." 
J a c k ' s 
b r i e f , 
a t 32-33 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
He p o i n t s o u t -- c o r r e c t l y , we n o t e -- 
t h a t 
W i l l i s ' s 
summary-judgment m o t i o n 
c h a l l e n g e d 
t h e 
c o n v e r s i o n 
c l a i m o n l y as t o t h e 
t h i r d c l a s s o f 
p r o p e r t y . 
"'The 
[ s u m m a r y - j u d g m e n t ] movant has t h e 
i n i t i a l 
b u r d e n o f m a k i n g a p r i m a f a c i e s h o w i n g t h a t t h e r e i s 
no 
g e n u i n e 
i s s u e 
o f 
m a t e r i a l 
f a c t ; 
i f t h e 
movant 
makes t h a t s h o w i n g , 
t h e b u r d e n 
t h e n 
s h i f t s 
t o 
t h e 
nonmovant 
t o 
p r e s e n t 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e 
o f 
e a c h 
e l e m e n t 
o f 
t h e 
c l a i m 
c h a l l e n g e d 
by 
t h e 
m o v a n t . ' 
H a r p e r v. W i n s t o n C o u n t y , 892 
So. 
2d 346, 
349 
( A l a . 
2004) ( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
However, i f t h e movant d o e s 
n o t 
s a t i s f y 
h i s 
i n i t i a l 
b u r d e n , 
' t h e n 
he 
i s 
n o t 
e n t i t l e d t o j u d g m e n t . 
No d e f e n s e t o an 
i n s u f f i c i e n t  
s h o w i n g i s r e q u i r e d . ' 
Ray 
v. 
M i d f i e l d 
P a r k , 
I n c . , 
19 
1091798; 1100247 
293 
A l a . 
60 9, 
612 , 
308 
So. 
2d 
68 6, 
688 
(1975) 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . " 
W h i t e Sands G r o u p , L.L.C. v. 
PRS 
I I , LLC, 
998 
So. 
2d 
1042, 
1054-55 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 8 ) . 
J a c k 
a r g u e s 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
" i n e x p l i c a b l y 
g r a n t e d 
summary 
j u d g m e n t 
r e g a r d i n g " 
t h e 
two 
c l a s s e s o f i t e m s n o t c h a l l e n g e d i n t h e summary-judgment m o t i o n 
and 
t h a t i t e r r e d i n so d o i n g . 
We 
a g r e e . 
B e c a u s e 
W i l l i s 
c h a l l e n g e d 
t h e 
s u f f i c i e n c y 
o f 
J a c k ' s 
c o n v e r s i o n c l a i m o n l y as t o one 
o f t h r e e c l a s s e s o f 
p r o p e r t y , 
n a m e l y , " i t e m s 
he was 
g i v e n by M r s . McGee," t h e b u r d e n n e v e r 
s h i f t e d 
t o J a c k 
t o d e f e n d t h e 
c h a l l e n g e 
as 
t o t h e 
o t h e r 
two 
c l a s s e s 
o f 
a l l e g e d l y c o n v e r t e d 
p r o p e r t y . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d , t h e r e f o r e , i n s u m m a r i l y d i s p o s i n g o f J a c k ' s 
c o n v e r s i o n 
c l a i m i n t o t o . 
Thus, we 
d i s c u s s o n l y t h e 
s u f f i c i e n c y o f 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
r e l a t i n g 
t o 
t h e 
i t e m s 
J a c k 
a l l e g e d l y r e c e i v e d 
as 
i n t e r v i v o s 
g i f t s f r o m M r s . 
McGee. 
I n 
t h a t c o n n e c t i o n , 
W i l l i s c h a l l e n g e s t h e 
s u f f i c i e n c y 
o f 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t . 
A c c o r d i n g t o W i l l i s , J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
f a i l s 
t o 
show 
t h a t 
he 
had 
l e g a l 
t i t l e 
t o 
t h e 
a l l e g e d l y 
g i f t e d 
p r o p e r t y t h a t r e m a i n e d i n M r s . McGee's p o s s e s s i o n 
a t t h e 
t i m e 
o f h e r d e a t h . 
T h i s i s t r u e , b e c a u s e , he s a y s , t h e 
s t a t e m e n t s 
i n 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
a r e 
m e r e l y 
c o n c l u s o r y , 
t h a t 
i s , 
t h e 
20 
1091798; 1100247 
a f f i d a v i t d o e s n o t c o n t a i n f a c t s n e c e s s a r y " t o e s t a b l i s h when 
any s u c h g i f t o c c u r r e d , 
t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
s u r r o u n d i n g 
any 
s u c h 
g i f t , 
n o r 
f a c t s 
s u f f i c i e n t 
t o 
e s t a b l i s h t h a t 
d e l i v e r y 
h a d 
o c c u r r e d 
i n o r d e r 
t o 
c o n s t i t u t e a 
v a l i d 
i n t e r 
v i v o s 
g i f t . " 
W i l l i s ' s 
p r i n c i p a l 
r e p l y b r i e f , 
a t 
47 
( c i t i n g 
D i a l 
v. 
D i a l , 
603 
So. 2d 1020, 
1022-23 ( A l a . 1992) 
( d e l i v e r y i s an e s s e n t i a l 
e l e m e n t 
o f 
a v a l i d 
i n t e r 
v i v o s 
g i f t , 
and 
" t h e 
d e a t h 
o f 
t h e 
d o n o r 
[ w i t h o u t 
a d e l i v e r y ] i s an a u t o m a t i c r e v o c a t i o n " ) ) . 
We 
a g r e e . 
To be 
s u r e , 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
s t a t e s : " I t o o k  
a c t u a l p o s s e s s i o n 
o f a l l o f t h e s e i t e m s b e f o r e 
l e a v i n g them i n 
m o t h e r ' s h o u s e i n c l u d i n g t h e t h i n g s t h a t m o t h e r gave me 
" 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
However, "when a r e s p o n s e t o a m o t i o n 
f o r 
summary 
j u d g m e n t 
o r 
an 
a c c o m p a n y i n g 
a f f i d a v i t 
s t a t e s 
c o n c l u s i o n s 
on 
u l t i m a t e 
i s s u e s 
w i t h o u t 
i n c l u d i n g f a c t s 
t h a t 
t e n d 
t o p r o v e o r d i s p r o v e 
t h e 
a l l e g a t i o n s made i n t h e 
m o t i o n 
f o r 
summary 
j u d g m e n t , 
i t i s 
i n s u f f i c i e n t 
t o 
g i v e 
r i s e 
t o 
g e n u i n e i s s u e s o f f a c t . " 
O l s o n v. S t a t e Farm Mut. 
A u t o . 
I n s .  
Co., 
174 
P.3d 
849, 
858 
( C o l o . 
C t . App. 
2 0 0 7 ) . 
See 
Brown 
ex 
 
r e l . 
Brown v. 
S t . 
V i n c e n t ' s 
Hosp., 
8 
99 
So. 
2d 
227, 
238-39 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 4 ) . 
Thus, 
where 
t h e 
i s s u e 
was 
w h e t h e r 
a 
p r o p e r t y 
owner 
" o f f e r e d s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e t h a t he s u f f e r e d harm o r l o s s as 
21 
1091798; 1100247 
a 
r e s u l t o f t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n 
[by a 
m u n i c i p a l i t y ] 
o f [a] 
p e d e s t r i a n b r i d g e " a c r o s s a h i g h w a y a d j a c e n t t o h i s p r o p e r t y , 
when 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
o f f e r e d 
i n r e s p o n s e 
t o t h e 
p r o p e r l y 
s u p p o r t e d summary-judgment m o t i o n was t h e o w n e r ' s s t a t e m e n t i n 
h i s 
a f f i d a v i t 
t h a t t h e b r i d g e 
" i n t e r f e r e [ d ] w i t h t h e i n g r e s s 
[ t o ] 
and e g r e s s 
[ f r o m ] " h i s p r o p e r t y , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
h e l d 
t h a t 
s u c h e v i d e n c e was m e r e l y c o n c l u s o r y . 
R e i d v. J e f f e r s o n C n t y . , 
672 So. 2d 1285, 1286 ( A l a . 1 9 9 5 ) . 
A l s o , where t h e i s s u e was 
w h e t h e r a common-law m a r r i a g e h a d b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d , 
a f f i a n t ' s 
s t a t e m e n t s 
r e f e r r i n g t o t h e o t h e r 
p a r t y as " h i s w i f e " 
were 
m e r e l y c o n c l u s o r y and d i d 
n o t c o n s t i t u t e s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e 
o f t h e e x i s t e n c e o f a m a r r i a g e . 
S a l t e r v . S t a t e , 971 So. 2d 
31, 35 ( A l a . C i v . 
App. 2 0 0 7 ) . 
Here t h e b a r e s t a t e m e n t -- " I 
t o o k 
a c t u a l 
p o s s e s s i o n " 
-- i s a l e g a l 
c o n c l u s i o n 
as t o an 
e l e m e n t o f a 
g i f t , 
n o t f a c t u a l s u p p o r t f o r t h e e l e m e n t o f 
d e l i v e r y . 
C o n s e q u e n t l y , 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
d o e s n o t 
p r o v i d e 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e t h a t he e v e r a c q u i r e d 
t i t l e and a 
r i g h t 
t o 
p o s s e s s i o n 
o f t h e p r o p e r t y 
a l l e g e d l y g i v e n 
h i m b y M r s . 
McGee. 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t d i d n o t e r r i n e n t e r i n g a summary 
j u d g m e n t as t o t h a t 
c l a s s o f i t e m s a l l e g e d l y c o n v e r t e d 
a n d , 
i n s o f a r 
as t h e summary 
j u d g m e n t 
d i d s o , i t i s 
a f f i r m e d . 
22 
1091798; 1100247 
I n s o f a r as 
i t e n t e r e d 
a summary j u d g m e n t r e g a r d i n g 
t h e 
o t h e r 
two 
c l a s s e s o f p r o p e r t y , 
t h a t summary j u d g m e n t i s 
r e v e r s e d . 
I I I . 
D i s c u s s i o n 
-- C a s e No. 
1100247 
I n 
W i l l i s ' s 
a p p e a l , 
he 
c o n t e n d s 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d i n d e n y i n g h i s m o t i o n f o r c o s t s and 
f e e s , p u r s u a n t t o § 
4 3 - 8 - 1 9 6 , w h i c h 
p r o v i d e s : 
"The 
c o s t s 
o f any 
c o n t e s t u n d e r t h e 
p r o v i s i o n s 
o f t h i s 
a r t i c l e must be p a i d by t h e p a r t y 
c o n t e s t i n g 
i f 
he 
f a i l s ; 
o t h e r w i s e , 
i t must 
be 
p a i d 
by 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
o r 
o u t 
o f 
t h e 
e s t a t e , 
o r 
i n 
s u c h 
p r o p o r t i o n by 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
o r o u t 
o f t h e e s t a t e 
as 
t h e 
c o u r t may 
d i r e c t ; 
and 
f o r t h e 
c o s t s d i r e c t e d t o 
be p a i d by t h e p l a i n t i f f o r d e f e n d a n t , e x e c u t i o n 
may 
be 
i s s u e d as i n o t h e r 
c a s e s ; 
and 
t h e 
c o s t s 
d i r e c t e d 
t o 
be 
p a i d 
o u t 
o f 
t h e 
e s t a t e 
may 
be 
c o l l e c t e d 
as 
o t h e r 
c l a i m s 
a g a i n s t 
an e s t a t e 
a r e 
c o l l e c t e d . " 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
A l t h o u g h t h i s s e c t i o n s p e a k s s p e c i f i c a l l y o f " c o s t s , " i t 
a u t h o r i z e s 
an a w a r d o f a t t o r n e y 
f e e s 
as p a r t 
o f t h e 
c o s t s 
i n 
a 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t . 
H a r t v. 
J a c k s o n , 
607 
So. 
2d 
161, 
164 
( A l a . 
1 9 9 2 ) . 
The 
c o n t e s t a n t 
i s 
l i a b l e 
" i f he 
f a i l s , " 
w h i c h 
t h i s 
C o u r t has 
c o n s t r u e d 
t o mean t h a t 
" i f t h e r e 
i s some 
c r e d i b l e  
e v i d e n c e o f f e r e d by t h e c o n t e s t a n t 
i n s u p p o r t o f t h e t h e o r y 
o f 
t h e 
c o n t e s t , 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
i s n o t 
t o be c h a r g e d w i t h 
p a y i n g 
t h e a t t o r n e y s ' 
f e e s o f t h e p r o p o n e n t . " 
B l e i d t v. K a n t o r , 
412 
So. 
2d 
769, 
771 
( A l a . 1982) 
( e m p h a s i s added) 
( c o n s t r u i n g 
t h e 
23 
1091798; 1100247 
p r e d e c e s s o r 
s t a t u t e t o § 4 3 - 8 - 1 9 6 ) . 
B l e i d t 
i n v o l v e d 
a 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t 
commenced 
by 
N e l l 
B l e i d t 
on 
t h e 
g r o u n d s 
o f 
undue 
i n f l u e n c e and 
f o r g e r y . 
412 
So. 
2d a t 770. 
The 
c a s e was 
t r i e d 
 
t o 
a 
j u r y , 
w h i c h 
r e t u r n e d 
a 
v e r d i c t 
a g a i n s t 
B l e i d t 
and 
i n 
f a v o r o f t h e p r o p o n e n t s o f t h e 
w i l l . 
I d . 
S u b s e q u e n t l y , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t a w a r d e d t h e p r o p o n e n t s $10,000 i n a t t o r n e y 
f e e s , 
p u r s u a n t 
t o 
§ 4 3 - 1 - 7 6 , w h i c h 
i s now 
§ 4 3 - 8 - 1 9 6 . 
B l e i d t ' s 
a p p e a l d i d n o t i n v o l v e a s p e c i f i c c h a l l e n g e 
t o t h e 
s u f f i c i e n c y 
o f 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
t h e 
g r o u n d s 
f o r 
t h e 
c o n t e s t 
b u t 
d i d 
c h a l l e n g e 
t h e p r o p r i e t y o f t h e 
f e e a w a r d . 
T h i s C o u r t i n B l e i d t r e v e r s e d 
t h e 
f e e a w a r d on t h e 
b a s i s 
o f t h e 
l i t i g a t i o n r e p r e s e n t e d 
by C l a r k v. C l a r k , 280 A l a . 
644, 
197 
So. 
2d 
447 
(1 967) 
( " C l a r k 
I") 
( r e v e r s i n g 
a 
j u d g m e n t 
e n t e r e d 
on 
a j u r y v e r d i c t 
f o r t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
and 
r e n d e r i n g 
a 
j u d g m e n t 
i n 
f a v o r 
o f 
t h e 
p r o p o n e n t 
on 
t h e 
g r o u n d 
t h a t 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e was 
i n s u f f i c i e n t 
t o s u p p o r t t h e 
c o n t e s t ) ; and 
C l a r k 
 
v. 
C l a r k , 
287 
A l a . 
42, 
247 
So. 
2d 
361 
(1971) 
( " C l a r k 
I I " ) 
( h o l d i n g t h a t a t t o r n e y s 
who 
r e p r e s e n t e d 
t h e 
" e x e c u t o r 
i n 
t h e 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t " 
i n C l a r k I were e n t i t l e d t o a f e e t o be p a i d 
by 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t ) . 
D i s c u s s i n g 
C l a r k 
I 
and 
C l a r k 
I I , t h e 
C o u r t 
i n 
B l e i d t 
e x p l a i n e d : 
24 
1091798; 1100247 
" [ C l a r k I I ] i n v o l v e d an a l l o w a n c e 
o f a t t o r n e y s ' 
f e e s 
u n d e r 
T i t l e 
61, 
§ 
59, 
A l a b a m a Code 
o f 
1 
940, 
t h e 
p r e d e c e s s o r 
o f Code o f 1975, 
§ 43-1-76 
[now 
§ 43-8¬
1 9 6 ] . 
T h e r e 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
was 
d e a l i n g w i t h 
a 
p r i o r 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t 
w h i c h 
had 
b e e n 
s u c c e s s f u l b u t 
w h i c h , 
upon r e v i e w , was 
f o u n d t o be b a s e d upon 
i n s u f f i c i e n t  
e v i d e n c e . 
[ C l a r k I ] . 
I n [ C l a r k I I ] d e a l i n g w i t h 
t h e 
a w a r d o f a t t o r n e y s ' 
f e e s 
a g a i n s t t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
as 
c o s t s , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
r e f e r r e d 
t o 
[ C l a r k 
I ] 
as 
' a l t o g e t h e r 
w i t h o u t 
m e r i t , ' 
o r 
f r i v o l o u s . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
t h i s C o u r t h e l d t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t had 
e r r e d 
i n 
d e c r e e i n g 
t h a t t h e 
e x e c u t o r ' s 
a t t o r n e y s 
be 
p a i d 
f r o m 
t h e 
r e s i d u a r y e s t a t e 
'and 
i n n o t 
t a x i n g 
s u c h 
f e e 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t s 
as 
c o s t s 
i n t h e 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t 
s u i t . ' 
[ C l a r k I I ] , s u p r a , 
287 
A l a . 42, 
48, 
247 
So. 
2d 
361. 
I n 
o t h e r 
w o r d s , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
c o n s t r u e d 
§ 
59 
(now 
[§ 
4 3 - 8 - 1 9 6 ] ) 
as 
a u t h o r i z i n g 
a t t o r n e y s ' 
f e e s 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
who 
f a i l s 
o n l y when t h e c o n t e s t i s w i t h o u t m e r i t . 
T h a t i s , i f 
t h e r e 
i s some 
c r e d i b l e 
e v i d e n c e 
o f f e r e d 
by 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
i n s u p p o r t 
o f t h e t h e o r y o f t h e 
c o n t e s t , 
t h e c o n t e s t a n t 
i s n o t 
t o be c h a r g e d w i t h p a y i n g 
t h e 
a t t o r n e y s ' 
f e e s o f t h e 
p r o p o n e n t . 
"An e x a m i n a t i o n 
o f t h i s r e c o r d c o n v i n c e s us t h a t 
t h i s c o n t e s t was 
n o t 
' a l t o g e t h e r w i t h o u t m e r i t . ' 
To 
t h e 
c o n t r a r y , 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
a d d u c e d 
c r e d i b l e 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
undue 
i n f l u e n c e 
and 
f o r g e r y . 
The 
p r o p o n e n t s o f t h e 
w i l l p r o d u c e d e v i d e n c e 
t e n d i n g 
t o  
show an a b s e n c e o f undue i n f l u e n c e o r f o r g e r y . 
The 
t r i a l c o u r t p r o p e r l y a l l o w e d t h e j u r y t o r e s o l v e t h e  
c o n f l i c t c r e a t e d by t h e e v i d e n c e 
o f b o t h 
s i d e s , 
and 
t h e 
j u r y 
f o u n d 
f o r t h e 
p r o p o n e n t s . 
B u t 
t h e 
mere 
f a c t t h a t t h e c o n t e s t a n t 
l o s t c o u l d n o t u n d e r § 
43¬
1-76 
[now 
§ 43-8-196] and 
C l a r k 
[ I I ] , 287 
A l a . 
42, 
247 
So. 
2d 
361 
(1 
9 7 1 ) , 
be 
u s e d 
t o 
c h a r g e 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
w i t h t h e p r o p o n e n t s ' 
a t t o r n e y s ' 
f e e s 
as 
p a r t o f t h e 
c o s t s . " 
412 
So. 
2d a t 771-72 ( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
25 
1091798; 1100247 
I n 
t h i s c a s e , we a r e p r e s e n t e d w i t h no c r e d i b l e 
e v i d e n c e 
i n 
s u p p o r t 
o f 
any 
g r o u n d 
upon 
w h i c h 
J a c k 
c h a l l e n g e d 
M r s . 
McGee's w i l l .
2 
The 
t r i a l c o u r t e r r e d , t h e r e f o r e , i n r e f u s i n g 
t o a w a r d W i l l i s f e e s and 
c o s t s . 
I V . C o n c l u s i o n 
I n summary, t h e j u d g m e n t i n c a s e no. 1091798 i s r e v e r s e d 
and t h e c a s e remanded f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e e d i n g s as t o t h e 
i s s u e 
o f 
c o n v e r s i o n 
o f 
t h e 
i t e m s 
J a c k 
a l l e g e d l y 
r e c e i v e d 
f r o m 
s o u r c e s 
o t h e r t h a n M r s . McGee. 
I n a l l o t h e r r e s p e c t s , t h e 
j u d g m e n t 
i n c a s e 
no. 
1091798 
i s a f f i r m e d . 
Of 
c o u r s e , 
o u r 
d i s p o s i t i o n 
o f t h e f r a u d and u n d u e - i n f l u e n c e c l a i m s 
s i m i l a r l y 
d i s p o s e s o f any n e e d f o r a c o n s t r u c t i v e t r u s t . As f o r c a s e 
no. 
1100247, h o w e v e r , t h e j u d g m e n t 
i s r e v e r s e d and 
t h e c a s e 
i s 
remanded f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e e d i n g s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h i s 
o p i n i o n . 
1091798 
-- 
AFFIRMED 
IN 
PART; REVERSED 
IN 
PART; 
AND 
REMANDED. 
M a l o n e , C . J . , and S t u a r t , B o l i n , 
P a r k e r , Shaw, M a i n , 
and 
W i s e , J J . , c o n c u r . 
M u r d o c k , J . , c o n c u r s i n t h e 
r e s u l t . 
2 A l t e r n a t i v e l y , 
W i l l i s a s k s t h i s C o u r t t o o v e r r u l e B l e i d t . 
B e c a u s e o f o u r r e s o l u t i o n o f t h e i s s u e i n f a v o r o f W i l l i s , 
we 
d e c l i n e t o a d d r e s s 
t h a t r e q u e s t . 
26 
1091798; 
1100247 
1100247 -- REVERSED AND REMANDED. 
M a l o n e , C . J . , and S t u a r t , 
P a r k e r , Shaw, and M a i n , 
J J . , 
c o n c u r . 
B o l i n , M u r d o c k , and W i s e , J J . , c o n c u r i n t h e r e s u l t . 
27 
1091798; 1100247 
MURDOCK, J u s t i c e 
( c o n c u r r i n g i n t h e 
r e s u l t ) . 
I c o n c u r 
i n t h e 
r e s u l t r e a c h e d by 
t h e m a i n 
o p i n i o n 
i n 
b o t h 
c a s e 
no. 
1091798 
and 
c a s e 
no. 
1100247. 
I 
w r i t e 
s e p a r a t e l y 
as 
t o 
c a s e 
no. 
1091798 
t o 
e x p r e s s 
my 
c o n c e r n 
r e g a r d i n g t h e s t a t e o f o u r l a w w i t h r e s p e c t t o undue i n f l u e n c e 
and 
c o n v e r s i o n 
and 
t o n o t e my 
r e a s o n f o r a g r e e i n g 
w i t h 
t h e 
r e s u l t r e a c h e d by t h e m a i n o p i n i o n as t o t h e f r a u d 
c l a i m . 
Undue 
I n f l u e n c e 
By 1977, 
i f n o t b e f o r e , 
o u r c a s e s had b e g u n t o s p e a k i n 
t e r m s o f t h r e e 
d i s t i n c t e l e m e n t s 
t h a t , i f p r o v e n , w o u l d a i d a 
w i l l 
c o n t e s t a n t 
by 
g i v i n g 
r i s e 
t o 
a p r e s u m p t i o n 
o f 
undue 
i n f l u e n c e , 
t h e r e b y 
s h i f t i n g 
t h e 
b u r d e n 
o f 
p r o o f 
t o 
t h e 
p r o p o n e n t o f t h e w i l l t o e s t a b l i s h t h a t t h e w i l l was 
t h e 
f r e e 
a c t o f t h e t e s t a t o r . 
I n P r u i t t v. P r u i t t , 343 So. 2d 495, 
499 
( A l a . 
1 9 7 7 ) , 
t h i s C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
"Our 
c a s e s 
h a v e 
c o n s i s t e n t l y h e l d 
t h a t 
when 
undue i n f l u e n c e i s a s s e r t e d 
i n a w i l l 
c o n t e s t , 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
has 
t h e 
b u r d e n , 
i n 
o r d e r 
t o 
r a i s e 
a 
p r e s u m p t i o n o f undue i n f l u e n c e , t o p r o v e a d o m i n a n t 
c o n f i d e n t i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p and undue a c t i v i t y i n t h e 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
w i l l 
by 
o r 
f o r 
a 
f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y . 
I n 
o t h e r 
w o r d s , 
e v i d e n c e 
must 
e s t a b l i s h : 
(1) a c o n f i d e n t i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n 
a 
f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y and 
t e s t a t o r ; 
(2) 
t h a t 
t h e 
i n f l u e n c e o f o r f o r t h e b e n e f i c i a r y was d o m i n a n t and 
c o n t r o l l i n g 
i n 
t h a t 
r e l a t i o n s h i p ; and 
(3) 
undue 
a c t i v i t y 
on 
t h e 
p a r t 
o f 
t h e 
d o m i n a n t 
p a r t y 
i n 
p r o c u r i n g 
t h e e x e c u t i o n 
o f t h e 
w i l l . " 
28 
1091798; 1100247 
343 So. 2d a t 499 
( c i t a t i o n and 
o r i g i n a l e m p h a s i s 
o m i t t e d and 
e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) .
3 
As 
i n d i c a t e d 
i n c a s e s 
s u c h 
as 
P r u i t t , 
h o w e v e r , 
t h e 
" e l e m e n t s " 
n e c e s s a r y 
t o 
g i v e 
r i s e 
t o 
a 
p r e s u m p t i o n 
o f undue 
i n f l u e n c e 
and 
t o 
s h i f t 
t h e b u r d e n 
o f 
p r o o f 
a r e 
one 
t h i n g ; 
t h e 
d e f i n i t i o n 
o f undue 
i n f l u e n c e 
i s 
a n o t h e r . 
Not u n e x p e c t e d l y , as P r u i t t e x p l a i n e d , i f a c o n t e s t a n t i s 
a b l e 
t o p r o v e 
t h o s e e l e m e n t s 
f o r p u r p o s e s 
o f 
c r e a t i n g 
t h a t 
p r e s u m p t i o n , he o r she 
w i l l have " g o [ n e ] f a r , o f c o u r s e , i n 
p r o v i n g t h e p r i n c i p a l 
c h a r g e o f undue i n f l u e n c e . " 
343 So. 
2d 
a t 499. 
T h a t 
" p r i n c i p a l 
c h a r g e , " i . e . , t h e w r o n g d o i n g 
known 
as "undue i n f l u e n c e , " was 
i t s e l f d e f i n e d a t common l a w and i n 
o u r c a s e s as s i m p l y t h i s : 
t h e a s s e r t i o n o f s u c h 
" ' i n f l u e n c e 
... 
a s , 
i n some m e a s u r e , 
d e s t r o y s t h e 
f r e e 
a g e n c y 
o f 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r , and p r e v e n t s t h e e x e r c i s e o f t h a t d i s c r e t i o n 
w h i c h 
t h e 
l a w 
r e q u i r e s 
a p a r t y 
s h o u l d p o s s e s s 
as 
e s s e n t i a l 
t o 
a 
3 S e e a l s o J o n e s v. B r o o k s , 184 A l a . 115, 120, 63 So. 
978, 
979 
(1913) 
( " A f t e r t h e c o n t e s t a n t makes o u t a c a s e w h i c h 
w o u l d 
c a s t 
t h e b u r d e n 
upon 
t h e 
b e n e f i c i a r y , 
t h e 
b e n e f i c i a r y 
may 
 
o v e r t u r n t h e p r e s u m p t i o n by p r o o f o f c o m p e t e n t , 
i n d e p e n d e n t 
a d v i c e and c o u n s e l , ' o r by any o t h e r e v i d e n c e w h i c h 
s a t i s f i e s 
t h e 
j u d i c i a l c o n s c i e n c e t h a t t h e 
g i f t was 
t h e v o l u n t a r y 
and 
w e l l - u n d e r s t o o d a c t o f t h e t e s t a t r i x ' s m i n d . ' 
S c a r b r o u g h v.  
S c a r b r o u g h , 
[185 
A l a . 468, 
478 , 
64 
So. 
105, 
109 
(1 
9 1 3 ) ] . " 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) ) . 
29 
1091798; 1100247 
v a l i d 
t e s t a m e n t a r y 
d i s p o s i t i o n 
o f 
h i s 
p r o p e r t y . ' " 
I d . 
( q u o t i n g 
t h e w e l l 
e s t a b l i s h e d 
d e f i n i t i o n o f undue 
i n f l u e n c e 
s t a t e d o v e r 20 y e a r s e a r l i e r i n L o c k e v . S p a r k s , 263 A l a . 137, 
140, 
81 So. 2d 670, 673 
( 1 9 5 5 ) ) . 
As t h i s C o u r t i n d i c a t e d i n 
t h e 
1861 c a s e o f H a l l ' s 
H e i r s v . H a l l ' s E x e c u t o r s , 38 A l a . 
131, 
134 
( 1 8 6 1 ) , 
what 
i s n e c e s s a r y 
t o d e m o n s t r a t e 
undue 
i n f l u e n c e i s s i m p l y a s h o w i n g " t h a t an i n f l u e n c e was 
e x e r t e d 
upon t h e m i n d o f t h e t e s t a t o r , w h i c h was e q u i v a l e n t 
t o m o r a l 
c o e r c i o n , and c o n s t r a i n e d h i m t o do t h a t w h i c h was a g a i n s t h i s 
w i l l , b u t w h i c h , f r o m f e a r , t h e d e s i r e o f p e a c e , o r some o t h e r 
f e e l i n g t h a n a f f e c t i o n , he was u n a b l e t o r e s i s t . " 
B l a c k ' s 
Law 
 
D i c t i o n a r y 1666 ( 9 t h e d . 2009) d e f i n e s 
"undue 
i n f l u e n c e " i n 
r e l a t i o n 
t o a 
w i l l 
as 
s i m p l y 
" [ c ] o e r c i o n 
t h a t 
d e s t r o y s 
a 
t e s t a t o r ' s 
f r e e 
w i l l 
and s u b s t i t u t e s a n o t h e r ' s o b j e c t i v e s i n 
i t s 
p l a c e " 
and 
t h e n 
n o t e s 
t h a t 
"a 
p r e s u m p t i o n 
o f 
undue 
i n f l u e n c e " 
( e m p h a s i s 
added) 
may 
a r i s e 
" b a s e d 
on 
t h e 
c o n f i d e n t i a l 
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n 
t h e 
i n f l u e n c e r 
and t h e 
p e r s o n i n f l u e n c e d " " [ w ] h e n a b e n e f i c i a r y a c t i v e l y p r o c u r e s t h e 
e x e c u t i o n 
o f a w i l l . " 
See a l s o 36 Am. J u r . P r o o f o f F a c t s 2d 
109 Undue I n f l u e n c e i n E x e c u t i o n o f W i l l § 2 (19 8 3 ) ( d i s c u s s i n g 
t h e e l e m e n t s o f a c l a i m o f undue i n f l u e n c e ) ; 36 Am. J u r . P r o o f 
o f 
F a c t s 
2d 109 Undue 
I n f l u e n c e 
i n E x e c u t i o n 
o f W i l l 
§ 7 
30 
1091798; 1100247 
( 1 9 8 3 ) ( d i s c u s s i n g 
t h e e l e m e n t s f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g a p r e s u m p t i o n 
o f undue i n f l u e n c e ) . 
The 
f a i l u r e 
o f 
o u r 
c a s e s 
s i n c e 
P r u i t t 
t o 
m a i n t a i n 
t h e 
d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e 
e l e m e n t s 
o f undue i n f l u e n c e 
and 
t h e 
f a c t o r s g i v i n g r i s e t o a p r e s u m p t i o n o f undue i n f l u e n c e 
l e a d s 
t o 
c o n f u s i o n , 
as 
I b e l i e v e 
i t has 
i n t h e 
p r e s e n t 
c a s e , 
and 
c o u l d , 
i n 
a 
g i v e n 
c a s e , 
l e a d 
t o 
an 
u n j u s t 
r e s u l t . 
F o r 
e x a m p l e , 
e l e m e n t 
(1) 
as 
now 
a r t i c u l a t e d 
r e q u i r e s 
t h e 
c o n t e s t a n t 
t o e s t a b l i s h "'a c o n f i d e n t i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n 
a f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y and 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r . ' " 
F u r r o w v. 
H e l t o n , 
13 
So. 
3d 
350, 
353 
( A l a . 2008) 
( q u o t i n g 
C l i f t o n 
v. 
C l i f t o n , 
529 
So. 
2d 
980, 
983 
( A l a . 1 9 9 8 ) ) . 
L a y i n g 
a s i d e 
t h e e v e n more 
f u n d a m e n t a l i s s u e o f why 
we 
s h o u l d r e q u i r e t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p t o 
be 
a 
" c o n f i d e n t i a l " one, 
i t w o u l d seem t h a t what 
s h o u l d 
be 
r e q u i r e d i s t h a t t h e r e be 
a c o n f i d e n t i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n 
t h e 
p a r t y 
e x e r t i n g 
t h e 
i n f l u e n c e 
and 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r , and 
n o t 
b e t w e e n t h e 
" f a v o r e d 
b e n e f i c i a r y " and 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r . 
I n d e e d , 
i t 
a p p e a r s 
t h a t more r e c e n t 
c a s e s h a v e c o n f u s e d 
t h e 
f a c t o r s 
t h a t may 
be shown i n o r d e r 
t o c r e a t e 
a p r e s u m p t i o n 
o f undue 
i n f l u e n c e 
( t h e r e b y 
s h i f t i n g t h e b u r d e n o f p r o o f ) w i t h what i t 
means s i m p l y 
f o r a t e s t a t o r t o have b e e n u n d u l y i n f l u e n c e d 
and 
t h a t 
t h e s e 
c a s e s have 
sub 
s i l e n t i o 
o v e r r u l e d 
e a r l i e r 
c a s e s 
31 
1 0 9 1 7 9 8 ; 1100247 
s u c h as 
L i t t l e 
v. Sugg, 243 
A l a . 196, 
212, 
8 So. 
2d 
866, 
881 
( 1 9 4 2 ) . 
I n L i t t l e , 
t h i s C o u r t c l e a r l y e x p l a i n e d : 
" I f a 
w i l l  
i s p r o c u r e d 
by undue i n f l u e n c e , i t i s n o t 
e s s e n t i a l t h a t 
t h e 
 
b e n e f i c i a r y p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h u s p r o c u r i n g 
i t . 
I f i t i s 
so  
p r o c u r e d , 
t h e 
a n i m u s 
t e s t a n d i 
[ t e s t a m e n t a r y 
i n t e n t i o n ] 
i s  
a b s e n t , r e g a r d l e s s o f who 
may 
be t h e 
g u i l t y a g e n t . " 
I n 
f a c t , 
e l e m e n t 
( 2 ) , 
as 
q u o t e d 
above 
f r o m 
P r u i t t , 
a p p e a r s 
t o 
a c k n o w l e d g e t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n w i t h i t s r e f e r e n c e t o " i n f l u e n c e 
o f o r f o r t h e b e n e f i c i a r y . " 
343 
So. 
2d a t 499. 
Why 
w o u l d a 
w i l l 
be 
any 
l e s s 
t h e 
r e s u l t 
o f undue 
i n f l u e n c e 
( i . e . , 
why 
w o u l d t h e t e s t a t o r ' s t e s t a m e n t a r y 
i n t e n t i o n be any l e s s u n d u l y 
i n t e r f e r e d w i t h ) 
s i m p l y b e c a u s e a p a r t y u n d u l y i n f l u e n c e d t h e 
t e s t a t o r t o l e a v e p r o p e r t y t o some p e r s o n o r e n t i t y o t h e r 
t h a n 
t h e p a r t y e x e r t i n g t h e undue 
i n f l u e n c e ? 
S i m i l a r l y , 
as 
t o e l e m e n t 
( 3 ) , I q u e s t i o n 
why 
we 
s h o u l d 
i m p o s e 
a 
s t r i c t 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
o f 
d i r e c t 
i n v o l v e m e n t 
i n 
t h e 
p h y s i c a l p r e p a r a t i o n o f t h e w i l l o r t h e l o g i s t i c s o r m e c h a n i c s 
o f i t s e x e c u t i o n . 
Not 
u n l i k e a p a r t y who 
o b t a i n s 
f a v o r a b l e 
t e r m s i n a w i l l by c o m m i t t i n g 
f r a u d on t h e t e s t a t o r , c o u l d 
n o t 
someone be 
g u i l t y o f u n d u l y i n f l u e n c i n g a t e s t a t o r t o c h a n g e 
h i s 
o r h e r 
w i l l w i t h o u t b e i n g d i r e c t l y i n v o l v e d i n t h e 
e n s u i n g 
32 
1091798; 1100247 
m e c h a n i c s o f h i r i n g a l a w y e r , o b t a i n i n g w i t n e s s e s , 
e t c . ? 
The 
m a i n o p i n i o n 
s t a t e s : 
" C i r c u m s t a n c e s e v i d e n c i n g undue a c t i v i t y i n 
t h e 
p r o c u r e m e n t o r e x e c u t i o n 
o f a w i l l a r e t h o s e where 
a b e n e f i c i a r y 
"'"'was a c t i n g i n and a b o u t t h e 
e x e c u t i o n 
and 
p r e p a r a t i o n 
o f s a i d 
w i l l 
s u c h as t h e 
i n i t i a t i o n 
o f t h e 
p r o c e e d i n g s 
f o r t h e 
p r e p a r a t i o n 
o f t h e w i l l , o r p a r t i c i p a t i o n 
i n 
s u c h 
p r e p a r a t i o n , 
e m p l o y i n g 
t h e 
d r a f t s m a n , 
s e l e c t i n g 
t h e 
w i t n e s s e s , 
e x c l u d i n g p e r s o n s f o r m t h e t e s t a t r i x a t o r 
a b o u t t h e t i m e 
o f t h e e x e c u t i o n 
o f t h e 
w i l l , 
c o n c e a l i n g 
t h e m a k i n g o f t h e 
w i l l 
a f t e r i t 
was made, and t h e l i k e . . . . ' " ' 
"Reed v. S h i p p , 293 A l a . 632, 636, 308 So. 2d 705, 
708 
(1975) 
( q u o t i n g 
a p p e l l a n t s ' 
b r i e f , 
q u o t i n g i n 
t u r n L e w i s v. M a r t i n , 210 A l a . 4 0 1 , 4 1 3 , 98 So. 635, 
647 
( 1 9 2 3 ) ) . 
T h e r e 
was 
i n s u f f i c i e n t 
r e l e v a n t 
e v i d e n c e o f s u c h a c t i v i t y i n t h i s 
c a s e . " 
So. 3d a t 
. 
U n t i l 
r e l a t i v e l y r e c e n t l y i n o u r h i s t o r y , 
t h e e s s e n c e o f undue i n f l u e n c e t h a t w o u l d s e r v e t o i n v a l i d a t e 
a w i l l was, as s t a t e d a b o v e , t h e e x e r t i o n o f s u c h i n f l u e n c e as 
" ' d e s t r o y s 
t h e f r e e a g e n c y o f t h e t e s t a t o r . ' " 
P r u i t t , 343 
So. 2d a t 499 ( q u o t i n g L o c k e ) . 
I am a t a l o s s as t o why undue 
i n f l u e n c e d o e s n o t e x i s t w h e n e v e r a t e s t a t o r ' s f r e e 
w i l l h a s 
i n t h i s manner b e e n o v e r c o m e a n d , i n c o n s e q u e n c e o f t h a t 
f a c t , 
t h e 
t e s t a t o r 
t h e n 
h a n d l e s on h i s o r h e r own t h e p h y s i c a l 
m e c h a n i c s 
a s s o c i a t e d 
w i t h 
p r e p a r i n g 
and e x e c u t i n g 
t h e 
w i l l 
33 
1091798; 1100247 
w i t h o u t any 
f u r t h e r i n v o l v e m e n t by t h e " i n f l u e n c e r . " 
A g a i n , 
see 
L i t t l e , 
s u p r a . 
We 
a r e n o t a s k e d 
i n t h i s 
c a s e , h o w e v e r , t o 
r e v i s i t 
t h e 
manner i n w h i c h 
o u r 
c a s e s 
a r t i c u l a t e 
t h e t h r e e e l e m e n t s 
o f 
undue i n f l u e n c e as 
s t a t e d i n F u r r o w . 
A c c o r d i n g l y , l i k e 
t h e 
r e s t o f t h e C o u r t , I r e v i e w t h e i s s u e s p r e s e n t e d w i t h i n 
t h e 
f r a m e w o r k o f t h o s e e l e m e n t s . 
I n so d o i n g , I c o n c u r 
i n t h e 
r e s u l t r e a c h e d as t o t h e c l a i m o f undue i n f l u e n c e i n t h i s 
c a s e 
b e c a u s e 
I do 
n o t 
see 
i n t h e 
r e c o r d b e f o r e us 
" s u b s t a n t i a l 
e v i d e n c e " t o s u p p o r t s u c h a 
c l a i m .
4 
The 
F r a u d C l a i m 
4 I 
a l s o h a v e some c o n c e r n a b o u t t h e s t a t e m e n t i n t h e m a i n 
o p i n i o n t h a t " [ e ] v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t t h e t e s t a t r i x had 
a 
p o s t - e x e c u t i o n 
d i s c u s s i o n w i t h a named b e n e f i c i a r y 
and 
gave 
h i m 
t h e 
w i l l 
w i t h 
i n s t r u c t i o n s 
t o 
'put 
i t 
away 
f o r 
s a f e k e e p i n g ' does n o t c o n s t i t u t e e v i d e n c e o f undue a c t i v i t y i n 
t h e e x e c u t i o n o f t h e 
w i l l . " 
So. 
3d a t 
. 
A l t h o u g h I 
a g r e e 
t h a t , 
i n t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e p r e s e n t c a s e , t h a t 
s t a t e d 
f a c t , s t a n d i n g a l o n e , does n o t c o n s t i t u t e m e a n i n g f u l 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
undue i n f l u e n c e , 
I w o u l d n o t a g r e e 
t h a t e v i d e n c e o f 
s u c h 
p o s t - e x e c u t i o n i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h t h e t e s t a t o r c o u l d n o t , i n an 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
c a s e 
( e . g . , 
h e r e 
t h e r e 
i s 
o t h e r 
m e a n i n g f u l 
e v i d e n c e o f undue i n f l u e n c e ) , 
c o n t r i b u t e t o a j u r y ' s 
a b i l i t y 
t o 
i n f e r 
f r o m 
t h e e v i d e n c e 
t h a t 
s u c h 
i n f l u e n c e 
had 
i n 
f a c t 
o c c u r r e d . 
C f . Reed v. S h i p p , 293 A l a . 632, 
636, 
308 
So. 
2d 
705, 
708 
(1975) 
( n o t i n g 
t h a t 
p o s t - e x e c u t i o n 
a c t i v i t y 
i n 
" c o n c e a l i n g t h e m a k i n g o f t h e w i l l 
a f t e r i t was made, and 
t h e 
l i k e , " may 
be e v i d e n c e o f undue 
i n f l u e n c e ) . 
34 
1091798; 1100247 
I c o n c u r i n 
t h e r e s u l t a c h i e v e d b y t h e 
m a i n o p i n i o n as 
t o 
J a c k ' s 
f r a u d 
c l a i m 
b e c a u s e 
I do n o t f i n d 
i n t h e r e c o r d 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e o f a m i s s i n g 
w i l l . 
The C o n v e r s i o n C l a i m 
I f 
t h e Dead Man's 
S t a t u t e were 
s t i l l 
" a l i v e " i n t h i s 
S t a t e , t h e i s s u e p r e s e n t e d as t o 
t h e 
a l l e g e d i n t e r v i v o s 
g i f t s 
f r o m M r s . 
McGee t o J a c k 
l i k e l y w o u l d n o t 
be b e f o r e u s . See 
§ 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 6 3 , A l a . Code 1975 (Dead Man's S t a t u t e ) ;
5 s e e a l s o 
S c h o e n v o g e l v . V e n a t o r G r o u p R e t a i l , 
I n c . , 
895 So. 2d 
2 2 5 , 
5 S e c t i o n 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 6 3 , w h i c h was a b r o g a t e d b y t h i s 
C o u r t ' s 
a d o p t i o n o f R u l e 601, 
A l a . R. E v i d . , 
s t a t e s : 
" I n 
c i v i l a c t i o n s a n d 
p r o c e e d i n g s , t h e r e must be 
no e x c l u s i o n o f a n y w i t n e s s b e c a u s e he i s 
a p a r t y o r 
i n t e r e s t e d i n 
t h e i s s u e t r i e d , e x c e p t t h a t no p e r s o n  
h a v i n g a p e c u n i a r y 
i n t e r e s t i n t h e r e s u l t o f 
t h e 
 
a c t i o n o r p r o c e e d i n g 
s h a l l be a l l o w e d t o 
t e s t i f y  
a g a i n s t t h e 
p a r t y t o 
whom h i s i n t e r e s t i s 
o p p o s e d as  
t o 
a n y 
t r a n s a c t i o n 
w i t h , 
o r 
s t a t e m e n t 
b y , t h e  
d e c e a s e d 
p e r s o n whose 
e s t a t e i s i n t e r e s t e d i n 
t h e 
 
r e s u l t 
o f t h e a c t i o n 
o r p r o c e e d i n g 
u n l e s s 
c a l l e d t o t e s t i f y t h e r e t o b y t h e p a r t y t o whom s u c h 
i n t e r e s t i s o p p o s e d o r u n l e s s t h e t e s t i m o n y o f s u c h 
d e c e a s e d p e r s o n i n r e l a t i o n t o s u c h 
t r a n s a c t i o n o r 
s t a t e m e n t i s i n t r o d u c e d i n e v i d e n c e b y t h e p a r t y 
whose i n t e r e s t i s 
o p p o s e d t o t h a t o f t h e w i t n e s s o r 
has 
b e e n 
t a k e n a n d i s on 
f i l e 
i n t h e c a s e . 
No 
p e r s o n who i s an i n c o m p e t e n t 
w i t n e s s 
u n d e r 
t h i s 
s e c t i o n s h a l l make h i m s e l f c o m p e t e n t b y t r a n s f e r r i n g 
h i s 
i n t e r e s t t o a n o t h e r . " 
( E m p h a s i s 
added.) 
35 
1091798; 1100247 
258 
( A l a . 2004) ("The 
A l a b a m a Dead Man's S t a t u t e , § 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 6 3 , 
A l a . 
Code 
1975, 
has 
b e e n 
s u p e r s e d e d 
by 
R u l e 
601, 
A l a . 
R. 
E v i d . " ) ; R u l e 601, 
A l a . R. 
E v i d . 
("Every p e r s o n i s c o m p e t e n t 
t o 
be 
a 
w i t n e s s 
e x c e p t 
as 
o t h e r w i s e 
p r o v i d e d 
i n 
t h e s e 
r u l e s . " ) . 
F o r e x a m p l e , i n B r o o k s v. Ward, 287 
A l a . 609, 
614, 
254 
So. 2d 175, 178-79 ( 1 9 7 1 ) , w h i c h i n v o l v e d an a t t e m p t a f t e r 
t h e d e a t h o f an a l l e g e d d o n o r t o p r o v e an 
i n t e r v i v o s 
g i f t 
o f 
p r o p e r t y 
i n w h i c h 
t h e 
e s t a t e 
had 
an 
i n t e r e s t , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
" I n o u r c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h i s a p p e a l we have 
n o t 
o v e r l o o k e d 
t h e 
p o s s i b l e 
e f f e c t 
o f 
[ t h e ] 
... 
Dead 
Man's 
S t a t u t e 
... 
i n 
r e n d e r i n g 
i n c o m p e t e n t 
t h e 
t e s t i m o n y 
o f L o y d and 
H a z e l Ward p e r t a i n i n g t o 
t h e 
s t a t e m e n t o f Mr. 
B r o o k s c o n c e r n i n g 
t h e 
g i f t 
o r 
t h e 
r e l e a s e o f t h e 
n o t e . 
"The 
f a c t 
t h a t 
t h e 
Wards 
had 
a 
p e c u n i a r y 
i n t e r e s t i n t h e outcome o f t h e 
s u i t , and 
t h e 
f u r t h e r 
f a c t 
t h a t 
Mr. 
B r o o k s ' 
e s t a t e w o u l d be 
a f f e c t e d 
by 
t h e 
s u i t , w o u l d seem t o p l a c e 
t h e c o m p e t e n c y o f 
t h e 
Wards as w i t n e s s e s 
s q u a r e l y w i t h i n t h e t e r m s o f 
[ t h e 
Dead Man's S t a t u t e ] . 
"... 
[ N ] e i t h e r t h e 
C h a n c e l l o r 
n o r 
t h i s 
c o u r t 
c a n 
c o n s i d e r 
t h a t p a r t 
o f t h e 
t e s t i m o n y 
o f Mr. 
and 
M r s . 
Ward w h i c h 
i s w i t h i n t h e 
e x c l u s i o n a r y 
r u l e 
o f 
[ t h e Dead Man's S t a t u t e ] . " 
See, 
e.g., 
L i v i n g s t o n v. 
P o w e l l , 
257 
A l a . 
38, 
42, 
57 
So. 
2d 
521, 
523 
( 1 9 5 2 ) . 
The 
e f f e c t i v e r e p e a l 
o f 
t h e 
Dead Man's 
S t a t u t e , h o w e v e r , has 
now made p o s s i b l e t h e d i s p u t e b e f o r e 
us 
36 
1091798; 1100247 
i n 
t h a t i t h a s made 
p o s s i b l e t h e u s e o f t e s t i m o n y 
o f t h e 
a l l e g e d donee 
f o l l o w i n g t h e d e a t h 
o f t h e a l l e g e d d o n o r i n 
s u p p o r t o f a c l a i m o f an i n t e r v i v o s g i f t o f p r o p e r t y i n w h i c h 
t h e d e c e a s e d d o n o r ' s e s t a t e h a s an 
i n t e r e s t . 
The e l e m e n t s o f a g i f t a r e "1) [ a ] n 
i n t e n t i o n t o g i v e and 
s u r r e n d e r 
t i t l e 
t o , and 
d o m i n i o n 
o v e r , 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y ; 
2) 
[ d ] e l i v e r y 
o f 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y 
t o 
t h e 
d o n e e ; 
a n d 
3) 
[ a ] c c e p t a n c e b y t h e d o n e e . " 
D i a l v . D i a l , 603 So. 2d 1020 
, 
1022 
( A l a . 1992) ( e m p h a s i s o m i t t e d ) . 
F u r t h e r , p r o o f o f a g i f t 
must be a c c o m p l i s h e d by " c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e . " 
See, 
e.g., 
F i r s t A l a b a m a Bank o f M o n t g o m e r y v . Adams, 382 So. 2d 
1104, 
1111 ( A l a . 1 9 8 0 ) ; DeMouy v. J e p s o n , 255 A l a . 337, 339, 
51 So. 2d 506, 508 ( 1 9 5 1 ) . 
A l s o , t h e d e l i v e r y r e q u i r e d f o r 
a 
g i f t must b y an a c t u a l , p h y s i c a l d e l i v e r y , u n l e s s t h e p r o p e r t y 
i s n o t s u s c e p t i b l e o f s u c h d e l i v e r y . 
See G a r r i s o n v . G r a y s o n , 
284 
A l a . 247, 250, 224 So. 2d 606, 608-09 
( 1 9 6 9 ) . 
N e v e r t h e l e s s , 
t h i s C o u r t h a s r e c o g n i z e d t h a t d e l i v e r y o f 
a 
g i f t 
m i g h t be shown 
e v e n 
where t h e d o n o r 
m a i n t a i n s 
o r 
s u b s e q u e n t l y 
r e g a i n s some p h y s i c a l c o n t r o l o v e r 
t h e 
g i f t e d 
p r o p e r t y : 
"A g i f t o f s e c u r i t i e s may be s u s t a i n e d w h e r e , 
a f t e r 
d e l i v e r y , 
t h e y a r e p l a c e d i n a s a f e t o w h i c h 
b o t h 
d o n o r and donee have 
a c c e s s , 
o r i n a s a f e t y 
37 
1091798; 1100247 
d e p o s i t 
box 
r e n t e d 
by 
t h e 
d o n e e , 
and 
t o w h i c h 
t h e 
d o n o r 
has 
a c c e s s 
by 
a u t h o r i t y 
o f 
t h e 
d o n e e . 
... 
B u t 
t h i s 
o n l y 
c o n t e m p l a t e s 
s t o r a g e 
a f t e r 
d e l i v e r y .  
We d o u b t n o t h o w e v e r t h a t a d e l i v e r y may 
be 
e f f e c t e d  
by t h e d o n o r p l a c i n g t h e 
s e c u r i t i e s i n s u c h box 
w i t h 
 
t h e 
m u t u a l 
u n d e r s t a n d i n g 
t h a t 
t h e r e b y 
t h e i r 
 
o w n e r s h i p , 
c u s t o d y , 
c o n t r o l , 
management 
and 
use 
 
c o m p l e t e l y p a s s t o t h e d o n e e , who 
a l s o a c c e p t s them 
as 
h i s 
own." 
L i v i n g s t o n , 
257 
A l a . 
a t 
43, 
57 
So. 
2d 
a t 
524-25 
( f i n a l 
e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
See 
a l s o 38 Am. 
J u r . 2d G i f t s § 27 
( 2 0 1 0 ) : 
"A 
d o n o r ' s 
r e t e n t i o n 
o f 
a c t u a l 
p h y s i c a l 
p o s s e s s i o n o f p e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y 
w i l l n o t 
n e c e s s a r i l y 
n e g a t e a f i n d i n g t h a t 
t h e d o n o r has made a 
g i f t 
o f 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y . 
Where g o o d 
r e a s o n 
e x i s t s 
f o r 
t h e 
 
p h y s i c a l 
r e t e n t i o n 
by 
t h e 
d o n o r 
o f 
t h e 
s u b j e c t 
 
m a t t e r 
o f 
a 
g i f t , 
a good d e l i v e r y 
can 
be 
shown 
by 
 
o t h e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s . 
M o r e o v e r , 
i f a 
g i f t 
has 
b e e n 
 
f u l l y 
e x e c u t e d , 
t h e 
r e t u r n 
o f 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y 
by 
t h e 
 
donee 
t o 
t h e 
d o n o r 
f o r 
a p u r p o s e 
n o t 
i n c o n s i s t e n t 
 
w i t h 
t h e 
g i f t 
w i l l n o t 
r e n d e r t h e 
g i f t 
i n v a l i d . " 
( F o o t n o t e s o m i t t e d and 
e m p h a s i s added.) 
As 
t o 
t h e 
i s s u e 
o f 
p r o p e r t y 
i n 
t h e 
p o s s e s s i o n 
o f 
a 
d e c e d e n t a t t h e 
t i m e o f h i s o r h e r 
d e a t h , 
W i l l i s 
a s s e r t e d 
i n 
h i s 
summary-judgment m o t i o n 
t h a t 
a l l e g e d l y 
g i f t e d 
p r o p e r t y 
t h a t 
i s i n t h e p o s s e s s i o n o f a d e c e d e n t i s " r e g a r d e d as 
p a r t 
o f t h e d e c e d e n t ' s e s t a t e as a m a t t e r o f l a w . " 
S t a n d i n g a l o n e , 
t h i s 
a s s e r t i o n 
i s n o t 
a 
c o r r e c t 
s t a t e m e n t 
o f 
l a w . 
O n l y 
a 
r e b u t t a b l e 
p r e s u m p t i o n 
i s 
e s t a b l i s h e d 
by 
t h e 
f a c t 
o f 
p o s s e s s i o n by 
t h e d e c e d e n t a t t h e 
t i m e o f 
d e a t h : 
38 
1091798; 1100247 
" P e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y 
f o u n d 
i n 
one's 
p o s s e s s i o n 
o r 
u n d e r h i s d o m i n i o n 
and 
c o n t r o l a t 
t h e 
t i m e 
o f 
h i s 
d e a t h i s p r e s u m e d t o b e l o n g t o h i m 
and 
t o c o n s t i t u t e 
a s s e t s 
o f 
h i s 
e s t a t e ; 
b u t 
t h i s 
p r e s u m p t i o n 
i s 
o f 
c o u r s e 
r e b u t t a b l e 
by 
e v i d e n c e 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
and 
c o m p e t e n t t o show t h a t s u c h p r o p e r t y 
d i d n o t 
b e l o n g 
t o t h e d e c e d e n t and was 
n o t an a s s e t o f h i s e s t a t e . " 
S e w e l l 
v. 
S e w e l l , 
199 
A l a . 
242 , 243-44 , 
17 
So. 
2d 
343, 
344 
(1917) 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
F u r t h e r , 
I 
w o u l d 
n o t e 
t h a t 
w h e t h e r 
J a c k 
e v e r 
t o o k 
p h y s i c a l 
d e l i v e r y o f 
t h e 
i t e m s 
i n q u e s t i o n 
f r o m M r s . 
McGee 
b e f o r e 
she 
d i e d 
i s a f a c t u a l 
i s s u e . 
D e l i v e r y i s one 
o f 
t h e 
f a c t u a l e l e m e n t s o f a g i f t . 
Thus, i n a d d r e s s i n g 
t h i s 
i s s u e , 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
does 
a d d r e s s 
a 
f a c t u a l 
i s s u e , 
and 
n o t 
a 
q u e s t i o n 
o f 
l a w 
o r 
an 
" u l t i m a t e 
c o n c l u s i o n " 
as 
t h e 
m a i n 
o p i n i o n 
s u g g e s t s .
6 
F u r t h e r , 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
i s more 
t h a n 
c o n c l u s o r y 
t o t h e 
e x t e n t 
t h a t 
i t does 
l i s t 
t h r e e 
p a r t i c u l a r 
i t e m s 
o f w h i c h , 
a c c o r d i n g 
t o 
t h e 
a f f i d a v i t , 
J a c k 
p h y s i c a l l y 
t o o k p o s s e s s i o n 
b e f o r e 
h i s m o t h e r d i e d and t h e n e x p l a i n s 
t h a t 
he 
had 
r e t u r n e d 
t h e s e 
i t e m s 
t o 
h e r 
f o r 
s a f e k e e p i n g 
and 
t h e 
r e a s o n 
he 
had 
done 
s o , 
i . e . , t h a t 
h i s 
own 
h o u s e was 
b e i n g 
6 I t 
a p p e a r s 
t o 
me 
t h a t 
i f J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t 
had 
s i m p l y 
s t a t e d t h a t he "had 
r e c e i v e d a g i f t " o f t h e i t e m s i n 
q u e s t i o n , 
t h i s 
w o u l d 
have 
b e e n 
t e s t i m o n y 
as 
t o 
t h e 
" u l t i m a t e 
c o n c l u s i o n . " 
39 
1091798; 1100247 
r e m o d e l e d . I n s h o r t , I c a n n o t a g r e e t o c h a r a c t e r i z e 
J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t as m e r e l y 
" c o n c l u s o r y s t a t e m e n t s 
... 'not s u p p o r t e d 
by any f a c t u a l a s s e r t i o n s ' " as u r g e d by W i l l i s 
( c i t i n g D u d l e y  
v. B a s s A n g l e r s S p o r t s m a n S o c i e t y , 777 So. 2d 135, 140 ( A l a . 
2 0 0 0 ) ) , 
g i v e n t h e f a c t 
t h a t t h e s t a t e m e n t s 
r e g a r d i n g 
t h i s 
m a t t e r 
f o u n d 
i n J a c k ' s 
a f f i d a v i t a r e , t h e m s e l v e s , 
" f a c t u a l 
a s s e r t i o n s . "
7 
Any l a c k o f a d d i t i o n a l d e t a i l s i n t e s t i m o n y o f 
7Compare 
R e s t a t e m e n t 
(Second) 
o f 
P r o p e r t y : 
D o n a t i v e 
 
T r a n s f e r s § 31.1 
( 1 9 9 2 ) : 
"d. 
M a n i f e s t e d i n t e n t i o n o f d o n o r t o make 
g i f t  
o f 
e n t i r e 
i n t e r e s t i n p e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y t o 
s i n g l e  
d o n e e . 
The 
p r o o f 
t h a t 
t h e 
p e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y 
d e l i v e r e d by t h e d o n o r i s t o an i n t e n d e d d o n e e , o r 
t o a t h i r d 
p e r s o n 
f o r an i n t e n d e d 
d o n e e , must be 
f o u n d i n l e g a l l y a d m i s s i b l e e v i d e n c e . 
F o r e x a m p l e ,  
t h e s o - c a l l e d d e a d man's s t a t u t e may p r e v e n t t h e 
u s e 
 
o f o r a l s t a t e m e n t s made by t h e d o n o r t o t h e i n t e n d e d  
donee i f 
t h e d o n o r i s 
d e a d a t t h e t i m e p r o o f o f what  
t h e d o n o r i n t e n d e d i s i n t r o d u c e d ( s e e I l l u s t r a t i o n s  
3 and 5 ) . 
The p r o o f 
t h a t i s a d m i s s i b l e , h o w e v e r ,  
may r e l a t e t o an i n t e n t i o n t h e d o n o r h a d b e f o r e , a t 
t h e 
t i m e 
o f , 
o r 
a f t e r 
t h e 
d e l i v e r y . 
The 
r e l a t i o n s h i p o f t h e p a r t i e s 
i n v o l v e d may 
i n d i c a t e 
 
t h a t a g i f t f r o m one t o t h e o t h e r w o u l d be a n o r m a l  
e x p e c t a t i o n , 
a n d , 
i f 
s o , 
t h i s 
c i r c u m s t a n c e 
 
c o n t r i b u t e s t o t h e f i n d i n g o f an i n t e n t t o make a  
g i f t . 
I f t h e d e l i v e r y i s 
made t o one on h i s 
o r 
h e r 
b i r t h d a y , 
t h i s 
f a c t may 
j u s t i f y a f i n d i n g 
t h a t a 
g i f t 
i s 
i n t e n d e d . 
Any 
o t h e r 
c i r c u m s t a n c e 
i n 
c o n n e c t i o n 
w i t h 
t h e 
d e l i v e r y 
t h a t 
s u g g e s t s 
t h e 
r e a s o n f o r 
t h e d e l i v e r y i s r e l e v a n t i n d e t e r m i n i n g 
t h e 
i n t e n t i o n o f t h e d o n o r t o make o r n o t t o make a 
g i f t . 
40 
1091798; 1100247 
t h i s 
n a t u r e 
n o r m a l l y 
w o u l d go t o t h e c r e d i b i l i t y 
a n d w e i g h t 
d e t e r m i n a t i o n s 
t o be made b y t h e f a c t - f i n d e r a t t r i a l 
r a t h e r 
t h a n t o t h e c o m p e t e n c e o f t h e e v i d e n c e . 
f l 
" [ I l l u s t r a t i o n ] 12. 
O h a s a d i a m o n d 
r i n g on h e r f i n g e r , 
a n d she t a k e s i t o f f 
and h a n d s i t t o h e r d a u g h t e r D, s a y i n g : 
' I 
g i v e 
t h i s 
r i n g t o y o u . ' The r i n g i s 
t o o 
s m a l l f o r 
D, b u t i t 
i s r e c o g n i z e d 
t h a t t h e 
r i n g 
c o u l d be e n l a r g e d t o f i t D's 
f i n g e r . 
O t h e n 
s a y s : 
' L e t 
me t a k e i t 
a n d wear i t 
f o r a w h i l e l o n g e r , b u t i t i s 
y o u r r i n g a n d 
you c a n h a v e i t 
w h e n e v e r you want i t . ' O 
d i e s 
a n d D demands 
t h e 
r i n g 
f r o m 
O's 
e x e c u t o r . 
I f 
D's t e s t i m o n y 
t h a t O made t h e 
 
q u o t e d 
s t a t e m e n t 
i s a d m i s s i b l e 
a n d i s  
b e l i e v e d , t h e c o n c l u s i o n i s j u s t i f i e d 
t h a t 
 
t h e 
g i f t 
o f t h e r i n g t o D was 
c o m p l e t e d  
when O h a n d e d D t h e r i n g . 
The r e t u r n o f  
t h e 
r i n g by D t o O t o a l l o w O t o wear i t 
 
u n t i l D s h o u l d r e q u e s t 
i t d i d n o t t e r m i n a t e  
D's a c q u i r e d 
o w n e r s h i p . 
O's e x e c u t o r i s  
r e q u i r e d t o d e l i v e r t h e r i n g t o D." 
( E m p h a s i s 
added.) 
See a l s o , 
e . g . , F r i e n d v . M o r r o w , 558 
S.W.2d 780, 783-84 (Mo. C t . 
App. 1977) ( i n v o l v i n g 
i n t e r 
v i v o s 
g i f t 
a n d d e c e a s e d 
d o n o r a n d s t a t i n g : 
"The r e t u r n o f t h e 
s u b j e c t m a t t e r o f a c o m p l e t e l y 
e x e c u t e d 
g i f t by t h e donee t o 
t h e d o n o r f o r 
a p u r p o s e n o t i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e g i f t , 
s u c h 
as s a f e k e e p i n g , 
w i l l n o t r e n d e r t h e g i f t 
i n v a l i d . " ) ; R o g e r s v .  
R o g e r s , 271 Md. 603, 608, 319 A . 2 d 119, 122 (1974) 
( i n v o l v i n g 
i n t e r v i v o s 
g i f t a n d d e c e a s e d d o n o r a n d s t a t i n g : 
"Where an 
a c t u a l 
d e l i v e r y 
t o a donee 
o c c u r s , 
a d e l i v e r y 
b a c k t o t h e 
d o n o r , where t h e d o n o r i s a c t i n g as t h e d o n e e ' s a g e n t f o r 
a 
l i m i t e d p u r p o s e , d o e s n o t i m p a i r t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h e g i f t . " ) . 
41 
1091798; 1100247 
N o n e t h e l e s s , t h e s t a n d a r d o f p r o o f i n c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
s u c h 
as t h i s i s 
d e m a n d i n g . 
I n Thomas v . T i l l e y , 147 A l a . 
189, 
195, 
41 So. 854, 855 ( 1 9 0 6 ) , we f i n d 
t h i s e x p r e s s i o n o f t h e r u l e : 
" R e a l i z i n g how e a s y i t 
i s , a f t e r t h e d e a t h o f 
t h e 
s u p p o s e d 
d o n o r , 
t o 
g a t h e r 
up 
d e t a c h e d 
e x p r e s s i o n s , 
p a r t i c u l a r l y 
i n 
t h e 
p r e s e n c e 
o f 
i n t e r e s t e d w i t n e s s e s , we r e c o g n i z e t h e 
w i s d o m o f 
t h e 
r u l e 
t h a t 
s t r i c t 
p r o o f 
s h o u l d be made o f a l l t h e 
i n g r e d i e n t s o f a p e r f e c t e d g i f t b e f o r e t h e same c a n 
be 
e s t a b l i s h e d . " 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
F u r t h e r , i n 
D a v i s v. W a c h t e r , 224 A l a . 306, 
309, 140 So. 3 6 1 , 363 ( 1 9 3 2 ) , 
t h i s C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
" W i t h 
r e s p e c t t o t h e b u r d e n o f p r o o f , we a r e 
p r i m a r i l y c o n c e r n e d 
w i t h t h e r u l e t h a t one c l a i m i n g 
as 
donee 
must 
c a r r y 
t h a t 
b u r d e n 
b y 
c l e a r 
a n d 
c o n v i n c i n g p r o o f , a n d when t h e g i f t i s i n t e r 
v i v o s ,  
and t h e donee makes no a s s e r t i o n o f o w n e r s h i p 
u n t i l 
 
a f t e r t h e d e a t h o f t h e d o n o r , t h e same m e a s u r e a n d  
c h a r a c t e r o f p r o o f i s r e q u i r e d as when i t 
i s c a u s a 
m o r t i s . "
8 
"'A 
g i f t 
c a u s a 
m o r t i s i s a 
g i f t o f 
p e r s o n a l 
p r o p e r t y made i n t h e i m m e d i a t e 
a p p r e h e n s i o n 
o f 
d e a t h , 
s u b j e c t 
t o t h e 
c o n d i t i o n s , 
e x p r e s s e d o r i m p l i e d , 
t h a t 
i f 
t h e d o n o r s h o u l d n o t d i e , as e x p e c t e d , o r 
i f t h e donee s h o u l d d i e f i r s t , o r i f t h e 
d o n o r s h o u l d r e v o k e t h e g i f t b e f o r e 
d e a t h , 
t h e 
g i f t 
s h o u l d be v o i d ' 
(14 Am. & E n g . 
E n c y . Law [2d Ed.] 1 0 5 2 ) ; o r a g i f t made 
' i n 
e x p e c t a t i o n o f d e a t h , 
t h e n 
i m m i n e n t , 
and upon t h e e s s e n t i a l 
c o n d i t i o n t h a t t h e 
p r o p e r t y 
s h a l l b e l o n g 
f u l l y t o t h e d o n e e , 
i n 
c a s e t h e d o n o r 
d i e s , 
as 
a n t i c i p a t e d , 
l e a v i n g t h e donee 
s u r v i v i n g h i m , a n d t h e 
g i f t i s n o t i n t h e meantime 
r e v o k e d , b u t 
42 
1091798; 1100247 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
U n f o r t u n a t e l y f o r p r e s e n t p u r p o s e s , and no d o u b t o w i n g t o 
t h e s a l u t a r y e f f e c t o f A l a b a m a ' s Dead Man's S t a t u t e u n t i l t h e 
a d o p t i o n 
o f R u l e 
601 
e f f e c t i v e 
J a n u a r y 
1, 
1996, 
t h e r e i s 
l i t t l e A l a b a m a c a s e l a w e x p l a i n i n g 
what "measure and c h a r a c t e r " 
o f t e s t i m o n y f r o m a donee i s s u f f i c i e n t t o s a t i s f y t h e 
" s t r i c t 
p r o o f " 
" c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g " e v i d e n t i a r y s t a n d a r d i n r e g a r d 
t o p h y s i c a l d e l i v e r y and o t h e r e l e m e n t s o f an i n t e r v i v o s 
g i f t 
f i r s t 
c l a i m e d b y t h e donee a f t e r t h e d e a t h o f t h e d o n o r . 
T h a t 
s a i d , and w i t h o u t 
a t t e m p t i n g t o a r t i c u l a t e a more 
p r e c i s e 
r u l e f o r g e n e r a l 
a p p l i c a t i o n a t t h i s 
j u n c t u r e , I am 
c o m f o r t a b l e 
w i t h a c o n c l u s i o n t o d a y 
t h a t t h e "measure 
and 
c h a r a c t e r " o f t h e r e q u i r e d p r o o f must be g r e a t e r t h a n 
t h a t 
p r e s e n t e d i n t h e c a s e b e f o r e u s . 
I f t h e l a w f o u n d 
s u f f i c i e n t 
e v i d e n c e no more c o m p e l l i n g t h a n t h a t p r e s e n t e d h e r e , i t 
w o u l d 
n o t o t h e r w i s e . ' 
20 C y c . 1228. 
" I t i s e s s e n t i a l t o t h e v a l i d i t y o f a 
g i f t 
c a u s a 
m o r t i s 
t h a t 
t h e p r o p e r t y 
be 
d e l i v e r e d t o t h e d o n e e , e i t h e r a c t u a l l y o r 
c o n s t r u c t i v e l y . " 
B a r n e s 
v. 
B a r n e s , 
174 A l a . 1 
66, 
168-69, 
56 
So. 
958 , 
959 
( 1 9 1 1 ) . 
43 
1091798; 1100247 
r i s k t h e i n j e c t i o n o f much u n c e r t a i n t y and c o n f u s i o n i n r e g a r d 
t o t e s t a m e n t a r y d i s p o s i t i o n s , an a r e a where t h e common l a w 
and 
o u r l e g i s l a t u r e 
h a v e a t t e m p t e d t o i m p o s e r e q u i r e m e n t s 
i n t e n d e d 
t o 
p r o d u c e 
c e r t a i n t y and o r d e r . 
See B e n s o n v . 
J e f f e r s o n 
 
M o r t g . 
Co., 
276 
A l a . 72, 
75, 
159 
So. 
2d 
1 9 1 , 
193 
(19 6 3 ) ( " ' " G i f t s c a u s a m o r t i s 
o u g h t n o t t o be e n c o u r a g e d . ... 
I t i s f a r 
b e t t e r t h a t o c c a s i o n a l l y a g i f t o f t h i s k i n d 
s h o u l d 
f a i l t h a n t h a t t h e r u l e s o f l a w be so r e l a x e d as t o e n c o u r a g e 
f r a u d and p e r j u r y . " ' " 
( q u o t i n g 
S m i t h v. E s h e l m a n , 235 
A l a . 
588, 592, 180 So. 3 1 3 , 317 (1938) ( G a r d n e r , J . , 
d i s s e n t i n g ) ) ; 
Reedy v. K e l l e y , 206 A l a . 132, 133, 89 So. 275, 277 
(1921) 
("'Too much c a r e 
c a n n o t be t a k e n , 
i n i n s i s t i n g on t h e most 
c o n v i n c i n g 
e v i d e n c e i n c a s e s o f t h i s 
k i n d 
[ i n v o l v i n g 
g i f t s 
c a u s a m o r t i s ] ; f o r t h e s e d o n a t i o n s do i n e f f e c t amount t o a 
r e v o c a t i o n p r o t a n t o , o f w r i t t e n w i l l s ; a n d , n o t b e i n g 
s u b j e c t 
t o 
t h e f o r m s 
p r e s c r i b e d 
f o r n u n c u p a t i v e 
w i l l s , 
t h e y a r e 
c e r t a i n l y o f a d a n g e r o u s n a t u r e . ' " 
( q u o t i n g W e l l s v . T u c k e r , 
3 B i n n (Pa.) 
366, 370 ( 1 8 1 1 ) ) ; 38 Am J u r . 2d G i f t s § 7 
9 (2010) 
("The r e q u i r e m e n t o f c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g 
p r o o f o f a 
g i f t 
 
p e r t a i n s w i t h e v e n g r e a t e r 
f o r c e where t h e g i f t , w h e t h e r 
i n t e r  
v i v o s o r c a u s a m o r t i s , i s n o t a s s e r t e d 
u n t i l 
a f t e r t h e d e a t h  
o f t h e a l l e g e d d o n o r , i n v i e w o f t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f f r a u d o r 
44 
1091798; 1100247 
p r e t e n s i o n i n s u c h a c a s e . " 
( f o o t n o t e s 
o m i t t e d and e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) ) ; 38 Am J u r . 2d G i f t s § 84 (2010) 
( " [ E ] v i d e n c e 
a d d u c e d 
t o e s t a b l i s h t i t l e t o p r o p e r t y t h r o u g h an i n t e r v i v o s g i f t , as 
a g a i n s t t h e e s t a t e o f a d e c e d e n t , must be o f g r e a t 
p r o b a t i v e 
f o r c e . 
F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e e v i d e n c e r e q u i r e d t o e s t a b l i s h a g i f t 
c a u s a m o r t i s may be g r e a t e r t h a n t h a t n e e d e d t o p r o v e an i n t e r 
v i v o s 
g i f t . " 
( f o o t n o t e s 
o m i t t e d ) ) .
9 
F i n a l l y , 
I have an a d d i t i o n a l m e a s u r e o f r e l u c t a n c e t o 
r e v e r s e t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t on t h i s 
c o n v e r s i o n 
c l a i m s t e m m i n g f r o m t h e f a c t t h a t t o do so w o u l d i n d i c a t e t h a t 
an 
a f f i d a v i t o f t h e n a t u r e 
h e r e w o u l d be a s u f f i c i e n t 
b a s i s 
f r o m upon w h i c h a j u r y c o u l d c o n c l u d e t h a t a w i l l 
c o n t e s t a n t 
has 
" c l e a r l y and c o n v i n c i n g l y " p r o v e d a c l a i m o f 
c o n v e r s i o n 
a g a i n s t an e x e c u t o r 
s h o u l d e r e d by l a w w i t h t h e o b l i g a t i o n t o 
9Compare Thomas v . T i l l e y , 147 A l a . a t 195, 41 So. a t 855: 
" W h i l e 
i n 
t h i s 
c a s e 
t h e 
p r o p o s e d 
donee 
h a d 
p o s s e s s i o n 
o f t h e p a p e r , y e t i t i s p r o v e d a t t h e 
same t i m e 
t h a t he h a d a l l t h e o t h e r 
p a p e r s o f t h e 
d e c e d e n t i n t h e same t r u n k , m e r e l y f o r s a f e - k e e p i n g , 
and, 
w h i l e 
i t i s n o t , i n e v e r y 
s e n s e , 
a b s o l u t e l y 
n e c e s s a r y 
t h a t a n o t e 
s h o u l d be i n d o r s e d 
( t o p a s s 
f r o m one t o a n o t h e r ) , y e t i t 
i s s i g n i f i c a n t i n t h i s 
c a s e as a c i r c u m s t a n c e . 
I n a d d i t i o n , i t may be 
n o t e d t h a t e v e n t h e d e c l a r a t i o n s , s u c h as t h e y a r e , 
were 
c o n t r a d i c t o r y . 
We 
h o l d 
t h a t t h e e v i d e n c e i n 
t h i s c a s e was n o t s u f f i c i e n t t o e s t a b l i s h t h e g i f t , 
and t h e d e c r e e o f t h e c o u r t i s a f f i r m e d . " 
45 
1091798; 1100247 
m a r s h a l 
and 
t o 
s e c u r e 
t h e 
p h y s i c a l 
a s s e t s o f 
t h e 
d e c e d e n t 
p e n d i n g 
j u d i c i a l o r o t h e r d i s p o s i t i o n o f t h o s e 
a s s e t s . 
46