Opinion ID: 1139006
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Trial Judge's Opinion

Text: The trial judge rejected the conservators' contentions and rendered the following lengthy opinion from the bench: The ... request that is made in reading from your [the conservators'] motion In the alternative set aside the default judgment entered in this cause and allow the conservators to file an answer in this action on behalf of the ward so that it may proceed to a trial on the merits and/or for general relief. This is perhaps the toughest request, and in regards to this request I think this is where we properly address the competency issue. It appears to be well settled law in the State of Mississippi that a person is presumed competent unless proved otherwise. That's in Scott v. United States , and that's a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals case. It's a 1951 case. First of all, let me address the competency, and then we'll go on to the three criteria for determining whether or not a default judgment should be set aside because I do think the competency is the first issue which we need to address, the first criteria being the nature and legitimacy of the Defendant's reasons for the default; that is, whether or not the Defendant has good cause for default, and of course, competency goes to the heart of this issue. Just about every witness that testified testified in regards to Mrs. Rich, now the ward's, competency. Ms. Brown testified that Mrs. Rich started losing weight in 1987; that she had surgery in 1987, but this surgery and ill health came after the service of process; that she noticed that Mrs. Rich's mental state would come and go back in 1987. Ms. Brown further testified that she was sometimes rational and sometimes not, and Mrs. Rich started declining in the middle of 1987 both physically and mentally. She stated that in July of 1987 her mother was not competent to accept process in her opinion. Ms. Jennings, and these once again are the conservators and daughters of the ward Mrs. Rich, testified that her mother's physical condition began to decline in early 1987 and that her mental condition was declining in 1987. She too stated that she would be on and off or have good days and bad days. She didn't think her mother would recognize process in 1987; that her mother was 76 when process was served. She stated that during this period of time her mother had good days and bad days. Then our next witness was Mrs. Rich who basically shed no light as to her being incompetent during 1987. Then we had Mr. Bill Brown who testified that she would not have known what to do if she was served the papers during this period of time in '87; that he in fact was living there during this period of time in '87. Mrs. McAdory testified that her grandmother was declining during this period of time. In looking back at each witness, each witness testified also as to the ward, Mrs. Rich's, competency. Ms. Brown testified that her mother was signing checks and paying bills back in 1987 and up until recently; that her mother did not have any insurance in 1987 on the business but had not had any as far as she knew since 1957. Ms. Brown testified the address on the summons was correct; that her mother had operated a boarding house for most of 36 years; that she had filed income tax and was current on her income tax; that she employed a couple named Nancy and Larkin Lewis  I think those names are correct  that she had certain reports to fill out because most of her boarders were on Social Security, and in 1987 she had certain reports which she had to fill out and submit to the Social Security, which she did, and she had a small mortgage on the property and that she maintained the mortgage and kept it current and took care of the utilities and the taxes. Ms. Jennings testified that in July of 1987 that Mrs. Rich was handling her financial affairs; that she took care of mentally handicapped people; that there was no danger of the property being lost because of failure to pay taxes; that Mrs. Rich stayed in her own house and, in fact, still lives alone, spent last night in her own house; that Mrs. Rich had recently saved up money to pay the first installment on this year's taxes or made arrangements to pay the first installment on this year's taxes; that she handled the collection of rent, setting of rents, made and supervised deposits, handled her own Social Security as well as others'; that she could read and write, although this may have been limited; that Mrs. Rich was in fact the payee on many of the boarders' Social Security checks, and she would deposit these checks, take rent out and refund the rest to the residents. Mrs. Rich during 1987 and up to the present was the only person who could sign on her account. Even though some of these checks may have been written out, she would sign on the checks. She saw to it that the utilities were paid, MP & L, Mississippi Valley Gas, water, South Central Bell. There are numerous other things in the record, and I think I've gone through it sufficiently. There have been numerous other statements that were made by Ms. Jennings in regards to Mrs. Rich. Mrs. Rich on her own testimony seemed to remember and be able to relate to the Court basically everything she was questioned about with the exception of things that happened many years in the past, for example, the death of a first husband and her second husband, but as far as recent events or address events surrounding Ms. Nevels' attack, Mrs. Rich seemed to understand them and was able to relate not only her cancer surgery, hernia surgery and heart attack but also the chronological order in which they occurred. She explained how she took out burial insurance on all the patients and how that had become more expensive over the years. Because of this I think, and like I said, the record will reflect numerous other things, that Mrs. Rich was in 1987 competent. I don't think the Chancery Court is in a position to find that she was not competent in 1987, and I'm certainly not in a position to find that she was not competent in 1987. The second criteria which we must determine or second part of the balancing test is whether or not the Defendant, in fact, has a colorable defense to the merits of the claim. Well, I think that there is a defense to this cause of action, but I can't say that there's a likelihood based on what I've heard today or a substantial likelihood. The third part of the balancing test is the nature and extent of the prejudice which may be suffered by the Plaintiff if the default is set aside. The cases which you've submitted to me set forth that time is one element of this which needs to be considered; the time since the incident, which, of course, has been substantial now, because of the memory of the witnesses. I think with my docket the way it is right now it would be at least another year before this case would be able to be tried if it was answered today. Also, time in regards to money, in regards to the business affairs, and I'm not sure that with Mrs. Rich's business in the shape it is in now that it will continue to be an ongoing business for any period of time. Because of these reasons I am going to deny the motion to set aside the default judgment. In regards to the motion to correct the judgment I refer to Southern Trucking v. Mississippi Sand and Gravel, and I think I need to once again go back to determine whether or not the initial process or initial suit as filed and served would seem to indicate that the party upon which the suit was served was being sued and that they were, in fact, the correct party. I think although we are now a notice notice pleading state and not a fact pleading state, I think the facts set forth in the complaint were sufficient to allow Mrs. Rich to understand that she was being sued and that she was, in fact, the proper Defendant, and there's nothing to indicate that she was not the proper Defendant throughout these proceedings; therefore, I'm going to allow the judgment to be corrected. I'm going to sustain that motion and allow the judgment to be corrected... . Vol. II, at 164-70.