Opinion ID: 1713851
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: mississippi law regarding settlements

Text: ¶ 24. The law favors the settlement of disputes by agreement of the parties and, ordinarily, will enforce the agreement which the parties have made, absent any fraud, mistake, or overreaching. First Nat'l Bank v. Caruthers, 443 So.2d 861, 864 (Miss.1983); Weatherford v. Martin, 418 So.2d 777, 778 (Miss.1982). ¶ 25. It is well-settled that where conflicting testimony is presented, expert and otherwise, the chancellor is required to make a judgment on the credibility of the witnesses in order to resolve the questions before the court. Broadhead v. Bonita Lakes Mall, Ltd. P'ship, 702 So.2d 92, 101 (Miss.1997); Doe v. Doe, 644 So.2d 1199, 1207 (Miss.1994). ¶ 26. The record in the case does not reveal anything approaching fraud, mistake, or overreaching as the law requires. Moreover, the chancellor was in the best position to decide that issue, as well as the credibility of the witnesses. We see nothing besides the affidavit of Hastings (which merely says there was no settlement), which refutes that there was a settlement. The testimony of Guillot's attorneys as well as the affidavits they submitted give specific instances of what happened on the day of the settlement. Hastings's affidavit merely denies ever having agreed to settle. The evidence shows a settlement was achieved. ¶ 27. While there may be what appears to be disputed testimony in the record as to whether there was a settlement agreement, the testimony and affidavits submitted by Guillot are far more specific than the general denial offered by Hastings. Moreover, the court reporter was sent home and wrote a letter to that effect. After the deposition and the agreement on the settlement, Guillot's counsel prepared the settlement documents. Certainly, from the record before us, the trial court was well justified in its findings.