Opinion ID: 1741203
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: did the relationship between costello and mrs. hall merit the presumption of undue influence?

Text: The chancellor below, in a well-intentioned attempt to fairly apply the law of undue influence to this case, shifted the burden of proof to show lack of undue influence to Costello solely on the basis of the power of attorney. The relevant part of the court's opinion follows: The Court finds that a fiduciary relationship existed between the Deceased and her brother, Marion Costello, arising out of the Power of Attorney executed May 26, 1981, Weston v. Estate of Lawler, 406 So.2d 31 [(Miss. 1981)]. As a result, the proponents of the will must prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that there was no undue influence exercised on the Deceased as to the disposition of her estate. [emphasis added] Thus, the burden was shifted to Costello without any finding that he abused the relationship between himself and his sister by procuring the will, by asserting dominance over a dependent testatrix, or by, in any way, substituting his intent for the intent of Mrs. Hall in disposing of her property. This holding was in error. The polestar consideration in our review of a will contest is to give effect to the intent of the testator. Tinnin v. First Bank of Mississippi, 502 So.2d 659 (Miss. 1987); Deposit Guaranty National Bank v. First National Bank of Jackson, 352 So.2d 1324 (Miss. 1977); In re Estate of Granberry, 310 So.2d 708, 711 (Miss. 1975). (When the intent of the testator has been... ascertained, all minor, subordinate and technical rules of construction must yield to the paramount intent thus ascertained.) The effect of a charge of undue influence is to suggest that the will reflects the intent of the beneficiary, and not of the testator. Undue influence in the matter of executing a will must be the substitution of another's will for the will of the testator. Barnett v. Barnett, 155 Miss. 449, 457, 124 So. 498, 500 (1929). Here, it is obvious from the facts of the case that the will presented for probate reflects the intent of its maker, and the chancellor so found. The cases in which we have recognized the presumption of undue influence present factual scenarios where there was more than just a legal or domestic relationship between the testator and the beneficiary. There must also be an abuse of that relationship relating to the execution of the will. As Justice Hawkins wrote in Hendricks v. James, 421 So.2d 1031, 1041 (Miss. 1982): Whenever there is a relation between two people in which one person is in a position to exercise a dominant influence upon the other because of the latter's dependency upon the former, arising either from weakness of mind or body, or through trust, the law does not hesitate to characterize such relationship as fiduciary in character. [emphasis added] In the case of In re Will and Estate of Varvaris, 477 So.2d 273, 278 (Miss. 1985), Justice Hawkins, again writing for the majority, wrote in determining whether or not a fiduciary or confidential relationship existed between two persons, we have looked to see if one person depends upon another.  [emphasis added] To like effect was Justice Prather's opinion in Murray v. Laird, 446 So.2d 575, 578 (Miss. 1984), that The confidential relationship arises when a dominant overmastering influence controls over a dependent person or trust, justifiably reposed. The term confidential relationship was defined in the case of In re Estate of Bilello, 317 So.2d 916 (Miss. 1975) as not confined to any specific association of parties but appears when `on the one side there is an overmastering influence, or, on the other, weakness, dependence, or trust... .' Id. at 917. Furthermore, even when a confidential relationship can be said to exist between the parties, as defined by the cases above, the beneficiary under the will must have used that relationship for his personal gain or to thwart the intent of testator. This rule of law was recognized in Croft v. Alder, 237 Miss. 713, 723, 115 So.2d 683, 688 (1959), where the Court stated that where a confidential relation exists between a testator and a beneficiary under his will, and the beneficiary has been actively concerned in some way with the preparation or execution of it, the law raises a presumption that the beneficiary has exercised undue influence over the testator... . [emphasis added] The chancellor's holding on the power of attorney would suggest that he did not consider any evidence which might have indicated that Mr. Costello dominated his sister, or that he, through the dominance, procured the will in question. However, assuming that the evidence presented by the will's opponent might have influenced his decision, we review it here. The record shows that Mr. Terry, the attorney who prepared the September, 1982, will, testified that Mr. Costello came to his office to ask him to draft it. There was also some evidence that Mr. Costello was handling some of his sister's affairs while she was in a coma. That evidence consisted of Costello's once questioning Terry about his sister's impending divorce, and his adding his name to his sister's savings accounts. We do not believe that this evidence mandates a holding that a confidential relationship existed between Costello and Mrs. Hall. Even if Costello aided in procuring the will, this procurement was not to his advantage, since he gained nothing by the September, 1982, will. Will of Polk, 497 So.2d 815, 818 (Miss. 1986). Additionally, Mrs. Hall's failing health required that Costello assist her in procuring Mr. Terry's services to write the will. The situation is much the same as that of In re Will and Estate of Varvaris, 477 So.2d 273, 279 (Miss. 1985), where the primary beneficiary contacted and accompanied the attorney to visit the testator in a nursing home. The court declined to use that evidence to find a confidential relationship between the testator and the beneficiary, stating that A person of advanced years living in a nursing home is undoubtedly dependent upon others in one degree or another. Yet there is no proof in this record that Emanual [the testator] looked to Steve [the beneficiary] to care for his personal needs, to tend to him, or to handle his affairs. Id. There was no finding in this case that Mr. Costello exerted a dominant influence over Mrs. Hall, or that he used any influence over her to negate her free will in leaving him the bulk of her estate, nor was there evidence in this record that would support such a finding. Absent such evidence, we must conclude that the chancellor below was in error when he mechanistically held that Costello had unduly influenced his sister to prepare a will that did not truly reflect her intent as to whom she wanted to leave her wordly assets and bounty.