Opinion ID: 1579481
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Result must clearly appear to be the effect of undue influence. As to this last factor, the district court found:

Text: The result (gift of Hardsocg stock) clearly appears to be the effect of undue influence by Marilyn over Gladys. The timing of the gift as noted above, the fact that her brothers Ed and Roger were not advised of the gift ahead of time, the extraordinary lengths that attorney Vern Ball went to establish Gladys's competency at the time of the gift, and much of the other evidence produced in this case established the undue influence by Marilyn over Gladys. To this we add some additional evidence. Apparently, Gladys had the notion that if she transferred the stock to Marilyn, Marilyn would keep her out of a nursing home. Marilyn knew this, and we are satisfied she used this knowledge to her advantage to convince Gladys to transfer the stock to her. In sum, four significant factors that this court has said bear on the question of undue influence are present here: weakened mental condition of the grantor, relationship of the grantor and the grantee, inequality of distribution, and activity of the grantee. See Wilson, 240 Iowa at 33, 34 N.W.2d at 915. To this we add the stealthy way in which the transfer was made, that is, concealing the transfer from the brothers until after it was completed. See Telsrow v. Telsrow, 237 Iowa 672, 680-81, 22 N.W.2d 792, 798 (1946). We are satisfied the evidence clearly, convincingly, and satisfactorily establishes that Marilyn exerted undue influence over Gladys concerning the stock transfer. The decision to make the transfer was not Gladys's but Marilyn's.