Opinion ID: 1606319
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plaintiff's Theory of Fraudulent Conduct

Text: In his original complaint, the plaintiff alleged `that the Estate of Bessie A. Whigham, Deceased, has been fraudulently deprived of $180,000.00.' At the pre-trial conference plaintiff's counsel informed the Court that the plaintiff no longer alleged fraud on the part of the defendants. Therefore, in his amended complaint, the plaintiff struck the word `fraudulently' from the above allegation. However, the same amended complaint contains the allegation that `while both of [the Whighams] were aged and infirm they were approached by Mr. Loyd Baker, one of the Defendants in this cause, and he persuaded them to agree that the mortgage indebtedness on said real property . . . be refinanced.. . .` Moreover, counsel for plaintiff in the brief submitted in lieu of closing argument has contended that `[i]t is even probable that Defendants may be liable for a criminal prosecution for the acts that they have done in this matter as a conspiracy to defraud Plaintiffs, . . . and, certainly, in a Court of Equity they should not be relieved of their liability created by their own acts and conduct which amount to fraud.' For these reasons, the Court understands the plaintiff as urging fraudulent deprivation of property in connection with the August, 1973, mortgage financing or some other species of fraud as a theory of recovery and therefore addresses this theory. Under the evidence presented at trial, this Court is compelled to find that the consent of the Whighams to the August 1973, mortgage financing was not obtained by means of fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, overreaching or any other improper means and that no other act or omission on the part of the defendants during the entire course of their dealings with the Whighams relative to the August 1973, mortgage furnishes the basis for a claim of fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, overreaching or other improper conduct on the part of the defendants. Accordingly, plaintiff's theory of fraudulent conduct as a basis of recovery cannot be sustained.