Opinion ID: 1243172
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Four Elements Test.

Text: [1] The objectors must establish by clear, satisfactory and convincing evidence that the testator in this case was susceptible to the influence of Bernice Lee. Factors to be considered are age, personality, physical and mental health and ability to handle business affairs. Estate of McGonigal, 46 Wis.2d at 213; Estate of Hamm, 67 Wis.2d at 288, 289. This court has stated that the infirmities of old age, such as forgetfulness do not incapacitate one from making a valid will. Estate of Phillips, 15 Wis.2d 226, 231, 112 N.W.2d 591 (1961). The objectors here cite Estate of Larsen, 7 Wis.2d 263, 272, 96 N.W.2d 489 (1959) for the proposition that evidence of impaired mental powers on the part of a testator is itself a circumstance which gives rise to a reasonable inference that the testator is susceptible to undue influence. However in Larsen, a testator described as senile also had periods of lucidity and this court also said: While we would have had no difficulty in affirming a determination by the trial court that the transfer was made as the result of undue influence, we are not prepared to hold that the finding of the trial court, that Minnie was not susceptible to undue influence at the time she made the transfer, together with the ultimate finding that such transfer was not the result of undue influence, are against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. A finding of fact of a trial court made upon conflicting evidence should not be set aside on review if a judicial mind could, on due consideration of the evidence as a whole, reasonably have reached the conclusion of the court below. Id. at 273, 274. [2] The objectors argue that the fact that Samuel Kamesar entrusted the management of his business affairs to Bernice, coupled with his impaired mental powers, made him susceptible to her influence. But the evidence is conflicting. The testator did suffer from arteriosclerosis, and there was testimony that in June of 1971 he was forgetful and confused. But several witnesses testified he was of sound mind three months before when he was married, and his wife testified he never forgot what he owned or who his children were. Mr. Laikin, the attorney, who was present when all the wills were executed and had known the testator for most of his own life, testified that the deceased was of sound mind and not under any undue influence when the will in question was executed. At that conference the testator made one request for a change with regard to his wife's occupancy of the apartment in the event of his death. This request shows his awareness of the will's provisions. The trial court's conclusion that the objectors did not establish susceptibility is not against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence.
[3] The trial court found and the proponents agree that Bernice Lee had ample opportunity to exert undue influence on the decedent. This conclusion is not against the great weight of the evidence.
Disposition to unduly influence means more than a desire to obtain a share of the estate. It implies a willingness to do something wrong or unfair. In Matter of Estate of Becker, 76 Wis.2d at 350; Estate of Hamm, 67 Wis.2d at 289, 290; Estate of Brehmer, 41 Wis.2d at 356; Estate of McGonigal, 46 Wis.2d at 214. The evidence in this case shows that Bernice Lee had taken over the decedent's business affairs completely, but as the trial court pointed out, she had merely taken up where her brother had left off when he moved from Milwaukee. Bernice Lee testified that in December 1973, she did consult another attorney other than Mr. Laikin and procured a declaration of intent signed by her father to give her and her children $9,000 in tax free gifts every year. This document was executed twenty-one days before Samuel Kamesar died, at a time when his attending physician testified that he was incapable of making any kind of decision. But this was remote in time from the date of execution of the will in question here. In the Will of Raasch, 230 Wis. 548, 284 N.W. 571 (1939), evidence of a nephew's disposition to influence the testator was based on evidence of overreaching which occurred subsequent to the execution of the will. However, in the Raasch case, the nephew had tried to induce the testator to eliminate a provision for a niece in the very presence of the drafter of the will. There were also a number of assignments that the nephew had procured of property belonging to the testator. The evidence in Raasch was such that the trial court characterized the nephew's activities as follows: to our mind, this conclusively shows that (the nephew) was disposed to use whatever means were at hand to acquire the testator's property. Raasch, page 555. [4] In the case before us, the trial court did not so find, nor are the facts in the two cases sufficiently similar that the conclusion in the Raasch case must follow in the case at bar. The evidence here is quite clear that Armon Kamesar and Jeanette Feldman received substantial gifts from their parents during the parents' lives and that Bernice Lee had not. Even if she had tried to influence her father to make his will more favorable to her than to her brother and sister who had already benefitted from Samuel Kamesar's generosity, such influence would not necessarily be undue. In the Estate of Brehmer, 41 Wis.2d at 356, where the decedent's daughter convinced him that his earlier will was unfair to her, this court said that nothing in the record supported a finding that the daughter was disposed to influence her father for the purpose of procuring an improper favor. The trial court's finding in favor of Bernice Lee on this issue is not against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence.
This element goes to the naturalness or expectedness of the bequest. Estate of Steffke, 48 Wis.2d 45, 49, 179 N.W.2d 846 (1970); Estate of Hamm, 67 Wis.2d at 291, 292. The fact that the testator has excluded a natural object of his bounty is a red flag of warning. Estate of Culver, 22 Wis.2d 665, 673, 126 N.W.2d 536 (1964). But that fact alone does not render the disposition unnatural where a record shows reasons as to why a testator would leave out those who may be the natural beneficiaries of his bounty. Will of Faulks, 246 Wis. at 363-6; Will of Cooper, 28 Wis.2d 391, 137 N.W.2d 93 (1965); Estate of Brehmer, 41 Wis.2d at 356. In the case at bar, the will expressly states that Armon Kamesar and Jeanette Feldman are excluded because the testator believed he had adequately provided for them during his lifetime. Mr. Laikin testified that it was he who suggested that this language be used in drafting the will and further testified: Q. Did Mr. Kamesar direct that particular language be used? A. I think he wanted an expression in the will which would indicate why it was being done this way. Q. And did he manifest his desire to have that language in the will through Bernice Lee? A. I think that was discussed in person and Q. When? A. I can't be sure whether it was in March or in some other contact. I have no recollection of having discussed this directly with Bernice Lee. It was not on the note there. So at some point Sam Kamesar must have indicated to me that he wanted an expression. Q. And he would have indicated that to you at the March 18th meeting A. Yes. Q. that would be one of the things you don't recall him getting back to you personally on, is that right? A. Must have gottenit must have been settled because here it is. And it was gone into at the time the will was signed. [5] While conflicting inferences may be drawn from the evidence presented and even though the June 1971 will manifests a drastic change in attitude from that manifested just three months before when Armon Kamesar had been the close confidant of his father, the trial court's finding in favor of the proponent on this issue is not against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. [6] We conclude, therefore, that on the basis of the four classic elements the trial court must be sustained.