Opinion ID: 2598851
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Henry's age and condition

Text: Henry also claims that his age and condition affected his understanding and that it was error for Judge Thompson to find that his age could only have benefitted him throughout the mediation process. It is true that Henry has well-documented medical problems and that he was 73 years of age at the time of the litigation below. There is no evidence, however, that these conditions affected Henry at the mediation. Moreover, Henry was represented by counsel. Neither Keene nor any doctor has submitted an affidavit stating that Henry was incompetent at the time, that he did not understand the proceedings, or that he had trouble concentrating. And his active participation throughout the recital process undercuts his present claim. Henry asserts that he felt safe in tuning out because he did not believe the agreement was final, but there is no contemporaneous evidence that Henry did in fact tune out. Rather, Henry actively participated in discussions on how the marina would be divided: Henry's counsel asked how an allowance granted to Darlene for her efforts in marketing the marina would be impacted by expenditures over the allotted amount. When Henry heard the answer, he commented, That's fair. He volunteered to contact the Coast Guard regarding disposal of garbage at the marina. Henry also stated that he would work to ensure that a vessel was removed from the marina prior to his vacating the property. He discussed how profits from the sale of oil containers would be shared. In all, he contributed no less than seven comments to the discussion concerning the marina's division. From these statements, we conclude that Judge Thompson's findings that Henry not only participated at the mediation, but that it was his intent for Darlene to sell the property and that the proceeds from that sale would be distributed to the parties, and that Henry intended the settlement to be binding, were not clearly erroneous.