Opinion ID: 1619783
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was the Transfer of Janet Bailey Lapp's House to Her Attorney Valid?

Text: ¶ 39. The Baileys argued on appeal that the chancellor erred by finding that the transfer of Janet Bailey Lapp's former Holly Springs home to her attorney, Mr. Kemp, was valid. However, her testimony at trial was clear on the subject: I realized that I wanted to sell the property. I also knew that the Kemp family owned property very close to my property . . . [a]lso, I had been very appreciative of what Mr. Kemp had done for me over the years, and it was my idea to show my appreciation. . . . I was going to sell the property to him with a provision that a certain amount of the value of the property would be a gift from me. This gift occurred in 1994, and for the four years until his death Kemp paid Janet Bailey Lapp a small amount each month. The record also demonstrated that she allowed the Estate of Kemp to pay off the existing mortgage on the house, roughly $10,000, and the house was not actually transferred to Kemp's name until after his death. This claim seems related to the other general claims of misconduct asserted against Kemp, none of which were brought during his lifetime. Still, there is no evidence that chancellor committed error in allowing the transfer of the property. The judgment is affirmed.