Opinion ID: 1276060
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Estelle's 1995 Will

Text: Christian contends that the trial court erred in declaring Estelle's will null and void on the basis that it was procured by undue influence and fraud. Although the existence of either fraud or undue influence justifies invalidation of a will, we will discuss each ground separately.
Pursuant to RCW 11.24.010, a person interested in a will may, within four months following probate of the will, petition a court having jurisdiction and claim that the will was procured by fraud. If it can be shown that the will was induced by fraudulent representation of a person benefiting from the will, the will may be set aside. In re Dand's Estate, 41 Wash.2d 158, 247 P.2d 1016 (1952). All of the elements of fraud must, however, be shown by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence in order for the will to be set aside. [4] The trial court concluded, following trial, that the respondents presented clear, cogent, and convincing evidence of all of the elements of fraud. It noted, in that regard, that Christian falsely represented to Estelle that he loved her and was the one person who would care for her because her family only wanted to put her in a convalescent home and get their share of her estate. Conclusion of law 2, CP at 2325. Appellant asserts that a person's statements of love for another cannot be held to be a fraudulent misrepresentation because such a determination requires the trial court to plumb human emotions and make judgments about feelings that are entirely subjective. In approaching this issue, we acknowledge that the trial court's findings of fact strongly suggest that Christian's expressions of love for Estelle were less than sincere. It is readily apparent to us, furthermore, that the trial court's conclusion that Christian's representations of love were fraudulent was based in significant part on its finding that Christian was involved in a relationship with another woman as late as September 1995. Notwithstanding the considerable probative value of that finding, we are not satisfied that the findings of fact clearly, cogently, and convincingly justify a conclusion that Christian fraudulently represented that he loved Estelle. This is not to say that protestations of love cannot ever be held to be fraudulent. In certain circumstances they might well be considered fraudulent. If, for example, Christian had been overheard by someone admitting that he lied to Estelle about his feelings toward her, such a conclusion might well withstand a challenge that it was not supported by sufficient quantum of evidence. The trial court made no such finding, however, and we must conclude that absent evidence of such a compelling nature, a determination of fraud cannot rest on allegedly false representations of love. We are satisfied, though, that the findings of the trial court clearly, cogently, and convincingly establish that Christian isolated Estelle from her family and friends, and, thereafter, falsely represented to Estelle that her family wanted to put her in a home in order to get their hands on her estate. The trial court was justified also in concluding that he made these representations in an effort to induce her reliance on him. We also conclude, as did the trial court, the culmination of this fraudulent enterprise was Estelle's signing of the will on November 14, 1995, an act which damaged Estelle in that it radically altered plans for the distribution of her estate that she had made at a time when she was not under Christian's influence.
A will of a person who otherwise possesses testamentary capacity may be set aside upon a showing that a beneficiary exercised undue influence over the testator. [5] Dean v. Jordan, 194 Wash. 661, 79 P.2d 331 (1938). The undue influence which operates to void a will must be something more than mere influence but, rather, influence which, at the time of the testamentary act, controlled the volition of the testator, interfered with his free will, and prevented an exercise of his judgment and choice. ... influence tantamount to force or fear which destroys the testator's free agency and constrains him to do what is against his will. In re Estate of Bottger, 14 Wash.2d 676, 700, 129 P.2d 518 (1942) (citations omitted). The evidence to establish undue influence must be clear, cogent, and convincing. In re Estate of Mitchell, 41 Wash.2d 326, 249 P.2d 385 (1952). Despite the rather daunting burden that is placed on will contestants, a presumption of undue influence can be raised by showing certain suspicious facts and circumstances. This was noted and discussed by Justice Steinert in his scholarly opinion for this court in Dean where he said: Nevertheless certain facts and circumstances bearing upon the execution of a will may be of such nature and force as to raise a suspicion, varying in its strength, against the validity of the testamentary instrument. The most important of such facts are (1) that the beneficiary occupied a fiduciary or confidential relation to the testator; (2) that the beneficiary actively participated in the preparation or procurement of the will; and (3) that the beneficiary received an unusually or unnaturally large part of the estate. Added to these may be other considerations, such as the age or condition of health and mental vigor of the testator, the nature or degree of relationship between the testator and the beneficiary, the opportunity for exerting an undue influence, and the naturalness or unnaturalness of the will.... The combination of facts shown by the evidence in a particular case may be of such suspicious nature as to raise a presumption of fraud or undue influence and, in the absence of rebuttal evidence, may even be sufficient to overthrow the will. In re Beck's Estate, 79 Wash. 331, 140 P. 340. Dean, 194 Wash. at 671-72, 79 P.2d 331. The existence of the presumption imposes upon the proponents of the will the obligation to come forward with evidence that is at least sufficient to balance the scales and `... restore the equilibrium of evidence touching the validity of the will'; it does not, however, relieve the contestants from the duty of establishing their contention by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence. In re Estate of Smith, 68 Wash.2d 145, 154, 411 P.2d 879, 416 P.2d 124, 19 A.L.R.3d 559 (1966). Although Christian concedes that the trial court properly employed the suspicion factors identified in Dean to find a presumption of undue influence, he contends that it went too far with the presumption and essentially transferred the burden of proof to Christian. This, he asserts, reduced the clear, cogent, and convincing proof requirement that should have been imposed upon the will contestants. We are satisfied after viewing the trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law that the trial court did not err in this regard. Rather it cited to Dean, and set forth the factors from the case that `raise a suspicion, varying in its strength, against the validity of the testamentary instrument,' and concluded, based upon the facts it found, that [e]ach and every one of the suspicious factors enumerated in Dean is present in the instant case. Conclusions of law 3, 5, CP at 2326, 2327. It then went on to say that: Given Estelle's mental and physical condition, the fatigue and fear associated with cancer, its treatment, and the knowledge that the disease was terminal; the near-constant presence of [Christian] and his friends that he hired to look after Estelle, to the exclusion of her friends and family; and the fact that Christian enlisted the assistance of a new attorney and fired Estelle's prior estate-planning attorney, this court finds that [Christian] exercised undue influence to override Estelle's estate plans. Conclusion of law 9, CP at 2328. While counsel for appellant correctly observes that the trial court did not indicate, as it did in concluding that Christian fraudulently induced the will, that there was clear, cogent, and convincing evidence to support its conclusion of undue influence, that conclusion seems implicit from its citation to Dean where the correct burden of proof is set forth. The implied conclusion also flows from the trial court's holding that clear, cogent, and convincing evidence supported the conclusion that the will was procured by fraud. Fraud and undue influence, although distinct concepts, are closely related and the findings of the trial court that support its conclusion of fraud provide additional support for its conclusion that there was undue influence. In sum, although the appellant did present evidence in an effort to rebut the so-called suspicion-raising factors, we are satisfied that the trial court's findings constitute clear, cogent, and convincing evidence of undue influence. Appellant concedes that Christian occupied a confidential and fiduciary relationship with Estelle and he does not argue against the trial court's determination that Christian had a perfect opportunity for exerting undue influence. Conclusion of law 6, CP at 2327. Although appellant does claim that he rebutted the trial court's determination that he, in essence, procured the will by hiring Kearney Hammer to prepare Estelle's will and attending meetings where Hammer and Estelle discussed her new estate plans, we are satisfied that the trial court's findings support this conclusion. Christian's suggestion that Estelle's bequest to him in the will was not unnatural considering his deepening relationship with Estelle and the fact that he was her lover and husband, also does not stand up against the trial court's findings. Although we discuss below the validity of Estelle and Christian's marriage, it is apparent from the facts found by the trial court that Christian was not an object of Estelle's bounty in 1993 and only became so in 1995 as a consequence of his concerted efforts to isolate and estrange Estelle from her family and friends and to control every facet of her life. We are satisfied in the final analysis that there is clear, cogent, and convincing evidence in the record to support the trial court's conclusion that Christian procured Estelle's 1995 will by undue influence.