Court Opinion

ID: 9743198
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:28:11.27094+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:39.849142
License: Public Domain

YOUNG, Judge,
dissenting.
I dissent. It was undisputed at trial that, when Lucas and Frazee met with Lucas's attorney to prepare the deed at issue, Lucas repeatedly said she was giving the house to Frazee because Frazee and her husband had agreed to move to Lucas's house and care for her. The only reasonable inference from this evidence is that Lucas intended to deed a one-half interest in her house to Frazee in exchange for the care she believed Frazee had agreed to give her. Thus, it seems clear that Lucas did not intend to make a gift to Frazee as the majority concludes. Rather, Lucas clearly believed she was transferring her property in exchange for Frazee's promise to live with her.
In light of this evidence that at the time the deed was prepared and delivered, Lucas did not intend to make an outright gift to Frazee, it is irrelevant that other family members had suggested Lucas leave her property to Frazee because of Frazee's past acts of kindness to Lueas. It is also irrelevant that Lucas's lawyer told her that a transfer to Frazee by deed would be irrevocable. That Lucas persisted despite this advice proves only that she was intent on cementing an agreement binding Frazee to care for her. A gift will be valid only if the donor had the present intent to make a gift-if, that is, the donor intended to make a gift at the time of delivery. Lewis v. Burke, (1967) 248 Ind. 297, 226 N.E.2d 332. Thus, I cannot agree with the majority's conclusion that the evidence was sufficient to support the trial court's finding of dona-tive intent.
Moreover, I believe Lucas correctly argues that she was entitled to relief on a contractual theory. Again, there is no dispute that Lucas told her attorney, in Fra-zee's presence, that she wanted to deed a one-half interest in her house to Frazee because Frazee and her husband had agreed to come and care for her. Frazee admitted that she heard this statement. *1170Thus, when Frazee took the deed, she knew that Lucas expected to be cared for in return. It hardly requires citation to authority to establish that one who accepts property from another knowing that the other expects to be compensated for it impliedly agrees to make compensation. Such an implied agreement was clearly established here. Since Frazee did not move in with Lucas, Lucas is entitled as a matter of law to rescind her deed. I would accordingly reverse the trial court's decision.