Court Opinion

ID: 9565059
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:14:05.861925+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:21.913929
License: Public Domain

Judge Britt
concurring.
While I concur in Judge Hendrick’s opinion that the trial court erred in directing a verdict for the caveators, and that the cause should be remanded for a jury to answer the issue of devisavit vel non with respect to the alleged codicil, I do not agree that caveators are entitled to a peremptory instruction on the issue.
Without restating all of the facts set out in the opinion, the evidence disclosed that Dr. Mucci, the testator, and Attorney Johnson were neighbors and close friends; that in June of 1971 Attorney Johnson prepared a will for Dr. Mucci who duly executed the will and left it with Attorney Johnson for safekeeping; that Attorney Johnson was named executor in the will; that on 25 September 1971, Dr. Mucci wrote in longhand and mailed to Attorney Johnson the letter alleged to be a codicil; and that Attorney Johnson filed the letter with the original will. I think the evidence was sufficient to raise an inference that Dr. Mucci intended for the letter to serve as a codicil to his will and to place it with Attorney Johnson for safekeeping.
It is true that there was evidence tending to show that Dr. Mucci did not intend that the letter should serve as a codicil to his will, but a resolution of the issue is for the jury rather than the court.
In their brief, caveators argue that under the new Rules of Civil Procedure a directed verdict is permissible in an appropriate caveat proceeding; that the rule in Redding, stated in Judge Hedrick’s opinion, has been superseded by G.S. 1A-1, Rule 50. Since a valid jury question is raised by the evidence in this case, I hold that we do not reach the question of whether Rule 50 supersedes the rule stated in Redding.
I vote to reverse the judgment appealed from, and to remand this cause to the superior court for jury trial of the issue of devisavit vel non upon appropriate instructions consistent with this opinion.
Judge Baley concurs in Judge Britt’s opinion.