Court Opinion

ID: 7814559
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:30:49.822216+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:34.000177
License: Public Domain

Bobinson, J., dissenting. In my opinion, the evidence, independent of Hendricks Alphin’s testimony as to the transaction with James Alphin, is clear and convincing that, James Alphin made a contract with his half-brother, Hendricks, whereby James would will to Hendricks one-half of the property James owned which came from their father. In the first place, it is not unreasonable that James would enter into such a contract. Hendricks Alphin inlierited from Ms mother the most valuable portion of the property involved in this litigation. He deeded this property to his father without any consideration whatever. Also, it is shown by the testimony of J. K. Ma-honey, who had married the sister of Sam Alphin’s wife and who was thoroughly familiar with the Alphin properties, that all of the property would have been lost if it had not been for the good management of Hendricks Alphin. S. B. (Pete) McCall, who has been postmaster of El Dorado for 19 years, testified that James Alphin told him that he (James) was gone from El Dorado a large part of the time and that Hendricks had made a good job of looking after the Alphin properties; that he wanted Hendricks to continue to look after the properties and had therefore willed to Hendricks one-half of his interests in the property that came from their father. Bruce Bennett, a well-known lawyer in El Dorado and Prosecuting Attorney for the 13th Judicial District, testified that in a conversation with James Alphin, James stated: “I have made a will, leaving one-half oí Papa’s property that I inherited, to ‘big brother’; and I have left the other half to Sam . . . ‘Big brother’ has been taking care of this property for years, and I want him to continue to take care of that property, and I have made a will, under an agreement whereby Big Brother will keep taking care of the property, and I will leave him one-half of what I inherited from Papa, and Sam will get the other half.” Bennett’s testimony-is plain and unequivocal. It is clear and convincing. Gus ~W. Jones is Judge of the First Division Circuit Court in El Dorado, and has been Judge in that community for 26 years. He knows Hendricks Alphin and knew James Alphin in his lifetime. He knows that a disagreement arose between James Alphin and Hendricks Alphin because James had made a will leaving all of his interests in the J. S. Alphin properties to Sam Alphin, and that they settled their differences and made an agreement that was satisfactory to both of them. James Alphin told Judge Jones that he had made a will in the office of Mahoney & Yocum whereby he had willed his interests in the Alphin properties half to Hendricks and half to Sam. In the presence of Judge Jones, James exhibited a copy of the will to Hendricks. It is not disputed that James did make such a will in the office of Mahoney & Yocum. It is shown by Judge Jones that, in his presence, James exhibited this will to Hendricks. There can be no reasonable explanation of James exhibiting the will to Hendricks except the fact that he was proving to Hendricks that he had carried out his agreement. It is a matter of common knowledge that a person does not ordinarily go around exhibiting his will to the beneficiaries. Sam was also one of the beneficiaries named in the will, and there is no evidence that James exhibited the -will to him. James was showing Hendricks that he had carried out the agreement. In fact, it is practically conceded in this case that for a consideration James did enter into an agreement with Hendricks whereby James would will part of the property to Hendricks, but appellant Sam Alphin contends that James agreed to do so in consideration of certain credit arrangements. Disregarding the testimony of Hendricks entirely, the testimony of Judge Jones, Bruce Bennett and Pete McCall is convincing. This evidence, coupled with the fact that James actually executed the will, leaving part of the property to Hendricks, and exhibited such will to Hendricks in the presence of Judge Jones, proves conclusively in my opinion that there was an agreement between Hendricks and James that, in consideration of Hendricks’ continuing to look after the property, James would leave to Hendricks part of the property which came to James from their father. I am thoroughly convinced that the Chancellor’s decree is correct and that it should be affirmed. Seamster, C. J., joins in this dissent.