Court Reviews Whether Defendants Depleted the Decedent's Assets Such that they Deprived the Plaintiff of her Specific Bequest in the Will

IN RE ESTATE OF ELOISE J. STOREY, 

PEGGIE SHERRILL HUBER v. LAWRENCE G. YOHANEK, CPA, A/K/A LARRY G. YOHANEK, SHARRON S. YOHANEK, AND JOHN GARY STOREY (Tenn. Ct. App. May 31, 2011)



This lawsuit was filed by the decedent's daughter against other family members alleging undue influence, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, and civil conspiracy. After the decedent suffered a stroke, the family members, as attorney in fact and signatory on the decedent's bank accounts, made gifts from the decedent's assets to themselves and to other family members.

After the decedent died, the plaintiff daughter filed this lawsuit, alleging that the defendant family members wrongfully depleted the decedent's assets during her lifetime so as to deprive the plaintiff of her specific bequest in the decedent's will. The defendants filed a motion for partial summary judgment on various grounds.

The trial court granted in part and denied in part the defendants' motion finding, inter alia, that the plaintiff did not submit evidence to support several of her claims, and that several claims were barred by the statute of limitations. The Plaintiff now appeals.

On appeal, we apply the Tennessee Supreme court's revised analytical framework for summary judgment motions, requiring the defendant movants to either conclusively establish facts supporting an affirmative defense or negate an essential element of the plaintiff's claim. Applying this standard, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.


Opinion available at:

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2011/storeye_053111.pdf

Court Reviews a Fraudulent Will Case

JUDY DOTSON MCCONNELL, ET AL. v. PAT FULLER, ET AL. (Tenn. Ct. App. February 15, 2011)

In September of 2009, Judy Dotson McConnell and Jerry Dotson ("Plaintiffs") sued Pat Fuller, John Fuller, and Lela Dotson Gravett ("Defendants") alleging, in relevant part, that the Last Will and Testament of Clarence E. Dotson, which was offered for probate in May of 2003, was a fraudulent will. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted alleging that the statute of limitations barred Plaintiffs' claim.

After a hearing, the Trial Court entered its order on February 16, 2010 finding and holding, inter alia, that Plaintiffs' lawsuit was not filed within the statute of limitations and that Plaintiffs failed to "allege facts which would bring into play fraudulent concealment," which would have tolled the statute of limitations. The Trial Court dismissed Plaintiffs' suit. Plaintiffs appeal to this Court. We affirm.

Opinion available at:
http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2011/mcconnellj_021511.pdf