Succession of Helen Marie Foret
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NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL FIRST CIRCUIT NO 2010 CA 1038 IN THE MATTER OF THE SUCCESSION OF HELEN MARIE FORET Judgment Rendered December 22 1010 On Appeal from the 19th Judicial District Court In and for the Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Trial Court No 88430 The Honorable William A Morvant Judge Presiding Joseph A Prokop Jr Baton Rouge LA Attorneys for PlaintiffAppellant Betty Foret Mohr and M Janice Villarrubia Baton Rouge LA Claude F Reynaud Jr Scott N Hensgens Baton Rouge LA Attorneys for DefendantsAppellees Jeanne C Comeaux Adrienne Anne Comeaux and Donna Zink BEFORE CARTER C GAIDRY AND WELCH JJ J 4 14 wY 1 d lc J 1 e e A etA 2s CARTER C J Betty Foret Mohr appeals a judgment granting summary judgment and dismissing her petition to annul the testament of Helen Marie Foret and to remove the succession representative FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY Helen Marie Foret died on July 22 2008 at the age of 91 having never married and having no biological or adopted children She left an olographic testament dated February 21 2008 in which she revoked all prior testaments left a certain sum to Donna Zink the widow of her late nephew and bequeathed the remainder of her estate to Adrienne Comeaux the niece of her deceased best friend The testament appointed Jeanne Comeaux Ms s Foret godchild Adrienne sister and also an attorney as independent s executrix of the estate Upon Jeanne petition the trial court signed an s order probating the February 2008 testament and appointing Jeanne as independent executrix of Ms Foret estate s Thereafter Ms Foret niece Betty Foret Mohr filed a petition to s annul the 2008 testament on the basis of lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence and sought to have Jeanne representative removed as succession Ms Mohr amended her petition to request probate of an olographic testament executed by Ms Foret in June 2002 which left Ms s Foret entire estate to Ms Mohr This appeal is taken from the trial court s judgment granting summary in favor of Jeanne Comeaux Adrienne Comeaux and Donna Zink collectively the Comeauxs Ms Mohr claims s 2 and dismissing DISCUSSION Appellate courts review summary judgments de novo using the same criteria that govern the trial court consideration of whether summary s judgment is appropriate Bozarth v State LSU Medical CenterChabert Medical Center 091393 La App 1 Cir 2 35 So 316 323 The 10 12 3d motion should be granted only if the pleadings depositions answers to interrogatories and admissions on file together with the affidavits if any show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law LSAC art 966B Id P C The burden of proof on a motion for summary judgment is on the moving party If the moving party will not bear the burden of proof at trial on the matter that is before the court the moving party burden is to point s out to the court that there is an absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the adverse party s claim action or defense Thereafter the burden shifts to the adverse party to prove that there are genuine issues of material fact by providing factual evidence sufficient to establish the ability to satisfy the evidentiary burden of proof at trial LSA P C art 966C 2 A fact is material when its existence or nonexistence may be essential to the plaintiff cause of action under the applicable theory of recovery s Facts are material if they potentially insure or preclude recovery affect a s litigant ultimate success or determine the outcome of the legal dispute Bozarth 35 So at 324 Because it is the applicable substantive law that 3d determines materiality whether a particular fact in dispute is material can be seen only in light of the substantive law applicable to the case Id Saizan v 3 Pointe Coupee Parish School Bd 100757 La App 1 Cir 10 29 3d So Lack of Testamentary Capacity Ms Mohr contends that Ms Foret lacked testamentary capacity at the time she executed the February 2008 testament and that the trial court erred in finding no genuine issue of material fact regarding this issue A valid donation mortis causa through a last will and testament requires that the testator have testamentary capacity at the time the testament is executed LSAC art 1471 1570 To have testamentary capacity the C testator must be able to generally comprehend the nature and consequences of the disposition being made LSAC art 1477 Testamentary capacity C is presumed Succession of Lyons 452 So 1161 1164 La 1984 In re 2d Succession of Theriot 081233 La App 1 Cir 12 4 So 878 08 23 3d 882 A party alleging lack of testamentary capacity must overcome the presumption of capacity by clear and convincing evidence by demonstrating that the lack of testamentary capacity is highly probable or much more probable than not Succession of Fisher 062493 La App 1 Cir 9 07 19 970 So 1048 1054 2d In reviewing the voluminous body of evidence under consideration on the motion for summary judgment we are mindful of comment f to LSA C art 1477 which states Cases involving challenges to capacity are fact intensive The courts will look both to objective and subjective indicia Illness old age delusions sedation etc may not establish lack of capacity but may be important evidentiary factors If illness has impaired the donor mind and rendered him unable to s understand then that evidentiary fact will establish that he does not have donative capacity Outrageous behavior by an individual may or may not be indicative of lack of ability to understand Some outrageous behavior may be nothing more 4 than a personality quirk while other outrageous behavior may manifest serious mental disturbance Each case is unique Heavy sedation should be a strong factor to consider since the sedative effects of the drug may impair the ability of the person to comprehend the nature and consequences of his act The courts will look to the medical evidence that is available such as the medical records and the testimony of treating doctors and to other expert testimony and to the testimony of lay witnesses Clearly no quick litmuspaper test exists to apply to the evaluation of mental capacity in all cases Ms Foret was a lifelong Baton Rouge resident who moved to the Williamsburg Senior Living Community in 2002 where she lived in an apartment in the community independent living wing Ms Foret closest s s friend Gertrude Comeaux moved to Williamsburg around the same time but soon became ill and passed away After Gertrude death Ms Foret s maintained a close relationship with Gertrude nieces Jeanne who was s also Ms Foret godchild Adrienne and Cammie Comeaux s Ms Foret s niece Ms Mohr also lived in Baton Rouge and maintained a relationship with Ms Foret In the last years of her life Ms Foret experienced some health problems and in 2007 was treated by a geriatrician Dr Mohammad Saeed Baig In January 2008 Ms Foret suffered an episode in which she was found in her apartment unable to summon assistance Dr Saeed admitted her to the hospital for testing and evaluation to rule out several causes for her recent confusion including the possibility of acute stroke infection or worsening dementia Upon discharge Dr Saeed noted that Ms Foret had intermittent confusion in the hospital including being unable to remember taking monitors off her body and attempting to leave her bed In his report he documented that Ms Foret had underlying memory loss and 6 intermittent confusion He further recommended that she either have sitters to assist her in her apartment or consider moving to a nursing home After her discharge from the hospital Ms Foret returned to her apartment at Williamsburg and employed sitters as arranged by Ms Mohr That same month Ms Foret and Ms Mohr had a falling out allegedly because Ms Foret believed Ms Mohr was attempting to force her into a nursing home which Ms Foret adamantly opposed Ms Mohr did not see or speak to Ms Foret again after January 14 2008 On the date Ms Foret executed the February 2008 testament Adrienne took Ms Foret to her regular beauty appointment then drove Ms Foret to a luncheon for her social group After seeing that Ms Foret was seated at the restaurant with at least one of her friends Adrienne left Jeanne picked up Ms Foret after the luncheon and attested that Ms Foret paid her bill and as she was leaving stopped to speak to an old friend Jeanne then drove Ms Foret to her Williamsburg apartment Jeanne attested that Ms Foret had decided earlier in the month to create a new will because Ms Foret was angry with Ms Mohr for attempting to move her to a nursing home Jeanne explains that she followed Ms Foret request and retrieved the 2002 will from her law firm s s safe and also brought Ms Foret paper on which to write a new will After the luncheon Jeanne accompanied Ms Foret to her apartment and discussed with Ms Foret her intentions regarding the new will Ms Foret then drafted the testament at issue and destroyed the 2002 testament Jeanne Comeaux is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of a Louisiana law firm where she concentrates in areas of commercial and business litigation She disputes Ms s Mohr allegation that she was Ms Foret attorney s ro Thereafter Ms Foret continued to live in her Williamsburg apartment with the assistance of sitters Ms Foret suffered a massive stroke on July 20 2008 and died on July 22 2008 The parties herein have presented conflicting evidence regarding Ms s Foret mental state at the time she executed the 2008 will The Comeauxs have presented their own affidavits and depositions as well as those of friends of Ms Foret who attest that Ms Foret seemed fine and Ms Foret s sitters who found Ms Foret to be alert and cognizant In contrast Ms Mohr has presented medical records showing that Ms Foret had noted periods of confusion two forensic psychiatric reports that question Ms s Foret capacity as well as the affidavits of two friends who had lunch with Ms Foret hours before she executed the 2008 will Ms Alma McGrew described Ms Foret at the luncheon as seeming mentally somewhere else or in a trance Ms McGrew stated that Ms Foret seemed like a child and would do whatever she was told Ms McGrew also questioned whether Ms Foret recognized her though they had been members of the same social group for some time Ms Josephine Hughes similarly described Ms Foret at the luncheon as being uncommunicative added that Ms Foret was unable to read her menu or order for herself and also noted that Ms Foret did not seem to know who Ms Hughes was In determining whether an issue is genuine and one of material fact a court should not consider the merits make credibility determinations evaluate testimony or weigh evidence Fernandez v Hebert 061588 La App 1 Cir 5 961 So 404 408 writ denied 071123 La 9 07 4 2d 07 21 2 As noted the body of evidence herein is voluminous and is only briefly summarized in this opinion 7 964 2d So 333 Resolution of this matter depends on credibility determinations and the weighing of evidence which are within the province of the factfinder and are appropriate for a trial on the merits but are inappropriate for deciding a motion for summary judgment At trial the factfinder is charged with assessing the credibility of the witnesses and is free to accept or reject in whole or in part the testimony of any witness Succession of Fisher 970 So at 1055 n This is particularly important 2d 5 herein where the parties have attempted to discount the testimony of witnesses essentially by rehabilitation through subsequent testimony Moreover any doubt as to a dispute regarding a material issue of fact must be resolved against granting the motion and in favor of trial on the merits Property Ins Ass of Louisiana v Theriot 091152 La 3 31 n 10 16 3d So 1012 1014 quoting Suire v Lafayette City Parish Consolidated t Gov 041459 La 4 907 So 37 48 05 12 2d After de novo review we find that summary judgment was improperly granted on the issue of testamentary capacity Undue Influence In addition to challenging the 2008 testament for lack of testamentary capacity Ms Mohr contends that the 2008 testament is invalid as it is the result of the defendants undue influence over Ms Foret who suffered diminished capacity Louisiana Civil Code article 1479 sets forth that a donation mortis causa shall be declared null upon proof that it is the product of 3 We further note that trial of the matter will allow the trial court to fulfill its gatekeeping role of evaluating the presented expert testimony in light of the Daubert standards of admissibility See Daubert v Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc 509 S U 579 113 S 2786 125 L 469 1993 Succession of Werner v Zarate 07 Ct 2d Ed 0829 La App 1 Cir 12 979 So 506 509 07 21 2d 8 influence by the donee or another person that so impaired the volition of the donor as to substitute the volition of the donee or other person for the volition of the donor Comment b to article 1479 explains that the article presumes testamentary capacity and further that he T objective aspects of undue influence are generally veiled in secrecy and the proof of undue influence is either largely or entirely circumstantial E is more or less swayed by veryone associations with other persons so this Article attempts to describe the kind of influence that would cause the invalidity of a gift or disposition Physical coercion and duress clearly fall within the proscription of the previous Article The more subtle influences such as creating resentment toward a natural object of a testator bounty by false statements may constitute the s kind of influence that is reprobated by this Article but will still call for evaluation by the trier of fact Since the ways of influencing another person are infinite the definition given in this Article is used in an attempt to place a limit on the kind of influence that is deemed offensive Mere advice or persuasion or kindness and assistance should not constitute influence that would destroy the free agency of a donor and substitute someone else volition for his own s The party alleging nullity based on undue influence bears the burden of proving such as set forth in Civil Code article 1483 A person who challenges a donation because of fraud duress or undue influence must prove it by clear and convincing evidence However if at the time the donation was made or the testament executed a relationship of confidence existed between the donor and the wrongdoer and the wrongdoer was not then related to the donor by affinity consanguinity or adoption the person who challenges the donation need only prove the fraud duress or undue influence by a preponderance of the evidence Ms Mohr undue influence attack primarily focuses on Jeanne s Comeaux who was present at the time Ms Foret executed the 2008 testament and who Ms Mohr contends had a plan or design to influence Ms Foret to execute the new will favoring Jeanne Comeaux sister Ms s Mohr alleges that Jeanne was Ms Foret attorney and therefore s a relationship of confidence existed between them making her burden of W proof on the issue of undue influence a preponderance of the evidence The Comeauxs dispute this allegation with Jeanne maintaining that she never acted as Ms Foret attorney and only drafted certain powers of attorney at s no charge As with the testamentary capacity challenge resolution of the undue influence challenge will turn on credibility determinations and the weighing of evidence Considering this and our decision regarding the testamentary capacity issue we find summary judgment inappropriate on this issue In fact summary judgment is seldom appropriate for determinations based on subjective facts or motive intent good faith knowledge or malice indeed it may only be granted on subjective intent issues when no issue of material fact exists concerning the pertinent intent Succession of Fisher 970 So 2d Yl Eu1I CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons the judgment of the trial court granting summary judgment and dismissing Ms Mohr claims is reversed Costs of s this appeal are assessed to Jeanne C Comeaux Adrienne Comeaux and Donna Zink REVERSED 10
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