Claimant In Will Contest Not Entitled To Trial By Jury
NOVEMBER 26, 2001 VOLUME 9, NUMBER 22 Alaskan Lillie M. Rahm was in her early nineties when she first met handyman Robert Riddell, then in his mid-sixties. Their friendship grew quickly, and Mr. Riddell moved in with Ms. Rahm within a few months. Two years later friends and relatives instituted legal proceedings that lasted well […]
Trial Court Must Decide If Deed Obtained By Undue Influence
MARCH 13, 2000 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 37 “Undue influence” is usually thought of in connection with provisions in a will. It can also be cited in attempts to set aside transfers made during life, as a recent North Carolina case illustrates. In early 1996 Irene J. Stephenson signed a deed conveying her home and sixteen […]
Insurance Saleswoman Unduly Influences Wisconsin Man
AUGUST 23, 1999 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 8 Vanessa Henningfeld first met 71-year-old George Milas when she visited his Wisconsin home to sell him a long-term care insurance policy. The two of them quickly became friends. Mr. Milas had a number of problems to deal with. He had a heavy Lithuanian accent that made it hard […]
Pre-Death Transfers By Two Seniors Invalidated As Frauds
NOVEMBER 24, 1997 VOLUME 5, NUMBER 21 Two recent cases, from the courts of Wisconsin and Tennessee, set aside transfers of property made by seniors prior to their deaths. While the circumstances are different, the two cases illustrate some of the typical motivations for gifts to children, as well as the possible effects of such […]