In re Kaufman case brief summary
FACTS:-In about 1949, Kaufman met Walter Weiss at age 39.
-Weiss did not have any significant material assets at the time.
- A year later Kaufman hired Weiss as his financial consultant.
-About the same time, Kaufman moved in with Weiss. Kaufman remodeled the top floor of his apartment building into an office for Walter.
-Weiss completed most of the domestic duties of the household, answered the mail and telephone, and paid the bills.
-Weiss took charge of both of Kaufman’s bank accounts and investments as if they belonged to both of them.
-The two lived together until 1959 when Kaufman died unexpectedly.
-Robert executed a will before he died leaving substantially all of his property to Weiss.
- He also included a letter to his family stating his appreciation for having Weiss in his life, hoping that his family would be happy for him.
-At Kaufman’s death, his brother sought to have his will set aside on grounds of undue influence after suspecting that Kaufman had a homosexual relationship with Weiss.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY:
The trial court found that Weiss made false accusations against Kaufman’s brother and caused Kaufman to believe that his family was resentful of his drive for independence.
ISSUE: Whether a beneficiary exerts undue influence over a testator where the testator could easily have been taken advantage of, the beneficiary dominates the testator and the testator relies exclusively on the beneficiary’s knowledge in making dispositions?
HOLDING:-Yes.
-A will is invalid for reason of undue influence where the evidence shows that the beneficiary dominated the testator, the testator could be easily taken advantage of, and the testator relies exclusively on the beneficiary’s knowledge and judgment concerning the disposition of all material things in the testator’s life.
RULES:
A will is invalid where the evidence shows that the testator did not freely and voluntarily creates his or her will because another individual exerted undue influence over his mind.
ANALYSIS:
-Here the proponent of the will had planted in the testator’s mind that his family was obstructing his goal of independence and made false accusations against the testator’s brother.
-The testator was inexperienced, and the proponent exerted undue influence over him when he disposed of almost his entire estate to the proponent.
-The Court found that evidence showing that the proponent kept Weiss away from his family and caused him to distrust them was enough to show that Weiss unduly influenced Kaufman.
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FACTS:-In about 1949, Kaufman met Walter Weiss at age 39.
-Weiss did not have any significant material assets at the time.
- A year later Kaufman hired Weiss as his financial consultant.
-About the same time, Kaufman moved in with Weiss. Kaufman remodeled the top floor of his apartment building into an office for Walter.
-Weiss completed most of the domestic duties of the household, answered the mail and telephone, and paid the bills.
-Weiss took charge of both of Kaufman’s bank accounts and investments as if they belonged to both of them.
-The two lived together until 1959 when Kaufman died unexpectedly.
-Robert executed a will before he died leaving substantially all of his property to Weiss.
- He also included a letter to his family stating his appreciation for having Weiss in his life, hoping that his family would be happy for him.
-At Kaufman’s death, his brother sought to have his will set aside on grounds of undue influence after suspecting that Kaufman had a homosexual relationship with Weiss.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY:
The trial court found that Weiss made false accusations against Kaufman’s brother and caused Kaufman to believe that his family was resentful of his drive for independence.
ISSUE: Whether a beneficiary exerts undue influence over a testator where the testator could easily have been taken advantage of, the beneficiary dominates the testator and the testator relies exclusively on the beneficiary’s knowledge in making dispositions?
HOLDING:-Yes.
-A will is invalid for reason of undue influence where the evidence shows that the beneficiary dominated the testator, the testator could be easily taken advantage of, and the testator relies exclusively on the beneficiary’s knowledge and judgment concerning the disposition of all material things in the testator’s life.
RULES:
A will is invalid where the evidence shows that the testator did not freely and voluntarily creates his or her will because another individual exerted undue influence over his mind.
ANALYSIS:
-Here the proponent of the will had planted in the testator’s mind that his family was obstructing his goal of independence and made false accusations against the testator’s brother.
-The testator was inexperienced, and the proponent exerted undue influence over him when he disposed of almost his entire estate to the proponent.
-The Court found that evidence showing that the proponent kept Weiss away from his family and caused him to distrust them was enough to show that Weiss unduly influenced Kaufman.
In re
Kaufmann’s Will (N.Y. App. Div. 1964) [CB 174]: Millionaire Kaufmann moved to N.Y. and
moved in with Walter who took care of his life affairs so Kaufmann could
paint. Kaufmann wrote will leaving
everything to Walter and also wrote separate letter explaining why he did so. Rule:
There is undue influence b/c of
confidential relationship between the parties and the letter demonstrates the
totality of control Walter had over Kaufmann.
i. It’s unclear why case comes out this way
other than on social norms – what if this had been a marriage relationship or
heterosexual?
ii. Good counseling would require you consider
more than just wills, but other means of accomplishing ends such as trusts,
inter vivos gifts, etc.
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