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Muthukumar Veluswamy (NA)     02 November 2011

Property denied for one daughter

 

Hi,

  My mother is around 60 years old and has a sister who is around 58+. Both of them are married to good families before 35+ years and well settled. We are based out of Coimbatore district.

  

  They had a brother who committed suicide long time back (even before he was married). So basically my maternal grand parents lived alone after our mother and aunt's marriage.

  

  Our Grand parents inherited about 18 acres of fertile land from my maternal grand father's parents. This is also in coimbatore district. My great grand father was said to be mentally unstable but this fact is not proven by any medical records. My grandfather was an active farmer and was making good amount of money by the standards of the period.

  

  There was a period around 2000-2001 when I went for a job and my aunt's family was suffering financially. So we did not mind them look after grandparents' property and making money in the coconut farms. The problem was that their sons did not shine in education and did not have jobs or any other business. Basically we gave them some opportunity to become financially ok. The implicit understanding was for them to take care of my grandparents also. 

  

  Basically they were looking after the farms which was earning good amount of money along with taking care of our grandparents. My parents also came to Chennai for staying with me for about 1.5 years. 

  

  After that I left for USA for job requirements and been there for a year. But within that time, my aunt has convinced my grand parents to transfer all the properties to her name and registered a settlement without our knowledge. This happened in 2002-2003. We argued with them, tried negotiating but all of the efforts failed. We infact requested them to give us only one third share and keep 2/3 for them. My aunt has 2 sons and our family is myself (male) and my sister.

  

  Some lawyers said that in this case my grand parents can give the property to anyone who they wish. This we felt is totally unfair.

  

  After all efforts failed, what we did was to rope in my maternal grandfather's 2 sisters and filed a case saying that the settlement is invalid. We initially filed hte case in Coimbatore court from where it was transferred to speed court. Now it is transferred to taluk court in Pollachi. Infact the transfer of the case was so delayed for 1.5 years from Coimbatore and we had to send a letter to the judge complaining about it (after getting the advice from this forum). It is almost 5 years since we filed the case.

  

  What is the likelihood that we will get our rightful share? We don't feel the lawyer is also paying enough attention to the case. 

  

  Can someone advise us of some good approach of taking this forward?

Muthu  



Learning

 4 Replies


(Guest)

This is case of "undue infuence". Get a good advocate  for getting the ball rolling in your favor.


(Guest)

Definition of Undue Influence:

 

A judicially created defense to transactions that have been imposed upon weak and vulnerable persons that allows the transactions to be set aside.

Virtually any act of persuasion that over-comes the free will and judgment of another, including exhortations, importunings, insinuations, flattery, trickery, and deception, may amount to undue influence. Undue influence differs from duress, which consists of the intentional use of force, or threat of force, to coerce another into a grossly unfair transaction. Blackmail, Extortion, bad faith threats of criminal prosecution, and oppressive Abuse of Process are classic examples of duress.

Four elements must be shown to establish undue influence. First, it must be demonstrated that the victim was susceptible to overreaching. Such conditions as mental, psychological, or physical disability or dependency may be used to show susceptibility. Second, there must be an opportunity for exercising undue influence. Typically, this opportunity arises through a confidential relationship. Courts have found opportunity for undue influence in confidential relationships between Husband and Wife, fiancé and fiancée, Parent and Child, trustee and beneficiary, administrator and legatee, Guardian and Ward, attorney and client, doctor and patient, and pastor and parishioner. Third, there must be evidence that the defendant was inclined to exercise undue influence over the victim. Defendants who aggressively initiate a transaction, insulate a relationship from outside supervision, or discourage a weaker party from seeking independent advice may be attempting to exercise undue influence. Fourth, the record must reveal an unnatural or suspicious transaction. Courts are wary, for example, of testators who make abrupt changes in their last will and testament after being diagnosed with a terminal illness or being declared incompetent, especially if the changes are made at the behest of a beneficiary who stands to benefit from the new or revised testamentary disposition.

Nevertheless, courts will examine the facts closely before finding that a transaction has been tainted by undue influence. Mere suspicion, surmise, or conjecture of overreaching is insufficient. The law permits loved ones and confidants to advise and comfort those in need of their support without fear of litigation. Courts are also aware that the doctrine of undue influence can be used as a sword by the vindictive and avaricious who seek to invalidate a perfectly legal transaction for personal gain. When undue influence is found to have altered a transaction, however, courts will make every effort to return the parties to the same position they would have occupied had the overreaching not occurred.

West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

undue influence n. the amount of pressure which one uses to force someone to execute a will leaving assets in a particular way, to make a direct gift while alive, or to sign a contract. The key element is that the influence was so great that the testator (will writer), donor (gift giver), or party to the contract had lost the ability to exercise his/her judgment and could not refuse to give in to the pressure. Evidence of such dominance of another's mind may result in invalidation of the will, gift, or contract by a court if the will, gift, or contract is challenged. Participation in preparation of the will, excluding other relatives, being present when the testator and the attorney meet are all evidence of undue pressure, and an imbalance or change in language which greatly favors the person exercising the influence are factors in finding undue influence. Example: Pete Pounder constantly visits his aunt Agnes while she is ill and always urges her to leave her mansion to him instead of to her son. Pounder threatens to stop visiting the old lady, who is very lonely, tells her she is ungrateful for his attention, finally brings over an attorney who does not know Agnes, and is present while she tells the attorney to write a new will in favor of Pounder. (See: will, will contest)

Copyright © 1981-2005 by Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen T. Hill. All Right reserved.
1 Like

Muthukumar Veluswamy (NA)     02 November 2011

Is there any possibility of now asking them to vacate the current property till the court proceedings are finalized? because what is happening is that, they are making almost one lakh per month of income out of this property which makes them still stronger ..

Can some one advise how to vacate them from the property? 


(Guest)

If you use the Yardsticks set forth in UNDUE INFLUENCE ,then Court will order their eviction. File an Interlocutory Application for that.


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