{"id":6452,"date":"2025-04-16T11:01:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=6452"},"modified":"2025-04-16T11:01:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:01:12","slug":"whats-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed-massachusetts-appeals-court-speaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/whats-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed-massachusetts-appeals-court-speaks\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s \u201cUndue Influence\u201d in the Transfer of a Deed? Massachusetts Appeals Court Speaks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-style-rounded is-style-rounded--1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"785\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/what-is-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/what-is-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed.webp 1500w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/what-is-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed-300x157.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/what-is-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed-1024x536.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/what-is-undue-influence-in-the-transfer-of-a-deed-768x402.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A homeowner transfers a deed. But someone else in the deed transferor\u2019s circle isn\u2019t too happy about who got it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was the deed transfer fair? Yes, it was, if that\u2019s how the owner wanted to pass property along. Of course, that assumes that the person signing the deed away knows the property\u2019s value, and the consequences of the transfer. But what if someone says the person \u2014 often someone who\u2019s elderly, or now deceased \u2014 was pressured to sign the deed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Kind of Pressure Can Invalidate a Deed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Undue influence is the use of improper pressure to get someone to do something. But when would a court decide a deed transfer was, in fact, made under improper pressure? After all, a deed holder\u2019s decision to transfer a property interest is presumed valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent Massachusetts court case speaks to the matter. The case is <em>Erikson v. Erikson<\/em>, 105 Mass. App. Ct. 1115 (Feb. 24, 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Massachusetts, the Trial Court system has a Land Court department, which handles cases involving deeds and land use throughout the state. The Land Court rather than the Probate Court is the proper venue for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/what-is-a-quiet-title-action\/\">quieting a title<\/a> (setting aside a deed transfer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Land Court had to decide whether to invalidate a deed that named two children of a certain Bruce. The Land Court decided that Bruce applied undue influence to transfer the deed to his kids, when Bruce\u2019s mother intended for the home to go to Wendy \u2014 Bruce\u2019s sibling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Appeals Court of Massachusetts agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The facts at issue were these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 1985, Wendy\u2019s parents told her they were buying a home for her. It would be her inheritance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From 1985 on, Wendy lived in and maintained the property, and paid all relevant taxes and bills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two decades later, Wendy\u2019s mother, now widowed and facing declining health at age 81, moved in with Bruce, her son. Without Wendy\u2019s knowledge, the mother soon transferred the deed to the home Wendy lived in to Bruce\u2019s small children. The mother kept a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/understanding-life-estate-deeds-benefits-and-drawbacks\/\">life estate<\/a> interest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In May 2020, Doris died without leaving a will.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Needless to say, once Doris died, Wendy learned that the home had been transferred out from under her back in 2006. Wendy was disabled and had no other place to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Here\u2019s How the Massachusetts Court Defines Undue Influence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In a five-day trial (yes, it\u2019s complicated!) by Zoom, a judge determined Bruce had exerted undue influence over his mother to sign the transfer to Bruce\u2019s kids. Wendy prevailed. Bruce appealed, but the appeals court affirmed the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how the court defined undue influence, and found it in this case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The transfer was \u201cunnatural.\u201d (Here, the recipients of the property were just six years old, whereas Wendy had occupied the home for two decades. And the life estate made no sense as the mother wasn\u2019t living on the transferred property; Wendy was.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The person who made the transfer was \u201csusceptible\u201d to undue influence. (The facts brought to the court showed that Bruce\u2019s mother was failing physically and cognitively, and relied on Bruce for shelter and care.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There was an opportunity to exercise undue influence. (Here, that opportunity was very much present. Bruce\u2019s mother lived with Bruce for more than a year, in a period of declining health.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The person who had the opportunity used it, to take improper advantage. (The court determined that such was the case with Bruce, who stood to gain by using the home as the inheritance for his own children.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Every day, people put improper pressure on people in vulnerable positions. This is how one state deals with theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Undue Influence, Generally Speaking: Not Easily Proven<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>State courts do look at what other states decide in such cases, but Massachusetts court decisions aren\u2019t binding in other states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a general matter, courts don\u2019t look kindly on the financial exploitation of vulnerable people. But the result of a court battle would hinge on state case law, applied to the facts on the case brought to the court to decide. (Even the actions of the parties in court can bear on the outcomes. At one point in the Massachusetts Zoom proceedings, the judge could see Bruce talking with someone else, breaking the rules the court had laid out for the calls. Bruce denied it, ruining his testimony\u2019s credibility.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, a deed transfer is void from the start if the transferor was declared incompetent by a court before signing over the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If not, then the facts must be carefully examined. Questions for the fact-finder might be: How was the person vulnerable? What was the parties\u2019 relationship? What facts made the transfer unreasonable? The lawyer challenging the transfer might need to introduce experts. Expert witnesses help the court understand a person\u2019s vulnerability, or lack of capacity to sign. If the weight of the evidence demonstrates a lack of capacity (which is often a factor in undue influence), the lawyer can ask the court to invalidate a recorded deed. In a great many cases, the court won\u2019t invalidate the transfer, because of insufficient evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Note:<\/em><\/strong> Lack of capacity to sign a legal document could be related to factors other than age. But the proof would be similar, and would generally involve examining medical records and pulling in expert witnesses to explain them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">General Tips and Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When people who expect to receive property don\u2019t ultimately receive it, they might claim the transfer was improper. By default, though, if a quitclaim or other deed is notarized, accepted, and filed in the county\u2019s records, it\u2019s legally valid. To invalidate a deed is a difficult process. That said, if you believe you are dealing with a case of undue influence and wish to challenge it, contact a law firm that handles wills and estates or elder matters. Agencies can offer helpful support as well. Look up \u201csenior financial exploitation\u201d and the name of your county and\/or state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A valid deed requires that the signer has sufficient capacity. No one should accept a deed from a homeowner who evidently doesn\u2019t know how the signing will affect the ownership rights and interests of all involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deed transfers need to be challenged quickly, because deeds can easily be transferred again and recorded by an unsuspecting new buyer. This further complicates the challenger\u2019s task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Important note: <\/em><\/strong>The material on this website is for readers\u2019 general information. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. Undue influence is a complex issue. Case-specific legal advice requires signing a legal agreement with an attorney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-accent-5-background-color has-background has-small-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<p><strong>Supporting References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Charles R. Jacob III <em>et al. <\/em>of Goulston &amp; Storrs for the <em>National Law Review<\/em> via <em>NatLawReview.com<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/natlawreview.com\/article\/land-courts-invalidation-deed-result-undue-influence-affirmed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Land Court\u2019s Invalidation Deed as the Result of Undue Influence Affirmed<\/a> (Apr. 10, 2025; explaining <em>Erikson v. Erikson<\/em>, 105 Mass. App. Ct. 1115 (Feb. 24, 2025)).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commonwealth of Massachusetts Land Court Dept. of the Trial Court (Jul. 6, 2023): <a href=\"https:\/\/masslawyersweekly.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/14-073-23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Wendy Erickson v. Bruce Erikson et al<\/em><\/a>. (No. 20 Misc 000381 RBF 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Deeds.com<\/em>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/can-a-quitclaim-deed-be-undone\/\">Can a Quitclaim Deed Be Undone<\/a>? (Sep. 5, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Deeds.com<\/em>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/legal-incompetence-and-deed-transfers\/\">Legal Incompetence and Deed Transfers<\/a> (Apr. 12, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And as linked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More on topics:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/conveying-real-estate-through-a-power-of-attorney\/\">Transferring real estate through power of attorney<\/a><strong>,&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/should-you-transfer-your-home-to-your-children-now-or-leave-it-in-your-will\/\">Transferring a deed to children<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/pensive-grandmother-with-granddaughter-having-interesting-conversation-while-cooking-together-in-light-modern-kitchen-3768146\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Andrea Piacquadio<\/a>, via Pexels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A homeowner transfers a deed. But someone else in the deed transferor\u2019s circle isn\u2019t too happy about who got it. Was the deed transfer fair? Yes, it was, if that\u2019s how the owner wanted to pass property along. Of course, that assumes that the person signing the deed away knows the property\u2019s value, and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[107,131],"tags":[760,2347,2346,2348,2351,2349,2350,233,438,2061],"class_list":["post-6452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elder","category-real-estate","tag-deed-transfer","tag-elder-financial-abuse","tag-inheritance-dispute","tag-invalid-deed","tag-legal-capacity","tag-massachusetts-land-court","tag-property-transfer-law","tag-quitclaim-deed","tag-real-estate-law","tag-undue-influence"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s \u201cUndue Influence\u201d in the Transfer of a Deed? 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