Estate of Frances Cleveland v. Gorden
Tennessee Court of Appeals
837 S.W.2d 68 (1992)
When 92-year-old Frances Cleveland fell ill with no one else available to help, her niece Gorden (plaintiff) cared for her for weeks before placing her in a nursing home; Cleveland's bank told Gorden she could be reimbursed from Cleveland's accounts if she kept detailed expense records, which Gorden did while using her own money to cover nearly $100,000 in bills. Cleveland knew Gorden was paying with her own funds and told a friend Gorden "would get everything she had, if there was anything left"; Gorden and Cleveland were not close relatives and never lived together as family. After Cleveland died, the probate court found no agreement to reimburse Gorden and denied her claim against the estate (defendant); Gorden appealed.
Whether a family member who pays a relative's debts out of a sense of moral obligation may be entitled to reimbursement.