Ferguson v. Jeanes

619 P.2d 369 (1980)

From our private database of 46,500+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Ferguson v. Jeanes

Washington Court of Appeals
619 P.2d 369 (1980)

RW

Facts

John Jeanes (defendant) and Nancy Ferguson (plaintiff) were in a confidential professional and romantic relationship. When Ferguson wanted to buy an apartment building, Jeanes told her she was incapable of financing or managing the building by herself. Jeanes pressured Ferguson into giving him a half-interest in the building. Ostensibly for tax reasons, Jeanes refused to sign the purchase papers, and he made only a small down payment toward his share of the costs. Ferguson trusted that Jeanes would eventually make up the balance. In separate incidents, Jeanes also bullied Ferguson into forgiving his debt to her and forced her to take out a loan to buy water heaters for the apartment building. Jeanes told Ferguson that her reluctance to bend to his wishes showed ingratitude and was contrary to her religious principles. After the pair broke off their romantic relationship, Ferguson filed suit to quiet title to the building. The trial judge found that Jeanes acquired his share in the building by exercising undue influence over Ferguson. The court rescinded the partnership agreement, quieted title in Ferguson’s favor, and awarded Jeanes judgment for the return of his down payment. Jeanes appealed the rescission of the agreement and the award of quiet title to Ferguson.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Ringold, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 832,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,500 briefs - keyed to 994 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership