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Associates, Trustee 718 Nw Trust v. Bryant Banks and Sheilla Banks

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Submitted May 18, 2010

Before RUIZ, BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY and THOMPSON, Associate Judges.

Appellant brought this action seeking a non- redeemable judgment for exclusive possession of the property located at 718 Marietta Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. (the “Property”). Appellees Bryant and Sheilla Banks contend that they are legally entitled to continue living at the Property pursuant to a lease that they executed with the previous owner of the Property, Patricia Speleos. At trial, appellant argued that appellees’ lease was void because (1) it was a forgery, and/or (2) Speleos was mentally incapacitated at the time she signed the lease. The trial court, however, upheld the validity of the lease. Specifically, the trial court found that (1) the lease was not forged; and (2) while Speleos was mentally incompetent when she signed it, her incompetence rendered the lease voidable at her election, as opposed to inherently void. Thus, the trial court determined that the lease was subject to ratification or disaffirmance by Speleos’ authorized representative. In finding that a contract entered into with a mentally incapacitated individual is voidable and not inherently void, the trial court erred in concluding that the longstanding law of the District of Columbia, first stated in Sullivan v. Flynn, 20 D.C. (9 Mackey) 396, 401 (1892), and subsequently followed in Martin v. Martin, 270 A.2d 141, 143 (D.C. 1970) (“Martin II”), is no longer applicable because it is contrary to the rule followed in a majority of the states.*fn1

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