Jackson v. Reed

The parties are neighbors. The plaintiff, Rufus L. Reed, is approximately 79 years old, has a third- or fourth-grade education and can read and write. The defendant, Thomas Jackson, is approximately 62 years old, has no formal education, and cannot read or write, except that he can sign his name. Reed is retired from Penn Central Railroad and Jackson has been employed at United States Steel for 38 years.

The dispute between these neighbors arises from the need of Reed to borrow money to complete the process of building a house on a vacant lot. In his complaint, Reed charges that Jackson, by…