Mitchell v. Mitchell

OPINION

FLANDERS, Justice.

We face here the propriety of a Superior Court motion justice deciding on summary judgment various questions related to asserted gift-giving and debt-forgiveness among family members. The plaintiffs, Mary P. Mitchell (Mary) and George Mitchell (George), claimed that the defendant Charles Mitchell (Charles) — who is Mary’s son and George’s brother — had failed to pay certain debts that he owed them. In response, Charles contended that his mother and brother either had forgiven these debts or had given him the money as a gift and that, consequently, they should not be…