Godwin v. Godwin

Hines, Justice.

This is a dispute between a mother and son over ownership of land. On December 12,1986, Vada Westberry Godwin purportedly executed a deed conveying a life estate in approximately 245 acres to her son, Joe Earl Godwin, with the remainder in fee simple to his three children. She reserved for herself a life estate and the right to harvest timber. The deed was not recorded.

On September 20, 1990, the mother executed a second deed to the same land in favor of Joe Earl, her other son, Carroll Godwin, and her daughter, Mary Godwin Bird. Joe Earl found out about the 1990 deed at a…