Lydia B. Doty, Respondent v. Azaliah Willson

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s judgment and remanded the case for a new hearing before the surrogate. The court held that when a parent gives money to a child under equivocal circumstances, a later clear declaration that the transfer was a gift can determine its character, and that a donee’s promise to pay interest does not invalidate a gift.