Jury Sides with Nephew in Miami Home Ownership Dispute
Table of Contents
Case Background
This case involved a bitter family dispute over a Miami-Dade home that had long been in Bobbie Bryant’s name. At the heart of the matter was a Quit Claim Deed that transferred the home to her nephew, Dwight Whitehead Jr., under questionable circumstances. Ms. Bryant, a 72-year-old widow with significant health and visual impairments, accused Mr. Whitehead of taking advantage of her vulnerability to wrongfully seize her property. The property in question had belonged to her and her late husband, James Edward Johnson, since 2010.
Following her husband’s death in 2016, Ms. Bryant became sole owner. Years later, facing foreclosure and allegedly manipulated by Whitehead, she signed a Quit Claim Deed transferring ownership to him without fully understanding the document, according to her claims.
Cause that led to the dispute
Ms. Bryant had sought to invalidate the deed on several grounds. Her lawsuit alleged that Dwight Whitehead exerted undue influence over her, tortuously interfered with her legal interest in the home, and enriched himself through fraudulent means. She also asked the court to quiet title and remove the deed from public records, claiming it had been improperly notarized. Finally, she accused him of exploiting her as a vulnerable adult under Florida law.
Injuries suffered
Bryant claimed that Whitehead had defrauded her out of her home, obtained a $350,000 mortgage without her knowledge, and pocketed over $160,000 from the refinancing proceeds. She said she was then forced to pay him rent for her own house while being left in the dark about the true financial arrangements. She described emotional distress, fear of foreclosure, and medical decline as a result of the alleged exploitation.
Damages
The Plaintiff asked the court to cancel the Quit Claim Deed, restore full ownership to her, quiet title, and award damages for unjust enrichment and elder exploitation. She also sought attorney’s fees and punitive damages under Florida Statutes 415.1111, which protects vulnerable adults from financial abuse.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
The case turned largely on two contrasting stories. Bryant insisted she had been manipulated into unknowingly signing over her home. She described poor eyesight, dependence on Whitehead, and an environment of deception that led her to believe she was only authorizing help with foreclosure not transferring title.
Whitehead, on the other hand, portrayed himself as the rescuer. He said he had used his own resources and credit to save Bryant’s home from foreclosure after she had abandoned it and failed to pay the mortgage. According to him, Bryant had voluntarily conveyed the home in exchange for his help and later lived there as a tenant under an oral rental agreement.
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Bobbie J. Bryant
· Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Nidia Borge
Defendant(s): Dwight Whitehead Jr.
· Counsel for Defendant(s): Marva L. Wiley
Claims Asserted
Bryant brought six causes of action:
Invalidity of the Quit Claim Deed due to undue influence
Tortious interference with expectancy in the property
Unjust enrichment
Invalidation of deed under Fla. Stat. 86.021 and 86.041
Quiet title due to defective notarization
Exploitation of a vulnerable adult under Fla. Stat. 415.1111
Her attorneys argued that Whitehead had exploited her trust, visual impairments, and fragile health to commit a fraudulent transfer. She had no intention to relinquish ownership, never received compensation, and was unaware of the deed's true nature.
Defense Arguments
Whitehead’s team countered that he had lawfully acquired the home, paid off the prior mortgage to stop foreclosure, and made extensive improvements. He said Bryant had agreed to convey the house in return for being allowed to remain in it. They pointed out that Bryant had lived in the property rent-free for years, then agreed to pay monthly amounts that mirrored the mortgage payments an arrangement they described as a standard landlord-tenant relationship.
They further claimed that Bryant’s suit arose only after a family falling-out and was an effort to reclaim property she had knowingly given away.
Jury Verdict
On April 10, 2025, the jury ruled entirely in favor of Defendant Dwight Whitehead Jr., rejecting all claims brought by Plaintiff Bobbie J. Bryant. In their verdict on the unjust enrichment count, the jury acknowledged that Whitehead may have received a benefit from the transaction but found that it had not been unjust for him to retain it. As a result, the jury awarded no damages, declined to invalidate the Quit Claim Deed, and allowed Whitehead to retain ownership of the home. This verdict effectively shut down all of Bryant’s attempts to reclaim the property and held that Whitehead’s actions, though contested, did not rise to the level of fraud or exploitation as claimed.