Anderson v. LaVere, 136 So. 3d 404

Johnson died intestate in 1938 with no assets opened in an estate; later heirs sought royalties from Johnson photographs.
In 1973 Thompson (Johnson’s half-sister) met LaVere to discuss unpublished Johnson photographs and potential release.
In 1974 Thompson appointed LaVere as her agent and the 1974 Agreement transferred to LaVere the rights in Johnson photographs and related works, while Thompson retained the originals.
Sony (CBS at the time) entered into a separate CBS agreement with LaVere and Thompson in 1974, with Sony paying royalties to LaVere but not Thompson directly.
The Complete Recordings released in 1990, producing substantial royalties; Thompson’s heirs later asserted ownership by Thompson’s estate; litigation continued over proper ownership and entitlement.
By 1991 LaVere began paying royalties to the Johnson estate rather than Thompson’s estate; in 1998 a chancery court declared Claud Johnson as Johnson’s sole heir, shaping the later claims.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the three-year statute of limitations bars the claims.	Anderson and Harris argue tolling and waiver apply to toll the limit.	LaVere/others contend accrual occurred by 1990–1991 and not tolled by heirship proceedings.	Yes; the three-year statute bars the claims.

Anderson v. LaVere, 895 So.2d 828 (Miss. 2004) (tolling and waiver principles in Mississippi complementary to residual statute)
CitiFinancial Mortgage Co. v. Washington, 967 So.2d 16 (Miss. 2007) (three-year statute of limitations applied to contract-related claims)
Carter v. Citigroup, 938 So.2d 809 (Miss. 2006) (three-year limitations period for fiduciary duty, misrepresentation, and related claims)
Fletcher v. Lyles, 999 So.2d 1271 (Miss. 2009) (three-year limitations applicable to fraud, negligence, and contract claims)
Estate of Martin Luther King Jr., Inc. v. Ballou, 856 F.Supp.2d 860 (S.D. Miss. 2012) (claims for conversion and replevin governed by residual statute)