David Fowler Johnson
Texas Supreme Court Declines The Chance To Rule On Whether There Is A Right To A Jury Trial In A Trust Modification Suit
First Appellate Decision. In In re Troy S. Poe Trust, a co-trustee of a trust filed suit to modify the trust to increase the number of trustees and change the method for trustees to vote on issues as well as other modifications, including, incredibly, directing the trustees to ignore…
Court Holds That Party Waived Appeal By Not Timely Appealing An Order Admitting A Will To Probate
Court Reversed A Judgment Based On A No-Contest Clause Because After Nonsuiting The Will Contest Pleading, The Trial Court Did Not Have Jurisdiction Over The Defensive Allegations Concerning The Clause
In In re In the Estate of Wegenhoft, an applicant filed an application to probate a will, which contained a no-contest clause. No. 14-23-00350-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 5352 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] July 30, 2024, no pet. history). Contestants filed their opposition to the will, asserting that the…
Court Holds That Mental Competence Claims Regarding The Execution Of Documents Containing Arbitration Clauses Should Be Determined In Arbitration
In In re Est. of Moncrief, certain parties alleged that the decedent was mentally incompetent, was unduly influenced, and was defrauded into executing certain documents that contained arbitration clauses. 699 S.W.3d 315 (Tex. App—Fort Worth 2024, pet. filed). The trial court held that the capacity issues should be resolved by…
Court Holds That Contingent Remainder Beneficiary Has Standing To Sue Trustee For Breach Of Fiduciary Duty
…We conclude that James is within
Court Held Order Requiring An Executor To Make A Partial Distribution Was Not An Appealable Order
In Gaddy v. Fenenbock (In re Est. of Fenenbock), a probate court entered an order directing the independent executor of an estate to make a partial distribution of assets from the residuary clause in the decedent’s will into a family trust. No. 08-23-00146-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 2240 (Tex. App.—El…