In Hilderbran v. Tex. SW. Council, Inc., parties donated a ranch via a 1930 deed to trustees for the Boy Scouts. No. 04-22-00736-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 4390 (Tex. App.—San Antonio June 26, 2024, no pet. history). In 1943, the then acting trustees deeded the ranch to a council.
David Fowler Johnson
Court Affirmed Dismissing Application To Probate Foreign Will
In In re Est. of De Chavez, a party filed an application to probate a Mexican will under Texas Estates Code Section 501.001 where the decedent was domiciled in Texas at the time of her death. No. 08-23-00072-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 4347 (Tex. App.—El Paso June 21, 2024…
Presentation: Fiduciaryize Your Case
David F. Johnson presented his speech on “Fiduciaryize Your Case” to the State Bar of Texas’s Advanced Civil Trial Course in Frisco, Texas, on July 11, 2024. This presentation covered what a fiduciary relationship means, the general duties owed by a fiduciary, typical fiduciary relationships, capacity issues, net-widening theories to…
Court Affirmed Order Admitting Will To Probate Over Undue Influence Allegation And Over An Alleged Subsequent Holographic Codicil To An Earlier Will
In Mynard v. Degenhardt, a decedent’s grandson offered a will to probate, and his aunt opposed that admission due to an alleged holographic codicil that allegedly revived a previous will. No. 14-22-00773-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 9640 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] December 28, 2023, pet. filed). The decedent executed…
Court Affirms Summary Judgment For An Executrix’s Estate Based On Limitations
In In re Estate of Maun, a brother sued his sister’s estate for her performance as executrix of their mother’s estate since the late 1980s. No. 13-22-00576-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 52 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi January 4, 2024, no pet. history). The trial court entered summary judgment for the defendant…
Court Affirmed The Trial Court’s Refusal To Probate A Will Due To The Statute Of Limitations
In In re Est. of Hartwell, a trial court granted summary judgment that the applicant to probate a will was not entitled to do so due to the statute of limitations. No. 06-23-00054-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 166 (Tex. App.—Texarkana December 6, 2023, no pet. history). The decedent died…
Presentation: Trustee’s Ability To Retain And Compensate Attorneys In Texas
David F. Johnson presented his paper titled “Trustee’s Ability To Retain And Compensate Attorneys In Texas” to the Texas State Bar’s 48th Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Course on June 13, 2024, in Houston, Texas. This presentation addressed the authority for a trustee to retain counsel, the duty to…
Court Construed Holographic Will To Devise Certain Property To A Granddaughter
In In re Estate of Martinez, a son appealed an order finding that his mother’s holographic will devised certain property to his daughter. No. 04-22-00708-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 1258 (Tex. App.—San Antonio February 21, 2024, no pet. history). The court of appeals affirmed. The court stated as follows concerning…
Court Held That Estate Beneficiary Was Not Entitled To Jury Trial On Ratification Of Attorney’s Fees Agreement
In In re Est. of Ellard, a court ratified an executor signing a contingency fee agreement that was over 35% under section 351.152 of the Estates Code. No. 05-22-01149-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 483 (Tex. App.—Dallas January 25, 2024, no pet.). The estate beneficiary contested that agreement and requested…
Court Affirms Modification Of Trust That Relied On Extrinsic Evidence And Contradicted Express Trust Terms
In In re Poe Trust, a co-trustee of a trust filed suit to modify the trust to change distribution provisions, increase the number of trustees, and change the method for trustees to vote on issues as well as other modifications. No. 08-18-00074-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 5598 (Tex. App.—El…