In In re Est. of Ledbetter, Lonnie Ledbetter Jr., a wealthy individual with significant assets held in trusts originally structured to benefit his children, married Tawni Jones-Ledbetter at age 81 after his wife’s death. No. 02-25-00326-CV, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 1168 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth February 5, 2026, no pet.).
Texas Court of Appeals
Court Affirmed Summary Judgment For Executors Due To The Statute Of Limitations
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Conover v. Conover, Van died in July 2001, leaving an estate valued at over $4 million, including $2.8 million in stocks and bonds. No. 01-24-00471-CV, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 1834 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] February 26, 2026, no pet.). Van’s will devised his residuary estate to his father…
Court Affirmed An Order Denying A Motion To Dissolve An Injunction In A Trust Dispute
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Marshall v. Marshall, there were multiple trusts created by J. Howard Marshall and E. Pierce Marshall involving Koch Industries shares. No. 14-25-00322-CV, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 1970 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] March 3, 2026, pet. filed). Preston Marshall is a beneficiary of several trusts, including the Harrier Trust and…
Court Of Appeals Affirmed The Denial Of An Objection To Personal Jurisdiction In A Contract Dispute Over Trustee Compensation
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Padilla-Madden v. Sandoval, Sandoval (Texas) and Madden (Alabama) made oral agreement for Madden to share trustee compensation. No. 04-25-00303-CV, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 2250 (Tex. App.—San Antonio March 11, 2026, pet. denied). Sandoval facilitated Madden’s appointment as trustee for Gan Shares Trust. Madden traveled to San Antonio for meetings…
Court Reversed Summary Judgment Based A No-Contest Clause
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Estate of Wynn, William Reese Wynn, Sr. died in 2021, leaving a will from 2003 that primarily benefited his wife Susan. No. 10-23-00187-CV, 2025 Tex. App. LEXIS 9682 (Tex. App.—Waco December 18, 2025, no pet. history). The will included $25,000 bequests to each of his two children from a…
Court Affirmed The Granting Of A Plea To The Jurisdiction Where The Opponent To An Application To Appoint An Executor Had No Interest In The Estate
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In In re Est. of McCulloch, David McCulloch died August 14, 2022, with a pour-over will leaving all property to the David and Vicki McCulloch Trust. No. 02-25-00036-CV, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 2094 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth March 5, 2026, no pet.). Vicki McCulloch, surviving co-trustee, amended the trust September…
Court Dismissed Appeal After No Person Accepted The Position Of Representative Of The Estate
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Criswell v. Polk, Catherine Polk sued Dolores Sharp over Houston real property ownership. No. 01-22-00428-CV, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 2290 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] March 12, 2026, no pet.). The probate court granted partial summary judgment for Polk, vesting title in Angel’s estate. Sharp then died during the…
Court Discusses Whether Texas’s Anti-SLAP Statute Applies To Certain Trust Claims
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Frost Bank v. Glenn, Jo Ann Turrentine created a revocable living trust in 2007, naming herself and Raymond James as co-trustees. No. 13-23-00595-CV, 2025 Tex. App. LEXIS 9484 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi December 11, 2025, no pet.). After Turrentine’s death in 2018, Frost Bank became the sole trustee. In…
Court Reverses Temporary Injunction In Trust Case Where The Order Was Not Sufficiently Precise But Held That County Court At Law Had Jurisdiction Over Dispute Because A Statutory Probate Judge Presided Over The Case
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In In the Est. of Ledbetter, Lonnie Ledbetter Jr. married Tawni in December 2023 at age 81, shortly after his wife of 44 years died. No. 02-25-00263-CV, 2025 Tex. App. LEXIS 9540 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth December 11, 2025, no pet.). After marriage, Lonnie changed his will to give 80% to…
Court Reverses Jurisdictional Challenge In A Will Contest Where There Was A Fact Question On Whether A Prior Will Would Be Admitted And Whether The Decedent Would Be Intestate
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In In re Est. of Corbett, Robert William Corbett died on November 26, 2016, unmarried and without children. No. 14-24-00922-CV, 2025 Tex. App. LEXIS 9380 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] December 9, 2025, no pet.). Robert’s 2016 will bequeathed his residue estate to his maternal aunt, Willie Lee Bell Lambert…