In Castello v. Ex’r of the Est. of Castello, the decedent died leaving a will that left his property to his wife “for life” and then to his three children by a prior marriage. No 03-22-00012-CV 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 4454 (Tex. App.—Austin June 23, 2023, no pet. history). The wife filed an opposition
Texas Court of Appeals
Court Holds That An Order Was Not Final For Appeal Where There Was Still An Issue Of Intestancy Remaining To Be Determined
In Estate of Long, the plaintiff sued trustees and alleged that she was the only child of the decedent and asserted a cause of action for a will contest and for a declaratory judgment action in which she requested the trial court to declare that the residuary clause of the will admitted lapsed and…
Court Holds That An Order Was Not Final For Appeal Where There Was Still An Issue Of Intestancy Remaining To Be Determined
In Estate of Long, the plaintiff sued trustees and alleged that she was the only child of the decedent and asserted a cause of action for a will contest and a cause of action for a declaratory judgment action in which she requested the trial court to declare (a) that the residuary clause of…
Court Affirms Finding Of An Oral Trust And Breach Of Duty By The Trustee
In Ahlgren v. Ahlgren, plaintiffs sued a defendant alleging that the defendant was a trustee of an oral trust who breached duties by refusing to return certain property. No. 13-22-00029-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 4182 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi – Edinburg, June 15, 2023, no pet. history). After the trial court entered judgment for the…
Court Affirms Order Voiding Marriage Between Decedent And His Niece
In Allebach v. Gollub, the decedent had three children, and after he died, one of them filed a will contest and a claim that the decedent’s marriage to his second wife was void. No. 14-22-00272-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 3469 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] May 23, 2023, no pet. history). The plaintiff filed a…
Court Affirmed Order Removing A Power Of Attorney Agent For Breaches Of Fiduciary Duty
In In re Guardianship of Delp, a brother sued his sister over her actions as their mother’s power of attorney agent. No. 02-22-00300-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 3617 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth May 25, 2023, no pet. history). The daughter had been living in her mother’s home rent free. She arranged for her mother to…
Court Of Appeals Affirmed Findings Of Breach Of Fiduciary Duty Against Wife In Divorce Proceeding
In Banister v. Banister, the trial court found that a wife breached her fiduciary duty to the husband, committed fraud on the community estate, and wasted community assets. No. 03-21-00517-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 4063 (Tex. App.—Austin June 13, 2023, no pet. history). The evidence established the wife paid attorney’s fees for her paramour…
Court Affirmed Temporary Injunction Precluding A Surviving Spouse From Acting As Trustee Of A Trust
In Kirkland v. Kirkland, a husband and wife created a revocable trust. No. 02-22-00469-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 3598 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth May 25, 2023, no pet. history). Upon the death of one of the spouses, the right to revoke the trust by the surviving spouse was limited. An individual was listed as the…
Court Granted Mandamus Relief To Vacate A Temporary Restraining Order In A Fiduciary Case
In In re Sanchez, a plaintiff filed suit against a defendant for (1) conspiracy; (2) fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud; (3) aiding and abetting/conspiracy; (4) breach of fiduciary duty; and (5) Texas Theft Liability Act Violation related to the property. No. 14-23-00169-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 1746 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] March 17…
Court Affirmed A Judgment That A Will Was Invalid Due To Mental Incapacity
In Mittelsted v. Meriwether, the decedent changed his will and beneficiary designations on bank accounts to leave everything to his half-brother. No. 14-21-00755-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 1020 (Tex. App.—Houston February 16, 2023, no pet. history). The decedent’s sisters challenged these transactions for mental incompetence, and the jury found for the sisters. The half-brother…