In Marshall v. Marshall, a son, who was a trust beneficiary, sued his mother and brother alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and sought a declaratory judgment that they violated an in terrorem clause of the will. No. 14-18-00094-CV, No. 14-18-00095-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 423 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] January 21, 2021, no pet. history). The mother had created a similar Wyoming trust and then merged the original Texas trust into the Wyoming trust. The beneficiaries were essentially the same, but there were administrative differences, including who the trustees and successor trustees were and the wording of the in terrorem clauses. The mother also had a lawsuit filed in Wyoming to approve all of these changes, but did not serve the plaintiff. The defendants filed motions to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (“TCPA”), the trial court denied them, and they appealed.
No-Contest Clause
Texas Supreme Court Accepts A Case Dealing With A No-Contest Clause
In Ard v. Hudson, a beneficiary sued testamentary trustees and executors for breach of fiduciary duty and also sought an accounting, temporary injunctive relief, and a receiver. No. 02-13-00198-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 8727 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth August 20, 2015, pet. granted). The trial court granted a summary judgment…
A Trustee Can Be Liable For a Non-Negligent Mistake
In In re Estate of Boylan, a father died in 2006 and named his son Cooper as executor. No. 02-14-00170-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 1427 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth February 12, 2015, no pet. hist.). His other son Lonnie opposed an application to probate the father’s will due to alleged…
A Beneficiary Can Seek to Remove an Executor or Trustee Without Triggering a No-Contest Clause
In Ard v. Hudson, a beneficiary sued testamentary trustees and executors for breach of fiduciary duty and also sought temporary injunctive relief and also sought a receiver. No. 02-13-00198-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 8727 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth August 20, 2015, no pet. history). The trial court granted a summary…