Baker's Campground, Inc., Kelli Graves, and Kourtnie Graves v. Anthony L. McCalla and Cheryl A. McCalla

416 S.W.3d 477, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6173, 2012 WL 3055282
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 26, 2012
Docket10-11-00239-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 416 S.W.3d 477 (Baker's Campground, Inc., Kelli Graves, and Kourtnie Graves v. Anthony L. McCalla and Cheryl A. McCalla) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker's Campground, Inc., Kelli Graves, and Kourtnie Graves v. Anthony L. McCalla and Cheryl A. McCalla, 416 S.W.3d 477, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6173, 2012 WL 3055282 (Tex. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinions

MEMORANDUM OPINION

AL SCOGGINS, Justice.

Baker’s Campground Inc., Kelli Graves, and Kourtnie Graves (Graves) filed suit against Anthony and Cheryl McCalla alleging cloud on title and slander on title based upon the McCallas recording a “Notice of Settlement Agreement” in the Johnson County deed records. On October 23, 2008, the trial court granted the McCallas’ partial motion for summary judgment. On April 21, 2011, the trial court entered its final judgment awarding the McCallas specific performance of the Release and Settlement Agreement, damages, and attorney fees. The Graves appeal from the trial court’s order granting the McCallas’ partial motion for summary judgment and the trial court’s final judgment awarding damages and attorney fees. We reverse and remand.

Background Facts

This case involves a lengthy dispute over 380 acres of land along the Brazos River in Johnson County. Arthur William Glazier owned the 380 acres, and in 1992, he entered into a 99-year lease (the Glazier lease) with Walt and Mary Baker that covered the entire property. Within the Glazier lease, the Bakers sub-leased a two-acre tract to the McCallas. The sub-lease contained a provision allowing the McCal-las the first option to purchase the property at market value if the Bakers obtained legal ownership of the property and elected to sell the property.

In 1993, Glazier died leaving the property to the Bakers. Walt deeded his interest to his mother, Mary. In 1996, Mary entered into a 99-year lease for the entire 380 acres with Stephen and Karen Davis and Ski River Development Inc. (the Baker-Davis lease). Mary died later that year.

The McCallas filed suit to enforce their option to purchase the property and to invalidate the Baker-Davis lease. A jury found in favor of the McCallas and against the Davises. In 2003, before the trial court entered final judgment, Walt Baker and the McCallas prepared a “Release and Settlement Agreement.” The validity and enforceability of that agreement is the central issue in this appeal.

The Davises appealed the judgment in favor of the McCallas. In 2005, this Court found that the McCallas’ option to purchase the property was void. This Court further deleted from the judgment the tor-tious interference damages, exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees awarded to the McCallas against the Davises. This Court also found the Baker-Davis lease to be voidable.

Walt Baker died, leaving the property to Kelli and Kourtnie Graves. In 2004, the McCallas recorded a Notice of Settlement in the Johnson County deed records. The Graves filed suit to have the Notice of Settlement removed from the title to the property. The Graves and the McCallas both filed motions for summary judgment. In October 2008, the trial court granted the McCallas’ motion for partial summary judgment determining that the 2003 Release and Settlement Agreement between Walt Baker and the McCallas was valid and enforceable.

On March 7, 2011, the trial court found that the only remaining issue would be the amount of damages. On April 21, 2011, the trial court entered final judgment that the McCallas are entitled to specific per[480]*480formance of the 2003 Release and Settlement Agreement between the MeCallas and Walt Baker. The trial court ordered that equitable and legal title in the property, including mineral interests, is vested in the MeCallas. The trial court further awarded damages and attorney’s fees to the MeCallas.

Jurisdiction

In the first issue, the Graves contend that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case. The Graves argue that because the Estate of Walt Baker was opened in the County Court at Law Number 2 of Johnson County, that court had exclusive jurisdiction over these proceedings.

Johnson County Court at Law No. 2 is a statutory county court. Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 25.1281 (West 2004). When counties lack a statutory probate court, Section 4 of the Texas Probate Code provides statutory county courts with the same general jurisdiction as probate courts 1 Act of June 19, 1993, 73rd Leg., R.S., ch. 957, § 4, 1993 Tex. Gen. Laws 4081, 4161, repealed by Act of June 19, 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., ch. 1351, § 12(h), 2009 Tex. Gen. Laws 4273, 4279. This jurisdiction includes the ability to “transact all business appertaining to estates subject to administration.” In re Puig, 351 S.W.3d 301, 304 (Tex.2011) (quoting repealed Section 4 of the Texas Probate Code). Section 5A(a) of the Probate Code provides a non-exclusive list of matters qualifying as “appertaining to” and “incident to” an estate administered in a statutory county court, including: “all actions for trial of title to land ... and for the enforcement of liens thereon ... [,] all actions for trial of the right of property ... [,] and generally all matters relating to the settlement, partition, and distribution of estates of deceased persons.” Id. When a matter raised in a separate lawsuit is not expressly mentioned in the Probate Code’s definition of matters appertaining to and incident to an estate, we have employed the “controlling issue” test to determine whether the matter meets that definition. Id. Under the controlling issue test, “a suit is appertaining to or incident to an estate when the controlling issue is the settlement, partition, or distribution of an estate. Id.

Kelli and Kourtnie Graves own the property in question by virtue of the Executors General Warranty Deed executed in 2005 by the Executrix of the Estate of Walt Baker. The Graves filed suit to quiet title on property they acquired from Baker. The suit did not involve the settlement, partition, or distribution of the Estate of Walt Baker. We find that the trial court had jurisdiction over the case.

Moreover, when the jurisdiction of a county court sitting in probate and a district court are concurrent, the issue is one of dominant jurisdiction. In re Puig, 351 S.W.3d at 305. When two courts have concurrent jurisdiction to determine inherently intertwined issues, filing a dilatory plea in abatement is the proper method for drawing a court’s attention to another court’s possible dominant jurisdiction. Id. The Graves did not file a plea in abatement seeking to have the matter heard in the Johnson County Court at Law No. 2. We overrule the first issue.

Summary Judgment

The Graves argue that the trial court abused its discretion in granting the [481]*481McCallas’ motion for partial summary judgment. Both parties included the validity and enforceability of the 2008 Release and Settlement Agreement in their grounds for summary judgment.

Standard of Review

We review the grant or denial of a traditional motion for summary judgment de novo. See Creditwatch, Inc. v. Jackson, 157 S.W.3d 814, 816 n. 7 (Tex.2005). To be entitled to summary judgment, the movant must demonstrate that no genuine issues of material fact exist and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c). To determine if a fact issue exists, we must consider whether reasonable and fair-minded jurors could differ in their conclusions in light of all the evidence presented. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Mayes, 236 S.W.3d 754, 755 (Tex.2007).

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416 S.W.3d 477, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6173, 2012 WL 3055282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bakers-campground-inc-kelli-graves-and-kourtnie-graves-v-anthony-l-texapp-2012.