Burnett v. First National Bank of Waco

567 S.W.2d 873, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3387
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 8, 1978
DocketNo. 1145
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 567 S.W.2d 873 (Burnett v. First National Bank of Waco) 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
Burnett v. First National Bank of Waco, 567 S.W.2d 873, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3387 (Tex. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

DUNAGAN, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment in a case involving issues of breach of trust and conversion, the case being styled The First National Bank of Waso, Texas v. Robert Franklin Burnett, et al.

The case involves the Burnett Trust, which was an irrevocable trust established by Clarence C. Burnett and wife, Gladys C. Burnett, as settlors, and The First National Bank of Waco, as trustee. Beneficiaries of the trust were Robert Franklin Burnett and Clarence Edward Burnett, sons of the set-tlors. This trust was dated December 30, 1950, and was to terminate January 5,1973.

The same settlors, Clarence C. Burnett and Gladys C. Burnett, had also established a second trust on October 20, 1964, which was a revocable trust called the C & G Trust. Once again, The First National Bank of Waco was named as trustee. There has been previous litigation with respect to the C & G Trust. The previous case was styled The First National Bank of Waco, Texas v. Clarence C. Burnett, Individually and as Representative of the C & G Trust and the Estate of Gladys C. Burnett, Deceased. Following judgment for the plaintiff, First National Bank of Waco, the case was appealed to the Court of Civil Appeals in Eastland, Texas, and judgment rendered for The First National Bank of Waco in an opinion appearing at 536 S.W.2d 600. The suit was predicated on Burnett’s guarantees to the bank on debts incurred by the C & G Trust of which the bank served as trustee. Burnett filed a counterclaim against the bank alleging the bank had failed to properly discharge its duties as trustee of the C & G Trust. Robert Franklin Burnett and Clarence Edward Burnett intervened individually and on behalf of their minor children who were the ultimate beneficiaries of the C & G Trust asserting a like cause of action as alleged by Clarence C. Burnett in his counterclaim.

[875]*875The appellant in the instant case asserts that the appellee has not proven as a matter of law the absence of any genuine issue of material fact concerning whether the bank was guilty of improper self-dealing in lending money to the Burnett Trust and then, as Trustee of the Burnett Trust, using the funds to purchase the M & B Development note, the McKeathan note, and the Spell note from the C & G Trust, which the bank also administered as Trustee. This contention relies upon Article 7425b-13, V.A.C.S. (1960), which states:

“Trustees selling from one trust to another trust
“A trustee shall not as trustee of one trust sell property to another trust estate of which it is trustee, except bonds, notes, bills and other obligations issued, or fully guaranteed as to both principal and interest, by the United States of America, which may be so sold and transferred by the trustee, from one trust estate to another, at the current market price. Acts 1943, 48th Leg. p. 232, ch. 148 sec. 13.”

Article 7425b-13, V.A.C.S., is not controlling in the instant case. The Texas Trust Act goes on to say in Article 7425b~22, V.A.C.S. (1960):

“Power of trustor
“The trustor of any trust affected by this Act may, by provisions in the trust instrument creating the trust, or by an amendment of the trust if the trustor reserved the power to amend the trust, relieve his trustee from any or all the duties, restrictions, and liabilities which would otherwise be imposed upon him by this Act; or alter or deny to his trustee any or all the privileges and powers conferred upon the trustee by this Act; or add duties, restrictions, liabilities, privileges, or powers to those imposed or granted by this Act; but no act of the trustor shall relieve a corporate trustee from the duties, restrictions, and liabilities imposed upon it by Sections 10, 11, and 12 of this Act. Acts 1943, 48th Leg. p. 232, ch. 148 sec. 22.”

The Burnett trust agreement gave the Trustee the power “to transfer, assign, sell and convey any or all of the real or personal property constituting the Trust Estate upon such terms and for such consideration as in the exclusive judgment of the Trustee may seem to the best interest of the trust estate and to invest and reinvest the assets of the Trust Estate, whether such assets shall consist of the principal thereof or the income therefrom, in any nature of real or personal property, within or without the State of Texas, without being limited by the provisions of any law governing the investment of trust funds.” The trust goes on to allow the Trustee to invest in semi-proven oil, gas or mineral leases or royalties. The Trustee is also given the power “in its sole discretion, to do and perform any and all acts necessary or convenient in the handling of the trust property and in administering the Trust Estate and in carrying out the powers herein granted, and to execute any and all documents necessary or convenient in the handling of the trust property and in the administration of the Trust Estate and in carrying out the powers therein granted, to the same extent as if the Trustee were the owner of the full fee simple title to the trust property, it being understood that the enumeration of the specific powers herein need not be construed to in any manner limit the general authority hereby granted.”

It is apparent that the Burnett Trust instrument contains provisions that relieve the Trustee of any restrictions on investment. This is permitted by sec. 22 of the Texas Trust Act except as to secs. 10, 11 and 12 of the Act. Therefore, sec. 13 of the Texas Trust Act is not controlling in this case. The appellants virtually admit this fact in their brief.

Certainly the transfer of the three notes in question between the C & G Trust and the Burnett Trust cannot be said to violate the terms of the Burnett Trust and constitute improper self-dealing on the part of the appellee. The provisions of the Búrnett Trust that make these transfers proper under the Texas Trust Act must also be construed to allow these transfers under the [876]*876Burnett Trust instrument itself. All of the provisions of the Burnett Trust instrument set out above are substantially similar to the provisions of the C & G Trust instrument that was litigated in Burnett v. First National Bank of Waco, supra, and held to be proper. We find no genuine issue of fact concerning whether the bank was guilty of improper self-dealing.

The appellant asserts that the appellee has not proven as a matter of law that there is no genuine issue of fact concerning whether the bank is guilty of imprudent investment and mismanagement in purchasing the three notes in question, at face value, with cash belonging to the Burnett Trust. The bank advanced money to the Burnett Trust to purchase the three notes in question and took as security for the loan some stock that was one of the assets of the Burnett Trust. Initially, we must note that the appellants in their first amended counterclaim seem only to have a singular complaint. The act of self-dealing comprises that complaint as pointed out in the pleading where appellants allege mismanagement and then specifically equate such to a violation of Article 7425b-13. The pleading goes on to complain of the “ . . . mismanagement as alleged above . . .”, when in fact the only act of mismanagement alleged is self-dealing. Nevertheless, we will examine the record to determine if the absence of any issue of fact concerning mismanagement has been proven by the appellee.

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Bluebook (online)
567 S.W.2d 873, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burnett-v-first-national-bank-of-waco-texapp-1978.