Davis v. Davis

734 S.W.2d 707, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7417
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 28, 1987
Docket01-86-0829-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 734 S.W.2d 707 (Davis v. Davis) 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
Davis v. Davis, 734 S.W.2d 707, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7417 (Tex. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

JACK SMITH, Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment wherein Howard Davis, the appellant, brought suit against his ex-wife, Barbara Davis, George Etter IV, and United States National Bank, the appellees. In the first cause of his two causes of action, the appellant alleged that the appellees, as co-trustees of the Davis Family Trust breached their duties by wasting the trust assets. He sued for an accounting, the removal of the trustees, an injunction preventing the appellees from disposing of any assets of the trust estate, reimbursement including interest, and the appointment of a new trustee. In his second cause of action, he alleged that he had been libeled. by the appellees. The trial court’s summary judgment denied all relief prayed for by the appellant.

In April 1981, the Davis Family Trust was created by the appellant’s mother for the benefit of the appellant’s four sons. The appellees, Barbara Davis and United States National Bank, were named co-trustees of this trust. The appellant is neither a beneficiary nor a trustee.

Howard and Barbara Davis were divorced on December 29, 1982, and Barbara was appointed managing conservator of their children. Howard was named possessory conservator. Since the divorce, Howard and Barbara have instigated numerous lawsuits against one another.

As a result of one lawsuit, George Etter IV, vice-president and trust officer of United States National Bank, wrote a letter, dated January 15, 1986, to Barbara Davis, which she sent to attorneys representing her in other litigation in Mississippi. The letter, which informed Barbara that the bank would not voluntarily produce requested documents, was made a part of the record of the Mississippi court proceedings. The appellant claims that the George Etter letter was libelous per se.

In points of error one, two, and three, the appellant contends that the trial court erred in granting the appellees’ motion for summary judgment because: (1) the evi *709 dence in support of the motion does not establish the appellees’ right to judgment as a matter of law; (2) the evidence in support of the motion does not establish that there are no disputed issues of material fact; and (3) under the Texas Family Code and divorce decree, the appellant has a right to protect his residuary interest as well as a right of access to the educational records of his children.

The trial court found, as a matter of law, that the appellant had no standing to enforce the provisions of the trust since he is neither a beneficiary nor a trustee under the trust. Further, the court found that the appellant had no standing, capacity, or power of authority whatsoever to bring this action on behalf of his sons. The basis of the court’s finding was that the divorce decree appointed Barbara Davis managing conservator of the parties’ children with the power to represent their children in legal actions and to make other decisions of substantial legal significance. The court concluded that Howard Davis, as possesso-ry conservator, had no right whatsoever to represent the children in legal actions or to make legal decisions concerning those children.

A defendant who moves for summary judgment has the burden of showing, as a matter of law, that no material issue of fact exists as to the plaintiff’s cause of action. Griffin v. Rowden, 654 S.W.2d 435, 435-36 (Tex.1983). This may be accomplished by the defendant’s summary judgment evidence showing that at least one of the elements of plaintiff’s cause of action has been established conclusively against the plaintiff. Sakowitz, Inc. v. Steck, 669 S.W.2d 105, 107 (Tex.1984).

Barbara Davis’ uncontroverted affidavit, which was attached to her motion for summary judgment, stated in effect that the appellant has no justiciable interest in the trust and may not individually or as next friend bring suit or any action regarding the trust. In his unsworn response to the appellees’ motions for summary judgment, the appellant alleged that he did have standing to sue both individually and as next of friend for his two minor sons. Thus, the question is whether the summary judgment proof conclusively established that the appellant had no justiciable interest that would enable him to maintain his suit.

We first address the appellant’s claim brought in his individual capacity. Under Tex.Prop.Code Ann. sec. 113.151(b) (Vernon 1984), an interested person may file suit to compel the trustee to account to the interested person. A trustee may be removed on petition of an interested person if he or she has materially violated or attempted to violate the terms of the trust, and the violation or attempted violation results in a material financial loss to the trust. Sec. 113.082(a)(1). An interested person is defined as a trustee, beneficiary, or any other person having an interest in or claim against the trust or any person who is affected by the administration of the trust. Sec. 111.004(7). This meaning, as it relates to particular persons, may vary from time to time and must be determined according to the particular purposes of and matter involved in any proceeding. Id.

The trust instrument creating the Davis Family Trust is not included in our record, but the summary judgment evidence is un-controverted that the appellant is neither the trustee nor beneficiary of the Davis Family Trust and that he does not have an individual claim against the trust. The appellant argues that as the residuary beneficiary, of the trust, he has an active interest in the trust not only because it was created for the education and welfare of his children, but also because, in the event one of the beneficiaries of the trust died intestate, he would inherit the interest of that beneficiary.

The appellant does not have standing to sue based on his claim that he is a potential beneficiary of the trust assets. The possibility of inheritance does not create a present interest or right of title in property. A right to inherit does not vest until the death of the intestate. Humphrey v. Bullock, 666 S.W.2d 586, 592 (Tex.App.—Austin 1984, writ ref’d n.r.e.). One cannot maintain a suit for the enforcement or adjudication of a right in property *710 that he expects to inherit, because he has no present right or interest in the property. Davis v. First Nat’l Bank, 139 Tex. 36, 44, 161 S.W.2d 467, 472 (1942); Clark v. Gauntt, 138 Tex. 558, 563, 161 S.W.2d 270, 272 (1942).

While the appellant claims on appeal that he is entitled to an accounting of the Davis Family Trust as a beneficiary of the trust, he did not assert this claim in his response to the appellees’ motion for summary judgment. Once a movant has established his right to a summary judgment on the issues presented, the non-movant’s response should present to the trial court an issue that would preclude summary judgment. Byrd Int’l v. Elec. Data Sys. Corp.,

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Bluebook (online)
734 S.W.2d 707, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7417, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-davis-texapp-1987.