Deborah Morales v. Terry Walker, Kristy Walker, Carlos Gracian, Vicki Gracian, Jason Flewellin, and Tiffeny Flewellin

CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio)
DecidedApril 30, 2026
Docket04-24-00867-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Deborah Morales v. Terry Walker, Kristy Walker, Carlos Gracian, Vicki Gracian, Jason Flewellin, and Tiffeny Flewellin (Deborah Morales v. Terry Walker, Kristy Walker, Carlos Gracian, Vicki Gracian, Jason Flewellin, and Tiffeny Flewellin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio) primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Deborah Morales v. Terry Walker, Kristy Walker, Carlos Gracian, Vicki Gracian, Jason Flewellin, and Tiffeny Flewellin, (Tex. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

Fourth Court of Appeals San Antonio, Texas MEMORANDUM OPINION

No. 04-24-00867-CV

Deborah MORALES a/k/a Deborah Lund, Appellant

v.

Terry WALKER, Kristy Walker, Carlos Gracian, Vicki Gracian, Jason Flewellin, and Tiffeny Flewellin, Appellees

From the 131st Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas Trial Court No. 2022-CI-08232 Honorable Rosie Alvarado, Judge Presiding

Opinion by: Adrian A. Spears II, Justice

Sitting: Irene Rios, Justice Lori Massey Brissette, Justice Adrian A. Spears II, Justice

Delivered and Filed: April 30, 2026

AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED

After a jury trial, Appellant Deborah Morales a/k/a Deborah Lund (“Morales”) was found

liable under section 12.002 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code for filing a fraudulent

Affidavit of Adverse Possession in the deed records in Bexar County, Texas. Because the trial

court’s judgment reflects an incorrect post-judgment interest rate, we modify the trial court’s 04-24-00867-CV

judgment to provide for a post-judgment interest rate of 7.75%. We affirm the judgment as

modified.

BACKGROUND

The dispute between the parties in this appeal arose when on March 25, 2022, Morales

filed an Affidavit of Adverse Possession (“the affidavit”) in the Official Public Records of Bexar

County, Texas, which was recorded as Document Number 20220076010. The affidavit asserted

that Morales was the sole owner by adverse possession of a private road located in the Stage Coach

Hills Subdivision. The private road runs in front of Morales’s property and the property of

Appellees Kristy and Terry Walker, and behind the properties of Appellees Vicki and Carlos

Gracian, and Appellees Tiffeny and Jason Flewellin. The private road is the only access the

Walkers and Morales have to their respective properties. On May 3, 2022, the appellees filed suit

seeking a declaratory judgment that Morales did not own the private road. They also brought a suit

under Chapter 12 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, alleging that the affidavit filed

by Morales constituted a fraudulent claim against real property and that they were entitled to

statutory damages, attorney’s fees, and costs. 1 The jury found that Morales was liable under

Chapter 12 and awarded the Walkers $105,462 in attorney’s fees through trial. 2 The final judgment

awarded (1) $10,000 in statutory damages pursuant to section 12.002 to each appellee; (2)

attorney’s fees in conformity with the jury’s verdict to the Walkers; and (3) court costs of $439.12

to the Walkers.

1 Initially, all appellees were represented by Elms Macchia, PLLC. By the time of trial, Elms Macchia, PLLC represented only Terry Walker and Kristy Walker, having been allowed by the trial court to withdraw from representing the other appellees. Thereafter, the other appellees proceeded pro se. After the Walkers filed their appellees’ brief, the Gracians and the Flewellins filed a motion to join in and adopt the appellees’ brief filed by the Walkers, which this court granted. 2 The jury also awarded contingent appellate attorney’s fees.

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Morales appealed. 3

LEGAL SUFFICIENCY

Morales argues that the evidence is legally insufficient to show that she filed the affidavit

with knowledge that the document was fraudulent or with intent to cause harm. 4 See TEX. CIV.

PRAC. & REM. CODE § 12.002 (a) (imposing liability for making, presenting or using a document

or other record with “knowledge that the document or other record is a fraudulent court record or

a fraudulent lien or claim against real or personal property or an interest in real or personal

property,” with “intent the document or other record be given the same legal effect as a court

record or document of a court,” and with “intent to cause another person to suffer: (A) physical

injury; (B) financial injury; or (C) mental anguish or emotional distress”). Morales emphasizes

that on January 26, 2023, she revoked the affidavit and waived her claim of adverse possession.5

She further argues that the appellees stipulated to having no actual damages and to pursuing only

statutory damages. According to Morales, mere disagreement over boundary rights or clerical error

does not satisfy intent to harm element. We review legal sufficiency under the usual standard of

review. See Graham Cent. Station, Inc. v. Pena, 442 S.W.3d 261, 263 (Tex. 2014).

The affidavit affirmed that Morales had “been in possession and maintained possession of

the [p]rivate [r]oad at 9039 Cap Mountain Drive”; had “exclusively occupied and used the [p]rivate

3 Morales was represented by counsel at trial but now represents herself on appeal. We note that Morales has brought several issues for the first time in her reply brief, including that she was deprived of a fair opportunity to prepare a defense and that the Walkers’ attorney committed “unauthorized hybrid representation” at trial. Generally, an issue raised for the first time in a reply brief is waived and need not be considered by this court. See MedFin Manager, LLC v. Stone, 613 S.W.3d 624, 627 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2020, no pet.); McAlester Fuel Co. v. Smith Int’l, Inc., 257 S.W.3d 732, 737 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2007, pet. denied). Thus, we limit our analysis to the issues brought in appellant’s brief and do not consider the additional issues brought for the first time in her reply brief. 4 Morales also argues the trial court erred in denying her motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. Because we review a judgment notwithstanding the verdict (“JNOV”) under a no-evidence standard of review, we will analyze her arguments regarding the trial court’s error in denying her motion for JNOV in the legal sufficiency sections of this memorandum opinion. See Bank of Am., N.A. v. Eisenhauer, 474 S.W.3d 264, 265 (Tex. 2015). 5 At trial, there was evidence that the appellees proceeded with their declaration action and chapter 12 suit after Morales revoked the affidavit, because they had already incurred substantial attorney’s fees and had no assurance that Morales would not file a similar document in the future.

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[r]oad since July 30, 2000”; had “continuously possessed, cultivated, used, and enjoyed the

Property without interruption by and adverse suit to recover the Property”; had “[s]ince July 30,

2000, . . . actually and visibly appropriated the Property and claimed the Property as [her] own

inconsistent with and hostile to the claims of all others”; and had “possession and use of the

[p]rivate [r]oad since July 30, 2000.” From the evidence at trial, the jury could reasonably conclude

that Morales fraudulently made these statements with intent to harm.

At trial, there was evidence that Morales’s neighbors had the right to use the private road

and did use the private road. Terry and Kristi Walker purchased their property on Cap Mountain

Drive in September 2000 and have lived continuously there since their house was constructed in

2001. The private road provides the only access to their property. Kristi Walker testified that her

warranty deed gave her the right to use the private road, limiting her right subject to the rights, if

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Deborah Morales v. Terry Walker, Kristy Walker, Carlos Gracian, Vicki Gracian, Jason Flewellin, and Tiffeny Flewellin, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deborah-morales-v-terry-walker-kristy-walker-carlos-gracian-vicki-txctapp4-2026.