Hawkins, J. v. Hawkins, S.

• Court: Superior Court of Pennsylvania
• Decided: October 15, 2025
• Docket: 3181 EDA 2024
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

J-A25001-25

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

JASMINE HAWKINS AND CAM'REE : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF HAWKINS : PENNSYLVANIA : : v. : : : STEPHANIE HAWKINS : : No. 3181 EDA 2024 Appellant :

Appeal from the Judgment Entered January 13, 2025 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Civil Division at No(s): 230802128

BEFORE: LAZARUS, P.J., BOWES, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.*

JUDGMENT ORDER BY LAZARUS, P.J.: FILED OCTOBER 15, 2025

Stephanie Hawkins (“Stephanie”) appeals from the judgment, entered

in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, ordering her to turn

over to Appellees, Jasmine Hawkins (“Jasmine”) and Cam’ree Hawkins

(“Cam’ree”) (collectively, “Appellees”), the sum of $216,000.00, representing

80% of the proceeds of an insurance policy on the life of Steven Hawkins,

Deceased. We quash.

Due to our disposition, a detailed recitation of the facts and procedural

history of this case is unnecessary. In brief, Appellees, who are the children

of the Decedent, sued Stephanie, who is Decedent’s sister and Appellees’ aunt,

to recover a portion of Decedent’s life insurance proceeds, which they asserted

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* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-A25001-25

Stephanie had agreed to hold in trust for them.1 Following an October 7,

2024, nonjury trial before the Honorable Kenneth J. Powell, Jr., at which

Stephanie proceeded pro se, the court directed the parties to submit proposed

findings of fact and conclusions of law by November 4, 2024. On October 18,

2024, Joseph P. Capone, Esquire, entered his appearance on Stephanie’s

behalf. Neither party complied with the trial court’s directive to file proposed

findings of fact and conclusions of law.

On November 6, 2024, Judge Powell entered a verdict in favor of

Appellees. The following day, Attorney Capone hand-delivered to the court,

but did not file of record, untimely proposed findings of fact and conclusions

of law, as well as an “informal request” that the court vacate its November 6,

2024 decision, which the court denied by order dated November 8, 2024. See

Trial Court Opinion, 3/21/25, at 3. Stephanie did not file post-trial motions.

On November 26, 2024, Stephanie filed a notice of appeal to this Court. 2 ____________________________________________

1 Jasmine had recently graduated from college and Decedent “did not want additional money to be sent directly to her out of fear she would not manage it responsibly.” Complaint, 8/18/23, at ¶ 9(b). Cam’ree was a minor at the time Decedent executed his beneficiary designation and did not trust his ex- wife, Cam’ree’s mother, to distribute or use the funds for Cam’ree’s benefit. Id. at ¶¶ 9(c), (d).

2 Stephanie purported to appeal from the trial court’s November 8, 2024 order

denying her informal request to vacate the November 6, 2024 decision for Appellees. On December 30, 2024, this Court issued a rule to show cause directing Stephanie to praecipe the trial court to enter judgment on its November 6, 2024 decision within 14 days. See Prime Medica Associates v. Valley Forge Ins. Co., 970 A.2d 1149, 1154 n.6 (Pa. Super. 2009) (appeal properly lies from final judgment). Stephanie did so on January 13, 2025; as (Footnote Continued Next Page)

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Prior to addressing the merits of Stephanie’s appellate claims, we must

determine whether she has properly preserved them. “[Pennsylvania Rule of

Civil Procedure] 227.1 requires parties to file post-trial motions in order to

preserve issues for appeal. If an issue has not been raised in a post-trial

motion, it is waived for appeal purposes.” Matthew 2535 Properties, LLC

v. Denithorne, 313 A.3d 223, 232 (Pa. Super. 2024). This requirement

applies to actions at law and in equity. Chalkey v. Roush, 805 A.2d 491,

492 (Pa. 2002).

Here, Stephanie did not file a post-trial motion as required by Rule

227.1. Accordingly, she has waived all of her claims on appeal. Matthew

2535 Properties, LLC, supra.

Appeal quashed.

Date: 10/15/2025

such, this appeal is properly before us. See id. (final judgment entered during pendency of appeal sufficient to perfect appellate jurisdiction).

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