In Re Mah

365 S.W.3d 814, 2012 WL 1036388
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 16, 2012
Docket05-10-01505-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 365 S.W.3d 814 (In Re Mah) 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
In Re Mah, 365 S.W.3d 814, 2012 WL 1036388 (Tex. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

365 S.W.3d 814 (2012)

In the Interest of M.A.H., A.B.H., and C.T.H., Children.

No. 05-10-01505-CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Dallas.

March 29, 2012.
Rehearing Overruled May 16, 2012.

*815 Thomas B. Cowart, Wasoff & Cowart, PLLC, Dallas, TX, for Appellant.

Katherine Lee Metcalf, Attorney at Law, Rockwall, TX, Brent M. Higa, Wylie, TX, Ashley Bowline Russell, O'Neil Attorneys, Dallas, TX, for Appellee.

Before Justices MORRIS, FILLMORE, and MYERS.

OPINION

Opinion By Justice MYERS.

Appellant and appellee are, respectively, the mother and father of M.A.H., A.B.H., and C.T.H. Appellant appeals the trial court's judgment on a rule 11 agreement in this case filed by appellee for divorce and suit affecting the parent-child relationship. Appellant brings two issues asserting the trial court erred in rendering judgment on the agreement after appellant had withdrawn her consent to the agreement. We affirm the trial court's granting the divorce, and we otherwise reverse the trial court's judgment and remand the cause for further proceedings.

*816 BACKGROUND

Appellant and appellee were married with three minor children when appellee filed for divorce. The parties, without attorneys present, negotiated an agreement between themselves concerning the division of property, spousal maintenance, possession and conservatorship of the children, and child support. Appellee's attorney prepared a written rule 11 agreement purporting to incorporate the terms of their agreement. The proposed divorce decree incorporated into the rule 11 agreement made an unequal division of community property in favor of appellee, made the parties joint managing conservators of the children, gave appellee the exclusive right to designate the children's primary residence, ordered appellant to pay child support of $333.84 per month, and ordered appellee to pay appellant maintenance of $700 per month for thirty-six months. The first page of the agreement stated the parties "have not signed by virtue of any coercion, any duress, or any agreement other than those specifically contained herein." The second page of the agreement stated in underlined and boldface letters, "Both parties further agree that by signing this Rule 11 Agreement the Final Decree of Divorce ... is not subject to revocation, is enforceable as a contract and is not subject to appeal." (Emphasis omitted.) The agreement also stated the parties acknowledge that before signing the agreement, they had read it "fully and completely" and had the opportunity to seek advice of counsel. The agreement stated that the parties signed it believing it "to be a just and right division of the marital debt and assets." The agreement also stated in large, capitalized, underlined, and boldface letters, "This agreement is not subject to revocation." (Emphasis omitted.) The parties signed the agreement before a notary on July 16, 2010, and the agreement was filed in the trial court.

On August 2, 2010, appellant filed her answer pro se in the trial court, stating:

I did not sign the documents under my own free will. I signed them forcibly, was threatened by my husband and under duress. He told me he would take my kids away and put me in jail for past credit debt. I was sick, scared, depressed & worried about losing my kids. Please give me the opportunity to explain my side to the court now that I found out what I signed and his intention to have me leave my house by August 9. I do not have any money for legal help or anywhere to go. My husband is constantly tormenting me of my situation.

By August 5, appellant had retained counsel, who filed a motion to set aside the rule 11 agreement, alleging appellant signed the agreement under duress without having an opportunity to review it, without knowledge of many of its provisions, and that the provisions were not just and right. The motion asked the court to "set aside the Rule 11 Agreement and all other documents that were signed by [her] on Friday, July 16, 2010."

On August 9, 2010, appellee filed his "Counterclaim and Motion to Enforce Rule 11 Agreement and to Sign Decree of Divorce." Appellee's "motion" was set for hearing three days later on August 12.

At the August 12 hearing, the parties testified about the circumstances surrounding the creation and signing of the rule 11 agreement and about whether its unequal property division in favor of appellee was just and right. Appellant testified she did not have an attorney to advise her on the agreement because she had no money of her own and appellee would not provide her with funds to hire an attorney. Appellant had a high school education, but *817 she testified she did not know the meaning of the word "revocation" in the sentence, "This agreement is not subject to revocation." She testified she signed it because appellee threatened to put her in jail if she did not sign it.[1] The notary asked appellant if she knew what she was signing and if she was signing of her own free will, and she answered "yes" to both questions. She testified, however, that she did not know what she was signing and "I just signed it just to get him off my back."

Appellant testified that the written agreement differed from their discussions in that the written agreement gave appellee primary custody of the children, required appellant to vacate the house by August 9, and permitted appellee to claim the children as his dependents on the 2010 taxes. Appellant also did not understand that the child support payments would last longer than the spousal maintenance payments. Appellant testified she never would have agreed to appellant having primary custody of the children. She testified she never would have signed the documents if appellant had not been threatening her with legal action. Appellant asked the trial court to give her the opportunity "to properly investigate the case to determine what's a fair and equitable distribution of the estate and what's in the children's best interest."

On August 12, 2010, the trial court signed the final judgment, which was consistent with the rule 11 agreement. The judgment stated,

The Court finds that the parties have entered into a written agreement as contained in this decree by virtue of having approved this decree as to both form and substance. To the extent permitted by law, the parties stipulate the agreement is enforceable as a contract. The Court approves the agreement of the parties as contained in this Final Decree of Divorce.

The trial court subsequently denied a motion for new trial.

Appellant filed a notice of appeal and an affidavit of indigency seeking to avoid payment of the fees for preparation and filing of the appellate record. The clerk and the court reporter challenged appellant's inability to pay costs. At the hearing on the challenges to appellant's indigency status, appellant testified that pursuant to the divorce decree, she had received two cars, a boat, half of appellee's retirement benefits, and the $364 monthly payments[2] from appellee. Appellant had sold the cars and the boat and had spent most of the proceeds and the cash received in the divorce to purchase a car, a mobile home, and furniture and appliances for the mobile home. The trial court sustained the challenge, partly because appellant testified she had $2500 in a savings account.

ESTOPPEL BY ACCEPTANCE OF BENEFITS OF THE JUDGMENT

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In the Interest of M.A.H.
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
365 S.W.3d 814, 2012 WL 1036388, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-mah-texapp-2012.