in the Guardianship of Betty Joann Erickson, an Incapacitated Person

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 29, 2006
Docket06-05-00129-CV
StatusPublished

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Bluebook
in the Guardianship of Betty Joann Erickson, an Incapacitated Person, (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion



In The

Court of Appeals

Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana



______________________________



No. 06-05-00129-CV



IN THE GUARDIANSHIP OF BETTY JOANN ERICKSON,

AN INCAPACITATED PERSON





On Appeal from the County Court

Upshur County, Texas

Trial Court No. 170





Before Morriss, C.J., Ross and Carter, JJ.

Opinion by Justice Carter



O P I N I O N



Betty Joann Erickson (Betty) was, by all accounts, a friendly, deeply religious, and stubborn woman. Some time after her husband's death in 2002, Betty's mental capacities began to diminish with the onset of senility, though she still valued her independence. She still maintained an office at the million-dollar business she owned, though she let other people run the business. In August 2005, Betty left her office to go to a feed store. She was missing for the next thirty hours, apparently driving around East Texas before returning home confused and exhausted.

Betty's two sons, both of whom live out of state, applied to have a temporary guardian appointed for Betty. One son, Jim, was deemed ineligible to serve as Betty's guardian. On August 25, 2005, the other son, David Capps (David), was appointed Betty's temporary guardian. Challenging David for both temporary and permanent guardianship were Betty's long-time friend Victor Stolley (Stolley) and a young man who had become close to Betty since her husband's death--Betty's then-twenty-four-year-old employee, Matthew Armstrong (Armstrong).

At the conclusion of a two-day hearing, the court appointed Stolley as Betty's permanent guardian. The court later entered an explicit finding that David had cruelly "and/or negligently" treated Betty and ordered his removal as her temporary guardian. David raises two issues on appeal: (1) the legal and factual sufficiency of evidence of cruel/neglectful treatment supporting the removal of the temporary guardian of the person and the estate, and (2) the court's premature appointment of Stolley as permanent guardian of the person. (1) We find that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to appoint the permanent guardian and, therefore, that appointment is void. We further find that the removal of the temporary guardian was within the trial court's discretion.

Appointment of Permanent Guardian

The qualification of a properly appointed permanent guardian terminates a temporary guardianship. See Blackburn v. Gantt, 561 S.W.2d 269, 272 (Tex. Civ. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] 1978, no writ). If Stolley was properly appointed, David's first issue (the improper removal of the temporary guardian) is moot. See In re Guardianship of Berry, 105 S.W.3d 665, 666 (Tex. App.--Beaumont 2003, no pet.); Douglas v. Proctor, 559 S.W.2d 912, 913 (Tex. Civ. App.--Waco 1977, no writ). We, therefore, address David's second issue first: was the permanent guardian properly appointed? David contends the appointment of the permanent guardian of the person is void because (1) under Section 633(f) of the Texas Probate Code, the trial court was not allowed to appoint any permanent guardian until October 3, 2005, and (2) the trial court denied due process by ruling on applications and motions for permanent guardian not yet set for hearing.

A judgment is void when the trial court rendering it has no jurisdiction over the parties or subject matter. See Cook v. Cameron, 733 S.W.2d 137, 140 (Tex. 1987); In re Guardianship of B.A.G., 794 S.W.2d 510, 511 (Tex. App.--Corpus Christi 1990, no writ); Wilkinson v. Owens, 72 S.W.2d 330, 335 (Tex. Civ. App.--Texarkana 1932, no writ). "[A] void judgment is one entirely null within itself, and which is not susceptible of ratification or confirmation, and its nullity cannot be waived." Easterline v. Bean, 121 Tex. 327, 49 S.W.2d 427, 429 (1932); accord B.A.G., 794 S.W.2d at 511; Wilkinson, 72 S.W.2d at 335. A trial court's subject-matter jurisdiction is a question of law an appellate court reviews de novo by examining the pleadings and any other evidence relevant to the determination. Tex. Natural Res. Conservation Comm'n v. IT-Davy, 74 S.W.3d 849, 855 (Tex. 2002).

The Texas Probate Code confers jurisdiction on county courts to appoint guardians for incapacitated persons. Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § 605 (Vernon 2003); see also Tex. Prob. Code Ann. §§ 606, 677(a) (Vernon Supp. 2006). As to the procedure in creating a permanent guardianship, the Probate Code provides:

The court may not act on an application for the creation of a guardianship until the Monday following the expiration of the 10-day period beginning the date service of notice and citation has been made as provided by Subsections (b), (c), and (d)(1) of this section and the applicant has complied with Subsection (d-1) of this section.



Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § 633(f) (Vernon Supp. 2006). Section 633 does not set out optional procedures; only through compliance with Section 633 of the Texas Probate Code is the trial court's jurisdiction invoked. See B.A.G., 794 S.W.2d at 512-13 (as to then Section 130E of the Texas Probate Code, now recodified at Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § 633 (Vernon Supp 2006)); Wilkinson, 72 S.W.2d at 334-35; Threatt v. Johnson, 156 S.W. 1137, 1139 (Tex. Civ. App.--Texarkana 1913, no writ); accord Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § 684(c) (Vernon 2003) ("court may not grant an application to create a guardianship unless the applicant proves each element required by this code").

Stolley and Armstrong filed and served their permanent guardian application September 19, 2005. The court could not, under Section 633(f), act on that application until October 3, 2005, which was the Monday following the expiration of the ten-day period after service. However, the court held the hearing September 28, 2005. The court rendered judgment in open court, as required under Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § 650 (Vernon 2003), on September 29, 2005. The court stated in open court that "Stolley is named the permanent guardian of the estate" and then clarified "[t]he person and estate." On October 3, 2005, the court signed a written order regarding its earlier judgment. For purposes of our analysis, we note that judgment in this case was rendered by the court's oral pronouncement of judgment in open court September 29, not by the later written order. See In re Marriage of Joyner, 196 S.W.3d 883, 886-87 (Tex. App.--Texarkana 2006, pet. filed) (written judgment subsequent to oral one in open court is "purely a ministerial act"); see also In re Guardianship of Schellenberg

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