Klutts v. Newbury

453 S.W.2d 243, 1970 Tex. App. LEXIS 2557
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 27, 1970
DocketNo. 17086
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 453 S.W.2d 243 (Klutts v. Newbury) 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
Klutts v. Newbury, 453 S.W.2d 243, 1970 Tex. App. LEXIS 2557 (Tex. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinions

OPINION

LANGDON, Justice.

This appeal is from a summary judgment.

On April 2, 1969, George M. Klutts, plaintiff, instituted suit in the 90th District Court of Young County, Texas, on a note for $1,147.00 against the defendant, Blanche C. Newbury, Guardian of the Estates of Blanche Louise Newbury and Elizabeth Anne Newbury, minors. He alleged in his sworn pleading that commencing in January, 1968, he did certain dental work on the two minors then living in Graham, Young County, Texas. That the defendant, Blanche C. Newbury, mother of the two minors, in her capacity as guardian, executed the note on January 19, 1968, in payment for such work. That it provided for ten per cent interest from date, reasonable attorney’s fees “and for the payment of other costs and charges for the collection thereof. The petition recited that the note was attached thereto as Exhibit A. A copy of the note does not appear in the record. There is attached to the petition a copy of an itemized statement for dental services allegedly furnished the two minors in the total amount of $1,167.00, consisting of $890.00 for Blanche Louise and $277.00 for Elizabeth Anne. The petition recited that his claim for the dental work had been presented to the (defendant) guardian of the estates of the minors in. guardianship proceeding No. 3210 which was then and is still pending in the County Court of Young County, Texas, and that same had been rejected according to letter dated March 17, 1969.

The defendant’s answer consisted of a plea of privilege, a plea in abatement, a plea of res judicata and a sworn denial. The trial court overruled the plea of privilege. Both parties filed motions for summary judgment. The defendant’s motion based upon the defense of res judicata was granted and that of the plaintiff was denied, the judgment reciting “that plaintiff take nothing.”

The appellant by a single point contends the court erred in granting the summary judgment because his suit “was not barred and Fact Issues existed.” The appellee insists that her plea of res judicata is conclusively established by the record, and thus the judgment should be affirmed.

We reverse and remand.

The parties will be referred to as they were in the trial court, the appellant as plaintiff and the appellee as defendant.

The following matters reflected by the record and deemed pertinent to this appeal are listed in chronological order:

March 3, 1969 — The plaintiff’s claim against the guardianship was sworn and subscribed to by the plaintiff. The record does not reflect the date on which the claim was presented. It was in the amount of $1,167.00 based upon the samé itemized statement for dental services which was attached to the plaintiff’s petition above described. The claim as filed was in full [245]*245compliance with V.A.T.S. Probate Code, § 301.

March 14, 1969 — The following endorsement was placed upon the plaintiff’s claim and signed by Blanche Curtis Newbury, Guardian of the persons and estates of the two minors: “The above claim duly authenticated was presented to me on the 14th day of March, 1969, and after examining it, I hereby reject it, this the 14th day of March, 1969. I hereby reject this fantastic claim, but agree to $332.00 as fair, as proposed by Mr. Jennings, Judge Thompson and myself. It was too much at that.”

March 17, 1969 — A letter bearing this date was written to the plaintiff by the attorney of record in the guardianship proceeding which stated: “Your sworn claim against the estates of the two minor children has been presented to Mrs. Newbury, and she has determined to reject your claim except to the extent of $332.00, of which $90.00 is allowed against the estate of Elizabeth Anne Newbury and the sum of $242.00 is allowed against the estate of Blanche Louise Newbury. The claim was presented to Mrs. Newbury on March 14, 1969, and her action was taken on March 14, 1969. I have this date forwarded this claim to the County Clerk of Young County for filing.” (Emphasis ours.)

April 2,1969 — Less than twenty (20) days after his claim had been rejected in part by the guardian the plaintiff filed his suit (subject of this appeal) in the District Court for the entire amount of his original claim.

V.A.T.S. Probate Code, § 313, provides that “When a claim or a part thereof has been rejected by the representative, the claimant shall institute suit thereon within ninety days after such rejection, or the claim shall be barred. * * * ” See also 27 Tex.Jur.2d 506, § 217, concerning suits to establish rejected claims and § 218, p. 507, of same text.

April 2, 1969 — On or after the date he filed suit in the District Court the plaintiff filed an objection to the closing of the guardianship proceeding No. 3210 in the County Court of Young County, Texas, which stated: “Now comes DR. GEORGE M. KLUTTS and files this his written objection to the closing of the above guardianship and for reason would show that he has filed suit in the District Court of Young County, Texas, against the guardianship for money owed him, in the guardianship in No. 16,472, George M. Klutts, DDS vs. Blanche C. Newbury, Guardian of the Estates of Blanche Louise Newbury and Elizabeth Anne Newbury, Minors, and that said guardianship should not be closed until such time as his cause is disposed of.

“A copy of this Petition is attached to his written objection.” (Emphasis ours.)

April 29, 1969 — The order approving the annual account and order for payment of claims in the guardianship proceeding No. 3210 was signed by the judge thereof and filed. The last paragraph of the order contains a reference to the written objections (described in the preceding paragraph) filed by the plaintiff and reads as follows: “And it further appearing to the Court that Dr. G. M. Klutts has appeared herein and requested the Court not to act on the final account on the Estate of Elizabeth Anne Newbury until such time as Cause No. 16472 is disposed of, and there being no objection to a postponement of a hearing on the final account of the Guardian in connection with the Estate of Elizabeth Anne Newbury Alland, who is no longer a minor, it is therefore ORDERED that the hearing on the application of the Guardian for discharge with respect to the Estate of Elizabeth Anne Newbury Alland be and the same is hereby continued at this time.”

May 28, 1969 — The County Judge made and signed the following endorsement or notation on the plaintiff’s claim (in the guardianship) on the same page below the March 14, 1969, endorsement of partial rejection of the claim (above described) which was signed by Blanche C. Newbury:

“This claim, having been duly presented to and allowed by the guardian of the es[246]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ullrich v. Estate of Anderson
740 S.W.2d 481 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
453 S.W.2d 243, 1970 Tex. App. LEXIS 2557, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/klutts-v-newbury-texapp-1970.