McGough ex rel. Wonzer v. Moore

828 S.W.2d 547, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 952, 1992 WL 68611
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 6, 1992
DocketNo. 01-91-01160-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 828 S.W.2d 547 (McGough ex rel. Wonzer v. Moore) 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
McGough ex rel. Wonzer v. Moore, 828 S.W.2d 547, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 952, 1992 WL 68611 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinions

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

DUNN, Justice.

We withdraw our opinion of January 29, 1992, and vacate our order conditionally granting the writ of mandamus to order Judge Moore to vacate his order of November 15, 1991. We deny the writ of mandamus.

After signing the final judgment in the underlying cause of action, respondent discharged John Culberson as guardian ad litem for Taffidie Nikole McGough. Thus, from November 15, 1991, when John Cul-berson was discharged as guardian ad li-tem, until February 12, 1992, when respondent appointed Kelly Coghlan as guardian ad litem, Taffidie was not represented by a guardian ad litem.1 During this period of time, Bill and Linda Wonzer, who are Taffi-die’s grandparents and temporary managing conservators and represent her as next friends in the underlying lawsuit, filed this original proceeding for relief by way of mandamus.

We note that our prior opinion was issued without the benefit of exhibits that were not submitted by the Wonzers’ attorneys for review by this Court and that have since been offered by Coghlan for our consideration. These documents include the statement of facts from a hearing on substitution of counsel, on September 20, 1991, when Bill Wonzer, Taffidie’s step-grandfather, testified extensively about Taffidie’s needs and the Wonzers’ requests for money for Taffidie’s care. We feel that evidence adduced at this hearing weighed heavily in respondent’s decision to order investment of part of the funds awarded Taffidie in an annuity. Based on all the relevant exhibits now before this Court, we conclude that respondent acted in accordance with the broad, statutory grant of authority afforded a trial court judge under section 142.001 of the Texas Property Code and, therefore, did not abuse his discretion in entering the order of November 15, 1991, on application and hearing, for investment of funds in an annuity.

[549]*549The issue before this court in the mandamus proceeding is what a trial court judge is empowered to do under section 142.001 of the Texas Property Code. Section 142.-001 provides:

In a suit in which a minor or incapacitated person who has no legal guardian is represented by a next friend, the court, on application and hearing, may provide by decree for the investment of funds accruing to the minor or other person under the judgment in the suit.

Tex.Prop.Code Ann. § 142.001(a) (Vernon 1984). It is undisputed that Taffidie is a minor, who has no legal guardian, and who was, for purposes of the underlying lawsuit, represented by her next friends, the Wonzers. Thus, this Court must determine the following disputed issues: (1) whether an application was made, (2) whether a hearing was held by respondent, and (8) whether the November 15, 1991, order for investment of funds accruing to Taffidie was outside the scope of the trial court’s authority under section 142.001. In order to resolve these disputed issues, we must carefully examine the record before this Court for purposes of the mandamus proceeding.

Summary of Pacts

The Wonzers represented Taffidie as next friends in a lawsuit to recover for personal injuries she sustained in a swimming pool accident. Taffidie is permanently brain damaged, needs round-the-clock nursing care, and has a life expectancy of approximately 75 years. After a jury trial, but before the jury returned its verdict, the parties reached a settlement that will generate about $10.5 million for Taffidie’s benefit.

1. Hearing on settlement and before jury’s verdict.

The Wonzers represented Taffidie in the personal injury lawsuit, which proceeded to trial in respondent’s court. On April 9, 1991, while the jury was deliberating, the parties to the underlying lawsuit advised the court that they had entered into a “high-low” agreement. The parties then recited the specifics of the agreement into the record of the court. All the defendants, plaintiffs, and their respective attorneys stated that the agreement, as read into the record, was correct. In addition, Charles Neelley, attorney for Tammie McGough, Taffidie’s mother, dictated another agreement into the record, as between himself and the guardian ad litem for Taffidie. Neelley stated he and the guardian ad litem agreed that the funds tendered into the registry of the court “would be governed by section 142 [of the Texas Property Code] and the court has jurisdiction or the obligation to make a determination as to approving the agreement.” The court then approved the settlement.

2. Hearing on investment of settlement funds awarded the minor.

At a hearing on September 4, 1991, the trial court announced that there was $17,-000,000, plus interest, in the registry of the court and that the parties had agreed that $4,500,000 indisputably belonged to Taffi-die. The trial court also announced that more money would be available for Taffi-die, but the balance was subject to attorney’s fees and other possible interests as between the parties, and no action could be taken regarding the balance until these matters were settled.

The court then stated that all parties interested should go on record about proper investment of four million of this award. Neelley announced that his understanding was that the agreement provided that the funds would be administered by the court and by a section 142 trustee, who would be designated by the court. The court attempted to clarify the parties’ previous agreement, and questioned whether the funds could be put into a trust, but not necessarily a section 142 trust. The court stated, “The $4,000,000 will be invested in an annuity with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for the use and benefit of Taffidie McGough, which annuity will pay $34,691.48 per month, guaranteed for fifteen years.” The court further stated that the only question raised by Neelley was how the $34,691.48 was to be administered. [550]*550Neelley replied that the only thing to which he agreed was direct administration by the court or creation of a section 142 trust.

The court stated that he would hear testimony on how the $34,691.48 was to be administered and expressed concern about tax consequences of an annuity. He was advised by Roy Collins, a Vice-President and Trust Officer for River Oaks Bank, that “if Sec. 130 of the IRS Code was followed, then it is not taxable to the annui-tist.” Neelley stated he would agree to the investment of the funds in the annuity if he received a copy of the tax opinion from Metropolitan assuring him that the funds would be tax free. The guardian ad litem joined Neelley in imposing this condition. The parties then went off the record.

Back on the record, the court proceeded with the hearing. The first witness was Roy Collins. He stated that he was contacted some months before September and was actively involved in discussing the investment of the child’s money with all of the lawyers. He agreed that a section 142 trust could be administered by his bank and that they would look after the needs of the child. He stated that administration of approximately $34,000, the monthly amount that the annuity would yield, would cost $2,500 the first year, but he did not know what administration of the trust would cost after the first year. He also stated that if there were funds left over each month after disbursement, then there would be an additional cost for administration, depending on the amount remaining in the account.

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Bluebook (online)
828 S.W.2d 547, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 952, 1992 WL 68611, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgough-ex-rel-wonzer-v-moore-texapp-1992.