Sammons v. Elder

940 S.W.2d 276, 1997 WL 43359
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 31, 1997
Docket10-95-234-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 940 S.W.2d 276 (Sammons v. Elder) 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
Sammons v. Elder, 940 S.W.2d 276, 1997 WL 43359 (Tex. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

DAVIS, Chief Justice.

This will construction case primarily concerns the interpretation of the term “savings account and/or savings certificate.” After a bench trial, the court found that all but two of the decedent’s, Waldine Harvey Novian’s (“Novian”), various money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts constituted a “savings account and/or savings certificate,” thereby passing to her two children under the will. The trial court found the two remaining accounts to be checking accounts, which passed equally to her stepdaughter and children. - Appellant complains of the trial court’s rulings regarding the existence of a “savings account and/or savings certificate,” the failure to remove Appellees as independent executors of Novi-an’s estate, and the denial of attorney’s fees. By cross-points, Appellees complain that the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and the final judgment do not coincide and, further, complain of the denial of attorney’s fees. Because we find that the trial court did not err in its rendition concerning the interpretation and administration of this will, we affirm.

FACTS

Novian bequeathed to her two natural children, Mary Ann Elder (“Elder”) and Robert Hicks Harvey (“Harvey”), all the money in her “savings account and/or savings certificate” under Article Third of her will. Joyce Novian Sammons (“Sammons”), Novian’s stepdaughter, received a residuary interest that passed equally among her, Elder and Harvey under Article Fourth. In an inventory filed and approved by the County Court, Elder and Harvey, acting in their capacities as independent executors, listed Novian’s various accounts as cheeking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Sam-mons claimed the inventory reflected that no “savings account and/or saving certificate” existed at the time of Novian’s death; therefore, any bequest under Article Third failed based upon the doctrine of ademption. See Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children v. Stahl, 610 S.W.2d 147 (Tex.1980). Thus, Sammons argued all the accounts listed in the inventory passed equally to her, Elder, and Harvey under Article Fourth. Elder and Harvey claimed all the accounts constituted a “savings account and/or savings certificate” under Article Third.

PRESERVATION

Initially, we must consider whether the parties preserved their complaints. To preserve a complaint of error, a party must present to the trial court a timely request, objection, or motion detailing the specific grounds for why the court should rule as the party desires. Tex.R.App.P. 52(a). In a non-jury trial, a party attacking the legal or factual sufficiency of the evidence supporting a finding of fact or complaining that a finding of fact was established as a matter of law or was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence need not comply with Rule 52(a). Id. 52(d). In this case, both parties attacked only the trial court’s conclusions of law. Attacks on conclusions of law are not listed in Rule 52(d). Id. We find that conclusions of law in a nonjury trial are reviewable by this Court without preservation under Rule 52(a). 1 See Spiller v. Spiller, 901 S.W.2d *280 553, 556 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1995, writ denied); Westech Eng. v. Clearwater Constructors, 835 S.W.2d 190, 196 (Tex.App.—Austin 1992, no writ). We recognize that other courts require a post-judgment request, objection, or motion in compliance with Rule 52(a). Regan v. Lee, 879 S.W.2d 133, 136 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1994, no writ); Winters v. Arm Refining Co., Inc., 830 S.W.2d 737, 738-39 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1992, writ denied). However, we believe conclusions of law are always reviewable. Spiller, 901 S.W.2d at 556; Westech Eng., 835 S.W.2d at 196. Thus, even though neither party complied with Rule 52(a), we review the merits of this case. 2

ACCOUNT CHARACTERIZATION

Res Judicata, Equitable Estoppel and Collateral Estoppel

Sammons’ third point complains that the trial court erred in finding the existence of a “savings account and/or savings certificate” because Elder and Harvey did not list any savings accounts or savings certificates in the inventory. Relying on judicial admission, res judicata, equitable estoppel and collateral estoppel theories, Sammons asserts that Elder and Harvey may not contradict their characterization of the accounts in the inventory. However, the record does not indicate that Sammons advanced these theories before the trial court. Thus, the trial court filed no conclusions of law on these theories. Sammons cannot attack conclusions of law the trial court never made; she can only appeal fact determinations specified under Rule 52(d) or comply with Rule 52(a). Tex.R.App.P. 52(a), 52(d). She did neither. Therefore, her third point of error is overruled. D/FW Commercial Roofing Co., Inc. v. Mehra, 854 S.W.2d 182, 189 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1993, no writ); Andrews v. ABJ Adjusters, Inc., 800 S.W.2d 567, 568-69 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1990, writ denied); NCNB Texas Nat. Bank v. Sterling Projects, 789 S.W.2d 358, 360 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1990, writ dism’d w.o.j.).

Ambiguity

In her second point, Sammons complains the trial court erred in holding the term “savings account and/or savings certificate” ambiguous. Whether an ambiguity exists is generally a question of law for the court. Hudson v. Hopkins, 799 S.W.2d 783, 786 (Tex.App.—Tyler 1990, no writ). A conclusion of law will not be reversed unless it is erroneous as a matter of law. Spiller, 901 S.W.2d at 556; Piazza v. City of Granger, 909 S.W.2d 529, 532 (Tex.App.—Austin 1995, no writ). We determine error by reviewing the legal conclusions drawn from the facts found to determine their correctness. Westech Eng., 835 S.W.2d at 196 n. 1.

Sammons alleges that the meaning of a “savings account and/or savings certificate” is unambiguous. However, she fails to cite to a case defining this term. Instead, she relies solely on the dictionary definition of a “savings account.” Thus, Sammons defines a savings account as “an account (as in a bank) on which interest is usually paid and from which withdrawals can be made and usually only by presentation of a passbook or by written authorization on a prescribed form.” Whereas a savings certificate is “a savings account evidenced by a certificate rather than a passbook.” 3 Certificates of

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
940 S.W.2d 276, 1997 WL 43359, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sammons-v-elder-texapp-1997.