Villery v. Solomon

16 S.W.3d 106, 2000 Tex. App. LEXIS 2101, 2000 WL 330208
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 30, 2000
Docket01-99-00932-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 16 S.W.3d 106 (Villery v. Solomon) 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
Villery v. Solomon, 16 S.W.3d 106, 2000 Tex. App. LEXIS 2101, 2000 WL 330208 (Tex. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

SAM NUCHIA, Justice.

Appellant, Ki Yendra Arayan Villery, appeals the final judgment of the trial court determining the heirs of her father, the decedent, C.K. Villery (Villery), to in- *107 elude appellee, Shrunda Love Solomon, as the daughter of the decedent. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

C.K. Villery and Ada (sometimes spelled Aida) Love had a son, Calvin, in November 1968. 1 In August 1971, Ada Love had a daughter, Shrunda. Villery met Janis Williams sometime in 1971, and they were married in 1974. Their daughter, Ki Yen-dra Villery, was born in January 1975. C.K. Villery died intestate in 1991, and in 1995, Calvin Love and his sister, Shrunda Love Solomon, filed an application to determine heirship of the decedent.

Although Janis Villery and Ki Yendra Villery initially denied that both Calvin Love and Shrunda Solomon were the children of Villery, Ki Yendra Villery testified at trial that Calvin Love was her brother, and she does not contest the trial court’s finding that Calvin is the son and heir of Villery. However, she does challenge the trial court’s finding that Shrunda is the daughter and heir of Villery.

DISCUSSION

In her first point of error, appellant contends the trial court erred in declaring Shrunda Love Solomon to be the heir of the decedent, C.K. Villery, as the same was not proved by clear and convincing evidence. In her second point of error, appellant contends the trial court erred in refusing to make the presumptions needed in order to give effect to the DNA test report. We construe appellant’s complaint to be that the evidence was factually insufficient to support the trial court’s finding that Shrunda Love Solomon proved by clear and convincing evidence that she was the biological child of C.K. Villery.

The Probate Code provides that, for the purpose of paternal inheritance,

A person claiming to be a biological child of the decedent, who is not otherwise presumed to be a child of the decedent, may petition the probate court for a determination of right of inheritance. If the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the purported father was the biological father of the child, the child is treated as any other child of the decedent for the purpose of inheritance ....

Tex. Probate Code Ann. § 42(b) (Vernon Supp.2000).

The clear and convincing standard is the degree of proof that will produce in the mind of the trier of fact a firm belief or conviction as to the truth of the allegations sought to be proved. In the Interest of G.M., 596 S.W.2d 846, 847 (Tex. 1980); In the Interest of J.N.R., 982 S.W.2d 137, 141 (Tex.App. — Houston [1st Dist.] 1998, no pet.). On appeal, in evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment, the standard of review is not affected by the heightened burden of proof required in the trial court. J.N.R., 982 S.W.2d at 142. Therefore, to review the factual sufficiency of the evidence when the standard of proof is clear and convincing, we apply the usual factual sufficiency standard of review. See Meadows v. Green, 524 S.W.2d 509, 510 (Tex. 1975). We will set aside the judgment only if the evidence is so weak or the finding so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence as to be clearly wrong and unjust. See Pool v. Ford Motor Co., 715 S.W.2d 629, 635 (Tex.1986); J.N.R., 982 S.W.2d at 143.

Ada Love testified that she grew up next door to C.K. Villery and that she had two children by him: Calvin Love and Shrunda Love. She testified that Villery came to see her and the children and acknowledged Shrunda as his child; he sent her money as child support; he wanted to change their names to his; and she *108 continued to talk to him weekly until his death. She testified that she had a third child by another man after her relationship with Villery ended and he married Janis Villery.

Calvin Love, born November 12, 1968, testified that he visited regularly with his father. He also testified Villery acknowledged that Shrunda was his daughter and was upset that he was not closer to her. Calvin identified Villery’s memorial service program, which listed appellant, Calvin Love, and Shrunda Love as Villery’s children. He also identified a photograph showing appellant, Calvin, and Shrunda among other family members at a funeral.

Shrunda Love Solomon testified that she had known that Villery was her father from the time she was born. She testified that she did not see her father as much as Calvin and only went to gatherings that required her attendance because she did not get along well with appellant and Janis Villery. 2 She testified that she knew Vil-lery’s sisters as her aunts and was introduced as Villery’s daughter. She said Vil-lery sent her cards and money, and, later, helped pay her rent and sent her money to help with her baby, his grandson.

Verma Williams, Villery’s aunt, testified by deposition that Villery grew up in her household. She said that Villery told her that Calvin and Shrunda Love were his children. She testified that she knew the children’s mother, Ada Love. She said that Villery brought Calvin to visit more than Shrunda because Shrunda did not like Vil-lery’s wife, Janis, and was not treated well by her.

Helen Moses, Villery’s sister, testified by deposition that she knew Calvin Love and Shrunda Love and their mother, Ada. She testified that Villery told her that Shrunda was his daughter and that she never had any reason to believe that Shrunda was not his child.

Jennifer Dismuke, another of Villery’s sisters, testified by deposition that Villery told her Calvin Love was his son and Shrunda Love was his daughter. She said there was no doubt about this in her mind.

Appellant testified that Calvin Love is her brother. She said she knew Shrunda because she and her father would pick her up when they picked up Calvin. She testified that she did not exactly know, but she assumed that Shrunda was her sister, and her Aunt Jennifer said the family felt that Shrunda was Villery’s daughter. She testified that she and her mother would go clothes shopping with both Calvin and Shrunda. She knew that Villery gave Shrunda money. She testified that, on one occasion, Villery told her that Shrunda’s mother said Shrunda was his daughter and he took her at her word, but that he did not know. In her presence, he introduced Calvin and Shrunda to third parties as “my son, Calvin, and his sister, Shrunda.”

Appellant called several witnesses who had known Villery. Ken Poe, a business associate of Villery’s, testified that he had seen a picture of Calvin and was told by Villery that Calvin was his son, but Poe did not know Shrunda. Clementine Allen, who attended Lamar University with Vil-lery, knew of Calvin but did not know of Shrunda.

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Bluebook (online)
16 S.W.3d 106, 2000 Tex. App. LEXIS 2101, 2000 WL 330208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/villery-v-solomon-texapp-2000.