In McCoy v. McCoy, trust beneficiaries sued the trustee for breaching his fiduciary duties by pursing claims against a third party when they instructed him not to do so. No. 08-23-00119-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 6604 (Tex. App.—El Paso August 25, 2023, no pet. history). The trustee filed a
TCPA
Courts Have Ordered Trial Courts To Grant TCPA Motions To Dismiss Based On No-Contest Clause Claims
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
The Texas Legislature created a statute to protect parties’ rights to freedom of speech and to petition the courts: the Texas Citizen’s Participation Act (TCPA). See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §§ 27.001-.011. The TCPA’s purpose is “to encourage and safeguard the constitutional rights of persons to petition…
Court Holds That TCPA Does Not Apply To Claim Involving Beneficiaries Opposing A Trustee’s Decision To Bring Claims Against Third Parties
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In McCoy v. McCoy, trust beneficiaries (daughters) sued the trustee (father) for maintaining a claim against a third party (mother) after they notified him of their opposition under section 113.028 of the Texas Trust Code. No. 08-23-00119-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 6604 (Tex. App.—El Paso August 25, 2023, no…
Court Holds That Allegations Related To A Trustee’s Filing Of Suit Did Fall Under The Protection Of The Texas Citizens Participation Act, That A Trustee’s Actions To Modify Administrative Terms Did Not Trigger An In Terrorem Clause, But That Other Actions Unrelated To Suit Filings Were Not Protected From The Act
By David Fowler Johnson on
Posted in Cases Decided, Texas Court of Appeals
In Marshall v. Marshall, a son, who was a trust beneficiary, sued his mother and brother alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and sought a declaratory judgment that they violated an in terrorem clause of the will. No. 14-18-00094-CV, No. 14-18-00095-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 423 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] January 21, 2021, no pet. history). The mother had created a similar Wyoming trust and then merged the original Texas trust into the Wyoming trust. The beneficiaries were essentially the same, but there were administrative differences, including who the trustees and successor trustees were and the wording of the in terrorem clauses. The mother also had a lawsuit filed in Wyoming to approve all of these changes, but did not serve the plaintiff. The defendants filed motions to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (“TCPA”), the trial court denied them, and they appealed.