Trusts

Creation

Trust Agreement

In re Estate of Berger, 174 S.W.3d 845 (Tex. App.—Waco 2005, no pet.).

 

Beneficiary of an alleged trust attempted to prove that Decedent created an inter vivos trust but was unable to produce the trust instrument. The court granted a summary judgment against Beneficiary stating that she did not produce sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue regarding the existence of a trust. The appellate court reversed.

The court recognized that a trust of real property requires “written evidence of the trust’s terms bearing the signature of the settlor or the settlor’s authorized agent.” Property Code § 112.004. However, Rule of Evidence 1004 permits the admission of other evidence of the contents of a writing if the original has been lost or destroyed. The court examined the evidence such as Beneficiary’s affidavit that she saw the trust instrument both before and after Decedent’s death and was able to recall significant details about the first page of the document including a listing of the trust property, the identity of the beneficiary, and the trust purpose. Consequently, the court concluded that there was sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue regarding the existence of a trust which precluded a summary judgment.

Moral: A settlor should locate a safe repository for the trust instrument so that it is not lost, inadvertently destroyed, or concealed.

 

Wills

Lost Will

In re Estate of Berger, 174 S.W.3d 845 (Tex. App.—Waco 2005, no pet.).

 

Beneficiary of an alleged will attempted to prove that Decedent executed a valid attested will. The court granted a summary judgment against Beneficiary stating that she did not produce sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue regarding the existence of the will. The appellate court reversed.

Rule of Evidence 1004 permits the admission of other evidence of the contents of a writing if the original has been lost or destroyed. The court examined the evidence such as Beneficiary’s affidavit that she saw the will four days before Decedent’s death as well as on the kitchen counter after Decedent’s death. She also remembered seeing the last page of the will and that it contained the notarized signatures of Decedent and two witnesses. The court held that this was more than a scintilla of evidence that the will was lost thus precluding a summary judgment against Beneficiary.

Moral: A testator should locate a safe repository for the will so that it is not lost, inadvertently destroyed, or concealed.



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