Family Owned Real Estate: Legal Challenges & Opportunities
Once Removed Episode 21: Passing Down the “Family Cottage” or Other Legacy Property
War of the Rosas
In Hilderbran v. Tex. SW. Council, Inc., parties donated a ranch via a 1930 deed to trustees for the Boy Scouts. No. 04-22-00736-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 4390 (Tex. App.—San Antonio June 26, 2024, no pet. history)....more
In In re Estate of Martinez, a son appealed an order finding that his mother’s holographic will devised certain property to his daughter. No. 04-22-00708-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 1258 (Tex. App.—San Antonio February 21, 2024,...more
Judge Yardena Seroussi recently handed down a new ruling in a case deliberated by the Real Estate Tax Appeals Committee on the taxation of luxury apartments. The Appeals Committee deliberated the question of the entitlement...more
In In re Estate of Stewart, siblings filed claims regarding the administration of their father’s estate. No. 04-20-00103-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 3897 (Tex. App.—San Antonio May 19, 2021, no pet. history)....more
Below is a brief glance of what you'll find in the March/April 2021 issue of The Estate Planner. - Can beneficiaries borrow from a trust? - Taking steps to protect your will from being contested - Defined-value...more
In Fox v. Fox, a father deeded real property in Louisiana to one of his sons. No. 14-18-00672-CV, 2020 Tex. App. LEXIS 2211 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] March 17, 2020, no pet. history)....more
Inheriting real estate from your parents is either a blessing or a burden -- or a little bit of both. Figuring out what to do with the property can be overwhelming, so it is good to carefully think through all of your...more
The Tel Aviv District Court handed down a decision a few days ago rejecting the Israel Tax Authority’s (ITA) position on the conveyance of real estate properties to trusts. This decision dramatically changes the taxation of...more
As a probate paralegal, I spend a decent amount of time helping families transfer assets and completing forms. One of the more common questions that I get is “What does one need to do and take to the DMV to transfer a...more
In Gilmore v. Rotan, a testamentary trust’s beneficiaries sued the trustees in 2015 for making a transfer of trust property in 2003 that was evidenced by a deed filed in 2010. No. 11-16-00253-CV, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 7705...more
In Graff v. 2920 Park Grove Venture, Ltd., an executor was sued after selling estate real estate because the executor allegedly sold the property for less than fair market value. No. 05-16-01411-CV, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 4266...more
In Knopf v. Gray, the will disposed of the testator’s entire estate, specifically including a tract of land. No. 17-0262, 2018 Tex. LEXIS 249 (Tex. March 23, 2018)....more
In In re Estate of Hernandez, the issue in the case was whether clauses in a will conveyed a life estate to the decedent’s husband. No. 05-16-01350-CV, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 755 (Tex. App.—Dallas January 24, 2018, no pet....more
Vacation homes are typically treasured by families and often pass down from generation to generation. But there may be more to transferring the family lake cottage or beach house than first meets the eye. If one plunges ahead...more
In Knopf v. Gray, a decedent died in 1993, and her will was admitted to probate the same year. No. 10-15-00273-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 191 (Tex. App.—Waco January 11, 2017, no pet. history). ...more
The fiduciary field in Texas is a constantly changing area. Over time, statutes change, and Texas courts interpret those statutes, the common law, and parties’ documents differently. This paper is intended to give an update...more
In This Issue: - Alternate valuation date: Flexible postmortem planning a plus when markets are volatile - The write stuff: A letter of instructions - Making the most of your GST tax exemption - Estate...more
Effective March 23, 2016, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service published Notice 2016-27, once again extending, until June 30, 2016, the deadline for executors and other persons to complete and file Form 8971...more
Often the most difficult asset for which to plan in an estate plan is non-commercial real property such as a family farm, a hunting cabin or other recreational property. This is especially true when the property makes up a...more
In the Estate of Wright, the court of appeals affirmed a trial court’s finding of an oral gift of real estate. No. 14-14-00401-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 12644 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] December 15, 2015, no pet....more
As of January 1, 2016, California law allows the use of transfer on death (TOD) deeds for real property. A TOD deed is a revocable beneficiary deed, involving the transfer of an individual’s residence (limited to multi-unit...more
AC35507 - State v. Wright - ?AC35289, AC36395 - Southport Congregational Church-United Church of Christ v. Hadley - The doctrine of equitable conversion did not apply when the decedent contracted to sell real...more
The California Court of Appeal recently held that a foreclosure by the beneficiary under a first deed of trust extinguished a junior lien, even though the beneficiary acquired the property by way of a deed in lieu of...more