Opinion ID: 1774420
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Survival Suit

Text: Defendants' final contention is that the court of appeals erred in holding that Mrs. Ledford had standing to bring the survival claim on behalf of Mr. Ledford's estate. They assert that Mrs. Ledford lacks standing to sue as Mr. Ledford's heir because she did not plead and prove that no administration was pending or necessary. Defendants contend that when Mr. Ledford died he owed more than the minimum two debts to qualify for an informal estate administration. See TEX. PROB.CODE § 178(b). Mrs. Ledford's evidence showed that Mr. Ledford owned no real property and had no children. Therefore, his personal estate vested immediately in Mrs. Ledford, his surviving spouse. See TEX. PROB.CODE § 38(b)(2). Mrs. Ledford testified that by the time of trial all Mr. Ledford's debts had been paid. She also testified that she made an agreement with other family members permitting her to take the minimal assets of Mr. Ledford's estate as his only heir. Defendants did not controvert this evidence. The evidence shows that the family had resolved the estate's disposition and that all debts were paid. Accordingly, no administration was necessary for it would have served no purpose. We see no reason why the Pitner rationale approving no administration when the devisees under a will make an agreement to distribute the estate and pay the bills does not apply with equal force in the situation where the heirs of an intestate decedent make an agreement to distribute the estate and pay the bills. See Pitner, 388 F.2d at 656. Thus, the Pitner rationale applies here, where the decedent owned only personal property, and that property vested immediately in Mrs. Ledford. Accordingly, we hold that under the facts and because of the family agreement, no formal administration was necessary. See In re Estate of Hodges, 725 S.W.2d at 267; Estate of Morris, 577 S.W.2d at 755-56. We conclude the court of appeals correctly determined that Mrs. Ledford had standing to sue on behalf of Mr. Ledford's estate.