Court Opinion

ID: 9375195
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-25 20:09:29.237005+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:56.628784
License: Public Domain

NUMBER 13-23-00064-CV

                                   COURT OF APPEALS

                       THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                          CORPUS CHRISTI – EDINBURG

                 IN RE CHELETTE BAKER, SAMANTHA GARCIA,
                          AND KARMEN SCHUSTER

                            On Petition for Writ of Mandamus.

                               MEMORANDUM OPINION

                  Before Justices Benavides, Tijerina, and Peña
                  Memorandum Opinion by Justice Benavides1

        On February 15, 2023, relators Chelette Baker, Samantha Garcia, and Karmen

Schuster filed a petition for writ of mandamus seeking to compel the trial court to either

         1 See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.8(d) (“When denying relief, the court may hand down an opinion but is not

required to do so. When granting relief, the court must hand down an opinion as in any other case.”); id. R.
47.1 (“The court of appeals must hand down a written opinion that is as brief as practicable but that
addresses every issue raised and necessary to final disposition of the appeal.”); id. R. 47.4 (explaining the
differences between opinions and memorandum opinions).
transfer the underlying case to the 23rd District Court of Matagorda County, Texas, or

alternatively, “to require the trial court to accomplish the assignment of this case to a

statutory probate court judge.” We requested the real parties in interest, Annie Findley

Jones, independent administrator of the estate of Harold Jack Findley; Luther Hotel, Inc.;

and “unknown heirs”2 represented by Philip J. Hundl; or any others whose interest may

be directly affected by the relief sought, to file a response to the petition for writ of

mandamus. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.4, 52.8. On February 17, 2023, relators filed an

emergency motion for a ruling on their petition for writ of mandamus. However, on

February 21, 2023, relators filed a motion to dismiss their petition for writ of mandamus

and motion for emergency relief. According to relators’ motion to dismiss, a statutory

probate court judge has been appointed in this case, and thus relators’ petition for writ of

mandamus and emergency motion have been rendered moot.

       The Court, having examined and fully considered the motion to dismiss, is of the

opinion that it should be granted. See In re Contract Freighters, Inc., 646 S.W.3d 810,

813 (Tex. 2022) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam); Heckman v. Williamson County, 369

S.W.3d 137, 162 (Tex. 2012); In re Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc., 166 S.W.3d 732, 737

(Tex. 2005) (orig. proceeding). Accordingly, we grant the motion to dismiss. We dismiss

this petition for writ of mandamus and motion for emergency relief as moot. See TEX. R.

       2  We note that the “unknown heirs” appear to be identified in the mandamus record as: Kenneth
Findley, Shelby Jean Hayes, Anthony Stephen Findley, Danielle Craven, Tyler Wade, Landon Wade,
Richard Donald Findley, Linda Gail Flowers, Craig Steven Yancy, Jonathan Chad Yancy, Tristian Ray
Samuel Yancy, Lauren Kay Elizabeth Yancy, Susan Rene Witkowski, Carolyn Treece, Denise Munza,
Thomas Heath Back, Donna Dennis, Joseph Dan Findley, Darla Gayle Phillips, Ronald Darren Findley,
Debbie Lynn Busby, Timothy John Clifton, Patrick Newley, Zachary Newley, Benji Dale Clifton, Annie Ruth
Findley Jones, Gary David Findley, Angela McElroy, Billy McPherson, Jr., Bart McPherson, Bret
McPherson, Felicia Dianne Findley, and Lucretia Suzanne Phillips.

                                                      2
APP. P. 52.8, 52.10(b).

                                  GINA M. BENAVIDES
                                  Justice

Delivered and filed on the
23rd day of February, 2023.

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