Court Opinion

ID: 9927894
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-30 15:11:53.862322+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:28:19.563542
License: Public Domain

Fourth Court of Appeals
                                           San Antonio, Texas
                                                 JUDGMENT
                                              No. 04-22-00170-CV

               Debra LISKA, Individually; Leigh Williamson; and Stephen J. Williamson;
                                             Appellants

                                                          v.

          Patricia DWORACZYK; Anthony L. Dworaczyk, Jr.; Kellie Ann Dworaczyk; Patrick
                Dworaczyk; Jaqueline Leavy; Kayla Jendrusch; and Edward Jendrusch, III;
                                             Appellees

                        From the 81st Judicial District Court, Karnes County, Texas
                                    Trial Court No. 20-09-00165CVK
                                 Honorable Lynn Ellison, Judge Presiding

    BEFORE JUSTICE RIOS, JUSTICE RODRIGUEZ, AND CHIEF JUSTICE MARION (Ret.) 1

       In accordance with this court’s memorandum opinion of this date, the trial court’s February
16, 2022 final judgment, which incorporates its August 5, 2021 interlocutory summary judgment,
is REVERSED AND RENDERED IN PART. Specifically, we REVERSE the following
declarations:

     B.    The Bequest describes the entire interest in the mineral estate that Eugene J.
           Dworaczyk owned in the entire 118.4 acre Parcel, and is not limited to the portion
           of the Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries of the Dragon
           Horizontal Unit (as described in the Designation of the Dragon Horizontal Unit
           filed as document no. 00096923 in the real property records of Karnes County,
           Texas).

     C.    The Bequest, upon the death of Eugene J. Dworaczyk, conveys an undivided: (1)
           Ten percent (10%) of the entire mineral interest owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at
           the time of his death in the Parcel to Patricia Dworaczyk; (2) Ten percent (10%) of
           the entire mineral interest owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death
           in the Parcel to Anthony L. Dworaczyk Jr.; (3) Ten percent (10%) of the entire
           mineral interest owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death in the

1
    Sitting by assignment pursuant to section 74.003(b) of the Texas Government Code
                                                                                   04-22-00170-CV

     Parcel to Kellie Ann Dworaczyk; (4) Ten percent (10%) of the entire mineral
     interest owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death in the Parcel to
     Patrick Dworaczyk; (5) Ten percent (10%) of the entire mineral interest owned by
     Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death in the Parcel to Walter Doty; (6) Ten
     percent (10%) of the entire mineral interest owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the
     time of his death in the Parcel to Jacqueline Leavy; (7) Ten percent (10%) of the
     entire mineral interest owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death in
     the Parcel to Kayla Jendrusch; (8) Ten percent (10%) of the entire mineral interest
     owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death in the Parcel to Ed
     Jendrusch, III; (9) Ten percent (10%) of the entire mineral interest owned by
     Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death in the Parcel to Mark A. Williamson;
     and (10) Ten percent (10%) of the entire mineral interest owned by Eugene J.
     Dworaczyk at the time of his death in the Parcel to Stephen J. Williamson, such
     conveyance constitutes the conveyance of all of Eugene J. Dworaczyk’s interest in
     the mineral interests in the Parcel at the time of his death.

     We RENDER judgment declaring the following:

B.   The Bequest describes the mineral estate that Eugene J. Dworaczyk owned in the
     portion of the Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries of the
     Dragon Horizontal Unit (as described in the Designation of the Dragon Horizontal
     Unit filed as document no. 00096923 in the real property records of Karnes County,
     Texas).

C.   The Bequest, upon the death of Eugene J. Dworaczyk, conveys an undivided: (1)
     Ten percent (10%) of the portion of the Parcel that is located within the
     geographical boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by Eugene J.
     Dworaczyk at the time of his death to Patricia Dworaczyk; (2) Ten percent (10%)
     of the portion of the Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries of the
     Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death to
     Anthony L. Dworaczyk Jr.; (3) Ten percent (10%) of the portion of the Parcel that
     is located within the geographical boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal Unit owned
     by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death to Kellie Ann Dworaczyk; (4) Ten
     percent (10%) of the portion of the Parcel that is located within the geographical
     boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the
     time of his death to Patrick Dworaczyk; (5) Ten percent (10%) of the portion of the
     Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal
     Unit owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death to Walter Doty; (6)
     Ten percent (10%) of the portion of the Parcel that is located within the
     geographical boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by Eugene J.
     Dworaczyk at the time of his death to Jacqueline Leavy; (7) Ten percent (10%) of
     the portion of the Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries of the
     Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death to
     Kayla Jendrusch; (8) Ten percent (10%) of the portion of the Parcel that is located
     within the geographical boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by
     Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death to Ed Jendrusch, III; (9) Ten percent
     (10%) of the portion of the Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries

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                                                                                      04-22-00170-CV

       of the Dragon Horizontal Unit owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his
       death to Mark A. Williamson; and (10) Ten percent (10%) of the portion of the
       Parcel that is located within the geographical boundaries of the Dragon Horizontal
       Unit owned by Eugene J. Dworaczyk at the time of his death to Stephen J.
       Williamson.

       Additionally, to the extent the trial court’s judgment states:

               It is further ORDERED that the portions of the Executrix’s Mineral
       Distribution Deed filed in the real property records of Karnes County on August
       12, 2019, and persisting in those records as Instrument Number 201900003441,
       relating to the decedent’s mineral interest in the Parcel are null and void to the
       extent inconsistent with this [J]udgment and shall not cast a cloud upon the title
       awarded to Plaintiffs in this Judgment.

we MODIFY the judgment to state:

               It is further ORDERED that the portions of the Executrix’s Mineral
       Distribution Deed filed in the real property records of Karnes County on August
       12, 2019, and persisting in those records as Instrument Number 201900003441,
       relating to the decedent’s mineral interest in the Parcel are null and void to the
       extent inconsistent with this Judgment and shall not cast a cloud upon the title
       awarded to the parties in this Judgment.

This part of the judgment is AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED.

        We REVERSE the award of attorney’s fees in the judgment and REMAND the case to the
trial court to reconsider what award of attorney fees, if any, is appropriate under the circumstances.

       Costs of appeal are taxed against the parties who incurred them.

       SIGNED January 24, 2024.

                                                  _____________________________
                                                  Liza A. Rodriguez, Justice

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