Court Opinion

ID: 9395494
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-18 07:10:48.804442+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:08.947491
License: Public Domain

In The
                             Court of Appeals
                    Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo

                                   No. 07-22-00179-CV

          IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MARY NELL CAMPBELL

                                            V.

                            SAMMYE L. CAMPBELL, ET AL.

                          On Appeal from the 108th District Court
                                  Potter County, Texas
             Trial Court No. 110871, Honorable Douglas Woodburn, Presiding

                                     May 11, 2023
                            MEMORANDUM OPINION
                   Before PARKER and DOSS and YARBROUGH, JJ.

      Appellant, Patria Osuoha, proceeding pro se, challenges the trial court’s order

dismissing her suit against Appellees, Sammye L. Campbell, Glenn C. Campbell, Thomas

C. Campbell, Bruce W. Campbell, Jermall L. Campbell, Sr./Others, regarding the estate

of her mother, Mary Nell Campbell. Osuoha presents six issues asserting the following:

      1. Did the trial court err when it granted judgment as a matter of law in favor
         of Defendants because of lack of authority or jurisdiction?
       2. Did the trial court err when it granted a dismissal in favor of the
          Defendant[s] violate the rights of the plaintiff by denying a fair trial?
       3. Should this have been an acquittal for the plaintiff being that two
          defendants did not show up for trial court?
       4. Why would Honorable Judge Douglas Woodburn make a rash decision
          just based on administration?
       5. Why did I not receive effective assistance of counsel?
       6. Did Judge Woodburn have time for a preliminary hearing before this
          case was called to trial?

For the reasons expressed herein, we affirm the Order of Dismissal.

                                       BACKGROUND

       Osuoha asserts she is the only daughter of the decedent, Mary Nell Campbell. By

her original petition and several amended petitions filed in the 108th District Court of

Potter County, Texas, she contends Appellees are also “legal heirs.” She asserts that an

affidavit of heirship and gift deeds were filed but the decedent’s estate has not been

apportioned.

       At a brief hearing at which Osuoha and some, but not all, of Appellees appeared,

the trial court simply recited “the case really is one for the establishment of an

administration - - a request for an administration. That file has to be filed in the Probate

Court and so I don’t have any authority over it.” An order dismissing the suit for lack of

jurisdiction was signed and Osuoha filed a pro se notice of appeal. She filed an original

and later an amended brief after the original one did not comply with briefing rules.

Appellees did not favor us with a brief.

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                                          APPLICABLE LAW

        All probate proceedings must be filed and heard in a court exercising original

probate jurisdiction. TEX. EST. CODE ANN. § 32.001. 1 Under section 25.0003 of the Texas

Government Code, any statutory county court has original probate jurisdiction unless

otherwise provided.

        Potter County has two statutory county courts. TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 25.1901.

Except for a county with a statutory probate court, a statutory county court has “concurrent

with the county court, the probate jurisdiction provided by general law for county courts.”

TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 25.0003(d).

                                              ANALYSIS

        Osuoha’s suit is a “probate proceeding” by which she sought adjudication of assets

and liabilities through her mother’s estate. She also asked to be appointed independent

administrator of the estate. As such, jurisdiction was not proper in the 108th District Court

of Potter County. The trial court correctly dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction. 2

        1A “probate proceeding” includes a petition regarding an estate administration. TEX. EST. CODE
ANN. § 31.001(4).

        2  In the Arguments section of her amended brief, Osuoha simply recites, “None present.” Without
any argument, her issues are subject to waiver. TEX. R. APP. P. 38.1(i) (requiring “a clear and concise
argument for the contentions made, with appropriate citations to authorities and to the record”). Pro se
litigants are not exempt from rules of procedure. See Mansfield State Bank v. Cohn, 573 S.W.2d 181, 184–
85 (Tex. 1978). See also Li v. Pemberton Park Community Ass’n, 631 S.W.3d 701, 705 (Tex. 2021).
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                                CONCLUSION

The trial court’s Order of Dismissal is affirmed.

                                                    Alex L. Yarbrough
                                                         Justice

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