Court Opinion

ID: 9646303
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 12:55:56.351823+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:36.907876
License: Public Domain

*603MEYERS, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. A genuine issue of material fact exists to preclude appellees’ right to a summary judgment as a matter of law. See City of Houston v. Clear Creek Basin Authority, 589 S.W.2d 671, 678 (Tex.1979).
I do not agree with the majority’s determination that, as a matter of law, the phrase “born of the body of my sibling” relates to the term “lawful heirs.”
The majority focuses upon cases in which language they consider similar to “born of the body” was interpreted to exclude adopted persons. However, assuming ar-guendo that this “similar” language means that “born of the body” does exclude adopted persons, each of the cases cited by the majority is distinguishable from the instant case because the phrases described in these cases directly referred only to the generation seeking to take under the will. Subsequent generations were not mentioned. In the instant case three generations are discussed. The testator designated ten trust beneficiaries. She then states that the heirs of these beneficiaries must be bom of the beneficiaries’ bodies and then to their “lawful heirs.”
I do not overlook the majority’s contention that Murphy v. Slaton, held that adopted children could not inherit under the terms of the will in question. Murphy, 273 S.W.2d at 597. However, I find that the language used in the Murphy will differs considerably from the language employed by the testator in the instant case. I do not agree that the ruling in Murphy creates a general rule that language indicating a need for biological relationship in one generation necessitates such a relationship for subsequent generations to inherit.
The majority points out that under the applicable law adopted children could not inherit from their adoptive parents and that if the testator had wished for adopted children to inherit, the testator must have so indicated by additional language. The testator’s choice to use the term “lawful heirs” rather than “bom of the body” in reference to the children of her sibling’s offspring could be construed as such language.
The ambiguity of this will does not stem from the meaning of the phrase “born of the body,” but whether the testator intended this phrase to apply to generations beyond those born of the siblings and in-laws she named in the will. There existing such an ambiguity, extrinsic evidence is admissible to aid the court in ascertaining the intent of the testator. See Gee v. Read, 606 S.W.2d 677, 681 (Tex.1980); Unitarian Universalist Serv. v. Lebrecht, 670 S.W.2d 402, 404 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1984, writ ref’d n.r.e.).