Court Opinion

ID: 9768227
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 05:51:25.767139+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:38.355893
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
In his motion for rehearing Mr. Oldham asserts that the undisputed evidence establishes that, during the period found by the court to have been reasonably necessary for the administration of the estate, he paid estate-owed income taxes in the sum of $8,240.00, as well as ad valorem taxes amounting to $23,003.00, and also collected $55,193.00 in tenant house and farm rentals and $8,110.00 in oil and gas royalties, none of which was included in the amount on which the statutory executor’s fee was calculated by the trial court. The assertion appears to be correct. The transactions are shown in the exhibits and are apparently not contested. The trial judge probably excluded them because of his view that they were not within Mr. Oldham’s authority as independent executor, but rather came within his responsibility as one of the trustees. As pointed out in our original opinion, these transactions, if they were necessary to preserve the assets during proper administration of the estate, were properly made by the independent executor and are includable in the calculation of the statutory executor’s fee, since they do not constitute income or expenses from “business operations” as contemplated by the decision of Walling v. Hubbard, 389 S.W.2d 581 (Tex.Civ.App. Houston 1965, writ dism’d n.r.e.). The five percent (5%) fee on the total of those items amounts to $4,727.30. Consequently, the motion for rehearing will be granted in part and the judgment will be reformed to delete that portion which requires Mr. Oldham to reimburse the estate excess executor’s fees.
It is so ordered.