Lots of intrigue here: different versions of wills, death, death by shotgun....

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10405043/Heirs-former-Texas-Gov-Dolph-Briscoe-Jrs-1-billion-fortune-war-split-estate.html

Quote:

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Heirs fight over 'Big Daddy's' $1BN fortune: Children of former Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe squabble over his ranch - the largest in the state - after one daughter died and her sole heir was mysteriously killed with a shotgun

• Heiress to one of Texas' largest ranching dynasties suing her brother over a controlling stake in 660,000-acre holdings assembled over decades by father
• The land was owned by former Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. who died in 2010
• Lawsuit by Cele Carpenter accuses her older brother, Dolph 'Chip' Briscoe III, of plotting to gain control over an inheritance valued at more than $1 billion
• At issue is a will change by their sister, Janey Marmion, before her death in 2018
• In lawsuit Cele said she didn't learn that her three children were cut out of Janey's will until the day the family buried her sister
• Celefiled suit after judge in Uvalde County, where most of the ranchland sits, approved Janey's will and made her brother the executor
• Previous versions of the will had divided Janey's one-third share of the Briscoe holdings equally among her five nieces and nephews
• As she has three children it would have given Cele's side of the family a slight controlling interest in the estate, which includes oil wells, cattle and banks
• West Texas ranch lands are where the former governor grew up during the Great Depression but his three children all went off in different directions
• Janey, the oldest, married a rancher in South Texas; Cele, the youngest, Cele, married a Dallas-area developer; Chip followed in his father's ranching footsteps

By JAMES GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 00:07 EST, 15 January 2022 | UPDATED: 01:43 EST, 15 January 2022

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Lawyers are going to have a fun time with that one...I can't stand inheritance squabbles. From the outside looking in, they're just about the ugliest thing on the planet.

Life is so much more than money, or stuff.

Blood is thicker than water, money is thicker than both.

That came from a Wall Street Journal article.

Oddly, it really isn't a case about money, as the branch of the family that was cut out of one siblings will probably has twice as much money as the other, since that daughter married into the Carpenter family (Dallas residents, developers of Las Colinas, owners of Southwestern Life, etc.). It's about who gets to control the ranch.

This sounds like an episode of Yellowstone.

Dolph Briscoe is my wife's distant cousin. We invited him to our wedding and they sent us a very nice blanket made from wool from their ranch.

Hope they work everything out

twk said:

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That came from a Wall Street Journal article.

Oddly, it really isn't a case about money, as the branch of the family that was cut out of one siblings will probably has twice as much money as the other, since that daughter married into the Carpenter family (Dallas residents, developers of Las Colinas, owners of Southwestern Life, etc.). It's about who gets to control the ranch.

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Sounds like the guy running the ranch will get control. Maybe the sister should STFU

combat wombat said:

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twk said:

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That came from a Wall Street Journal article.

Oddly, it really isn't a case about money, as the branch of the family that was cut out of one siblings will probably has twice as much money as the other, since that daughter married into the Carpenter family (Dallas residents, developers of Las Colinas, owners of Southwestern Life, etc.). It's about who gets to control the ranch.

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Sounds like the guy running the ranch will get control. Maybe the sister should STFU

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I think that's what will happen. I don't see her winning a jury trial in Uvalde. I haven't read the link, but the Journal article didn't do a great job of explaining what was in the partiarch's will. It suggested that Dolph, Jr., wanted future generations to cooperate in running the ranch, and some of the article seems to suggest that the root of the problem is that Chip has 2 children, and Cele has 3, and that as a result, Cele's family would end up in control, but without a trust which limited the second generation's ownership, then that wouldn't not necessarily follow. It seems that the deceased daughter's will may have originally provided that her nieces and nephews would take her interest per capita, which is where the difference in number of children would matter.

Of course, the sensible thing would be to work out some sort of compromise, but these folks have the money to afford what we call "recreational litigation," so if they want to "stand on principle," they could fight it out for years. Hell, the Waggoner heirs fought for decades.

Do yall know the story of how the Kennedy Ranch wound up in the hands of the catholic church?

Priest all but talked the ranch away from her heirs while she was in a debilitated state, shameful

If that family is having problems now with only the two surviving children, just wait until Dolph's grandchildren are the owners and then the share of the estate will be further subdivided and so on.

This is why inheritance laws in England generally left the entire estate to the eldest son.

Don't piss Beth off…

Drilled on parts of that ranch.

He bought this tract from some guy named dollar bill.

And ol bill was a prepper in the Cold War. He built a airport abd filled the hanger with all sorts of weapons.

Then built his house on 50' stilts.

And it all set right by the ROI grand river. I'd drive by it when we were drilling on the Faith Ranch for Chesapeake

Was about to say the inheritance of the Briscoe Ranch is a lot more than acreage. It's the minerals and at this point hundreds if not thousands of producing Eagle Ford wells as well as legacy production.

Did a lot of work between Cotulla, Carizzo Springs and Catarina early on in the eagle Ford and spent some time on his ranches. Never met Chip but our field guys had alot of interaction with him. Said he was an old school rancher. Talked about him picking up million dollar checks from the operator and just throwing them on his dash board like they were nothing. Supposedly he special ordered a truck without power windows and locks from a dealership in pearsall. They accidentally sold it when he went to pick it up and just lit into he entire dealership. I am sure some young salesman regretted that one.

6666

What are the annual property taxes on 660,000 acres?!

Having gone, am going thru, a similar situation with a large amount of heirs (albeit smaller amount) trusts will only get you so far.

Incorporation is typically the way to go…


Hell…look at Dennis O'Connor, he left the land to his nephew Danny Braman and the cash to his adopted son.

Totally separate property from the 6666 (4 Sixes) in Guthrie.

Also not really what I'd call "West Texas" either. Uvalde county and south (say south of 90) is South Texas.

These kind of fights are rarely about money. They're invariably about past grudges and grievances that any outsider would consider petty.

Jabin said:

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These kind of fights are rarely about money. They're invariably about past grudges and grievances that any outsider would consider petty.

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This.

Dad should have addressed this ahead of time. Could have easily appointed management to the most responsible child while maintaining equal ownership to everyone.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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Totally separate property from the 6666 (4 Sixes) in Guthrie.

Also not really what I'd call "West Texas" either. Uvalde county and south (say south of 90) is South Texas.

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Gotchya, wasn't implying that it was the 6666, just what it reminds me of. I had honestly never heard of 6666 until watching Yellowstone, but they note that it is enormous, horizon to horizon.

aggiepanic95 said:

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6666

What are the annual property taxes on 660,000 acres?!

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Not much since the land has an ag-exemption.

The best solution is to transfer the assets to your kids while still living. The next best thing is to leave them nothing. Coming in third place is what typically happens - write a will thinking that's gonna solve everything and then wait for the dirty lawyers and pettiness or greed to creep in and tear your family apart.

Funky Winkerbean said:

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Blood is thicker than water, money is thicker than both.

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And,...when a person is dying of thirst, they'll always ask for a cup of water, before a cup of blood..

combat wombat said:

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This is why inheritance laws in England generally left the entire estate to the eldest son.

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Same as In the Bible

I'm guessing that part of those holdings include The Chupadero. I hunted and fished with my Great Uncle there in the early 80's. We drove up and down the airstrip which was surrounded by sunflowers.

All the stock tanks were filled with bass that Briscoe had stocked.

That was in Webb county iirc.

They had a.big chunk of country across from Garner Park, and another south of Carrizo Springs with oil on top of oil. B-1 83 daughter went to school with the Marmion daughter who committed suicide. She was a sweetheart. You would never have known they were multi millionaires. Very nice, humble people.

I guess King Ranch is no longer largest in state then?

"Cele, the youngest, Cele, married a Dallas-area developer"

This is all I needed to know.

combat wombat said:

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This is why inheritance laws in England generally left the entire estate to the eldest son.

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I think it is that way in Norway, too. The oldest son gets everything and the rest go looking to make their own way in life.

aggiepanic95 said:

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6666

What are the annual property taxes on 660,000 acres?!

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Not even close. Go to Catarina/Carrizo Springs area throw a rock you'll likely hit a Briscoe property.

YouBet said:

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I guess King Ranch is no longer largest in state then?

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I think they are referring to individual ownership rather than corporate.