Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Texas

Can I Sue Co-heir?

My sister and myself are co-heirs in my mother's estate, who died a year ago.

In 1999 my mother purchased a house for my sister on an acre in Texas, and made all the mortgage payments. A few years later my mother refinanced the house to give my sister more money. My sister completely destroyed the house, so that now the value lies solely in the land, leaving its worth about half the remaining mortgage debt.

My mother lived in New York, and relied on my sister to keep her informed about the house.

Over the years there was extensive water damage from unattended plumbing that was severe enough to rot the entire floor (on pier & beams, not a slab), there's a dead tree that fell on the roof that was installed upon the sale in 99, the siding is well beyond repair from her 13+ large dogs ripping it off the house, and much more. Wildlife now roams the house now that they can enter through the holes in the floor and roof. My sister has found a new source of income now that my mother has died -- our uncle -- and has recently abandoned the house.

Can I sue my sister for the damage to the house that is now part of the estate? Does it matter how much damage was done before or after my mother's death?

1 Answer from Attorneys

Related Questions & Answers

More Probate, Trusts, Wills & Estates questions and answers in Texas

Looking for something else?