His mother left him out of her will, and now a Texas court is forcing him and his wife off their 70-acre home

Dealing with an inheritance often means navigating complex rules at the same time families are coping with a loss, and sometimes they can lead to year-long family disputes that end far from where they started.

Inheritance.Attention heirs | A child born outside marriage can claim part of an inheritance: When they have rights and when they don’t

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For William Dan Moss and his wife, Brenda Moss, a fight that began with his mother’s will has ended with them losing the right to stay on the 70 acres of land where they lived, in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

On October 22, the Sixth Court of Appeals of Texas rejected the couple’s challenge and upheld the eviction judgment against them. The couple responded that the property had belonged to their family for decades, but that was not enough.

Why did his mother’s will left him out?

According to court records, William’s mother owned a share of the land, but when she died, her will specifically excluded him from her estate.

Moss challenged the will in a Hunt County court, which rejected his claim. He then filed another case in Hopkins County to try to prove his right to the property. He lost again and did not appeal.

Mark Lawrence, representing a group known as the Garner Heir Group, then asked the couple to leave. Lawrence said the group had never given them permission to live there. When they stayed, he filed an eviction case.

A local justice court ruled in his favor. The Mosses, who represented themselves, appealed and asked for a jury trial. On March 9, the jury also decided that the Garner Heir Group had the stronger right to the property.

Why the appeals court ruled against the marriage

The couple argued that they could not be evicted because they were not Lawrence’s tenants and that the courts should have first decided who owned the land.

The appeals court disagreed. Under Texas law, an eviction case can also be filed against someone who occupies a property without permission, even without a landlord-tenant relationship.

The court also noted that William’s claim to the land had already been decided against him in the earlier Hopkins County case.

What does the final ruling mean?

With this decision, the eviction judgment stands, and the Garner Heir Group keeps the right to possess the land.

The case shows how disputes over a will can affect the inheritance and also define who gets to stay in a family home that belonged to the same lineage for decades.