Executors of the Estate of Tartt v. Harpold

COULSON, Justice.

This is an appeal from a decree of the Probate Court of Harris County ordering the executors of the Estate of Hope Pierce Tartt, Deceased, to pay to Lew W. Harpold, attorney ad litem for the unknown heirs, his expenses and fees for his professional services. The issue is whether the probate court had jurisdiction to order the executors to pay the expenses and fees of the attorney ad litem (pending the final disposition on appeal of a consolidated suit to construe the will and to determine heirship).

Hope Pierce Tartt died on July 26, 1961 at the age of ninety. Her holographic…