A Texas family has agreed to divide the historic Brite Ranch, resolving most of a trust dispute that began in 2018. The settlement came days before a jury trial was set to start in Presidio County. The case shows how a trust created to preserve family land can produce years of litigation when its terms no longer fit the family it serves.
How the Brite Ranch Dispute Began
The ranch is held in trust for four siblings: Jim, Mac, Beau, and Hester Ann White. Jim managed the land and served as trustee.
In 2018, Mac and Beau sued Jim for breach of fiduciary duty. They claimed he ran the ranch in ways that benefited his own family while producing too little income for the other beneficiaries. The land is valued at $60 million or more.
A jury sided with the brothers in 2023. The court removed Jim as trustee and divided the family trust into separate trusts for each sibling. An appeals court later voided that trial, and Jim was reinstated. The trust also barred any sale of the ranch, a restriction rooted in the will of the siblings’ great-grandmother.
By early 2026, the main lawsuit had produced at least 667 court filings. Several rounds of mediation had failed.
How the Case Settled
Jim, Mac, and Geoffrey Connor, the adult son Mac and the late Beau adopted in 2022, agreed to divide the land into four parts. Hester Ann had pushed to sell the ranch as a whole. On October 1, she filed to cancel the jury trial and accepted the partition.
Where Family Trusts Break Down
Few trust disputes reach this scale. The underlying causes are usually familiar.
- A trustee who is also a beneficiary faces scrutiny over every decision.
- Relatives employed by the trust need written terms for their pay and duties.
- A ban on selling property can outlast the reasons it was written.
- Beneficiaries who receive regular accountings are less likely to suspect misconduct.
Serving as Trustee for Siblings
Jim held two roles at once. He managed the ranch for everyone while also holding his own share. Clear lines between trustee and beneficiary responsibilities, backed by regular reporting, reduce the distrust that builds in these arrangements.
Building Flexibility Into the Trust
Restrictions that made sense generations ago can trap the people who inherit them. Many states now allow trust decanting or court modification when circumstances change, but both take time and money.
This matters most with an irrevocable trust, which usually cannot be amended without beneficiary consent or court approval.
Land Held as a Business
A working ranch is a business as much as an asset. Owners who hold land or a company in trust benefit from business succession planning that names who will run operations and how disagreements will be settled.
Treating the family business separately from other assets can also keep heirs from fighting over everything at once.
Planning So Family Land Stays a Legacy
The Brite Ranch dispute involved a trust that barred any sale of the land and a sibling trustee whose decisions the other beneficiaries challenged. Who serves as trustee, whether property can be sold, and how disagreements will be settled are far easier to decide while the person creating the trust is still able to make those choices.
Families holding land or a closely held business often benefit from reviewing these provisions with a trusts lawyer every few years. The review matters most after a death, a marriage, or a change in who manages the property.
Whether you are creating a trust for the first time or serving as trustee for your siblings, Estate Planning Pros can walk through the terms with you. Send us a message to arrange a meeting with a trusts lawyer.