[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6057241,"mediaKeyId","3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3","parentId",3307526,"title","Court approves conservatorship for Joanne Reynolds; separately releases inadvertent life estate on two properties","audioSeconds",806,"startMs",314000,"endMs",1120000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3&start=314&end=1120","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3/thumbnail_314000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6057241/Tennessee/Court-approves-conservatorship-for-Joanne-Reynolds-separately-releases-inadvertent-life-estate-on-two-properties","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057241-77d0978bd03201bd2912f65e24e5a5ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940522&Signature=d-nnCq4QkW0mW8DTFF9FwiKwUNi3E~4tAnx3hV41AnU-hMEaiJIl~BxcekgSGCgRcvJSTiBgX2z4TxGH-BRVxs~BDB80BM6ltI4alBNoPiz49nIS0MxtygLJxBpzJmBxn3r-NMM8VkDjq8Bs4vQWNLhYowkzkDUVQOwBXiMynPDz~OvMbjVe0HMSAoJAERbv2COiih33sMd7iKAL5ZrtAGch4qMRimWmWWBFBuwQvLltCO6rLUT3QIje0AO9iF8xYo8nXsrHtokQwtvJwoYHXQ-MktEdrk3X8GB46xrdJP0FWpyzYSQxU2M5LP3RmH6296htfzY6a5ExURH3n3~W2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-14T22:21:57Z","article","Dixon County Chancery Court on Tuesday approved a joint petition to appoint Peggy Johnny Tyler conservator for her mother, Joanne Faye Reynolds, and in a separate conservatorship matter granted testimony-based relief releasing an inadvertently reserved life estate in two real properties.

In the Reynolds conservatorship proceeding, counsel told the court the parties had filed dual petitions earlier but that one family member withdrew a competing counterpetition. The guardian ad litem had filed a report and the court heard the parties confirm the elder was present and not contesting the appointment. Judge Wolfe explained the conservator role is fiduciary in nature, told Tyler she would be required by statute to sign the oath and to file an annual property-management plan, and approved Tyler's appointment.

Separately, in a conservatorship arising from an earlier 2023 appointment, co-conservators Frances Johnson and Brandy Robertson asked the court to release a mistakenly-reserved life estate that had been added to quitclaim deeds conveying two properties (1200 Singleton Road and 1871 Milltown Road) to family members while reserving a life estate for the grantor and two protected persons. Frances Johnson testified she meant to convey the properties to her son and daughter-in-law while reserving only limited rights; the court accepted testimony that the life estates had been included inadvertently and granted the motion to release the life estate.

Why it matters: The conservatorship appointment creates a court-supervised fiduciary responsible for the ward's care and estate, with specific reporting duties. The life-estate release clarified property title issues and allows the co-conservators' intended ownership plan to proceed without the unintended life-estate cloud on title.

Follow-up: The court required the conservator to sign the statutorily required oath and to submit the annual property-management plan. Counsel in the life-estate matter will submit an order reflecting the court's grant.

Quotes: On the conservatorship appointment the judge reminded the conservator-to-be that \"it creates a fiduciary capacity...a special obligation that is placed on someone to put the interest of the respondent...above your own interest.\" In the life-estate matter the judge said the release was granted \"based on the testimony of the original owner of the property that it was an inadvertent inclusion,\" and ordered counsel to submit the order for signature.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5-14-25 Dickson Chancery","oneSentenceSummary","Chancery Judge David D. Wolfe approved a joint petition appointing Peggy Johnny Tyler as conservator for her mother, Joanne Faye Reynolds, and separately granted a conservators' motion to release an inadvertently reserved life estate on two properties after testimony that the deeds were meant to convey ownership to family buyers.","taxTitle","Judge David D. Wolfe State of Tennessee, Judicial, Tennessee","taxId",66321,"location","Tennessee","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6057246,"Court appoints Jesse Quigley guardian for teen Cason Hill in estate-linked guardianship",172,138000,310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3&start=138&end=310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3/thumbnail_138000.jpg","/articles/6057246/Tennessee/Court-appoints-Jesse-Quigley-guardian-for-teen-Cason-Hill-in-estate-linked-guardianship","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057246-b96aa3c6acb36a031afefe334f3d00b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940522&Signature=nxUZdWncSqpN941zt-BXAFilaeHxMJaKrEmA3P-9LTJ1LG7a0udv0B3V1F77Zo9LHkTnCEo~YAOu0dHQawsbz57VqFZtBkHVlXAD3Atwc8yiJ9XNDUQ6XVIOSRcSCtyRnf0JlTTqro25kinxRi0hy3IdCumzbc71PC8Xvmq~0a~SIkDcDnJRznj4ACjAbbAXgofrncwAN~58Z-EbAFrygA2SP6zJo9nExHShuBePM3tjhSWkiF3hfZH0PLv8S03rto-VdvbqttdB0-XbgBSoejD~~cCsKm5Mt1qyPTPEPtdG1F1SFwFOqBEyyUEoYHdQqPElTaptAd5Pqdw12ac38w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Judge David D. Wolfe granted a petition Tuesday to appoint Jesse (Miss) Quigley as guardian for the minor Cason Hill and issued letters of guardianship after confirming that she already serves as administrator of a related estate and intends to lease estate real property.

At the short hearing the court emphasized the legal distinction between ordinary parental duties and the additional fiduciary obligations that accompany a formal guardianship. The judge asked Quigley whether she understood that the guardianship placed her in a fiduciary role, obligating her to administer funds in the child's best interest and not to use estate or guardianship funds for her own benefit. Quigley affirmed her understanding. The guardian ad litem, Mr. Brown, advised the court he agreed with the petition.

The judge signed the guardianship order and instructed Quigley to submit the required documents and to follow statutory duties associated with the role.

What's next: The court accepted the petition and signed the letters of guardianship. Counsel confirmed Quigley will submit the signed oath required by statute and an annual property management plan for court review; the court noted counsel may later seek approval of lease terms for estate property planned for leasing.","A chancery court granted a petition appointing Jesse (Miss) Quigley as the guardian of her son Cason Hill; the judge cautioned Quigley about fiduciary duties tied to the guardianship and signed the protective order.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6057251,"Judge finds mother in contempt twice, tightens pickup rules in Dixon County custody dispute",6644,15856000,22500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3&start=15856&end=22500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3/thumbnail_15856000.jpg","/articles/6057251/Tennessee/Judge-finds-mother-in-contempt-twice-tightens-pickup-rules-in-Dixon-County-custody-dispute","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057251-02f60cf3be0904f830b3f76d4ab49858/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940522&Signature=FvqpE0uYu5bBA2fm0~meb0WSl1VTWYW4xSNgYJZEvKksp35~mVcfsK12SJXQm3doMt8Vs78hmzg47612o~MeY0STojoAD83PT-Tbzq7KsQPdATySl1F-ovnYCYoKn-yAyoZZbv8fMqI9ODLNSa59eKsPTy4jtxHs~ujOd-nt08y~2HWcvcGidZGi4LP5UDlA3CFCWYPBnN7so~mXxQ430lNHwUghD-pn8SEiZWkownKwM2iiuNewWoSFhNM6bcfnL9JlvdDS9nJOktXHjFT-eKW~ktMNk5ohr1HPpebH0IqpY7CzHalFd3gS75azk0-5dMLZAxaF~hit2XPgnGZ53A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dixon County Chancery Judge David D. Wolfe on Tuesday found the mother, Amy Hewitt, guilty of willful contempt on two counts for failing to return her son to the temporary primary residential parent as required by court order, suspended two consecutive 10-day jail terms, and revised the exchange schedule to reduce repeated transportation conflicts.

The court's order follows a hearing on competing motions: the father, Matthew Christopher Fenton, filed criminal contempt motions and asked the court to restore or protect his visitation after a January custody change that named him temporary primary residential parent. Hewitt had disputed notice of the January hearing and pressed that transportation and medical concerns complicated exchanges.

Why it matters: The ruling modifies how exchanges are handled between parents two-and-a-half hours apart and imposes clearer consequences for missed or late pickups, a practical change likely to affect weekend parenting time going forward.

Key rulings and changes
- The judge found Hewitt guilty of two counts of willful contempt relating to failures to return the child on specified weekends. He imposed two 10-day jail sentences but suspended them; the judge warned he would lift the suspension and require consecutive jail service if future orders were deliberately violated.
- The court altered exchange logistics: Hewitt will pick the child up at 4 p.m. on Fridays; Fenton will pick the child up in Dixon at 4 p.m. on Sundays. The judge explained the earlier 4 p.m. pickup window accounts for the parents' long drive so the child returns before school the next day.
- If Hewitt is not present within 15 minutes of the scheduled pickup window, she will be deemed to have waived visitation for that weekend, the court said.
- The court denied Hewitt's motion to reconsider the January custody order, finding sufficient notice and a factual basis for the prior change in temporary custody.

What the court saw: The record included text-message exchanges showing Hewitt notifying Fenton of missed returns and arguing about child-support matters. Fenton testified by phone and with exhibits that on several weekends he arrived for visits and was unable to complete the full allotted time because Hewitt said she had other plans or lacked transportation. Hewitt said she repeatedly tried to arrange alternate drivers (her stepmother Connie and her father were named) and cited a suspended driver's license and vehicle reliability problems as her constraints.

Judge Wolfe weighed parental fitness and medical evidence presented at earlier hearings. He said the record showed the child had developmental and medical needs that required consistent care and that the father had taken steps to arrange evaluations. The judge stressed that exchanges must be orderly and free of derogatory conduct and said he would consider motions for attorney's fees tied to the contempt proceedings.

What's next: The court asked Fenton's counsel to file an affidavit if seeking attorney's fees related to the contempt motions. The court's revised schedule and the 15-minute waiver rule take effect immediately. The suspended jail sentence remains conditional on future compliance.","A chancery judge found Amy Hewitt in willful contempt on two counts for failing to return her son as ordered, suspended two 10-day jail terms, and changed pickup-and-drop-off rules to reduce future exchanges disputes between the parents.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6057256,"Judge orders new DNA testing, appoints genetics expert to resolve Myatt estate heirship",470,428000,898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3&start=428&end=898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307526-1bb6f3851bb6d7470772ffaa4fff47c3/thumbnail_428000.jpg","/articles/6057256/Tennessee/Judge-orders-new-DNA-testing-appoints-genetics-expert-to-resolve-Myatt-estate-heirship","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057256-7b978460540b1f31ec09f037c430b805/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940522&Signature=lpSqUhUf8c4gIZsJsp~UGI8bkOS8MRHKhJWBmk9hlq7QwEPAYy3mVV1RabRrhHBfs3S3g6HXOcr4i8uYTd2fDS7dfW2SIbTgnOZMkj4XPj4TKSWBCbc-3C5mWYFg0duuCwB94eD6~Rb50CUD-I6KdXhvNG6iCEkHpmpkT0dP77~n4JZCLC1eh2xe6~NTZKs0t3Ei9EU95txkcFuXsaA2oO-LBvT9GWJljeUKIWeQYJDdeaks7IYtuT7pwNsaddUmb4vWwl~f9uMP2ezaAqTg4VUYMa7MgxOIXF8wydsQTzmkI7K54s2QhLsjSfq~i001EGVyGf8DnMhKpxbJ03p-Xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dixon County Chancery Judge David D. Wolfe on Tuesday ordered additional, denser DNA testing and authorized a genetics expert to analyze results to resolve whether Catherine Jean Myatt Rundle is a biological heir of the late Richard Omar Myatt and therefore entitled to share in his estate.

The issue came after test results from DDC Diagnostic Center showed a combined relatedness index of 0.1012 and reported an 8.5% probability of an avuncular (aunt/uncle-to-niece/nephew) relationship and a 91.5% probability of no relationship. Dr. Jennifer Elizabeth Belo, director of the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, testified the company's report and website place an 8.5% value below the lab's threshold for supporting relatedness and called the result effectively exclusionary for the avuncular relationship under that lab's own guidance.

Why it matters: The heirship determination affects distribution of the decedent's estate; counsel estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. Parties had already submitted standard avuncular testing to DDC and disputed whether the existing samples and the lab's calculations provide a conclusive answer. The judge concluded further, denser genomic testing was necessary to produce a high-confidence determination.

Most of the hearing focused on the technical limits of the 29-locus panel used by DDC. Dr. Belo testified that the 8.5% probability means \"there's a very low likelihood that the amount of sharing that is observed is due to relatedness\" and that with modern dense genotyping'testing hundreds of thousands to millions of markers'\"we would be able to preclude any you know, decide with 100% likelihood whether or not this truly is an avuncular relationship\" within days-to-a-week after genotyping. She estimated a dense array run can cost roughly $85'$86 per sample and have a turnaround measured in days to a week.

Attorney Marcus Knowles, who represents Catherine Rundle, argued earlier DNA results failed to \"provide sufficient evidence to support or refute\" the tested relationship; counsel for other parties pressed that DDC's report already leans heavily toward exclusion. The court heard competing requests: one side asked the judge to declare Rundle an heir on the evidence currently in the record; the other sought permission to pursue additional testing and to put the matter on a short schedule.

The judge sided with the parties seeking more precise analysis. He directed counsel to try to locate any original samples DDC still holds; if the archived samples are not available, the court authorized obtaining fresh samples and having dense-array genotyping performed. The judge told counsel to identify a laboratory and to submit an agreed order; he also authorized Dr. Belo to receive the dense genetic data and to prepare a written report for the court and the parties. The court signaled it wanted the testing process started promptly and asked the parties to confer on logistics and a proposed schedule.

What's next: The court asked counsel to draft an order implementing the retesting and analysis plan; if existing samples can be used, the process will proceed faster, the judge said. Dr. Belo will file a report after receiving the dense genotype files. The case will return to the chancery docket after the court receives Dr. Belo's analysis.","A chancery judge ordered expanded DNA testing and authorized Vanderbilt genetics professor Dr. Jennifer E. Belo to analyze results after a private lab's avuncular test produced an 8.5% probability of relatedness in a dispute over whether Catherine Rundle is an heir to the late Richard Omar Myatt.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Court approves conservatorship for Joanne Reynolds; separately releases inadvertent life estate on two properties

Court appoints Jesse Quigley guardian for teen Cason Hill in estate-linked guardianship

Judge finds mother in contempt twice, tightens pickup rules in Dixon County custody dispute

Judge orders new DNA testing, appoints genetics expert to resolve Myatt estate heirship