Principal Life Insurance Company v. Jones et al

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
GALVESTON DIVISION
PRINCIPAL LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY,
Plaintiff.
VS.
KATHLEEN ANNE JONES, et al.,
Defendants.
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CIVIL ACTION NO. 3:25-cv-00221
ORDER ADOPTING MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S
MEMORANDUM AND RECOMMENDATION
On August 15, 2025, all pretrial matters in this case were referred to United
States Magistrate Judge Andrew M. Edison under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). Dkt. 12.
Judge Edison filed a memorandum and recommendation on May 27, 2026,
recommending that Defendant Katelyn A. Mathis’s motion for summary judgment
(Dkt. 24) be granted, and Defendant Kathleen Anne Jones’s motion for summary
judgment (Dkt. 25) be denied. See Dkt. 31.
On June 9, 2026, Jones filed her objections to the memorandum and
recommendation. See Dkt. 32. In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C), this
court is required to “make a de novo determination of those portions of the
[magistrate judge’s] report or specified proposed findings or recommendations to
which objection [has been] made.” After conducting this de novo review, the court
may 	“accept, 	reject, 	or 	modify, 	in 	whole 	or 	in 	part, 	the 	findings 	or
United States District Court
Southern District of Texas
ENTERED
June 17, 2026
Nathan Ochsner, Clerk
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recommendations made by the magistrate judge.” Id.; see also Fed. R. Civ. P.
72(b)(3).
Jones makes one argument in her objections that she did not raise before
Judge Edison. She complains that “[t]he Court cannot grant Mathis’ Motion for
Summary Judgment in the absence of supporting pleadings.” Dkt. 32 at 9. This
argument is meritless. The interpleader action puts the parties on notice of the
adverse claims to the proceeds. To the extent that supporting pleadings are
required, the answer filed by Mathis’s predecessor in interest states that she
believes that “a valid and irrevocable informal settlement agreement was signed by
Jones and Decedent[,]” and “denies the validity of a revocation of said irrevocable
informal settlement agreement.” Dkt. 11 at 2. This puts Jones on notice that the
representative of Ellis’s estate is seeking the proceeds from the life insurance policy
that have been deposited into the registry of the court. Moreover, Mathis was
properly substituted as the defendant in place of Sharon Ellis, the temporary
administrator of the estate of Kenneth N. Ellis. See Dkt. 23.
The court has carefully considered the objections; the memorandum and
recommendation; the pleadings; and the record. The court accepts Judge Edison’s
memorandum and recommendation and adopts it as the opinion of the court. It is
therefore ordered that:
(1) 	Judge Edison’s memorandum 	and recommendation (Dkt. 	31) is
approved and adopted in its entirety as the holding of the court;
(2) 	Mathis’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 24) is granted;
(3) 	Jones’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 25) is denied; and
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(4) 	Mathis is ordered to tender a lump-sum payment of $30,000 to Jones
in the form of a money order or cashier’s check within seven days to
finalize performance of the Agreement.
SIGNED on Galveston Island this 17th day of June 2026.
______________________________
JEFFREY VINCENT BROWN
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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