Shirley Jean Cupples Blankenship v. Charles Gary Blankenship, Sr. and Charles Gary Blankenship, II v. Shirley Jean Cupples Blankenship
Court
Court of Appeals of Tennessee
Decided
August 8, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Importance
45%
Practice Areas
Case Summary
08/08/2025 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE AT JACKSON April 23, 2025 Session SHIRLEY JEAN CUPPLES BLANKENSHIP v. CHARLES GARY BLANKENSHIP SR. AND CHARLES GARY BLANKENSHIP II v. SHIRLEY JEAN CUPPLES BLANKENSHIP Appeal from the Chancery Court for Gibson County No. H6329, H6634 Michael Mansfield, Chancellor ___________________________________ No. W2024-01248-COA-R3-CV ___________________________________ This appeal arises from the death of the husband during a divorce proceeding. While the divorce was pending, the spouses sold real property they owned as tenants by the entirety and deposited the proceeds with the clerk of the court pursuant to an agreed order. Subsequently, the husband died and the wife filed a motion to dismiss the case and to distribute the proceeds. The chancery court determined that the husband’s death abated the divorce proceedings and that the proceeds had been owned by the spouses as tenants by the entirety. Thus, the court granted the motion to dismiss and determined that the wife was entitled to distribution of the proceeds as the surviving tenant by the entirety. The spouses’ son, acting as administrator of the husband’s estate, appeals. We affirm. Tenn. R. App. P. 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Chancery Court Affirmed. CARMA DENNIS MCGEE, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which KENNY W. ARMSTRONG and VALERIE L. SMITH, JJ., joined. Michael R. Flynn, Germantown, Tennessee, for the appellants, Charles Gary Blankenship II and Probate Advance, LLC. Jonathan O. Steen, Nicholas B. Latimer, and Sara E. Barnett, Jackson, Tennessee, for the appellee, Shirley Jean Cupples Blankenship. OPINION I. Facts and Procedural History Charles Gary Blankenship Sr. (“Husband”) and Shirley Jean Cupples Blankenship (“Wife”) were married on August 22, 1981, in Jackson, Tennessee. One child was born of the marriage, Charles Gary Blankenship II (“Son”). Son is serving as the administrator of Husband’s estate and is one of the appellants in this matter. During the marriage, the spouses obtained the following pieces of real property in Humboldt, Tennessee: 157 Pleasant Hill Road, 3855 East End Drive, and a lot adjacent to the 3855 East End Drive property (collectively “the Properties”). The spouses owned the Properties as tenants by the entirety. On March 6, 2020, Wife filed a complaint for divorce in the Madison County Chancery Court. The spouses later agreed for the case to be transferred to the Gibson County Chancery Court. Litigation ensued, and on September 30, 2022, Husband filed a motion requesting that a guardian ad litem be appointed on his behalf. The motion was granted by order entered on January 20, 2023. The guardian ad litem subsequently submitted a report explaining that Husband had experienced several health issues and recommended that Son be appointed as conservator over Husband’s person and that a certified public accountant be appointed as conservator over his property. On January 5, 2023, an “Agreed Order” was entered in which the spouses agreed that the proceeds derived from the sale of any marital property would be paid to the Clerk and Master of the Chancery Court of Gibson County. Although it is unclear from the record when this occurred, the spouses subsequently sold the Properties. The proceeds derived from the sale of the Properties were deposited with the Gibson County Clerk and Master. On August 15, 2023, Husband died prior to a final decree of divorce having been entered. Wife filed a “Motion to Dismiss and for Distribution of Funds” on September 8, 2023, in which she asserted that Husband’s death abated the divorce proceedings. Wife also claimed that the proceeds derived from the sale of the Properties had been owned by the spouses as tenants by the entirety and thus the proceeds had “vested” in her upon Husband’s death as the surviving tenant by the entirety. Meanwhile, on October 27, 2023, Son filed a verified complaint in his capacity as the administrator of Husband’s estate in the Chancery Court of Hamilton County, Tennessee.1 The complaint alleged that the funds being held by the Gibson County Clerk and Master were assets of Husband’s estate. Son further sought an order enjoining Wife from obtaining the funds pending resolution of the complaint. This case was eventually transferred to the Gibson County Chancery Court. Subsequently, the court entered an order consolidating the divorce proceeding, the above- described action filed by Son, and a “Probate Action” Son had also filed in the Hamilton County Chancery Court. The court determined that all three cases were predicated on the disposal of a single issue: “who is entitled to receive disburse
Case Details
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Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 8, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Court Type
federal
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Case Summary
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Case Overview
Shirley Jean Cupples Blankenship v. Charles Gary Blankenship, Sr. and Charles Gary Blankenship, II is a significant case decided by the Court of Appeals of Tennessee on August 8, 2025. The case centers around the distribution of proceeds from the sale of marital property following the death of one spouse during pending divorce proceedings.
Legal Issues
The court addressed several critical legal questions:
- Whether the proceeds from the sale of real property held by the spouses as tenants by the entirety retained this status upon the sale during the divorce proceedings.
- Whether the trial court erred in not requiring proof regarding the circumstances and/or intention of the spouses relating to the sale of the property.
- Severance of tenancy by the entirety and whether there was an agreement to terminate this tenancy upon the sale of the properties.
- Whether the spouses intended to sever the tenancy by the entirety amidst the divorce proceedings.
Factual Background
Key facts in this case include:
- The spouses sold real property during the divorce proceedings and deposited the proceeds with the court.
- The husband died before a final decree of divorce was entered, leading to the abatement of the divorce proceedings.
- Appellants claimed that the marital relationship was severed upon the sale of the properties, asserting that the unities of title, possession, and marriage were affected.
Court's Analysis
The court's reasoning included:
- Tenancy by the Entirety: The court determined that the divorce proceedings abated upon the husband's death, and the proceeds retained their status as tenants by the entirety, entitling the wife to full ownership.
- Severance of Tenancy: The court found that the proceeds of the sale retained the tenancy by the entirety status unless there was an explicit agreement to the contrary. The subjective feelings of the spouses did not legally sever the tenancy.
- The court emphasized that the dissolution of marriage is necessary to sever a tenancy by the entirety, and there was no evidence of an agreement to terminate this tenancy.
Holdings and Decision
The court made the following rulings:
- The wife was entitled to the proceeds from the sale of the properties as the surviving tenant by the entirety.
- The court upheld the tenancy by the entirety in the proceeds from the sale of the properties, affirming that there was no evidence of an agreement to dissolve the tenancy.
- The judgment of the chancery court was affirmed, maintaining that the property was owned as tenants by the entirety, with no evidence of intent to sever.
Legal Precedents
The court referenced several important cases:
- Bryant v. Bryant, 522 S.W.3d 392 (Tenn. 2017): Outlined forms of concurrent ownership in real property, including tenancy by the entirety.
- In re Est. of Fletcher, 538 S.W.3d 444 (Tenn. 2017): Discussed implications of tenancy by the entirety and property ownership affected by the death of a spouse.
- Heirs of Ellis v. Est. of Ellis, 2001 WL 356714: Clarified that proceeds retain tenancy by the entirety status unless agreed otherwise.
- Hicks v. Boshears, 846 S.W.2d 812: Established that subjective factors do not sever tenancy.
Practical Implications
This ruling has significant implications for legal practice in Family Law, Probate Law, and Property Law. It reinforces the principles surrounding tenancy by the entirety, clarifying that such tenancies remain intact unless explicitly severed by divorce or mutual agreement. This case serves as a precedent for future disputes involving marital property and the rights of surviving spouses in similar circumstances.
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Case Details
Legal case information
Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 8, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Court Type
federal
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Additional information
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