Trust. Broken.
Holding Houston Trust Company accountable.
Families trust financial institutions to act with integrity. When that trust is broken, someone has to speak up.
That's why we are
sharing our story:
A lifetime dedicated to giving to others.
Jeane Marie Swalm grew up the daughter of a college professor. She graduated high school early and earned a college degree at a time when few women even attended college. She then went on to become one of the first female employees at IBM.
After raising three children and helping her husband build a successful business in Texas, Jeane Marie taught personal finance at the local community college for several years. She later moved to Sedona, Arizona, which became her adopted hometown. She spent decades perfecting her home there, and was active in efforts to preserve the character of the local community.
Jeane Marie hasn’t been able to return to Sedona for years. She now resides in an assisted living facility in Hawaii where she has limited ability to see friends and loved ones, while her son struggles to protect her assets from Houston Trust Company.
First
Violation
Breach of Fiduciary Duty
of Transparency and Full Disclosure
For over two years, HTC refused to provide Mrs. Swalm's son with basic accounting records he was legally entitled to receive as a vested beneficiary, forcing him to take them to court to get them.
Second Violation
Breach of Fiduciary Duty to Maintain and Provide Complete, Accurate, and Orderly Records
HTC's inability or refusal to provide complete, detailed, and accurate accounting records is a failure of fiduciary duty under Texas law.
Third
Violation
Breach of Fiduciary Duty of Loyalty
HTC breached its duty of loyalty by entering into an informal or de facto side deal.
Fourth
Violation
Breach of Contract
HTC entered into a valid and enforceable contract with Mrs. Swalm and her beneficiaries, but failed to abide by the terms of that contract.
What Are They Hiding?
Why did HTC Refuse to Release the Full Records?
A legal petition filed in April 2025 asserts that, despite Houston Trust Company’s fiduciary and contractual duties, Houston Trust Company kept a beneficiary in the dark about the Trust for years. When David requested documentation about his mom's Trust from Houston Trust Company to which he was legally entitled, he was met with resistance.
During this time, Houston Trust Company approved hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense reimbursements. Now, HTC is further depleting the Trust by using Jeane Marie Swalm’s money to pay for its own legal fees as it fights to defend its improper conduct.
The Trust Was for Her
CARE — Now It’s Paying
Lawyers
HTC’s legal defense is being bankrolled by the very funds it was supposed to protect.
David is concerned that his mom's Trust is being dissipated on improper expenses. Meanwhile, Houston Trust Company charged — and continues to charge — the costs of its legal defense to the Trust.
Last But Not Least: Fun Moments
Moments with
Jeane Marie
year
year
year
year
year
