Arnold v. Jones

304 S.W.2d 400, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1966
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 20, 1957
Docket6932
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 304 S.W.2d 400 (Arnold v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arnold v. Jones, 304 S.W.2d 400, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1966 (Tex. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

CHADICK, Chief Justice.

This appeal is from a judgment in a trespass to try title suit concerning 160 acres of land in Rusk County instituted in the court below by the heirs of the late John R. Arnold and Dr. J. E. Watkins against John Jones and wife, Mary Jones, as defendants. Mike Blanton and numerous heirs of Charley Jones and wife, Hester Jones, were permitted to intervene. The defendants and interveners claimed title under the 10-year statute of limitation, Article 5510, V.A.T.C.S. On the verdict of the jury the court rendered a judgment awarding title and possession of 128 acres to John and Mary Jones and the intervening heirs of Charley and Hester Jones, and 32 acres to Mike Blanton. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

The 160-acre tract was deeded to James Blanton in 1870, the consideration being part cash and notes being given for the deferred remainder. In 1899, James and Manda Blanton deeded the land to George Grozdanick; then, in 1892, E. Frankfurt foreclosed the purchase money note by judgement. In the same year, M. B. Dree-ben bought it at sheriff’s sale for $80. It is not necessary to an understanding of this opinion to follow the title by mesne conveyances, it suffices to say that Yetta Dreeben in 1919 conveyed the land to Dr. J. E. Watkins. In 1921, Dr. Watkins conveyed John R. Arnold, a lawyer, an undivided half interest in the land.

The court submitted five special issues, defined “peaceful possession,” “adverse possession,” “hostile”, “peaceful and adverse possession,” “privity of estate,” and “claim of right” in terms satisfactory to the parties and that appear to be correct and in appropriate language. The jury found that the heirs of Charley and Hester Jones and those in privity of estate with them matured a 10-year limitation title to 128 acres, and that Mike Blanton matured such title to 32 of the 160 acres. The jury also found that both use and occupancy of the land by Charley and Hester Jones, and those in privity of estate with them was not with the permission and consent *402 of appellants or persons in privity with them.

Appellants’ nine points of error are divided into two groups for discussion. The first five points generally challenge the action of the trial court in not peremptorily ruling that as a matter of law the possession, claim and use of the land by appellees and their predecessors in title was insufficient to mature a title in them under the 10-year statute of limitation.

These contentions of appellant must be tested to determine if a fact issue respecting acquisition under the 10-year limitation statute exists. The test is, Will reasonable minds reach but one conclusion from the evidentiary facts adduced in the trial, or might variable inferences be drawn from such facts leading to different conclusions? Le Master v. Fort Worth Transit Co., 138 Tex. 512, 160 S.W.2d 224; Hammond v. Eplen, Tex.Civ.App., 216 S.W.2d 258, no writ history. If reasonable minds might differ, a jury issue is presented. For the purpose of this test the evidence is considered in the light most favorable to the jury’s answers, and to sustain appellants’ contentions, it must appear that there is no evidence having probative force upon which the jury could make its findings. Burt v. Lochausen, 151 Tex. 289, 249 S.W.2d 194.

Rendered in its most favorable aspect, there is testimony in the record that Hester Blanton, a daughter of James Blanton, had a log hut or “pole pen” in which she and another woman slept and cooked on the tract of land as far back as 1907. In 1914, Hester, then married to Charley Jones, and her husband built a house on the land near a spring and both continued to live on, farm and graze the land until the time of their deaths. They erected fences on its boundaries and cross-fenced it to some extent. These fences or fragments of them were still in existence at the time of the trial as evidenced by pictures exhibited and oral testimony. A son, Buddy Jones and his wife moved in with Charley and Hester for about two years and then built a house on the land, but moved away in 1920. John Jones, another son of Hester and Charley, and his wife, Mary, moved on the place in 1918, and built a house which still stands and is occupied by them. About the same year, Tillmon Blanton, a son of Hester, and Tillmon’s wife, Lula, also built a house on the land and continued to occupy the house and cultivate some of the land until Till-mon’s death in 1951. Frank, still another son, built and occupied a house though the time and duration of such occupancy is not shown. Charley died in 1930, and Hester died in 1939. Other evidence admitted in the trial either expressly or by strong inference shows that John Jones and Tillmon Blanton used and occupied a portion of the 160 acres with the permission and in subordination to Charley and Hester Jones. In their testimony the children and in-laws of Charley and Hester referred to the place as the “homestead” and other witnesses of a disinterested character spoke of it as the “home place” of Charley and Hester. Mary, wife of John, testified that only Charley and Hester and their children lived on the place after 1918, and she did not know of any one else claiming it There is also evidence that while the ap-pellees or their predecessors in title paid taxes as they accrued, a few of the years, the Arnold estate paid taxes as they accrued on one-half interest from the time of the deed to Mr. Arnold until time of trial. Dr. Watkins ceased paying taxes in 1927.

Appellants introduced a great deal of evidence which is not necessary to recite for the purposes at hand, but it is mentioned to explain their position. Without stating it in detail, they offered evidence that Dr. Watkins placed Charley and Hester on the land a few years before he acquired title to it, and considered and treated them as “his” Negroes, looking after their medical needs, and perhaps furnishing them a team and supplies as tenants. Many of these acts occurred prior to the time Dr. Watkins acquired title, and all within a few *403 years after Charley and Hester took up residence on the farm.

Mike Blanton, a son of James Blanton and a sister of Hester Jones, moved on the land in 1935, fenced off 32 acres in the southeast corner, erected a house and cultivated and grazed the 32 acres of land thereafter until his house burned in 1953, and he moved into town. Mike was never disturbed or his possession questioned by Hester Jones (Charley being dead), her children or the appellants, prior to suit, nor was rent demanded of him or paid. It appears that the defendants and interveners concede Mike’s title to be perfected as against them.

The appellants earnestly urge that the evidence showing as it does that the children of Hester and Charley Jones moved upon, built houses, cultivated and used the 160 acres at a time beginning shortly after Charley and Hester’s entry upon the land is evidence that Charley and Hester did not have that exclusive possession of the land contemplated by Article 5510 and that title in Charley and Hester therefore could not mature. They rely itpon Vela v. Hester, Tex.Civ.App., 280 S.W.2d 369, and Humphreys v. Gribble, Tex.Civ.App., 227 S.W.2d 235, in support of their contention.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Elliott v. Elliott
597 S.W.2d 795 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1980)
Patten v. Rodgers
417 S.W.2d 837 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1967)
Wilson v. Rogers
343 S.W.2d 309 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1961)
Nesbitt v. Garvin
308 S.W.2d 86 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1957)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
304 S.W.2d 400, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1966, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arnold-v-jones-texapp-1957.