Baugh v. Myers

694 S.W.2d 64, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 6491
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 21, 1985
Docket13-84-159-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 694 S.W.2d 64 (Baugh v. Myers) 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
Baugh v. Myers, 694 S.W.2d 64, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 6491 (Tex. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION

PER CURIAM.

During their marriage, J.H. Myers and Ewie C. Myers owned certain lots and buildings thereon. Mr. Myers died in 1974, leaving a will creating a life estate in appel-lee and a remainder interest in three named individuals and their children.

In 1976, Mrs. Myers entered into a lease with Curtis Ripley which created a purchase option in the lessee “if and when a clear title and title policy can be secured.” During December of 1978, appellant secured an assignment of this lease and began to occupy the property. Ewie C. Myers, appellee, filed a suit in the 214th District Court of Nueces County against appellant in trespass to try title regarding the same real property. The court in that case found in favor of appellee and, on July 10, 1980, awarded possession of the property to her 90 days after the judgment. Lee Baugh, appellant herein, appealed that case. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court and Court of Appeals. Pursuant to that judgment, the real property was surrendered to appellee in June of 1982.

The instant suit was instituted to recover taxes which had accrued during the appeal of the prior suit, the fair market value of the rent which accrued during the appeal and for the cost of repair of damage done to the property in excess of normal wear and tear. Trial was to the court and resulted in a judgment for taxes, rent, damage done and attorney’s fees.

By his second and third points of error, appellant complains that the trial court erred in failing to grant appellant credit for monies paid to appellee and that there is insufficient evidence to support the award for the fair market rental value. No findings of fact or conclusions of law were filed. 1 When a record is without findings of fact and conclusions of law, the appellate court is required to affirm the judgment rendered by the trial court if it can be sustained on any reasonable theory authorized by law and supported by the evidence. City of Kingsville v. International Association of Firefighters, 568 S.W.2d 397 (Tex.Civ.App. — Corpus Christi 1978, no writ). In considering a “no evidence” or “insufficient evidence” point of error, we will follow the well established test set forth in Glover v. Texas General Indemnity Company, 619 S.W.2d 400 (Tex.1981); Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821 (Tex.1965); Allied Finance Company v. Garza, 626 S.W.2d 120 (Tex.App. — Corpus Christi 1981, writ ref’d n.r.e.); CALVERT, No Evidence and *66 Insufficient Evidence Points of Error, 38 Tex.L.Rev. 361 (1960).

The trial court awarded $13,-594.70 as the fair market rental value of the property. A person who has obtained a judgment, later affirmed on appeal, is entitled to all the benefits that would have resulted if there had been no appeal. Texas Trunk R. Co. v. Jackson, 22 S.W. 1030, 1031 (Tex.1893); McWilliams v. McWilliams, 531 S.W.2d 392 (Tex.Civ.App.— Houston [14th Dist.] 1975, no writ). Among the benefits to which appellee is entitled is the fair market value of the rental during the pendency of the appeal. This would include an accounting for the rents actually received by appellant, plus an allowance for the value of the space occupied by appellant, less the expenses incurred by appellant.

The relevant time is from the date appellee was entitled to possession, 90 days after the date of the judgment in Cause No. 79-4018-F, to the date appellee was returned to possession, June 15 or 17 of 1982. Appellant leased out portions of the building and occupied approximately 3900 square feet of the building for his own business. Defendant’s Answers to Interrogatories show that appellant received gross income in the amount of $22,861.42. The expenses listed totaled $25,335.24 and included payments to appellee made by appellant pursuant to the supersedeas bond in Cause No. 79-4018-F and payments to appellant’s attorney, Sam Westergren, for services and expense related to the appeal in Cause No. 79-4018-F in the amount of $5,489.46. Appellant testified that all of the payments to Mr. Westergren given during this period were for the purposes of prosecuting the appeal from the judgment entered in Cause No. 79-4018-F. Although reasonable attorney’s fees could be allowed for legal services provided for operating the property (i.e., collections, evictions, leases), to allow fees for the appeal of the prior cause would be, in effect, an award of fees for an appeal which was lost; therefore, we deduct the $5,489.46 from the expenses listed and allow appellant $19,-845.78 in expenses. This would result in a net income of $3,015.64. 2 As noted above, this figure includes amounts paid to Mrs. Myers pursuant to the supersedeas bond in Cause No. 79-4018-F.

In addition to this amount, appellee is entitled to the value of the premises occupied by appellant for his business. Appellant’s expert witness testified the rental value of the space was $.05 per square foot, or $195.00 per month. Appellee’s expert witness testified the rental value of the space was up to $.25 per square foot, or $975 per month. 3 The duration of the appeal was approximately 20 months. Therefore, from the evidence presented in this case, it would be reasonable for the trial court to have found for the space occupied by appellant a fair market rental value between $6,915.64 4 and $22,515.64. 5 We find that the trial court’s award of $13,-594.70 is supported by sufficient evidence and that the proper credits for monies paid to appellee were allowed. Appellant’s second and third points of error are overruled.

Appellant, by his fourth point of error, complains that the trial court erred in granting judgment for damages for the reasonable and necessary cost of repairs of damage in excess of normal wear and tear to the property because such is against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.

The trial court awarded damages for the cost of repairs in the amount of $13,538.40. Where a record is without findings of fact and conclusions of law, the appellate court is required to affirm the judgment rendered by the trial court, if it can be sustained on any reasonable theory authorized by law and supported by the evidence. *67 Bishop v. Bishop, 359 S.W.2d 869, 871 (Tex.1962).

Mr. Chandler, appellee’s grandson and representative at trial, presented slides (PX-3) which he had taken of the condition of the property.

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Related

Glover v. Texas General Indemnity Co.
619 S.W.2d 400 (Texas Supreme Court, 1981)
Jones v. Kelley
614 S.W.2d 95 (Texas Supreme Court, 1981)
Gerdes v. Mustang Exploration Co.
666 S.W.2d 640 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1984)
McWilliams v. McWilliams
531 S.W.2d 392 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1975)
Allied Finance Co. v. Garza
626 S.W.2d 120 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1981)
Garza v. Alviar
395 S.W.2d 821 (Texas Supreme Court, 1965)
Bishop v. Bishop
359 S.W.2d 869 (Texas Supreme Court, 1962)
Ratcliff v. State Bar of Texas
673 S.W.2d 339 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1984)
Texas Trunk Railway Co. v. Jackson Bros.
22 S.W. 1030 (Texas Supreme Court, 1893)
Frankfurt v. Decker
180 S.W.2d 985 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1944)

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Bluebook (online)
694 S.W.2d 64, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 6491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baugh-v-myers-texapp-1985.