Berryman v. Norfleet

41 S.W.2d 722, 1931 Tex. App. LEXIS 1394
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 22, 1931
DocketNo. 3592.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 41 S.W.2d 722 (Berryman v. Norfleet) 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
Berryman v. Norfleet, 41 S.W.2d 722, 1931 Tex. App. LEXIS 1394 (Tex. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

JACKSON, J.

This suit was instituted by Mrs. M. E. Nor-fleet, joined by her husband, J. E. Norfleet, pro forma, as plaintiffs, in the district court of Hale county, Tex., against the defendant H. H. Berryman, to cancel a deed theretofore executed by the plaintiffs conveying their alleged homestead to the defendant and in the alternative to recover $13,000, the alleged value of said property, and $1,300 per annum for the use thereof.

The plaintiffs alleged that on December 22, 1924, and long prior thereto and at all times since they were husband and wife and on said date were occupying the 200 acres of land in controversy as their homestead.

That on September 9, 1924, they were the owners of sections Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9, and the N. W. ⅛ of section 7, and 440 acres out of section 2 in block D-10 in Hale county, Tex. That on said date the Texas Security Company held a deed of trust lien against the above-described land to secure the payment of $86,082.55. That on said date the Texas Security Company obtained a valid judgment against the plaintiffs for the sum of $74,347.-77, principal, interest, costs, and attorney’s fees, and a foreclosure of its lien against said land. That on November 3, 1924, the defendant contracted with the Texas Security Company for the purchase of said judgment and lien, and on the 19th of November, thereafter, consummated such contract of purchase and became the owner of said indebtedness and judgment. That on November 3, 1924, the defendant entered into a written contract with J. P. Norfleet by the terms of which he obligated himself to purchase all the above-described lands covered by said judgment lien and also the north 200 acres of section 2 in block D-IO, the homestead of plaintiffs, and which was clear of all debts and incumbrances. That as a part of the consideration for plaintiffs’ lands, the defendant contracted to convey to plaintiffs seven brick buildings clear of all liens, located in the town of Alto in Cherokee county, Tex., at an agreed value of $75,000, and further obligated himself in said contract to rent said buildings in Alto from plaintiffs for a period of two years, beginning January 1, 1925, at and for the price of $500 per month.

A copy of the contract between the defendant and J. P. Norfleet is attached to and made a part of plaintiffs’ petition.

Plaintiffs also alleged that on December 22, 1924, the north 200 acres of said section 2 in block D-10, in addition to being the homestead of the Norfleets, was the separate property of the plaintiff M. E. Norfleet. That on said date the defendant knew that the judgment against the plaintiffs amounted to $74,-347.77 and that the lien securing the payment thereof had been foreclosed against all of the above-described property save and except the 200 acres claimed and occupied by the plaintiffs as their homestead. That on said date the defendant induced M. E. Norfleet to join her husband in the execution of a deed conveying said 200 acres of land to the defendant, by falsely promising and fraudulently representing that if she would execute the deed with her husband he would carry out the provisions of the written contract, pay off and satisfy the judgment he had purchased against the incumbered land, and convey to plaintiffs the seven brick buildings in Alto, Tex., for which he would pay as rent per month the sum of $500 for a period of two years. That by reason of said false and fraudulent representations, the plaintiff's, and especially M. E. Norfleet, were induced to execute the deed to the homestead property. That as a matter of fact at the time the defendant acquired said judgment and contracted with J. P. Norfleet for the purchase of said lands and at the time he made the representations by which M. E. Norfleet and her husband were induced to convey to him their 200-acre homestead which was also the separate property of M. E. Norfleet, he did not intend to carry out said contracts nor the promises made to induce the plaintiff's to convey him their homestead, but all such agreements, contracts, and promises were fraudulently made and were a part of the scheme on the part of the defendant to fraudulently acquire plaintiffs’ land and especially said 200 acres. That the plaintiffs relied and acted upon such agreements, promises, and representations in the execution of the deed to said homestead; that the defendant at the time of such representations had in mind and did, in fact, thereafter, have execution issued and levied on all of said encumbered property, had it advertised and sold, and on the 3d of March, 1925, purchased the same at sheriff’s sale for the sum of $6,000 and secured a sheriff’s deed thereto. That the defendant has failed and refused to convey to plaintiffs the seven brick buildings in Alto, Tex., and refused to pay plaintiff any money for the 200 acres of land acquired by the deed from plaintiffs. That by reason of the fraud perpetrated on the plaintiffs and especially M. E. Norfleet, she is entitled to a cancellation of the deed and a recovery of the title and possession of said 200 acres of land.

The plaintiffs alleged' in the alternative that if the title to said 200 acres of land has been conveyed by the defendants to innocent purchasers or lienholders, that they are entitled to a money judgment against the defendant for the full value of said 200 acres *724 of land, which they alleged to be the sum of $13,000. They also alleged that the annual value for the use of said 200 acres since it was conveyed to the defendant is of the reasonable value of $1,300.

The defendant answered by general demurrer, numerous special exceptions, and general denial. He specially denies that he ever made any representations which he did not intend to perform, and alleges that he was at all times ready, willing, and able to comply with and perform every promise made by him to either of the plaintiffs and to perform all the obligations under the contract between him and J. P. Norfleet.

That by the terms of the contract J. E. Nor-fleet agreed to convey to the defendant all of said-lands, including the 200-aere homestead involved in this controversy, at the price of $29.30 per acre. That at the time of said contract the 200 acres was the community property of J. P. Norfleet and his wife and they executed the deed, sought to be canceled, to this defendant, and if said 200 acres of land was the homestead, it was abandoned as such long before the institution of this suit, and the plaintiffs are estopped from recovering said land or any damages on account of any or all of said transactions complained of. That on November 9, 1925, the defendant and J. E. Norfleet made a complete settlement of all trades and agreements theretofore made, by the following contract:

“Dallas, Texas, November 9, 1925. $1750.00
“Received of H. H. Berrymán the sum of $1,750.00 in full settlement of all amounts due me on any and all trades we have heretofore entered into, verbally or in writing, whether said trades have been consummated or not. This being a full receipt and release of H. H. Berryman.
“[Signed] J. P. Norfleet.
“Witness: M. C. Parrish.”

The defendant pleads the statutes of two and four years’ limitations. In the alternative the defendant alleges that if the court finds that plaintiffs have any equities arising out of the transactions pleaded, that the defendant likewise has equities which should be protected, and in this connection shows that by the contract with J. P.

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

Related

Hernandez v. Alta Verde Industries, Inc.
666 S.W.2d 499 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1983)
Hoffman v. Love
523 S.W.2d 503 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1975)
City of Houston v. Anchor Hocking Glass Corp.
467 S.W.2d 677 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)
Southern Underwriters v. Boswell
141 S.W.2d 442 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1940)
City of Houston v. Anderson
115 S.W.2d 732 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1938)
St. Louis, B. & M. Ry. Co. v. Zamora
110 S.W.2d 1242 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1937)
Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Mills
108 S.W.2d 219 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1937)
Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Parker
91 S.W.2d 503 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1935)
Whittington v. Glazier
81 S.W.2d 543 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1935)
Fidelity & Casualty Co. of New York v. Branton
70 S.W.2d 780 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1934)
Gaines v. Stewart
57 S.W.2d 207 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1933)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
41 S.W.2d 722, 1931 Tex. App. LEXIS 1394, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berryman-v-norfleet-texapp-1931.