Brito v. Slack

25 S.W.2d 881
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 20, 1930
DocketNo. 2384.
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 25 S.W.2d 881 (Brito v. Slack) 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
Brito v. Slack, 25 S.W.2d 881 (Tex. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

WALTHALL, J.

Clay Slack, plaintiff below, filed this suit against Monica Heredia de Brito, and other defendants, alleging in substance that he and defendants were joint owners in fee simple of the lands described by metes and bounds, and being that certain tract or parcel of land situated in Presidio county, Tex., “and being the east half of survey No. 349, Abstract No. 6909, Pelipe Brito original grantee, -the East half containing 80 acres of land, and said East half being described as follows: [Then follows a description of the land by metes and bounds] that plaintiff owns an undivided two-thirds interest in said lands, and defendants, among themselves, own jointly a one-third interest.”

This suit is brought for partition of said lands as between plaintiff on one side and the defendants on the other side. All defendants, though some were served by publication, answered by and through their attorneys, all joining in one answer, and were in court at the trial of the case.

Defendants answered by general denial, allege that they own two-thirds of the lands in controversy, and that plaintiff owns one-third. Defendants claim to own their interests as heirs of Cleto Heredia and Lionicea Martinez de Heredia, and a one-twelfth interest as heirs of a deceased brother, Wenseslado Heredia; that Cleto Heredia and Lionicea Martinez de Heredia were the owners of the land in controversy; that both are dead; that Cleto Heredia and Lionicea Heredia had nine children, and defendants represent six of said children; that Cleto died before Lionicea; that defendants Jesus Heredia, and others of defendants, naming them, are the heirs of the children of said Cleto and Lionicea Heredia; that said Wenseslado Heredia is one of the nine children, and is dead, and left defendants as his heirs, together with Senovio Here-dia and Victoria Heredia de Velasco; that said Cleto and Lionicea Heredia are the common source of title of both plaintiff and defendants.

Plaintiff claims title under a deed from Lionicea Heredia to Victoria Velasco, Wen-seslado Heredia, and Senovio Heredia, three of her nine children, in which deed said Lioni-cea conveyed to her said three children an undivided one-half interest in the land in controversy.

Defendants attack said deed from said Lion'icea to said Victoria, Senovio, and Wen- *883 seslado on two grounds: First, that the grantor, Lionicea Heredia, did not have sufficient mental capacity to comprehend and under-' stand the deed, its nature and its probable consequence, and allege that, by reason of said want of mental capacity, said deed is void and conveyed no title; then, second, defendants allege in the alternative that, if said deed is not void for want of mental capacity on the part of Lionicea Heredia, then said deed should be set aside by reason of undue influence exercised by grantees over the said grantor. Defendants also attacked the deed from Wenseslado Heredia to appellee on the ground that he did not have sufficient mental capacity to make such deed. Appellee by supplemental petition denied the want of mental capacity of Lionicea Heredia to make said deed, and affirmatively alleged that she had sufficient mental capacity to make said deed, that said deed was made for an adequate, good, and sufficient consideration, and being the deed under which plaintiff held title. Plaintiff also denied a want of mental capacity in Wenseslado Heredia, and affirmatively alleged sufficient mental capacity as to him to make said deed to plaintiff.

Plaintiff further alleged that, if said deed from Lionicea Heredia to said Victoria Vel-asco, Wenseslado, and Senovio Heredia was subject to any of the defenses alleged by defendants, same was voidable only, and subject to ratification, and that the grantor had ratified same and at such times when she was fully possessed of her mental faculties, and not subject to any temporary disability..

Plaintiff specially pleaded the four-year statute of limitations; alleged that defendants were aware of the execution and delivery of said deed at the time, were now es-topped after a lapse of twelve years from denying its validity, and that defendants’ demand, if any they had, was a stale demand. Plaintiff further' alleged that he is a bona fide holder for a valuable consideration under the said two deeds sought to be canceled by defendants of an undivided two-tliirds interest' in said lands.

Defendants answered plaintiff’s supplemental petition by general denial and otherwise traversing the facts there pleaded; prayed for judgment for cancellation and removal of all clouds from title for partition, etc.

The case was tried to a jury and submitted upon two issues, as follows:

(1) “Did Lionicea Heredia, the grantor in the deed introduced in evidence before you, dated December 31, 1917, at such time, have such mental capacity to understand the nature and consequences of said deed? Answer yes or no.”

(2) “Did Wenseslado Heredia, one of the grantprs in the deed dated February 20, 1929, introduced in evidence before you at the time he executed the same, have sufficient mental capacity to understand the nature and consequences of said deed? Answer yes or no.”

The jury answered “Yes” to each of said questions.

On the verdict rendered, the court entered a decree awarding to plaintiff, Olay Slack, two-thirds of said land, and to defendants one-third of said land, and specifying in said decree the interest each of the defendants had in the one-third awarded to them; the court decreed that defendants take nothing by their cross-action for cancellation of said two deeds.

The court, before entering the decree of partition, determined that said lands were susceptible of an equitable partition, and, • the plaintiff and defendants having asked for a partition of the interests of each in the proportions stated, the court directed a partition between plaintiff and defendants in the proportions of two-thirds to plaintiff and one-third to defendants.

The court in the decree appointed three commissioners, naming them, to make a fair, equal, just, and impartial partition of said lands in the shares stated, and report same to the court, under oath, to the January term, 1930; and assessed the costs to each in proportion to the several proportions awarded to each.

The court overruled defendants’ amended jnotion for a new trial, to which defendants duly excepted and gave notice, and have perfected this appeal.

Opinion.

In 1891, Survey No. 346, containing 160 acres of land, the land in controversy, was patented to Felipe Brito, his heirs and assigns.

In November, 1907, Felipe Brito and his wife, for a consideration recited in the deed of $27.50, conveyed 80 acres by warranty deed, the east half of said survey 346, to Oleto Heredia, describing the land conveyed by metes and bounds.

Oleto Heredia died: On December 31, 1917, Lionicea Martinez Heredia, for a consideration of $10 recited in the deed, and as paid, conveyed by warranty deed to Victoria Here-dia Velasco, Wenseslado Heredia, and Senovia Heredia “my one-half undivided interest in and to survey No. 346, abstract No. 6908, Felipe Brito, Grantee, containing 80 acres.

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25 S.W.2d 881, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brito-v-slack-texapp-1930.