Broun v. Texas & N. O. R. Co.

295 S.W. 670, 1927 Tex. App. LEXIS 421
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 2, 1927
DocketNo. 1525.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 295 S.W. 670 (Broun v. Texas & N. O. R. Co.) 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
Broun v. Texas & N. O. R. Co., 295 S.W. 670, 1927 Tex. App. LEXIS 421 (Tex. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

O’QUINN, J.

Appellants brought this suit to recover an undivided portion of block 42 in the city of Beaumont, Tex. They based their right to recover on the proposition that the land sued for was conveyed by their ancestors to appellee by a deed which granted a determinable fee, and that the event which under the terms of the deed would determine the fee had happened, and that they were, therefore, entitled to recover a certain undivided portion of the land so conveyed by their ancestors.

The appellee answered by general denial, plea of not guilty, the several pleas of 3, 6, 10, and 25 years of limitation, plea of estop-pel, and set up a cross-action for the land.

The case was tried before the court on an agreed statement of facts, in addition to which a judgment and two deeds were introduced by appellee and an affidavit by appellants. Upon the pleadings and the evidence the court rendered judgment denying recovery 'by appellants and granting a recovery to appellee on its cross-action.

The court filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. The findings of fact follow almost verbatim the agreed facts in the record. They are:
“Findings of Fact.
“(1) I find on November 13, 1876, A. R, McLain, Tlierese S. Long, S. J. Carroll, Julia A. Fletcher and husband, W. A. Fletcher, F. L. Carroll, H. V. Keith and husband, Jno. Keith, Emily M. Corley and husband,. J. M. Corley (the Keiths and C(orleys acting by W. A. Fletcher, their agent and attorney in fact), Joseph A. Carroll and wife, Martha E. Carroll, and Marietta Simmons (the Carrolls and Marietta Simmons acting through F. L. Carroll, their at *671 torney in fact) sold and conveyed to the Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company a portion of block 42, in the town of Beaumont, the property being a strip 50 feet wide on the .north side of the center of the main tract and 100 feet wide on the south side of the center of the said main tract, the deed reading as follows:
“ ‘The State of Texas, County of Jefferson:
“ ‘Know all men by these presents that we, A. R. McLain, Therese S. Long for herself and as surviving wife of James M. Long, deceased and natural guardian of her minor children, and Julia Fletcher and her husband, William A. Fletcher for himself and as agent for Jno. W. Keith and wife Haseltine Y. Keith, James M. Corley and wife, Emily M. Corley and Sarah J. Carroll and* her husband, F. D. Carroll, for himself and as agent for Marietta Simmons, Joseph A. Carroll, Mattie E. Carroll, all heirs at law of Davis Long, deceased for and in consideration of the benefits we are to derive by the reconstruction of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad from Orange to Houston, through the town of Beaumont, and the sum of $1.00 to us paid do by these presents grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company of 1874 and their successors or assigns all and singular, of so much of Block 42 of and in the town of Beaumont, as shall embrace a strip of 100 feet in width parallel with the said road on the south side and 50 feet in width on the north side, measuring from center of the main track or so much thereof, as shall be requisite to the use of said company, for their main track, side track, switches and depot buildings thereon, in no event to exceed 100 feet south and 50 feet north as hereinbefore described, and that in the event of the said company, or its successors or legal representatives failing or refusing to maintain and retain said portions of their railroad in, upon or adjacent to said block, or to remove same to any other point without the consent and concurrence of the grantors herein, then in that case, all the estate, right, title and interest hereinbefore described and hereby otherwise vesting in said railroad company is to revert to and vest absolutely in these grantors. To have and to hold the lots, lands and premises above described with the understanding and conditions hereinbefore annexed unto the said Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company of 1874, and their successors or assigns forever, and that the grantors for ourselves and heirs covenant and agree to warrant and forever defend the title to the aforesaid property unto said .railroad company, their successors or assigns against the claims of all persons whomsoever claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof.
“ ‘In witness whereof, we hereunto set our hands the 13th day of November, A. D. 1876.’
“(2) I find that the Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company afterwards obtained a general warranty deed without conditions from the then owner of all block 42 lying north of the line 50 feet north of and parallel with the center of its main' line. Immediately following November 13, 1876, said railroad company constructed and has ever since maintained and operated the existing tracks upon and across block 42. At the same time the railroad com■pany constructed its freight and passenger depots on the lands covered by this conveyance above quoted and maintained and used the property with various changes and additions made from time to time until May 4, 1902, when the freight depot was destroyed by fire. As soon as possible the depot was rebuilt, but again destroyed by fire December 8, 1902. Following this last fire a temporary freight depot was constructed and used for a short time about one quarter of a mile west of block 42. In the meantime, a new freight station was built and put in service in the spring of 1904. This new freight station has ever since been maintained, and operated and is at present situated about 300 feet west of block 42 on an adjacent block. This location was selected because the railroad company concluded there was not sufficient room on that part of block 42 owned by the railroad company for the freight station and its necessary appurtenances.
“(3) I find that the growth of the city of Beaumont demanded a larger passenger station than could be maintained and used on the portion of block 42 owned by the railroad company, and accordingly a new passenger station, at which trains could be stopped without blocking the street crossing, was constructed at the exact location of the present passenger station of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company, west of block 42 on an adjacent block being put in service in the month.of January, 1905, and has ever since been so used. While the building on block 42 was not used as a depot passenger station after January, 1905, it continued to be used as a city freight and passenger office, and as the office of the division freight and passenger agent of the said Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company at Beaumont, Tex.,' until the summer of 1905, when it was taken down and the present,city freight and passenger office, a building 60 by 25.2 feet, was erected and has ever since been used as a city freight and passenger office and as the office of the division freight and passenger agent of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad at Beaumont. There are now no railroad tracks or side tracks as formerly maintained on the tract of land sought to be recovered in this suit, which said tract is a part of the land conveyed to the defendant by the deed dated November 13, 1876, heretofore referred to. The land sought to be recovered in this suit is surrounded by an iron fence with gates or openings therein giving entrance to the building thereon; the part so surrounded by said fence being described by metes and bounds as follows, to wit:

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Bluebook (online)
295 S.W. 670, 1927 Tex. App. LEXIS 421, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/broun-v-texas-n-o-r-co-texapp-1927.