Burch v. McMillin

15 S.W.2d 86
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 25, 1929
DocketNo. 530.
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 15 S.W.2d 86 (Burch v. McMillin) 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
Burch v. McMillin, 15 S.W.2d 86 (Tex. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

HICKMAN, C. J.

The appellee Benton McMillin as plaintiff sued John O., 'Brog4s' Jr., and wife, Martha R. Brqwn, Brovyn Burch, and certain owners of land under deeds from Brown Burch, in trespass to t|y title, for an undivided one-tl^r'd interest in two sections of land in Jones county. During the course of the trial Lucille Foster Mc-Millin, joined pro forma • by her husband, Benton McMillin, and Joseph D. Oliver, Jr., intervened, adopting plaintiff’s pleadings, and prayed for such recovery as the facts showed them entitled. There is practically no dispute in the evidence. It discloses thaK in 1877, Governor John C. Brown, of Ten-j nessee, purchased of Henry Stebbins seven j sections of land in Jones county, including/ the two sections in litigation. Five of these sections were conveyed by him during his lifetime, leaving only two of the sections remaining as his property at the time of his death. At the time of the purchase of this land and at the time of the execution of his will, which will be hereinafter noticed, Governor Brown was married to Mrs. Elizabeth (or Bettie) Brown; his first wifé having died childless. Four children were born to Governor and Mrs. Bettie Brown, Jal)' of_ whom were_living at the time of the purchase of this land and of the'execution of the will. THe~hames and brief subsequent histories of these children follow:

(1) Marie (or Minnie) Brown, a daughter, who married appellee, Benton McMillin, in 1886. She died in November, 1887, prior to the death of her father, leaving surviving her^herjiusband^an^one infant son, Brovvn testate and unmarried. Benton McMillin, after the death of his first wife, married Lucille Foster McMillin, who is still living, and who .is one of the appellees herein. There was born to Benton and Lucille Foster McMillin one child, a daughter, Elina, who married Joseph D. Oliver, Jr. Elina McMil-lin Oliver survived her half-brother, Brown McMillin, and Mrs. Bettie Brown, but died intestate subsequently, leaving as her only heirs her husband, Joseph D. Oliver, Jr., and her father and mother. It thus appears that Benton McMillin and wife, Lucille Foster McMillin, and the husband of their deceased daughter, Joseph D. Oliver, Jr., are the owners, as heirs of Brown McMillin and Elina McMillin Oliver, of all the interest, if any, *88 formerly owned by Brown McMillin in the land in controversy.

(2) Daisy Brown, a daughter, who died unmarried and, intestate, prior to the death of either her father or her mother.

(3) John 0. Brown,- Jr., who is still living, and who was one of the defendants below.

(4) Birdie Brown, a daughter, who married a man named Burch, and who died subsequent to her father’s death, leaving one son, Brown Burch, the appellant.

Governor Brown died in 1889, testate. His widow died in 1919, intestate. After the death of Mrs. Bettie Brown, her son, John C. Brown, Jr., and grandson, Brown Burch, being her only living descendants, caused the land in litigation herein to be partitioned between themselves in the district court of Jones county; one-half of the land being awarded to each in the partition. Brown Burch subsequently sold the lands awarded to him to certain purchasers, who were made parties below, but need not be further noticed in this opinion. John C. Brown, Jr., had not conveyed any of his lands at the time of the trial.

It was held in the trial court that the land in question was the separate property of Governor Brown; that his will did not vest fee-simple title thereto in Mrs. Bettie Brown, but created a trust; that at her death in 1919, the lands were owned by John O. Brown, Jr., Brown Burch, Benton McMillin, and his daughter, Elina McMillin Oliver, as tenants in common; that Benton McMillin and wife, Lucille Foster McMillin, and Joseph D. Oliver, Jr., who jointly stood in the shoes of Brown McMillin, deceased, after the death of Elina McMillin Oliver, were entitled to a one-third interest in the lands. Since Brown Burch had sold the one-half interest awarded to him in the partition decree above mentioned to purchasers in good faith, who had paid a valuable consideration therefor, and made valuable and permanent improvements thereon, it was decreed that the one-third interest of Benton McMillin and his associates be carved out of the lands award-' ed to John 0. Brown, Jr., in the partition and still owned by him, and that the grantees under Brown Burch and their privies be quieted in their title. Brown Burch alone excepted to the judgment, gave notice of appeal, and has perfected his appeal to this court. All other parties to the original suit are appellees here, but for convenience, where the term "appellee” is used in this opinion, it will refer only to Benton McMil-lin, Lucille Foster McMillin, and Joseph D, Oliver, Jr., the owners of the Brown McMil-lin title.

The first question for determination is presented by appellees, who claim that Brown Burch has no right to complain of the judgment rendered in this cause or to appeal therefrom, and that this appeal should therefore be dismissed. It is pointed out that no judgment whatever was rend.ered against appellant below, except for court costs; that all of the persons to whom he conveyed his interest in the lands were quieted in their title, and appellees’ entire interest was carved out of the land of John C. Brown, Jr., who did not except to the judgment below nor perfect an appeal to this court. This contention is overruled. Appellant, by virtue of the partition decree, is a warrantor of the title of John 0. Brown, Jr., to all of the land awarded to him in that decree. R. S. 1925, art. 6100; Harn v. Phelps, 65 Tex. 592; O’Conor v. Sanchez (Tex. Com. App.) 229 S. W. 309.

By article 7368 of the Revised, Statutes, when a warrantor is made a party defendant in a suit for land, he is entitled to make such defense as if he had been the original defendant in the action. If the judgment rendered below in this case becomes final, then John O. Brown, Jr., will have received only a one-sixth interest in this land, while appellant will have received a one-half interest therein. Clearly Brown will have an action against appellant on his warranty in order to equalize the distributive shares of these two heirs. If the judgment below becomes final, appellant will be thereby cut off from any defense to such suit by Brown. Appellant’s statutory right to defend a suit as a warrantor necessarily, to our minds, carries with it the right to appeal from a judgment against his warrantee.

The contention that appellant and John 0. Brown, Jr., were wrongdoers in partitioning this property between themselves without recognizing the rights of appellees, and that, in a suit brought by the latter against the former to adjust equities, the court should leave them as it finds them, is not, to our minds, supportable. The effect of this contention is to call on this court to prejudge the actions of appellant and Brown and declare them wrongdoers in not recognizing appellees’ title without affording appellant the opportunity to establish, if he can do so, that appellees’ claim of title is fictitious. That fact cannot be determined by us without allowing this appeal.

As this ease must be determined largely by a construction of the will of Governor John O. Brown, the substance of that will is here given as follows:

It consists of eight items. Item first provides a method for the payment of testator’s debts. Item second gives certain personal property to “my little son, John C. Brown." Item third reads as follows:

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15 S.W.2d 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burch-v-mcmillin-texapp-1929.