Burton v. McGuire

3 S.W.2d 576
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 20, 1927
DocketNo. 1357.
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 3 S.W.2d 576 (Burton v. McGuire) 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
Burton v. McGuire, 3 S.W.2d 576 (Tex. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

WALKER, J.

The record in this case is so immense, the parties so numerous, the propositions for reversal so many, that we can give only .in the barest outline its nature and result. It was instituted by appellants, who below were the-plaintiffs and interven-ers, against appellees, who below were the defendants, to recover adjoining portions of the Bradley Gamer, Aaron Nelson, and S. M. Luce, adjoining surveys in Orange county, Tex. The Bradley Garner, the senior survey, lies immediately north of the Aaron Nelson. The S. M. Luce, the junior survey, lies immediately west of the Garner and Nelson. As instituted, appellants prayed also for damages in the sum of $1,000,000 for oil removed from the premises by appellees, but by agreement this count was eliminated upon the trial to abide the result of the controversy as to title. The title to all the land in controversy was at one time in appellants or their an'ces-tors, under whom they claim through heir-ship. Except as to a 60:acre tract on the Nelson, appellees hold all the land under chains of title originating in appellants and their privies. Appellants in the trial court sought to break down these chains of title by attacking different judgments of probate, through which appellees claim, and which, if destroyed, would leave the title in appellants, subject to appellees’ pleas of limitation. Though all parties, plaintiffs, interveners, and defendants pleaded the several statutes of limitation, and the issues arising under their pleas were submitted to the jury by 40 special issues, as we understand the record, these issues become immaterial, except as to the aforesaid 60-acre tract on the Nelson. Since as plaintiffs and interveners, appellants, could recover only by an affirmative showing of title, and as we show herein they have no title, it would serve no useful purpose to state the several claims of the different defendants and the nature of their answers. Upon a jury’s verdict, all the land in controversy was awarded to the appellees under their separate pleas, which judgment appellants attack by 100 propositions and a brief of 577 pages. About 85 of the original plaintiffs and interveners are prosecuting this appeal against about 50 of the defendants. All the appellants have joined in the same brief, while many of the appellees submit different briefs.

The appellants, whom we group under the name of Walea heirs, sought to recover 180 acres off the south end of the Garner and 300 acres off the north end of the Nelson, adjoining the 180 acres on the south. Their ancestors, James and Louisa Walea, died in 1859, leaving surviving eight minor children, James, Sarah, Elizabeth, Madison, Michael, Elijah, Belonie, and Ursilla, and two adult daughters, Elenora and Oleapan, and Angeline Walea McLean, a daughter of James Walea by a former marriage. In 1860 Lastis Vincent was appointed guardian of the minors. In 1859 J. B. Pevito, Jr., was appointed administrator of the estate of James and Louisa Walea. In his inventory he listed certain property as belonging to this estate. Immediately Adeline Walea McLean, the daughter of James Walea by a former marriage, joined by her husband, filed a contest against this inventory, claiming certain portions of the property as the separate estate of her deceased mother, making the guardian and her half brothers and sisters parties to her contest, and prayed for partition.

Upon a hearing in the county court, judgment was entered denying her claim, but, upon appeal to the district court, an order was entered subsequent to 1866 reversing the judgment of the county court and remanding the case to that court for further consideration. No other orders positively identified as being in this contest were in evidence. Angeline died in 1871, subsequent to the death of her husband. No order was shown making her heirs parties to the contest. In 1871 Lastis Vincent, guardian, filed his final account, naming all the children of James and Louisa Walea, except Elijah and Belonie and .Angeline, and describing them as “all the sur *579 viving heirs of James and Louisa Walea,” and prayed that the “estate,” without further designating it, 'except to inventory certain property as a part of the “estate,” be partitioned among the eight children named in his report. In 1872, commissioners of partition filed the following report partitioning the land among the eight children named by Vincent in his final report:

“The State of Texas, Orange County.
“To the Hon. Dist. Court of said County to December Term, 1872.
“In obedience to a writ issued from said court, and in compliance with a certified copy of a decree,” etc.

Then follows the report in detail: (1) Giving to Elenora Young, one of the Walea heirs, 60 acres of land off the B. Garner survey in the north end of said survey belonging to said estate of ISO acres; (2) giving to James Walea 60 acres south of, and adjoining, the Elenora Young tract; (3) giving Madison Walea 60 acres south of, and adjoining, the James Walea tract. By similar descriptions the 480 acres was divided among the eight Walea minors mentioned by Lastis Vincent in his report. The. report concluded by giving to one- R. H. Smith the shares of Elenora, James, and Madison, “he being duly entitled to same by a transfer duly recorded, and no objection thereto being made.”

.At the December term of the district court, 1872, the district court of Orange county, which, under the Constitution of 1869, had probate jurisdiction, entered an order confirming this report. As appears from its reading, there is nothing in the report of the commissioners, nor in the order of confirmation, definitely and clearly identifying these proceedings as being a part of the guardianship, to the exclusion of the administration, nor as a part of the administration, to the exclusion of the guardianship. The heirs named in the report sold their respective interests, and appellees hold, under these heirs, all the land described in the report, except tract No. 4, given to Sarah Walea. on the Nelson, and being the aforesaid 60-aere tract.

The Walea heirs assign the following propositions against the title through which* ap-pellees hold:

(1) The district court of Orange county, which under the Constitution of 1869 had probate jurisdiction, was without authority to enter a judgment in the guardianship of the Walea minors, partitioning the land in which they had an undivided interest between them and their adult joint tenants.

(2) Failure to make Angeline Walea McLean and Elijah and Belonie Walea parties to the partition proceeding rendered the judgment of partition void.

(3) The description of the land as given in the report of the commissioners- of partition was fatally defective.

The solution of appellants’ first and second propositions is determined by the nature of their attack upon the judgment;' that is, whether it was collateral or direct. If we agree -with them that their attack was direct, and that the judgment o-f partition was in the guardianship of the Walea minors, their proposition follows that the district court of Orange county, sitting in probate, was without jurisdiction to enter the partition decree. League v. Henecke (Tex. Civ. App.) 26 S. W. 729; Greer v. Ford, 31 Tex. Civ. App. 389, 72 S. W. 75; Glassgow v. McKinnon, 79 Tex. 116, 14 S. W. 1050. But we cannot agree with them that their attack was direct.

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3 S.W.2d 576, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burton-v-mcguire-texapp-1927.