Bush v. Bush

265 S.W.2d 676, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 1963
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 10, 1954
Docket4981
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 265 S.W.2d 676 (Bush v. Bush) 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
Bush v. Bush, 265 S.W.2d 676, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 1963 (Tex. Ct. App. 1954).

Opinion

FRASER, Justice.

This is an appeal from the District Court of Collin County, Texas. This is a trespass to try title suit, and suit to remove cloud from title of four tracts of land. Suit was brought in- the District .Court .of Collin County, Texas, by W. N. Bush, as plaintiff, against Roberta Bush, as .defendant. Upon a non-jury trial the court rendered judgment for plaintiff for title and possession of all the land involved, except a tract of 127 acres, known as the home place, and, denied all other relief not specifically granted, and decreed that a prior divorce judgment between the parties was a valid and binding judgment and denied any relief from that judgment.

The 'parties' were formerly husband and wife, having been divorced and property settlement made by judgment of the District Court of Collin County in 1950, said judgment was appealed and affirmed by the Amarillo Court of Civil Appeals, 237 S.W.2d 708, upon the one proposition that no abuse of discretion had been shown in the divorce judgment in the disposition made by the court of the property. The present suit is primarily an attack upon certain provisions in the divorce judgment, brought in the same court between the same parties that rendered, the judgment. The provisions under attack are alleged to be void on their face, and the cloud on plaintiff’s title to the 127 acres of land, which was appellant’s separate property at the time of the divorce.

Plaintiff’s petition was in two alternative counts, the first being a suit' to remove cloud from his title, based on the alleged invalidity of the above provisions in the divorce judgment, and the second being a straight trespass to try title count.

Appellant’s first point is that the trial court erred in holding that Paragraph B of the divorce judgment was valid and .binding. This paragraph reads as follows:

“Roberta Bush, plaintiff, be, and she is hereby given a life estate in or use of, the two-story residence on the 127 acre tract of land described in paragraph 4, with grounds immediately around it, the same including the garden plot and chicken house as now located, together with an easement to the cess pool and well ór spring in the pasture, such right to the use of such homestead to continue until she re-marries, or abandons same, and she shall have, take and be delivered possession thereof. The cess pool and the well or spring shall be kept in repair at the cost and expense of the defendant. Plaintiff shall pay all taxes and insurance on the homestead set aside to her, including all necessary repairs thereto; and the defendant shall pay all taxes and insur-anee, and make all necessary repairs on the property set aside to him.”

He claims that this paragraph is so vague and uncertain that it is void.and unenforceable on its face. The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed this judgment and the District Court of Collin County in the matter before us entered judgment holding the divorce judgment valid and binding, but appellant urges that the matter is not res adjudicata on the ground that the question of the validity of the judgment was not passed on in the appellate court. It has been held that a trial court has the power to set aside a void judgment even though affirmed on appeal, provided ¡the question of the validity of the judgment was not passed upon. First State Bank & Tr. Co. of Abilene v. Overshiner, Tex.Civ.App., 198 S.W. 979.

However, we believe in the present case that the matters-here in litigation are res adjudicata by virtue of the affirmance *679 of the trial court’s judgment by the Court of Civil Appeals. . Examination of the judgment and record has convinced us'that the Amarillo Court of Civil Appeals has in effect passed on the matters here in controversy. The alleged inadequacy of description was present and available for decision and we hold that the action of the Amarillo Court of Civil Appeals in affirming the judgment of the trial court as it did has in effect disposed of the divorce judgment and all its provisions. It is clear that both the trial court and the Amarillo Court of Civil Appeals had jurisdiction over all parties and the subject matter. We do not feel that the validity of the judgment can thus be attacked piecemeal where jurisdiction is apparent, especially where the alleged invalidity is simply a matter of a claimed inadequacy of description which is in this case a very debatable point. We accordingly overrule this point. Thompson v. Thompson, Tex.Civ.App., 238 S.W.2d 218.

It also seems evident from the record that appellant is here in the position of having grasped and enjoyed the provisions of this judgment and now seeks to evade any of its responsibilities. The record shows that appellant farmed the land as provided, required appellee to pay taxes, required appellee to increase the insurance on the house and fully participated in selling the community property to pay the community debts, and accepted a sum of money in the settlement of same. -He now says, after having used the premises for a year or more in conformity with the judgment, that the description is inadequate, but at the same time the record reveals that he operated under said judgment for more than a year; that he knew where the premises, were and that they were actually enclosed by a hedge and fence. Were the judgment wholly void the ground of estoppel would perhaps not be applicable, but such is not the case here, therefore appellant is clearly estopped from picking the judgment apart and repudiating various elements at his pleasure. Carle v. Carle, 149 Tex. 469, 234 S.W.2d 1002; Thompson v. Thompson, Tex.Civ.App., 238 S.W.2d 218; Phillips v. Burns, Tex.Sup., 252 S.W.2d 927; Adams v. Adams, Tex.Civ.App., 214 S.W.2d 856.

We pass now to consideration of the adequacy of the description of 'the property, awarded to Mrs. Bush. First, It must be borne in mind that the judgment attacked deals with an equitable use or trust and not with a deed, lease, or trespass to try title suit. The description therefore needs only to be sufficient to carry out the judgment of the court. Inasmuch as both parties did use their respective portions of the 127 acre tract from March 1, 1951, to September 1952, it would appear that the description was clear .enough. Appellant’s suit in 1952 was not brought to ask for a clarification of the judgment or for any order to assist him to carry it out, but was a. suit to declare the judgment void. We feel that the description .is and was sufficient for the purpose intended. In any event, either party could and can, a¡s they did,- with regard to 'the use of the water, obtain further orders from the court if necessary to clarify the judgment. Carle v. Carle, 149 Tex. 469, 234 S.W.2d 907; Flannery v. Eblen, Tex.Civ.App., 106 S.W.2d 837; Hughes v. Hughes, Tex.Civ.App., 259 S.W. 180. This point is overruled.' ’ '

Appellant’s second point complains of the trial court’s holding that Paragraph C of the divorce judgment was. valid and binding.

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265 S.W.2d 676, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 1963, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bush-v-bush-texapp-1954.