Chesser v. Murphy

386 S.W.2d 164
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 14, 1965
DocketNo. 14483
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 386 S.W.2d 164 (Chesser v. Murphy) 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
Chesser v. Murphy, 386 S.W.2d 164 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

WERLEIN, Justice.

This suit was brought by appellees, Johnie C. Murphy and wife, against John Chesser and wife, Ann Chesser, and William E. Thomas and wife, to recover a deficiency-judgment following foreclosure under powers of sale contained in a deed of trust and chattel mortgage. Thomas and wife, who-were not served with citation, were dismissed from the suit without prejudice, and a default judgment was taken on March [166]*16623, 1964 against John Chesser and Ann Chesser, who had been duly served with citation, but who failed to answer and wholly made default. Appellant, Ann Chesser, has perfected her appeal by writ of error from the trial court’s judgment insofar as it decrees any recovery against her personally.

Appellees alleged in their petition the execution and delivery by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and appellant and her husband of a $25,000.00 note dated October 14, 1961 payable to appellees, secured by a deed of trust of even date therewith upon certain lots conveyed to them by appellees, and also the contemporaneous execution by said parties of another deed of trust upon said property to secure a $35,000.00 note payable to Reagan State Bank of Houston. The deed of trust attached to plaintiffs’ petition shows that the $35,000.00 note was executed by the same parties as the $25,-000.00 note, the latter being a second lien note. Appellees also alleged that default was made in the payment of certain installments of the $25,000.00 note; that the property was sold by the trustee under the deed of trust securing such note, and that they purchased the property at the foreclosure sale for $22,203.64, which was duly credited on the note, leaving a balance of $5,712.66 due and owing thereon. They sought to recover not only the amount of the deficiency owing on said note and interest which they paid on the $35,000.00 note to protect their equity in the property, but also to recover on certain other alleged obligations, notes and a check which were not signed by appellant and to which she was not a party.

Appellees’ petition and exhibits do not show that appellant, Ann Chesser, joined in any of the transactions set out therein, other than her joinder with her husband in signing the $25,000.00 and $35,000.00 notes and the deeds of trust securing the same. The petition shows on its face that appellant was a married woman at the time of the transactions sued upon. Appellees did not allege that any part of the indebtedness was for the benefit of appellant’s separate property, or that it was for necessaries or for any other purpose which under the law in force at the time of the 1961 contracts and transactions would permit or justify the rendition of a personal judgment against her.

There can be no recovery against appellant on the notes and check which she did not execute and to which she was not a party. The Negotiable Instruments Act, Article 5932, § 18, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Statutes, provides: “No person is liable on the instrument whose signature does not appear thereon, except as herein otherwise expressly provided. * * * ” In this case, no exception is shown which would make appellant liable on the instruments she did not sign. In oral argument before this Court, appellees’ counsel in effect conceded that appellant would not be liable on such instruments and that the trial court’s judgment would have to be reformed accordingly.

Appellant did not become personally liable on the $35,000.00 note or the $25,000.-00 note which she signed since appellees’ petition shows on its face that appellant was a married woman and appellees did not allege that any part of the indebtedness sued upon was for the benefit of appellant’s separate property, or that it was for necessaries for herself or her children, or for any other purpose which under the law in force at the time of the execution of the 1961 contracts and transactions would permit or justify the rendition of a personal judgment against her. Giles v. First National Bank of Brownfield, Tex.Civ.App. 1953, 257 S.W.2d 945; Shannon v. Childers, Tex.Civ.App., 202 S.W. 1030, writ ref., and authorities cited therein. In the latter case it was also held that the defense of coverture need not be pleaded where the petition discloses the disability, and further that where the petition upon its face discloses that the defendant was a married woman, and no facts are alleged which, under any [167]*167possible theory, would relieve the disability of coverture so as to render her personally liable for a breach of a covenant of warranty, the petition fails to state a cause of action against her, and does not support a judgment against her.

In Long v. Crutchfield, Tex.Civ.App., 295 S.W. 625, the court said: “It is well settled by authority in this state that married women cannot be bound personally, by contracts, so as to subject their separate property, unless it is done by their express authority conferred upon them by statute.” See also Perkins v. Compton, Tex.Civ.App., 61 S.W.2d 575, in which the court said:

“The petition showing that Mrs. Jennie Perkins was one of the makers of the contract, that she was a married woman at the time she executed it, and not showing further that it was executed in pursuance of any authority conferred upon her by the statutes, and for any purpose contemplated thereby, is insufficient to support a judgment by default against her. Graham et ux. v. Carmany (Tex.Civ.App.) 2 S.W. (2d) 467, and authorities there cited.”

After stating the applicable principle of law, the court said in Stevenson v. Abernathy, Tex.Civ.App., 69 S.W.2d 850: “The law as announced by the foregoing authorities, so far as our investigation has disclosed, has been followed by an unbroken line of authorities in this state.”

The indebtedness alleged in the instant case is the joint obligation of the husband and wife and a community debt for which the husband alone can be made personally responsible or liable by judgment. The debt cannot be collected out of the separate estate of the wife, and she cannot be made personally responsible or liable therefor by judgment, under the appellees’ petition.

Appellees undertake to distinguish this case from the numerous authorities relied upon by appellant, contending that the instant case involves appellant’s signature as a co-maker with her husband and as a surety with her husband on notes signed by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. We find nothing in appellees’ petition or exhibits attached thereto which shows that appellant signed the notes as a surety with joinder of her husband. The petition and exhibits merely show that appellant and her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas signed the notes as joint makers and principals. Article 4623, V.A.T.S., Acts 1848, p. 77, G.L., Vol. 3, p. 77, provided:

“Neither the separate property of the husband nor the community property other than the personal earnings of the wife, and the income, rents and revenues from her separate property, shall be subject to the payment of debts contracted by the wife, except those contracted for necessaries furnished her or her children. The wife shall never be the joint maker of a note or a surety on any bond or obligation of another without the joinder of her husband with her in making such contract.”

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Bluebook (online)
386 S.W.2d 164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chesser-v-murphy-texapp-1965.