Cornett v. City of Houston

404 S.W.2d 602, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 3051
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 16, 1966
Docket14835
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 404 S.W.2d 602 (Cornett v. City of Houston) 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
Cornett v. City of Houston, 404 S.W.2d 602, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 3051 (Tex. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

BELL, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a temporary injunction whereby Oak Forest, a corporation owning Lot 29 in Block 4 of Oak Forest Addition, Section 1, and its president, Cornett, were enjoined from establishing and operating a liquor store or conducting any business or commercial activity thereon, or on any property owned by them in Oak Forest, Section 1. Too, the appellants were enjoined from maintaining on said property a sign indicating an intent to open a liquor store on said Lot 29, or erecting or displaying any sign or advertising structures on any lots owned or used by them in Section 1 of Oak Forest.

The City of Houston, acting pursuant to statute authorizing it to enforce restrictions, brought the suit on behalf of owners of lots in the addition.

It should at the outset be noted that the appellant, Oak Forest Corporation, is not the corporation, Oak Forest Corporation, that developed Oak Forest Addition. The original Oak Forest Corporation that originally developed the addition was dissolved in March, 1955. Appellant, Oak Forest Corporation, was granted a charter in November, 1965 upon the application of Joseph W. Cornett, Barbara N. Cornett and Wesley J. Duer. None of them were ever connected with the original Oak Forest Corporation.

Lot 29 in Block 4, Oak Forest, Section 1, was acquired by the new Oak Forest Corporation by deed from Herbert Schwarze et ux, dated November 5, 1965.

Appellants contend that Lot 29, Block 4, Oak Forest, Section 1, is not subject to the restrictions relied upon by appellee. The bases of such contention seem to be that the evidence fails to show a description of property that includes Lot 29, Block 4; that if the restrictions ever applied, they were released by a general warranty deed from the old Oak Forest Corporation to Oak Forest Realty Corporation dated June 6, 1947, where no mention was made of any restrictions; that the alleged restrictions violate the rule against perpetuities; and that they were created solely for the benefit of old Oak Forest Corporation.

We state the above to be the complaints of appellants, though it is very difficult for us to follow appellants’ brief. It does not comply with the briefing rules, but since appellant Cornett is individually a party and is president of the corporate defendant and is a layman, we give full consideration to the brief. Appellee has filed no brief.

Appellants seem to also urge that title to the property subdivided into Oak Forest, Section 1, was never shown to be in Oak Forest Corporation. We need only notice as to such a contention that old Oak Forest Corporation is, as shown by» the record here, the common source of title into new Oak Forest Corporation and Mr. Altman, one of the lot owners on whose behalf ap-pellee sued.

On a map or plat dated July 22, 1946 and filed for record in the Map Records of the County Clerk’s office of Harris County in Volume 23, pages 48-50 is a plat showing an addition known as Oak Forest, Section 1. It was filed for record August 29, 1946. It contains the dedication of streets, easements, etc., by old Oak Forest Corporation and shows approval by the Planning Commission of the City of Houston and the Commissioners’ Court of Harris County. The dedicatory instrument appearing thereon also appears in the Deed Records, Volume 1397, page 142.

By instrument dated November 12, 1946 and filed for record in the Deed Records on November 14, 1946 and recorded in *604 Volume 1417, pages 192, et seq., appear the restrictions involved in this case. This instrument opens with the recital that it is the owner of a specifically described 165.-40 acres out of the David Henson, W. P. Morton and S. W. Allen Surveys. Following the metes and bounds description it is recited that said property has been subdivided and platted as shown by the Map of Oak Forest, Section One, filed in Harris County Clerk’s Office, on the 29th day of August 1946.

We have taken the metes and bounds description and traced it on the map of Oak Forest, Section 1, that was filed by old Oak Forest Corporation on August 29, 1946, and find that the lots and blocks in Oak Forest, Section One, constitute the same land described in the instrument imposing the restrictions relied on by appel-lee. The result is that the evidence sufficiently establishes that the material restrictions were made applicable to Lot 29, Block 4 of said addition owned by new Oak Forest Corporation.

The particular restrictions involved here are (a), (b) and (e). These restrictions read :

“(a) Except as herein noted, no lots shall be used for anything other than residential purposes.

“(b) No signs, billboards, posters or advertising devices of any character shall be erected on this property without the written consent of the corporation, and such consent shall be revocable at any time. The right is reserved to the corporation, its successors and assigns, to construct and maintain such signs, billboards or advertising devices, as is customary in connection with the sale of property in this subdivision.

“(e) No spiritous, vinous or malt or medicated bitters capable of producing intoxication shall ever be sold, or offered for sale, on said premises or any part there-q£ ⅜ ⅜

There is a specific part of the subdivision set aside for commercial purposes, but Lot 29 in Block 4 and Lot 4, Block 14, which latter lot belongs to Mr. Altman, one of the parties complaining of appellants’ activities, are located outside of the commercial area and in the residential area.

The plan adopted was a. uniform one for the development of the property. The restrictions were not alone for the benefit of the developer, old Oak Forest Corporation, but were for the use and benefit of all who became owners of property in the subdivision. The instrument imposing the restrictive covenants, insofar as is material on the point of a uniform scheme and plan of development, reads as follows:

“For the purpose of creating and carrying out a uniform plan for the improvement and sale of property in said addition as a restricted subdivision, the following restrictions upon the use of said property are hereby established and adopted subject to the provisions hereof and shall be made a part of each and every contract and deed executed by or on behalf of Oak Forest Corporation, its successors and assigns, by appropriate reference to this dedication and same shall be considered a part of each contract and deed as though fully incorporated therein. And these restrictions as hereinafter set forth shall be and are hereby imposed upon each lot or parcel of land in said addition as shown by said plat and as referred to herein, and same shall constitute covenants running with the land and shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of Oak Forest Corporation, its successors and assigns, and all subsequent purchasers of said property, and each purchaser by virtue of accepting a contract or deed covering *605 said property shall be subject to and bound by such restrictions, covenants and conditions and for the terms of this instrument as hereinafter set forth.”

The restrictions are then set out.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
404 S.W.2d 602, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 3051, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cornett-v-city-of-houston-texapp-1966.