Crawford v. El Paso Land Improvement Co.

201 S.W. 233, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 132
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 14, 1918
DocketNo. 791.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 201 S.W. 233 (Crawford v. El Paso Land Improvement Co.) 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
Crawford v. El Paso Land Improvement Co., 201 S.W. 233, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 132 (Tex. Ct. App. 1918).

Opinions

HIGGINS, J.

The Bailey Hotel Company, a corporation, was the owner of that portion of block 2 in the city of El Paso, according to the Mills Map, hounded on the east by Mesa avenue, on the south by Main street, on the west by an alley, and on the north by the right of way of the El Paso & Southwestern Railway Company. The property was in square form, and had a frontage of 120 feet on each side. The Angelus Hotel was situate on a part of this property. It was on the east portion thereof adjacent to Mesa avenue and extended from Main street to the north boundary line of the property. On February 26, 1906, said company conveyed to L. M. Crawford, trustee, that portion of the premises described as follows:

“Beginning at a point in the north margin, of Main street where the east side of the public alley running through said block intersects said Main street; thence in a northerly direction along the east side of said alley one hundred and twenty (120’ O”) feet; thence at right angles easterly and parallel with Main street fifty-four feet and five inches (54' 5"); thence at right angles southerly and parallel with said alley and with Mesa avenue thirty-nine feet and one and one-half inches (39' 1½"); thence easterly and parallel with Main street twelve feet (12'); thence at right angles southerly and parallel with said alley and parallel with Mesa avenue thirty-nine feet and ten and one-half inches (39' 10%'') ; thence westerly and parallel with the north line of Main street nineteen feet and six inches (19' 6"); thence southerly and parallel with said alley and parallel with Mesa avenue forty-one feet (41' 0”); thence west on the north line of Main street forty-eight feet (48' 0") to the place of beginning.”

The stock of the Bailey Hotel Company was owned by L. M. Crawford, trustee, H. H. Bailey, and Hattie Bailey. On January 12, 1907, L. M. Crawford, for himself and as trustee, I-I. H. Bailey and Hattie Bailey, first parties, entered into a written contract with U. S. Stewart, second party, who was acting for himself and associates. In this contract it was recited that the first parties were the owners of the property known as the Angelus Hotel at Main street and Mesa avenue in the city of El Paso, and the owners of the capital stock of the Bailey Hotel 'Company holding said property, the improvements thereon and the personal property, furniture, and fixtures appurtenant thereto. The first parties agreed to sell to Stewart and his associates “the said Angelus Hotel and all of the capital stock of the Bailey Hotel Company” for $75,000 paid and to be paid. They agreed “to make, execute, and deliver all proper necessary deeds of conveyance, warranty in form', to the parties of the second part, or their assigns,” and to also transfer and deliver to the parties of the second part all of the capital stock of the Bailey Hotel Company. The El Paso Land [235]*235Improvement Company, appellee, was organized by the second parties to this contract and succeeded to Stewart’s rights thereunder.

Pursuant to resolutions of its stockholders and board of directors, the Bailey Hotel Company, by deed dated, January 29, 1907, conveyed to appellee that portion of block 2, described as follows:

“Beginning at a point where the west line of Mesa avenue intersects the north, line of Main street; thence in a northerly direction along the west line of Mesa avenue one hundred and twenty (120') feet; thence at right angles in a westerly direction and parallel with Main street sixty-five feet seven inches (65' 7"); thence at right angles in a southerly direction thirty-nine feet one and one-half inches (39' 1½"); thence at right angles in an easterly direction thirteen feet one inch (13' 1"); thence at right angles in a southerly direction thirty-nine feet ten and one-half inches (39' 10½;"); thence at right angles in a westerly direction and parallel with Main street nineteen feet six inches (19' 6"); thence at right angles and in a southerly direction and parallel with .Mesa avenue, forty-one feet (41') to the north line of Main street; thence at right angles in an easterly direction and along the north line of Main street seventy-two (72') feet to the west line of Mesa avenue and the point of beginning.”

Appellee has paid the consideration of $75,000 as agreed. This deed was executed in fulfillment of the contract of January 12th. After Crawford, trustee, acquired the western part of the block and prior to the contract made with Stewart, he erected upon the property acquired by him a building known as the Crawford Theater. It appears that the lobby and stage (ground) floor of this building covers all of the premises conveyed to Crawford by the hotel company. As a matter of fact the west wall of the Angelus Hotel, from a point some distance west of the interior northeast corner of the Crawford tract to the north line thereof, was situate on the Crawford tract. This wall is on the line “I” shown upon the plat helow. In building the theater, Crawford removed the lower part of this wall and supported the upper portion thereof with iron posts, one located at the north end of the wall and one west of said interior northeast corner. This left certain rooms and closets of the Angelus Hotel on its second, third, and fourth floors overhanging the stage and dressing rooms of the Crawford Theater. As a matter of fact a balcony of the Angelus Hotel also overhung the Crawford property. This balcony was about 7 feet wide and extended from the lower northeast corner of the Crawford tract to the upper southeast corner of said tract. This suit was brought by L. M. Crawford, trustee, against the El Paso Improvement Company to compel the latter: First, to remove said rooms, closets, and balcony which extend over the theater building owned and operated by plaintiff; and, second, to enjoin and restrain the defendant from interfering with an easement in and through the Angelus Hotel building. By cross-action the improvement company set up the contract of January 12, 1907, and that tlie first parties therein had failed to convey a part of the premises which they had agreed to convey, described as follows:

“Beginning on the north line of the property conveyed to it by the Bailey Hotel Company at a point 65 feet 7 inches west of the west line of Mesa avenue; thence at right angles in a southerly direction 39 feet 1½ inches; thence at right angles in an easterly direction 13 feet 1 inch; thence at right angles in a southerly direction 39 feet 10 ½"; thence at right angles in a westerly direction and parallel with Main street, 19 feet 6 inches; thence at right angles northerly to the north line of the real estate described under paragraph 2 hereof; thence at right angles easterly along said north line of the real estate described under paragraph 2 hereof, 6 feet 5 inches.”

The overhanging rooms, closets, and balcony complained of by Crawford are situate upon the premises last described. The plat following is explanatory of the situation on the ground:

Thet improvement clompany prajyed that title to said premises be divested out of Crawford and vested in it. The theory of the cross-action was that the contract of January 12th obligated Crawford and the Baileys to convey all of the land upon which the Angelus Hotel was situate; that the overhanging rooms and balcony complained of by ’Crawford was a part of the hotel building and covered the premises last described, and since the description contained in the deed to the improvement company did not embrace all of the land covered by the Ange-lus Hotel, it was therefore entitled to recover the land sued for in its cross-action.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
201 S.W. 233, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crawford-v-el-paso-land-improvement-co-texapp-1918.