Cross v. DFW South Entry Partnership

629 S.W.2d 860, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 4251
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 18, 1982
DocketNo. 20754
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 629 S.W.2d 860 (Cross v. DFW South Entry Partnership) 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
Cross v. DFW South Entry Partnership, 629 S.W.2d 860, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 4251 (Tex. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

CARVER, Justice.

Bea K. Cross, who, as Trustee, sold unimproved land, and Charles Cross, upon whose influence and at whose instance the purchaser bought the land, appeal a judgment on a jury verdict in favor of the purchaser, DFW South Entry Partnership (DFW), for the return of DFW’s investment, plus interest. The jury found in favor of DFW on the theory that sale of the land was a “security,” which had not been registered, as required, under the Texas Securities Act. We reverse and render.

The evidence at trial was provided by the testimony of two of the multiple partners in DFW, some deposition testimony of Charles Cross, and various exhibits admitted at the instance of DFW. Neither of the Crosses appeared or testified. The land transaction is reflected in a written contract dated August 22,1974 between “B. K. Cross Trustee,” as seller and “Ronald G. Corley, M.D., Trustee,” as purchaser, describing 8.767 acres to be sold for $0.7965 for each square foot as surveyed. The contract required 10% of the purchase price to be paid in cash and the [862]*862balance to be evidenced by a promissory note, without personal liability, with interest at 8½% per annum, payable in installments which concluded on the anniversary of the note in 1985. The promissory note was described in the contract as a “wraparound” note and the deed of trust lien, given to secure the note, was expressly subordinated to a “prior deed of trust executed by B. K. Cross, Trustee, for the benefit of Charles H. Crockett.”

Subsequent to the land contract, Corley organized a general partnership named DFW South Entry Partnership by an agreement in writing dated November 21, 1974. Corley subscribed to a 25% interest therein and was the only initial subscriber. The partnership agreement recited that Corley’s contract to purchase the land from B. K. Cross, Trustee, was in the capacity of a trustee for the partnership and that he would perform that contract in his name as trustee for the benefit of the partnership. The partnership agreement also provided for the appointment of a “Manager” and Airport Properties Inc. was named as manager by an endorsement written on the partnership agreement itself. The land contract was closed in June 1975 with Corley, Trustee, taking title and executing the note, and deed of trust securing the note, for 90% of the purchase price. DFW made no payments on the land beyond the down payment and some prepayments of interest, which were both collected at the closing in June 1975. In 1976 DFW filed the present suit which, by the third amended petition, asserted first that Charles Cross made the following fraudulent misrepresentations:

1. That the purchase of the property should be regarded as a good investment.
2. That investing in land is the best investment a person can generally make.
3. That he was well skilled in real estate investing for land surrounding the D/FW Airport.
4. That he had a concept for developing a large portion of the property near the South Exit of the airport which would include a “Food Fair International” development that would integrate in with an “International Exposition Center” to be located nearby. The exposition center would have a coliseum sports center, financial center, transportation center, amusement park and light industrial warehouses.
5. That he was helping to promote the development of the area and the subject property was included in his plans.
6. That the partnership should be able to quickly resell the property at a substantial profit.
7. That a business known as “Food Fair International” was already interested in buying the property from the partnership.

As a result of these alleged misrepresentations, DFW claimed it suffered actual damage in the amount of $131,908.44 (its total investment), plus exemplary damages. DFW’s third amended petition also asserted that the sale of the property to DFW by “the defendants” (Charles Cross and Bea K. Cross) was an “investment contract,” and thus a “security,” which security was sold without being registered and such sale violated the Texas Securities Act. DFW’s damages under its second cause of action was the recovery of its investment, the same $131,908.44.

By their verdict, the jury found (1) that Cross represented that Food Fair International would repurchase the land from DFW at a profit, but that this representation was not false; (2) that Charles Cross represented he had special skill and knowledge in developing and promoting property, such as DFW purchased, and would use that expertise to enhance the value of the particular land that DFW purchased from B. K. Cross, Trustee; that such representation was false; but that Charles Cross did not know of such falsity; (3) that DFW entered in the land purchase with the expectation of making a profit; (4) that DFW was led to expect a “profit due solely from the efforts of Charles Cross” as well as “a profit due solely from the efforts of Airport Properties Inc.;” (5) that Charles Cross was not the owner of the property sold to DFW; (6) that Bea K. Cross was the [863]*863real estate broker who sold the property to DFW “on behalf of Charles Cross;” (7) that Bea K. Cross was to receive a commission; and (8) that DFW had invested $126,742.85 in its purchase. Upon this verdict, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of “Plaintiff against Defendant” (without naming either defendant) for $126,742.85, plus accrued interest of $52,277.00, plus interest after judgment, and taxed all costs “against Defendants.” From such judgment both Bea K. Cross and Charles Cross appeal.

DFW concedes that the jury’s verdict did not warrant any relief upon its cause of action for fraud against Charles Cross; however it maintains that the judgment in its favor is supported by the jury’s verdict on its cause of action against both of the Crosses for selling an unregistered security.

The Crosses separately urge on appeal that the evidence fails to show that the property sold to Corley, Trustee, was a “security” regulated by the Texas Securities Act so as to be required to be registered or justifying a penalty if unregistered. DFW concedes that, where land is purchased on the ordinary prospect that the market value thereof would be enhanced in the future by market forces alone, the purchase is neither an “investment contract” nor a “security” and need not be registered under the provisions of the Texas Securities Act. See Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 581-4(A) (Vernon 1964); Wilson v. Lee, 601 S.W.2d 483 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1980, no writ); McConathy v. Dal Mac Commercial Real Estate Inc., 545 S.W.2d 871 (Tex.Civ.App.—Texarkana 1976, no writ). However, DFW urges that it has also been held that a land sale can be an “investment contract” (which is a “security” under federal security regulations) if the land sale is a part of a transaction or scheme whereby a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits solely or substantially from the efforts of the promoter of the scheme. See S.E.C. v. W. J. Howey Co., 328 U.S. 293, 66 S.Ct. 1100, 90 L.Ed. 1244 (1946).

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Bluebook (online)
629 S.W.2d 860, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 4251, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cross-v-dfw-south-entry-partnership-texapp-1982.