Crumpler v. Bay Petroleum Corp.

366 S.W.2d 797, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 2021
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 2, 1963
DocketNo. 7460
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 366 S.W.2d 797 (Crumpler v. Bay Petroleum Corp.) 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
Crumpler v. Bay Petroleum Corp., 366 S.W.2d 797, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 2021 (Tex. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

DAVIS, Justice.

The opinion handed down on March 5, 1963, is withdrawn and the following is substituted in lieu thereof.

Plaintiffs-appellants, O. B. Crumpler and wife, 'Gladys Crumpler, sued defendant-ap-pellee, Tennessee Gas Transmission Corporation and several others. Appellee, Tennessee Gas, stipulated that, regardless of the exact ownership of the land or the varying corporate structure of its subsidiaries, and for the purpose of this action, the defendant-appellee might be considered to be Tennessee Gas Transmission Company. Appellants were seeking to perpetually enjoin and restrain appellee from permitting noxious odors and gases to escape from their premises onto appellants’ premises, and for damages sustained by appellants to their persons and property. In the alternative, they prayed that appellee be compelled to correct the nuisance created by its operation.

[799]*799In a trial before a jury, it made the following findings in response to Special Issues submitted:

“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 1.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, that gases, odors, fumes or stenches escaping solely from the operations of the defendant, Tennessee Gas Transmission Corporation, have, in substantial quantities, been carried by the wind onto the property of the plaintiffs, O. B. Crumpler? (Emp. added).
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“ANSWER: No.
* * * * * *
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 6.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, that the gases, odors, fumes, or stenches, if any, escaping solely from the operations of the defendant, Tennessee Gas Transmission Corporation, naturally and proximately caused injury and damages to plaintiffs’ real estate and building in such a manner as to cause substantial depreciation in the value thereof ?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“ANSWER: Yes.
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 7.
“What do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, is the depreciation in the reasonable market value of plaintiff’s property, if any, caused by gases, odors, fumes, or stenches escaping solely from the operations of the defendant, Tennessee Gas Transmission Corporation?
“Answer by stating the amount in dollars and cents, if any.
“ANSWER: $5,500.00
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 8.
“What do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, to be the reasonable value of the home house of plaintiffs to them, after it was moved to its present location and before any additional improvements had been made thereupon ?
“Answer by stating the amount in dollars and cents, if any.
“ANSWER: ‘$3,000.00
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 9.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, that the gases, odors, fumes, or stenches, if any, escaping solely from the operations of the defendant, Tennessee Gas Transmission Corporation, naturally and proximately caused material personal discomfort and impairment of health to the plaintiffs from the time such condition, if any, began to the date of this trial ?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“ANSWER: No.
******
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 11.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, that a reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities, tastes and habits living in the locality in question, would have moved his house from the locality in question solely because of the condition of nuisance, if any you have found ? (Emphasis added)
“Answer: ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“ANSWER: Yes.
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 12.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, that the condition of nuisance, if any you have found, was the proximate cause of any damage to plaintiffs’ house in question? (Emphasis added).
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“ANSWER: No.
[800]*800“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 13.
“What do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, is the difference, if any, caused solely by the condition of nuisance, if any you have found, between the reasonable market value of plaintiffs’ house immediately before the condition of nuisance, if any, began and the reasonable market value of plaintiffs’ house at its present location, but not considering any improvements made to said house at its present location? (Emphasis added).
“Answer in dollars and cents, if any,
“ANSWER: $10,000.00
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 14.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the gases, odors, fumes, or stenches of which the plaintiffs complained after September, 1956, were not caused solely by industrial and petroleum installations other than that of Tennessee Gas or its subsidiaries?
“Answer: ‘They were caused solely by industrial and petroleum installations •other than Tennessee Gas’,
or
“ ‘They were not caused solely by industrial and petroleum installations other than Tennessee Gas.’
“ANSWER: They were not caused solely by industrial and petroleum installation other than Tennessee Gas.”

Appellants have perfected their appeal and bring forward two points of error. By their point One, they complain of the action ■of the trial court in failing to disregard the answer of the jury to Issue No. 1, and to ■enter judgment in their favor. By their point 2, they take the position that the answers of the jury to the special issues are in irreconcilable conflict. They base their ■contention on point one upon the following authorities: Brewster v. City of Forney, (Tex.Com.App.), 223 S.W. 175; Gulf Oil Corporation v. Vestal, 231 S.W.2d 523, aff’d, 149 Tex. 487, 235 S.W.2d 440; Dworkin v. Town of Lakeview, (Tex.Civ.App.), 327 S.W.2d 351, W/R., N.R.E.; Lamesa Cooperative Gin v. Peltier, (Tex.Civ.App.) 342 S.W.2d 613, W/R., N.R.E., and 31 T.J. 419, Sec. 9. The authorities are not in point. Point One is overruled.

The answers of the jury are in irreconcilable conflict. By Special Issue One the jury found that gases, odors, fumes or stenches had not been carried by the wind onto the property of the plaintiffs in substantial quantities. In answer to Special Issue No.

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Related

Bay Petroleum Corp. v. Crumpler
372 S.W.2d 318 (Texas Supreme Court, 1963)

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Bluebook (online)
366 S.W.2d 797, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 2021, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crumpler-v-bay-petroleum-corp-texapp-1963.