De Rodriguez v. Hinnant

267 S.W. 471
CourtTexas Commission of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 7, 1925
DocketNo. 607-4095
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 267 S.W. 471 (De Rodriguez v. Hinnant) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Commission of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
De Rodriguez v. Hinnant, 267 S.W. 471 (Tex. Super. Ct. 1925).

Opinion

GERMAN, P. 3'.

Trie land in controversy is a part of wriat is known as Las Animas, situate partly in Webb county and partly in 3im Hogg county, containing 2,128 acres. Plaintiffs in error Alberta Flores de Rodriguez and Orisanta Flores de Galvan are children and heirs of Pedro Flores, Sr., who died June 15, 1881, leaving his wife and nine children surviving him. At that time Alberta and Crisanta were minors, being 16 and 13 years of age, respectively. Pedro Flores, Sr., at the time of his death lived in Mexico and owned lands and property there. He also owned considerable lands and property in Texas, including the land in controversy. On December 8, 1881, the widow and heirs of Pedro Fibres, Sr., made a voluntary partition of the lands and property situated in Texas, executing ten inventories, one containing description of the property partioned to the- widow, and the other nine containing description of the property partitioned to the children. In this partition Alberta and Orisanta were represented by Juan M. Fibres. There is nothing contained in the record to show that Juan M. Flores had any authority to represent the minors. The value of all property in Texas at the time of the partition was $11,243.37, of which the widow received about one-half. The interest of Alberta and Crisanta amounted to $584, and there was given to each of them 584 head of sheep, valued at $1 each. This appears to have been a fair and equitable allotment to them at the time. The tract of land in controversy, containing 2,128 acres, was given to Pedro Flores, Jr., and Jose Maria Flores.

As we view this case it is unnecessary to notice but one question. Plaintiffs in error are claiming their interest in the tract of land mentioned as heirs of their father, Pedro Flores, Sr., on the ground that they did not sign the partition agreement and did not authorize Juan M. Flores to sign for them, and that therefore the same was not binding as to them. If it was not they are entitled to recover, unless their title has been defeated by limitations. It is admittedly not binding on them, except on the theory of acquiescence, and ratification, and this, under the view we have.taken of the facts, is the only question to be considered. The trial court made the following finding:

“Plaintiffs Alberta and Crisanta were two of these four children who got no land under this partition. They were each awarded as their share or inheritance of their father’s estate in Texas, 584 sheep, of the estimated value of $584, being $1 per head, but the sheep were never delivered to them as their shares in this partition, and they did not know that such partition was made.”

Judgment was for plaintiffs in error in the trial court. The Court of Civil Appeals reversed the trial court, and rendered judgment in favor of defendants in error. 255 S~ W. 1000. The effect of the holding by the-Court of Civil Appeals was this: That trie-finding of the trial court above set'out was-not only without evidence to support it, but was directly in conflict with the testimony of plaintiffs in error themselves. An examination of the statement of facts leads us to-the opinion that the Court of Civil Appeals-was correct.

On this issue plaintiff in error Crisanta Flores de Galvan testified:

“I understand that it is in evidence in the-trial of this case that I received 584 head of sheep in the year 1881. I did not receive that-number of sheep in that year. I received some-sheep after I was married; they were delivered' to my husband after I married. I received those sheep then because it was a quantity of animals that my father and mother gave to-their children when they got married. * * ‘ * Juan M. Flores was a cousin of ours. When'I married I received some sheep. Juan M. Flores-did not deliver those sheep to me; they were-in possession of Mr. Jose Maria Garcia, and he delivered them; he delivered them to me by orders of my mother. You say that I knew that in the division of my father’s estate in 1881 and 1883 there was 584 sheep set aside to me. I say I knew that after I was married" when they delivered them to me. * * * I was about thirteen years old at the time that division was made. My mother took charge off my share until I was big enough to attend to it myself. * * * I got those sheep after I was married. I do not remember who delivered them to my husband, because he went to receive them, but the man that had them was Don Jose Maria Garcia. My father was not living then; he had died in 1881. My mother-had received those sheep at the time they were set aside to me, and Mr. Jose Maria had them.”"

Plaintiff in error Alberta Flores de Rod-rigues testified:

“My father died in 1881. I was 16 years old" at. the time my father died. I am not certain-just how long it was after my father’s death-we had the partition. We did not all get together and agree on a division of the property-my father left; we were young, we could not do that. The older ones did that. It may have-been that my older brothers represented me in that division, if any one did. It is not a fact that I was married at the time of that division. I just told you that I was married in 1882; I was 16 years old at the time. Whey they had" that division of the property I did not receive-my part of the property that my father left; I did not receive anything from my father. * * * That affair in Mexico was a different thing altogether. They divided it over there in equal parts. The division over in Mexico did not divide the property in Texas also; it was-not the same. I do not remember anything about receiving in the partition that wa^ had of the property, some 449 hectares of land near-Guerrero, Mexico, as a part of the property coming to me as an heir of my father. I do not remember about me and my husband selling and" disposing of that land some time after my father’s death — I believe not. The property I received in that division at the time was a lot: [473]*473■and some sheep! I got five hundred and some sheep, I do not remember the exact number. 'Since refreshing my memory on it now, it was 584 sheep that I got.”

Among other things the trial court found:

“The property in Mexico of said community estate was partitioned according to the laws of that country in April, 1883. It was assumed that a legal and just partition of the property in Texas had been made under the laws of Texas on December 8, 1881, .and such small differences as existed in the estimated values of the shares of the Texas property awarded to the heirs in the manner shown above were taken into consideration in partitioning the property in Mexico. All were satisfied with what they received as their share of th,e Mexican property.”

Alberta Flores was married at the time of the partition of property in Mexico, April 3, 1883. The inventory of the property received by her was duly recorded in Mexico. It awards to her a tract of land and certain notes and personal property, 6ut no sheep. It contains the following statement:

“Adjudication will be made of the import of the estate she has already received™ Texas, as per inventory of probate issued at Carrizo of the said state, dated 8th December, 1881, $584.00.”

Inventory of the property in Mexico received by Crisanta Flores in the partition of April 3, 1883, shows that she received a tract ■of land and numerous notes, hut no sheep. It also contains a statement similar to that' •quoted above about property already received in Texas of the value of $584.

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Bluebook (online)
267 S.W. 471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/de-rodriguez-v-hinnant-texcommnapp-1925.