Deace v. Stribling

142 S.W.2d 564, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 593
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 24, 1940
DocketNo. 8950
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 142 S.W.2d 564 (Deace v. Stribling) 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
Deace v. Stribling, 142 S.W.2d 564, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 593 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

BLAIR, Justice.

Appellee, W. F. Stribling, sued appellant, R. A. Deace, to cancel a mineral lease because of alleged breaches of its covenants and conditions; and on the trial to [565]*565the court without a jury judgment was rendered for appellee as prayed; hence this appeal.

Appellee was lessor, and appellant, R. A. Deace, and W. P. Bankston, Clifford F. York, and Patsey L. York were lessees; each lessee owning a certain percentage of interest ' in the entire mineral estate granted. In 1938, all of the lessees, except appellant, executed a quitclaim deed to their interests to appellee. In 1936, W. P. Bankston executed a quitclaim deed to his interest in the lease to appellant, and after this suit was filed the other lessees named executed a quitclaim deed to their interests in the lease to appellant; and by way of answer and cross-action he alleged that the quitclaim deed to appellee was procured by fraud, and that he was the sole owner of the lease, and prayed that appellee be enjoined from interfering with his rights as lessee, and for damages.

Appellant contends that the trial court was without jurisdiction because the lessees who quitclaimed their interest to ap-pellee were not made parties to the suit. In the first place, it is contended that the interest of Patsey L. York, a married woman, did not pass to appellee because her acknowledgment to her quitclaim deed to him was defective; the portion complained of being as follows: “Before me, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared Patsey L. York, wife of E. G. Klein and daughter of Clifford L. York, known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and the said-acknowledged to me that she executed the same for the purposes and considerations therein expressed. And the said Patsey L. York, wife of the said E. H. Klein, having been examined by me privily and apart from her husband, and having the same fully explained to her, she the said Myrtle L. York, acknowledged such instrument to be her act and deed, and declared that she had willingly signed the same for the purposes and consideration therein expressed, and that she did not wish to retract it.”

The failure of the notary to fill in the blank space with the name Patsey L. York is not a material defect. The acknowledgment as a whole clearly shows that the notary was taking the acknowledgment of Patsey L. York, and the omission of her name in the blank space is only a clerical error, which does not affect its sufficiency. Talbert v. Dull, 70 Tex. 675, 8 S.W. 530; Gray v. Kauffman, 82 Tex. 65, 17 S.W. 513.

Nor does the obvious mistake of inserting the name Myrtle L. York in the last sentence of the acknowledgment vitiate it, because it is clear from the whole instrument that the name intended was Patsey L. York. The insertion of any name at that place in the acknowledgment is surplusage, and if stricken out, the acknowledgment is clearly that of Patsey L. York. Durst v. Daugherty, 81 Tex. 650, 17 S.W. 388; Cheek v. Herndon, 82 Tex. 146, 17 S.W. 763; Gray v. Kauffman, supra.

In the second place, appellant contends that the quitclaim of the interests of all lessees except himself to appellee was procured by fraud. There was no proof of this allegation, and the question went out of the case. These findings and conclusions left only appellant and appellee as the lessor and lessee in the lease sought to be cancelled; and in consequence the court had jurisdiction of all parties interested in the subject matter of the suit. 32 Texas Juris 15, § 9, and cases there cited.

We have reached the conclusion, however, that the trial court erred in refusing to sustain the plea in abatement and general demurrer of appellant to the petition of appellee, because the lease contract created a mineral estate in the land described upon the happening of certain conditions subsequent; and the petition did not allege the giving of thirty days’ notice as required in the lease for its termination for breach of any condition subsequent; and the undisputed proof showed that such notice had been given only twenty-five days at the time this suit was filed to cancel and terminate the lease. The material portions of the lease contract, except for convenience we number the paragraphs, read as follows:

First. “That said parties of the first part . . . Do, by these presents, lease, let and demise unto the said parties of the second part for the purpose of prospecting for, mining, removing and marketing, all minerals and metals and non-metalic minerals of every kind except gas and oil; just as long as paying ores can be found on or under the following described tract or parcel of land, to-wit
* * * . * * *
Second. “The terms of this lease and the estate herein granted shall begin on [566]*566this date and continue until same is terminated under the provisions hereof:”
Third. “It is agreed by the parties hereto that said parties of the second part shall have three months time from this date, and shall have full rights of ingress and egress, at all times for himself, his representatives, partners and employees upon all of the said premises; for the purpose of prospecting for, locating and selecting locations for opening and working mines and taking therefrom any minerals, metals, or non-metalic minerals excepting gas and oil for the purpose of marketing same, and also for making assay tests on same.”
Fourth. “The parties of the second part herein agree, in case minerals or metals are found on said leased premises, within the above named period, in sufficient quantities and richness so that same can be mined at a profit; to within six months from said months period above named, to open up such mine shafts, open out quarries, etc., as may be necessary to exploit and develop any ore veins or ore deposits on said premises, of said minerals or metals thereon and to place on said premises, such machinery, tools and appliances, as the character of the ore, in the opinion of the said second parties, may warrant, and to work said mines on said premises except from delays caused by unfavorable weather, accidents, disastrous explosions, strikes, fires or other causes beyond the control of parties of the second part.”
Fifth. “Upon the wilful failure of the parties of the second part to fulfil or comply with any, or all, of the conditions and stipulations hereby imposed' upon them or the terms thereof, then 30 days after written notice of such willful breach on the part of the parties of the second part, having been given them by parties of the first part; then if said willful breach continues, the tenure of this lease shall, at the option of said parties of the first part, expire and terminate.”

The lease contract was incorporated and made a part of appellee’s petition, which did not allege the giving of written notice to cancel or terminate the lqase thirty days prior to the filing of the suit, and, as stated, the proof showed such notice to have been given for only twenty-five days at the time this suit was filed. We interpret the lease as requiring the giving of thirty days’ notice as a prerequisite to the prosecution of this suit to cancel it'for breach of its con;-ditions, relied upon by appellee, which were sufficiently alleged.

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142 S.W.2d 564, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 593, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deace-v-stribling-texapp-1940.