Douglas v. Douglas

1936 OK 270, 55 P.2d 362, 176 Okla. 378, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 203
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 24, 1936
DocketNo. 25035.
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 1936 OK 270 (Douglas v. Douglas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Douglas v. Douglas, 1936 OK 270, 55 P.2d 362, 176 Okla. 378, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 203 (Okla. 1936).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This action was commenced as a suit in equity by James P. Douglas and Lillie Douglas, husband and wife, petition filed May 2, 1930. Thereafter, the *380 death of James P. Douglas was suggested and Uie case progressed with Lidie Douglas as plaintiff and Stephen A. Douglas as defendant, on plaintiff’s “third amended petition” with a general denial by defendant. The parties will be referred to as plaintiff and defendant, as in the trial court.

By her petition of two counts, plaintiff sought in the first to have set aside a conveyance, by defendant to plaintiff, designated as a “mineral deed,” which deed is hereinafter set forth, and for.further decree compelling defendant to transfer and convey to plaintiff a full undivided one-third of the oil, gas, coal, and other minerals in and under the lands described in said deed, for a period of 25 years from February 25 1929, and so much longer thereafter as oil and gas should be produced therefrom together with the right to have and receive rents, bonuses, or other profits incident to ownership thereof. The second count sought an accounting and money judgment for one-third of certain rentals and bonuses collected by defendant. The amount of rents and bonuses was not in dispute, and it was conceded by defendant that if plaintiff should have full recovery on her first count, judgment on the second count would follow as a matter of course. The cause was tried to the court, who found generally for the plaintiff, set the deed aside, decreed a new conveyance, and entered money judgment on the second count for $755.72, with 6 per cent, interest from' March 21, 1933. After motion for new trial was overruled, defendant filed petition in error in this court with ease-made attached.

For reversal and judgment in his favor, defendant, in his brief, relies upon and has presented the following assignments of error, which will be considered in inverse order to that set out:

. “Second. Because said judgment and decision of the court is not sustained by sufficient evidence.
“Third. (Because said judgment and decision of the court is contrary to the law.”

In the first count of her petition, plaintiff alleges, among other things, that James P. Douglas, now deceased, and Stephen A. Douglas, defendant were brothers. That prior to January 14, 1929, each owned an undivided 'one-third fee interest in the lands involved in this suit, the other one-third being owned by the widow and children of another deceased brother. Petition alleges further that during such ownership for a period of about 25 years and until the first of the year 1929, defendant acted' for himself and as agent for his two brothers in renting and managing the farm, and further alleges that great confidence was reposed in defendant in all matters pertaining to the farm. That in the latter part of the year 1928 defendant made an. offer to James P. Douglas, plaintiff’s husband, to purchase from him the one-third interest of the said James P. Douglas. That after consideration, James P. Douglas decided to sell, suggested, however, that he would execute a deed, reserving to himself one-third of the mineral rights in and under the lands. That this form of conveyance was not satisfactory to the defendant, and after further consideration it was agreed that James P. Douglas should convey a full one-third fee interest to defendant and that defendant would then convey to Lillie Douglas, plaintiff, a full one-third interest in all the oil, gas, and mineral rights lying in and under said lands, for a period of 25 years and as long thereafter as oil or gas should be produced. That because of the trust reposed in defendant and past relationships, preparation of the deeds was left to defendant. That at the time deeds were to be passed and the deal closed, defendant assured plaintiff that the “mineral deed” conveyed to her a one-third mineral interest for the time stated. That at said time, to wit, February 28, 1929, consideration was paid, deeds exchanged and filed for record. That a month or so after the recorded mineral deed had been returned to plaintiff she discovered that the said mineral deed was not in conformity with the previous agreement. Plaintiff further alleged that the said mineral deed was void on its face and conveyed no mineral interest whatever, and prayed for relief as above stated.

The mineral deed sought to be canceled and hereinabove mentioned, omitting acknowledgment and endorsements, is as follows :

“Mineral Deed.
“Know All Men by These Presents:
“That Stephen A. Douglass and Jennie Douglass, husband and wife, of Logan county, state of Oklahoma, for and in consideration of the sum of one and additional dollars cash in hand paid by Lillie Douglass hereinafter called grantee, and other good and valuable considerations, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged have granted, sold .conveyed, assigned and delivered, and by these presents do grant, sell, convey, assign and deliver unto said grantee an undivided one-sixth of the landowner’s one-eighth of the oil and gas usually provided for in oil and gas leases that may be produced from the following described land in Logan county, Okla., to wit:
“The southeast quarter (S. E. %) of sec *381 tion seventeen (17), townsMp fifteen (IS) north of range one (1), east of the I. M., it being understood and agreed that under this conveyance the grantee is to receive two and one-twelfth per cent, gross of all oil and gas in and under the above-described lands, payable as, if. and when the same is produced under the terms, conditions and covenants of any existing or subsequent oil, gas or mineral lease or leases, and that grantee is not to participate in any rentals or bonus received from such leases, and grantee hereby waives the right to the execution of any and all subsequent oil, gas or other mineral leases without the signature of the grantee or his assigns.
“To have and to hold the above-described property, together with all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto in anywise belonging unto the said grantee herein his heirs and assigns for a period of twenty-five years from the date thereof, at which time the interest herein conveyed shall revert to the then record owner the same as if formal assignment or release of the same were executed, but if there were oil. gas or other minerals produced or being produced at the expiration of said twenty-five year period, then this will extend and be in force as long as it is under the then existing lease.
“Witness our hands this 25th day of Feb. 1929.
“(Signed) Stephen A. Douglass
“Jennie Douglass.”

We will first notice defendant’s assignment of error1 “Third,” that “the judgment and decision is contrary to law.” Counsel for defendant argues that the trial court erroneously found and held the above-quoted mineral deed was void on its face because the deed contained no grant of ingress and egress. Defendant contends that the deed is valid and cites in his support the case of Newbern v. Gould, 162 Okla. 82. 19 P. (2d) 157, while counsel for plaintiff argues that the deed is void under the case of Morgan v. McGee. 117 Okla.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1936 OK 270, 55 P.2d 362, 176 Okla. 378, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 203, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/douglas-v-douglas-okla-1936.