El Paso Land Improvement Co. v. Crawford

292 S.W. 518
CourtTexas Commission of Appeals
DecidedMarch 2, 1927
DocketNo. 859-4595
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 292 S.W. 518 (El Paso Land Improvement Co. v. Crawford) 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
El Paso Land Improvement Co. v. Crawford, 292 S.W. 518 (Tex. Super. Ct. 1927).

Opinion

NICHELS, J.

This case has been before the Court of Civil Appeals twice. In the opinions of that court (201 S. W. 233, and 280 S. W. 914) the controversy is stated at length; hence we do not undertake a restatement here, except in so far as may be necessary to exhibit the issues which .we believe determine the case on this appeal.

Prior to February 26, 1906, Bailey Hotel Company, a corporation, owned a tract of land in the city of El Paso. On February 26, 1906, it conveyed to Crawford, trustee, a portion of the land, and on January 29, 1907, it conveyed the remainder to El Paso Land Improvement Company. A plat of the entire tract and the parts thus conveyed is reproduced on page 235 of 201 S. W. Long prior to the first-mentioned conveyance Bailey Hotel Company, or its predecessors in title, had erected upon the tract a building which was used for hotel purposes, and which had become generally known as the Angelus Hotel. The building was so constructed as that certain rooms, porches, etc., thereof in the second and higher stories overhung (to the extent of about six feet) the line, which in virtue of the two conveyances became the surface boundary between the land acquired by Crawford, trustee, and that acquired by the improvement company. The building was thus originally built, and its form has remained unchanged.

In time a controversy arose. Crawford claimed that maintenance of the overhanging rooms, etc., was an invasion of his premises, and was without authority of law or his consent, and' constituted a nuisance, as well as a cloud, upon his title. The improvement company claimed that the deed to it by mistake, etc., omitted conveyance of the surface strip in dispute, and that Crawford and the Bailey Hotel Company were bound to convey it because of the contract entered into between improvement company’s predecessors on the one hand and Crawford and officers, etc., of the Bailey Hotel Company on the other, on January 12, 1907. This suit resulted. Therein Crawford, as plaintiff, sought judgment for the land under the overhanging rooms, etc., and compelling their removal, alleging former use of them under claim of right on the part of improvement company, but which use, it was alleged, ■ was “without authority of law or the consent of this plaintiff.” The improvement company answered with a general denial and averments by way of cross-action, in which it alleged the mutual intent of parties to the contract of January 12, 1907, and the obligation of Crawford et al. to convey, or to cause to be conveyed, “the real estate and improvements” constituting the Angelus Hotel. In elaboration it was averred that the obligation and intent to convey the Angelus Hotel included the obligation and intent to fix the surface boundary coincident with the outside lines of the overhanging rooms, porches, etc. The improvement company defended upon its general denial, and sought affirmative relief — i. e., compelled performance of the contract obligations — upon its cross-action.

The jury, in response to special issues, found that the overhanging rooms, etc., were above “all of the land in controversy,” and that the improvement company, at the time it received its deed, did not believe that the deed covered all of the land covered by the Angelus Hotel. Two other issues were submitted in words as follows:

“At the time of the execution of the contract of January Í2, 1907, was it the intention of L. M. Crawford to sell, of the land and buildings of said block, only that property of block 2, Mills’ map of the city of El Paso, Texas, lying east of the east lines described in the deed from the Bailey Hotel Company to L. M. Crawford, trustee, of date February 26, 1906?”
“At the time of the execution of the contract of January 12, 1907, was it the intention of U. S. Stewart and his associates” (i. e. the predecessors in interest of the Improvement Company) “to buy, of the land and buildings of said block, only that part of the property of block 2, Mills’ map of the city of El Paso, Tex., lying east of the east lines described in the deed from Bailey Hotel Company to L. M. Crawford, trustee, of date February 26, 1906?” [520]*520Each of those questions was answered “Yes.”

The improvement company requested, and the court refused the submission of various issues, amongst which are those reading as follows:

“Ho you find from the evidence that U. S. Stewart and his associates, when contract of date January 12, 1907, was entered into, believed that they were to get under said contract all the Angelus Hotel as it then existed?”
“Did H. H. Bailey” (i. e., president of Bailey Hotel Company and representative of that company and of Crawford) “at any time in the negotiations previous to and leading up to the signing of the contract of sale of January 12, 1907, point out or show to W. W. Turney, W. E- Payne, U. S. Stewart” (i. e., the predecessors of the Improvement Company) “or any of them, any part or portion of the building extending over any of the property in dispute as being a part or portion of the Angelus Hotel?”
■ “If you have answered the above question in the affirmative, then describe what part or portion was so pointed out or shown by the said H. H. Bailey to the said parties or any of them.”

Upon reasoning to be stated, we believe refusal of the district judge to submit the issues thus requested was error.

The deed to the improvement company conveyed the ground described therein and “all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto in anywise belonging.” As a matter of course, the conveyance transferred whatever dominance the tract of land and its fixtures had, by way of easement, over the other land and its user. 13 Cyc. 639, 640. The deed itself is evidence of that intent and result. So far as identity of the ground itself is concerned, the instrument precludes uncertainty. But in respect to the appurtenances and rights attached thereto, and so conveyed, extrinsic evidence must be considered, for those rights are not described in the paper. As in other cases of latent ambiguity, identity of the things and rights conveyed, and so intended, becomes a mixed question of law and fact to be determined by the jury under proper instructions of the court, if the case be submitted on a general charge (Kingston v. Pickins, 46 Tex. 99; Camley v. Stanfield, 10 Tex. 546, 60 Am. Dec. 219), or to be determined by the court in view of relevant facts determined by the jury in response to special issues.

The record exhibits evidence tending to show that Stewart and associates thoroughly understood that they, were to acquire the Angelus Hotel as it existed on January 12, 1907. That building rested upon the ground which was conveyed to the improvement company, but certain portions of it above the ground extended over the boundary line. It was given this form at a time when its owner had full title to all of the land. Its form thus given was permanent, and use of space beyond the artificial line subsequently impressed upon the ground was essential to ownership and user of the building as erected and as it now exists.

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Bluebook (online)
292 S.W. 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/el-paso-land-improvement-co-v-crawford-texcommnapp-1927.