Fair v. Miller

69 S.W.2d 558, 1934 Tex. App. LEXIS 1444
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 16, 1934
DocketNo. 4595.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 69 S.W.2d 558 (Fair v. Miller) 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
Fair v. Miller, 69 S.W.2d 558, 1934 Tex. App. LEXIS 1444 (Tex. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinion

LEVY, Justice.

On January 13, 1933, this suit was filed by the appellees against R. W. Fair, O. L. Thompson, and Fair & Thompson, a corporation, the Producers’ Supply & Tool Company, the Burk Royalty Company, a partnership, in the purpose to remove an apparent cloud from title to realty cast by reason of recording an instrument purporting to be a gas and oil lease of land, and for damages. As ground of remedy: “Plaintiffs allege that the instrument in writing herein pleaded. is ineffective as an instrument of conveyance; that it was nothing more thah an executory contract signed by the parties and left in the possession of the attorneys who drew it and was never delivered, but was held pending acceptance of title by defendants, and that long after they had forfeited all rights thereun,der- by declining to accept the title as it was, the defendants Fair and Thompson secured a copy of the instrument and are claiming rights thereunder, and have placed same of record and thereby cast a cloud upon plaintiffs’ title to said oil and gas lease, and have damaged plaintiffs in the reasonable sum of $100,000.00.” The petition further specially set up a state of facts in breach of the terms of agreement and of invalidity of the instrument, in the purpose of warranting the relief prayed for. The Producers’ Supply & Tool Company and the Burk Royalty Company were named defendants as claiming some character of interest in the lease or lien on the property.

The defendants Fair and Thompson, individually and corporate, answered by general denial, and specially that they were not in default of the terms of the agreement and that they acted without delay and expended money in effort to cure objections to title, and any delays therein were occasioned by re *559 quests and demands of plaintiffs to await, efforts to clear up the title to the land. Further acts and conduct in estoppel were set up. By way of cross-action damages were sought to he recovered for alleged injuries to the defendants.

The defendants Burk Royalty Company and Producers’ Supply & Tool Company answered pleading acquisition of an interest in the property as innocent purchasers.

In keeping with the answers of the jury to special issues, judgment was entered in favor of the plaintiffs and canceling the instrument in suit, and against the defendants and denying a recovery on their cross-action. The defendants have appealed from the judgment.

The instrument, which is the basis of this suit, reads:

“State of Texas, County of Smith.
“Whereas, on August 11, 1925, Mrs. Daisy M. Bradford made, executed, acknowledged, and delivered to C. M. Joiner, Trustee, a certain oil, gas and mining lease covering 100 acres of land, more or less, in the Juan Ximines Survey in Rusk County, Texas, said lease being recorded in Volume 126, page 132, Deed Records of Rusk County, Texas, reference to which is here made for all purposes ; and,
“Whereas, on November 22, 1929, O. M. Joiner, Trustee, did subdivide and plat said oil, gas and mining lease and file same for record on November 23, 1929, as recorded in Volume 140, page 626, Deed Records of Rusk County, Texas; and
■ “Whereas, on August 11, 1930, Mrs. Daisy M. Bradford did make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver to C. M. Joiner, Trustee, an extension agreement extending the time of said lease for thirty days, said extension agreement being recorded in Volume 148, page 411, Deed Records of Rusk County, Texas, reference to which is here made for all purposes ; and,
“Whereas, on August 15, 1930, Mrs. Daisy M. Bradford did execute a second extension agreement to C. M. Joiner, Trustee, extending the date of said lease for a period of thirty days from midnight of September 11, 1930, and so much longer as oil, gas, or either of them, is being produced in paying commercial quantities from said lease, said extension agreement being recorded in Volume 149, page 524, Deed Records of Rusk County, Texas; and,
“Whereas, on August 11, 1930, C. M. Joiner, Trustee, did sell, assign, transfer and convey to H. C. Miller all of that certain oil, gas and mining lease, together with all rights, title and interest of the original lessee and present- owner in and to all rights thereunder insofar as it covers all of 100-3/4 acres of land in two tracts, and being described as follows, to-wit: (Here follows description of the land.)
“Said assignment being recorded in Volume 148, page 419, Deed Records of Rusk County, Texas, reference to which is here made for .all .purposes; and,
“Whereas, the said H. C. Miller is now the owner of said oil, gas and mining lease above described insofar as it covers Block No. 5 and the .West one-half of Block No. 6 of the C. M. Joiner Subdivision of the Mrs. Daisy M. Bradford oil, gas and mining lease, as per plat recorded in Vol. 140, page 626, Deed Records of Rusk County, Texas, together with all personal property situated thereon, said land being, more particularly described as follows, to-wit: (Here. follows description.) . - •
“And, Whereas, it is the desire of the said H. C. Miller, joined by his wife, Oralie Miller, and Mrs. Daisy M. Bradford, hereinafter known as assignors, to sell, transfer, assign, set over and convey to R. W. Fair and C. L. Thompson, hereinafter known as assignees, said oil, gas and mining lease covering said above described tracts of land insofar as it covers six-eighths of all the oil, gas and other minerals in, under and that may be produced from said above described 67 acres of land.
“Now, therefore, know all men by these presents:
“That I, H. C. Miller, joined by my wife, Oralie Miller, and Mrs. Daisy M. Bradford, a feme sole, of the County of Smith and State of Texas, do hereby sell, assign, transfer-, set over and convey unto the said R. W. Fair and C. L. Thompson, of the County of Smith and State of Texas, said above described oil, gas and mining lease insofar as it covers six-eighths of all the oil, gas and other minerals in and under and that may be produced from said 67 acres of land situated in Rusk County, Texas, in consideration of the payment by assignees to assignors of the sum of Twenty Thousand One Hundred ($20,100.00) Dollars out of the first one-eighth of all the oil and/or gas produced, saved and marketed from said above described lease, subject, however, to the provision that assignees may pay to assignors, within six months from the commencement of the drilling of the first well as hereinafter provided, the sum of *560

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Schell v. Black
321 S.W.2d 373 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1959)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 S.W.2d 558, 1934 Tex. App. LEXIS 1444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fair-v-miller-texapp-1934.