Fantham v. Goodrich

238 S.W.2d 572, 1951 Tex. App. LEXIS 1942
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 29, 1951
Docket12250
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 238 S.W.2d 572 (Fantham v. Goodrich) 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
Fantham v. Goodrich, 238 S.W.2d 572, 1951 Tex. App. LEXIS 1942 (Tex. Ct. App. 1951).

Opinion

*573 CODY, Justice.

Appellants instituted this proceeding below primarily as a formal action in trespass to try title against appellees to an undivided 9/640ths of the oil, gas and other minerals in a tract of 96 acres, more or less, in Harris County, fully described in appellants’ petition, said mineral interest being subject to an oil, gas and mineral lease belonging to and being operated by appellee Humble Oil and Refining Company. In the alternative the proceeding was against appellees for an accounting and recovery of the value of the oil belonging to appellants which the evidence showed had been removed by appellees, etc. It is admitted that the right of the parties in and to the mineral interest here put in issue by appellants is to be determined by the proper construction of two certain mineral deeds executed by appellant M. C. Fantham to appellee R. H. Goodrich under date of August 13, 1935; the other deed having been executed by said appellant to appellee P. Battelstein under date of August 15, 1935. In view of the fact that the rights of the parties are admittedly dependant upon the proper construction to be placed upon said two deeds, for the purposes of this opinion R. H. Goodrich will be treated as the present owner of such interest as was granted to him by the deed of August 13, 1935, and appellee Battelstein will be treated as the present owner of such interest as was granted to him by the deed dated August 15, 1935, and appellant Fantham will be treated as the owner of such mineral interest in and to the aforesaid 96 acres, more or less, if any, as remained in him after his execution and delivery of aforesaid mineral deeds dated respectively August 13 and August 15, 1935.

It is further undisputed that, shortly before appellant Fantham executed the aforesaid deeds, he had been vested with such interest in the minerals tract in question by two certain deeds from certain parties by the name of Beck; and it is undisputed that he did not know the exact extent of the undivided mineral interest which had become invested in him by the said deeds from the Becks, which did not specify the extent of the undivided interest thereby conveyed to said Fantham; but the said' Fantham believed that he had become invested by said two ■ mineral deeds with something more than five royalty acres and something less than ten royalty acres in the aforesaid tract of 96 acres, more or less.

The deed from Fantham to Goodrich dated August 13, 1935, after incorporating by reference the two mineral deeds from the Becks to Fantham, reads in part as follows: “Now, therefore, Know All Men by These Presents': That I, M. C. Fantham, * * *, for and in consideration of Ten Dollars and other valuable considerations cash to me in hand paid, * * *, have granted, bargained sold and conveyed and by these presents do grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the said R. H. Goodrich one half (½) of all right, title, equity and interest of every kind and character acquired by me by virtue of the hereinabove described deeds covering the hereinabove described land. (For the purpose of calculation and insofar as the warranty of grantor herein applies, it is estimated that the interest hereby conveyed is equal to 9/224ths undivided interest in and to all the oil, gas and other minerals, on, in or under, or that may be produced from the hereinabove described land; same being equal to a full 3.857 royalty acre mineral interest, more or less).”

(The deed also contained the habendum and general warranty clauses.)

The other mineral deed here to be interpreted, dated August 15, 1935, after making reference to the two conveyances to appellant Fantham from the Becks, reads, so far as here material, as follows: “Now, therefore, Know All Men by These Presents : That I, M. C. Fantham * * * have granted, bargained, sold, assigned ana conveyed, and by these presents do grant, bargain, sell, assign and convey to the said Battelstein an undivided one-half of all my remaining right, title, equity and interest in and to the mineral rights acquired by me by virtue of the hereinabove described mineral deeds. For purposes of more clearly indicating the interest herein conveyed, the following is stated: Previously I have conveyed to R. H. Goodrich *574 an undivided 9/224ths of my interest in and to said minerals, retaining an undivided 9/224ths interests in and to said minerals, estimated at 3.57 royalty acres, more or less. By this instrument it is my intention to convey an undivided one half of my remaining mineral interest, estimated at being a full 1.928 royalty acres, more or less, and the warranty herein given is based on and limited to same.”

(Said deed also contains the habendum and general warranty clauses.)

The case below was tried to the Court without a jury upon stipulations of counsel, documentary evidence, the testimony of appellant Fantham, of appellee Goodrich, and of one McGee, who was an official of appellee Humble Oil and Refining Company. The testimony of said official related to such matters as when the first producing well was drilled upon the tract of 96 acres, more or less; the number of producing wells thereon; the amount of production; the form of division orders used, etc., concerning which there was no dispute, and which are not here relevant.

At the conclusion of the evidence, the Court rendered judgment that appellants take nothing. Thereafter, in response to appellants’ request, the Court filed conclusions of fact and law, as follows:

“I find, based upon the language used in said deed, that the deed dated August 13, 1935, from the plaintiff M. C. Fantham, as grantor, to the defendant, R. H. Goodrich, as grantee, introduced in evidence herein as plaintiffs’ Exhibit No. 7, conveyed to R. H. Goodrich, as grantee, an undivided 9/224ths mineral interest in the tract of land described in said deed and in Plaintiffs’ Petition.
“II.
“I find, based upon the language used in said deed, that the deed dated August 15, 1935, from the plaintiff M. C. Fantham as grantor, to the defendant P. Battelstein, as grantee, introduced in evidence herein as plaintiffs’ Exhibit No. 8, conveyed to P. Battelstein as grantee, an undivided 9/448ths mineral interest in the tract of land described in said deed and in Plaintiffs’ Petition.
“Conclusions of Law
“Based upon the above findings, I conclude that plaintiffs should take nothing by their suit.”

Appellants predicate their appeal upon three points. The first point complains of the Trial Court’s finding that the mineral deed to R. H. Goodrich conveyed an undivided 9/224ths mineral interest in the land in question; point two complains of the Trial Court’s finding that the deed to Battelstein conveyed an undivided 9/448ths mineral interest in the land here involved, and the third point complains that the Court did not award appellants the 9/640ths of the minerals sued for subject to the Humble lease.

It was stipulated by counsel that Fantham owned an undivided 9/160ths of the minerals in the tract of 96 acres, more or less, by virtue of the deeds from the Becks, at the time he executed the deed to Goodrich. And appellants contend that the deed from Fantham to Goodrich conveyed half of that interest, or 9/320ths of the minerals.

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Related

Humble Oil & Refining Co. v. Fantham
268 S.W.2d 239 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1954)
Fantham v. Goodrich
244 S.W.2d 510 (Texas Supreme Court, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
238 S.W.2d 572, 1951 Tex. App. LEXIS 1942, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fantham-v-goodrich-texapp-1951.