Farrar v. Blair

303 S.W.2d 873, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1731
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided June 7, 1953·No. No. 15293·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

CRAMER, Justice.

This action was filed by appellant Farrar against W. A. Blair, Horace H. Elam, and T. I. Rosser, Jr., alleging that the parties are joint owners in fee simple of 63 acres of land described in a deed from Fannie Bevill et al. to W. A. Blair, dated May 18, 1951, of record in Vol. 3524, p. 348, Deed Records of Dallas County, Texas; that he, Farrar, owns a Jieth undivided interest therein, or a 6.25% of the whole plus 15% of a %eths interest or a 2.812% interest of the whole less 2½% of %3ths interest, or 6.5% of the whole, making plaintiff’s undivided interest 8.4375% of the whole. Defendant T. I. Rosser, Jr., claims to own 21/2% of %eths undivided interest, or .625% of the whole. Defendants W. A. Blair and H. H. Elam jointly own-the remaining undivided interest in said land, to-wit: 91.5625% of the whole, but plaintiff is not informed as to what portion of such remaining undivided interest is owned by Blair or Elam, as that is a matter wholly between themselves; alleged that Blair and Elam operate on and from said land a joint business or enterprise known as Blair-Elam Sand & Gravel Company; alleged the value of the property at $5,000; its rental value at $400 to $500 per annum; and that Blair and Elam after May 18, 1951, while he, Farrar, owned an interest therein, without his consent, operated a mine for sand and gravel and have removed therefrom large quantities of dirt, sand and gravel of commercial value, and are continuing to do-, so; that portions of the land not yet mined are underlaid with dirt, sand and gravel of commercial value; that the removal of such dirt, sand and gravel left large pits and holes and the surface uneven and that it will be necessary for the court to appoint a surveyor to determine the quantity removed before a just partition can be made; that Blair and Elam have not accounted to him; that such operations have decreased the value of the land to the extent of the value of the material removed plus his 8.4375% interest in the land to be taken out of and deducted from the undivided interest of Blair and Elam, or in the alternative that a lien be impressed upon their undivided interest for the value of Farrar’s interest therein. Further pled in his second count after adopting the allegations in his second count that Blair and Elam are in exclusive possession of such tract of land and after demands they have 'refused to let him into joint possession or account to him for his undivided interest of 8.4375% in the rents, dirt, sand and gravel removed, all of which is or should be within the knowledge and possession of Blair and Elam, except that he has no knowledge as to the interest, if any, of T. I. Rosser, Jr.; and on information and belief that Blair and Elam began operations about September 1, 1953 and have removed therefrom about 125,000 loads of dirt, sand [875] and gravel, have sold same or converted it to their own use and benefit for other purposes without his, Farrar’s consent; alleged the commercial value at the pit of such dirt, sand and gravel, but that the total amount removed is wholly within the knowledge of Blair and Elam and that he, Farrar, is entitled to an accounting and payment therefor; that Blair and Elam are daily depleting the value of the land by removal of dirt, sand and gravel and therefore a receiver and a surveyor should be appointed to ascertain the amount of dirt, sand and gravel removed and the balance of dirt, sand and gravel of commercial value which has not been removed therefrom. His prayer was for the appointment of a receiver and surveyor, an accounting, a decree establishing his interest in the property, and for general relief, costs, etc.

Blair and Elam answered in substance that Farrar has no interest or title in the property involved which is owned solely by them in fee simple, by plea of not guilty, that the instruments under which Farrar et al. claimed title are not in compliance with the statute of frauds for the reason that they do not sufficiently describe the property in controversy and the recording of such instruments under which Farrar claims; that such defects gave no notice to them that Farrar was claiming any part of the property in controversy. Also asserted certain defects in the conveyances and other instruments under which Farrar claims; pled that they were innocent purchasers; that the judgment in cause 15,494 is res adjudicata, estoppel, laches, and the three, five, ten and 25-year statutes of limitation. On the claim for rents, royalties, revenues, and other damage, pled the two-year statute and in the alternative that if he, Farrar, is found to be a tenant in common, then they had no knowledge of Farrar’s claim, were innocent of his claim, and are entitled to offset against Farrar’s claim the reasonable costs of loading, processing, selling, and other necessary expenses in removing the sand and gravel from the land. Blair and Elam also separately filed a cross-action against Hubert Bevill, Clifton Bevill, and Jessie Bevill, based on their warranty of title and for the breach of such warranty.

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Farrar v. Blair, 303 S.W.2d 873, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1731 (Tex. Ct. App. 1953).

303 S.W.2d 873 (Farrar v. Blair) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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