Garza v. Cavazos

221 S.W.2d 549, 148 Tex. 138, 1949 Tex. LEXIS 395
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedMay 25, 1949
DocketNo. A-1915
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 221 S.W.2d 549 (Garza v. Cavazos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garza v. Cavazos, 221 S.W.2d 549, 148 Tex. 138, 1949 Tex. LEXIS 395 (Tex. 1949).

Opinion

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING.

Mr. Justice Griffin

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Both petitioner and respondents have filed motions for rehearing of this cause in which each seeks to set aside the judgment heretofore rendered. For the first time the question has been raised that since Trinidad Longoria may be the remainderman as to the whole of Share No. 7, hereinafter described, limitation would not run against him during the lifetime of his mother, Nazaria Longoria. We have reached the conclusion that the original opinion should be withdrawn and not published and that this opinion be sustituted therefor.

This is a suit in trespass to try title brought in the District Court of Hidalgo County, Texas, by Andres Garza as plaintiff below, and who is the petitioner herein, against M. C. Cavazos, Nazaria Longoria and others claiming title to portions of Share No. 7 set aside in partition suit B-4437, District Court, Hidalgo County, Texas. It is admitted by all parties in their briefs in this Court that the trial court gave only limited relief to Andres Garza on the theory that he had not proved common source of title to more than the 100 acres of land described in the judgment. The judgment of the trial court awarded the 100 acres to Andres Garza and awarded a certain described 20 acres to [141]*141M. C. Cavazos; awarded a certain described 30 acres to respondents Jesse G. Foster and F. G. Garza; recognized the validity of an oil, gas and other mineral lease executed by Nazaria alone to Andrews, Krueger and Cameron; also recognized the title of Carmen C. Garza to the west 150 acres of Share No. 7 and the title to the Magnolia Petroleum Company to an oil, gas and other mineral lease on said west 150 acres.

The record shows that Sabas Longoria owned two tracts of land approximating 1600 acres as his separate property at the time of his death. Sabas Longoria married Nazaria sometime prior to January 27 ,1906, when he executed his will wherein he left all of his property to his wife Nazaria. Prior to the marriage of Sabas and Nazaria a child, Manuel, was born to Nazaria and there is evidence in the record to the effect that Sabas was the father of Manuel. The record does not show whether or not Sabas recognized Manuel as his son after Sabas’ marriage to Nazaria, as is required by Article 2581, Revised Civil Statutes, 1925, in order for Manuel to inherit under his father. Of course, if he. were not so recognized, the law is clear that he would inherit nothing from his father. After Sabas made his will in 1906 his son Trinidad was born in 1911 to his wife Nazaria. Sabas died in 1918 without having revoked or changed his will. Trinidad was living at the time of the trial of this case and was also married so he had attained the age of 21 years in accordance with Article 8293 of the Revised Civil Statutes.

In June of 1919 Nazaria filed an application to probate the will of Sabas in the Probate Court but nothing further was done by her under this application until after the present suit had been filed. Prior to June of 1947, Nazaria filed an amended application for the probate of Sabas’ will as a muniment of title and the Probate Court of Hidalgo County admitted the will for probate in June 1947.

The petitioner claims under a judgment in partition rendered in Cause No. B-4437 by the District Court of Hidalgo County on January 26, 1925, as of November 10, 1924. He had a deed from Nazaria in January of 1946 wherein there is conveyed to petitioner 150 acres of land out of the east 250 acres of Share No. 7 as described in the judgment in the partition suit above referred to. Petitioner also has a deed from Trinidal Longoria to all of his interest in the 400 acres of land allotted by Share No. 7. This deed is dated December 1946. In addition petitioner has a deed dated November 20, 1946, from certain parties pur[142]*142porting to be the heirs of Ruperto Rosales, named as an allottee of Share No. 7 in the judgment of partition.

Respondents contend that petitioner did not prove common source of title so as to permit him to recover anything; and that the will of Sabas when probated vested title to the whole of Share No. 7 in Nazaria. All of respondents claim under Nazaria and therefore contend that their title is superior to that of the petitioner and that the judgment rendered by the trial court is correct.

The petitioner in the partition suit No. B-4437 is not contained in the record but the record does show the pleadings of Nazaria and of Trinidad in such partition suit and also the pleadings of the intervener, J. R. Alamia. These pleadings and the judgment of the court entered in the partition suit show that an agreed judgment was entered in said partition suit and that all parties had compromised their differences. The plea of intervention filed by J. R. Alamia shows that in January of 1920 Nazaria Longoria individually purporting to act as independent executrix and sole devisee under the will of Sabas Longoria, entered into a contract with the intervenor Alamia appointing him as her lawful agent and attorney in fact to recover the 1607 acres of land belonging to Sabas and to take possession of the same, to institute suits for the recovery of title and possession of said land, employ counsel to prosecute or assist in prosecuting said suits and to do and perform all things concerning said lands that Nazaria might or could do, etc.

The petitioner has assigned error to the holding of the Court of Civil Appeals that Nazaria took title to the whole of Share No. 7 by virtue of the will of Sabas Longoria. It was stipulated by all parties that Share No. 7 in said partition suit was a part of the land owned by Sabas Longoria at the time of his death.

This logically brings for consideration the effect of the partition judgment in Cause No. B-4437. Nazaria Longoria Rosales and her husband, Ruperto Rosales, and Trinidad Longoria were all parties to this suit and their rights were disposed of according to law. The petitioner claims that the above partition judgment bound all parties, whereas the respondents claim that the will of Sabas Longoria when it was probated in June, 1947, gave Nazaria title to all of Share No. 7. The Court of Civil Appeals in its opinion holds that Nazaria received all title under this probate. The partition judgment shows on its face to be an agreed judgment between all of the parties and on its face [143]*143the judgment is approved as to the minor, Trinidad Longoria. Share No. 7 was one of some 15 shares set out in such judgment. As far as the record in this case shows, from November 10, 1924, until the trial of this cause no attack had been made on the partition judgment. The record shows that no appeal was taken and therefore it became and is a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction. We believe under these facts and under the law Nazaria Longoria and Trinidad Longoria, the heirs of Ruperto, and the respondents herein as grantees from Nazaria are bound by this partition judgment and are estopped at this late date to deny its validity, or to claim under the will of Sabas Longoria adversely to the partition judgment.

See White v. White,, 142 Texas 499, 179 S. W. (2d) 503; Kuteman v. Williams et al (TCA) 172 S. W. (2d) 370; Bankston v. Bankston (TCA) 206 S. W. (2d) 839; and McWhorter v. Gray (TCA) 4 S. W. (2d) 302.

While it is true that title is not passed in a partition proceeding, the person who receives a specific share of property holds the same to the exclusion of the other joint tenants or co-owners who had equal right to possession with him.

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

Related

Christopher Guy Lyster
N.D. Texas, 2024
ConocoPhillips Co. v. Ramirez
534 S.W.3d 490 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2017)
Ben Jarvis v. Robert J. Peltier, Sr. and Calvin C. Smith
400 S.W.3d 644 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013)
Bailey v. Warren
319 S.W.3d 185 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Sammons v. Elder
940 S.W.2d 276 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Vandewater v. American General Fire & Casualty Co.
890 S.W.2d 811 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1995)
Dierschke v. Central National Branch of First National Bank at Lubbock
876 S.W.2d 377 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1994)
Bank One Texas, N.A. v. Ameritrust Texas, N.A.
858 S.W.2d 516 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Mustang Drilling, Inc. v. Cobb
815 S.W.2d 774 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Rittgers v. Rittgers
802 S.W.2d 109 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Voth v. Felderhoff
768 S.W.2d 403 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)
Johnson v. Mariscal Ex Rel. Mariscal
620 S.W.2d 905 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1981)
Sorsby v. State
624 S.W.2d 227 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1981)
James v. Hitchcock
309 S.W.2d 909 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1958)
Gadd v. Lynch
258 S.W.2d 168 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1953)
Shull v. Diaz
236 S.W.2d 629 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
221 S.W.2d 549, 148 Tex. 138, 1949 Tex. LEXIS 395, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garza-v-cavazos-tex-1949.