Griffith v. Taylor

284 S.W.2d 768, 5 Oil & Gas Rep. 772, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2218
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 21, 1955
DocketNo. 6535
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 284 S.W.2d 768 (Griffith v. Taylor) 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
Griffith v. Taylor, 284 S.W.2d 768, 5 Oil & Gas Rep. 772, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2218 (Tex. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinions

NORTHCUTT, Justice.

This action was originally brought by ap-pellee against several parties as defendants to determine and settle title matters with reference to certain mineral rights. Although there were about 35 defendants in the original suit there are only three of the defendants as appellants here, namely L. H. Griffith, Hightower and the Harrises. None of the other defendants appealed or objected to the trial court’s judgment. The real contention of the parties to this appeal is that appellants contend they are entitled to their respective interests in ¾6 of the oil rights retained by appellee under certain leases and the appellee contends that they are entitled to their respective interests in only the ⅜ of the royalty. The trial court sustained the contention of the appellee and held the appellants were only entitled to their respective interests in the ⅜ royalty and that the appellee was entitled to the Vie interest retained by him in certain leases above the ⅛ royalty retained. From this judgment, appellants perfected this appeal.

Appellant, L. H. Griffith, presents his appeal upon the following proposition:

"Appellant’s Propositions
"First Proposition
“The Court erred in holding that the one-sixteenth (½6) perpetual interest in production created by paragraph 11 of the 1953 oil and gas lease was bonus belonging exclusively to W. H. Taylor, [769]*769rather than royalty in which this appellant is entitled to participate. (Germane to all points on appeal.)
“Second Proposition
“The Court erred in admitting parol evidence to determine the intention of the parties in the execution of the mineral deed from W. H. Taylor to P. G. Malone. (Germane to points I, II, III, XII, XIII, XVI, XVII and XVIII.)
"Third Proposition
“The Court erred in admitting parol evidence to determine the intention of the parties in the execution of the 1946 oil and gas lease. (Germane to Points VI, VIII, X, XII, XIII and XVI.)
"Fourth Proposition
“The Court erred in admitting parol evidence to determine the intention of the parties in the execution of the 1953 oil and gas lease. (Germane to Points I, II, III, IV, VII, IX, XI and XV.)
“Fifth Proposition
“The trial court erred in overruling the motion of appellant to quash the deposition of W. H. Taylor given in response to purported adverse party interrogatories. (Germane to Point V.)”

The Hightower and Harris appellants adopted the propositions and brief of L. H. Griffith and added one additional proposition as follows:

“Sixth Proposition
“The Court erred in holding that W. H. Taylor discharged his trust in behalf of the non-participating royalty owners (Hightower and Harris interest) by executing the various 1953 oil and gas leases. (Germane to Point XV.)”

The appellee, W. H. Taylor, was the owner of the land upon which the oil leases cover. W. H. Taylor had executed a certain oil and gas mining lease in favor of Humble Oil & Refining Company as lessee. W. H. Taylor sold and transferred certain oil interests to one P. G. Malone. Said transfer reading as follows:

“Know All Men By These Presents: That I, W. H. Taylor, of the County of Archer, State of Texas, have granted, bargained, sold and conveyed, and subject to the exceptions and reservations hereinafter contained, do by these presents, grant, bargain, sell, set-over, assign and deliver unto P. G. Malone an undivided one-half (½) interest in and to all of the oil, gas and other minerals in and under and that my be produced from the following described land,s situated in Gray County, Texas, to-wit: Northwest Quarter (NW%) of Section Twenty-two (22), Block B-2, H&GN R. R. Co. Survey, said land above described now being under’ a certain oil and gas mining lease, executed in favor of Humble Oil & Refining Company, lessee; it is understood and agreed that this sale and conveyance is made subject to said oil and gas mining lease and all of the terms thereof, but covérs and includes one-half (½) of all of the one-eighth _ (⅛) oil royalties and gas rental on said lands due and to be due under the terms of said lease, and any and all renewals and extensions thereof, and is further made subject to all future oil and gas mining lease- upon or covering said land, thereof or any part thereof, which may be hereafter given as hereinafter provided.
“In the event said lease, for any reason becomes cancelled, or forfeited, or shall expire, then and in that event, the oil, gas and mineral privileges in and under that part of said land herein-above described, or any part thereof, under such oil and gas mining lease, which shall so become forfeited, or cancelled, or shall expire, shall thereupon be owned jointly by the said W. H. Taylor and the said P. G. Malone, the said W. H. Taylor, o«wing an undivided one-half (j/£) interest and the said P. G. Malone owning an undivided one-half (½) interest in all oil, gas and [770]*770other minerals in and under and upon said land, hut subject to the exceptions, reservations, and conditions hereinafter set forth, and subject to such future oil and gas -mining leases which may be hereafter given upon said land, or any part thereof, as herein provided.
“And the said W. H. .Taylor expressly excepts from this conveyance and reserves unto himself, his heirs and assigns, all of-the delay rentals, which may be paid under the terms of the aforesaid oil and gas lease, and under all future oil and gas leases on said land, or any part thereof, for the privileges of deferring the commencement of a well, or wells, under the terms of said lease, and any and all bonus money which may or shall be paid to the said W. H. Taylor as a consideration for any and all oil and gas leases upon said lands, or any part thereof, which may be hereafter given. And the said W. H. Taylor expressly excepts from this conveyance and reserves unto himself, his heirs and assigns, from the grant hereby made the full and complete right to make, execute, acknowledge and deliver to such lessee or lessees, as he may elect, an oil and gas mining lease or leases upon and covering the lands hereinbefore described, or any part thereof, without the joinder of the grantee herein, his heirs or assigns upon the termination, cancellation, forfeiture or surrender of said oil and gas lease hereinbefore mentioned now upon said lands, or any part thereof, provided and conditioned that a royalty of not less than the equal one-eighth (⅛) part of the oil, and a royalty of not less than one-eighth (⅛) of the market value of the gas and casing-head gas, or of one-eighth (⅛) of the net proceeds of the sale of such gas or casinghead gas, is reserved to the lessor in such oil and gas mining lease, or leases. And the grantor herein, the said W. H. Taylor, expressly excepts from this conveyance and reserves unto himself all bonus money or other consideration -which may or shall be received by him as a bonus for such oil and gas mining lease, or leases and all delay rentals which may become payable under such lease, or leases, for the privilege of deferring the commencement of a well, or wells, and the said W. H.

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Related

Griffith v. Taylor
291 S.W.2d 673 (Texas Supreme Court, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
284 S.W.2d 768, 5 Oil & Gas Rep. 772, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffith-v-taylor-texapp-1955.