Hall v. Harris

11 Tex. 300
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1854
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 11 Tex. 300 (Hall v. Harris) 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
Hall v. Harris, 11 Tex. 300 (Tex. 1854).

Opinion

Lipscomb, J.

The first point, presented for our consideration by the appellants’ brief, is, the supposed error of the Court below, in overruling the exceptions of the defendants, [302]*302to the plaintiffs’ petition and amended petition. They contend that there is no cause of action set out in the petition; that, by the terms of the deed of trust, Hall was entitled to the possession, down to the sale, and that his possession was a lawful possession until a sale had been made, and that the possession by the trustees, before or at the sale, was not necessary to the validity of a sale in the execution of their trust; that the sale would have been valid, without their being in possession of the trust property. This may be true as an abstract question; because, then, Hall would have been held as holding possession for the trustees, and his possession would have been for their use. But when he sets up an adverse title, to the title of the trustees, and claims under such title, as is alleged in the petition, the principle does not apply; because, then, he in effect disavows so holding the property, and disclaims the trust. The plaintiffs, in their petition, allege this adverse claim of title and possession as being in Mrs. Hall, under a sale and purchase by her, and that the defendants have refused to give possession, though demanded. Under such circumstances, the right of possession and title of the trustees being denied, had they proceeded to sell the trust property so encumbered by an adverse party, it would not have been a faithful discharge of the trust; because it is not likely that the property, so encumbered with an adverse possession and title, would have sold for its fair value; and it is probable, it would not have raised an amount sufficient for the payment of the debt intended to be secured by it.

The two next exceptions are not supported by the record : a want of a demand, and a want of averring that Alcorn, the beneficiary in the deed of trust, had not requested the trustees to proceed to execute the trust; both of these facts are alleged in the petition of the trustees.

There is another exception, to the parties. It is insisted that Alcorn, the beneficiary, is an improper party. This exception is not well taken; because, when the title of the trustees was disclaimed, and an adverse title set up, as alleged in the peti[303]*303tion, his interest in the suit to enforce his rights, was material; but it is not perceived on what ground the defendants could object to his being a party to the suit, being a proceeding in chancery to enforce and execute a trust for his benefit; and, in such cases, all parties, to be affected by the result of the suit, ought to de made parties. Judge Story lays down the doctrine, on the subject of parties in suits of this kind, to be as follows, i. e. “ The general rule in cases of this sort is, “that in suits respecting the trust property, brought either by or “ against the trustees, the cestui que trust, or beneficiaries, as “ well as the trustees also, are necessary parties. And when “ the suit is by or against the cestui que trust, or beneficiaries, “ the trustees are also necessary parties; the trustees have the “ legal interest and therefore they are necessary parties ; the “ cestui que trusty or beneficiaries, have the equitable and ulti- “ mate interest, to be affected by the decree, and therefore they “are necessary parties.” (Story, Eq. Sec. 207.) That this is the general rule, and applicable to this case, there can be no doubt; and it will be found, in the subsequent Sections of the same author, that it has never been made an available objection, that the beneficiary has been made a party; and the exception is believed to be, under peculiar circumstances, to dispense with the making all of the trustees, or cestui que trusty parties, not to their being parties. (See Head v. Teynham, 57, note 4 to Section 209, Story, Eq., and note 4 to Sec. 210, same book.) To the objection that the suit is founded on a legal title, and the legal title being in the trustees, they may enforce that legal title, without the cestui que trust, we answer that the suit is brought to enable the trustees to execute a trust, and for its enforcement through a judicial decision, and distinctions between Common Law and chancery jurisdiction are unknown to our system of jurisprudence; and that further, even if the jurisdiction should be regarded as separate, which is not the case, the suit is to enforce a trust, and the execution of trusts has always been a most prolific branch of-equity jurisprudence. We regard the cestui que trust as a [304]*304proper party in this suit; and there was no error in overruling the exception.

The last question, we propose noticing, is presented by the claim of Mrs. Hall, under a purchase made by her at Sheriff’s sale under an execution, issued upon a judgment, obtained against her husband subsequently to the making of the deed of trust, sued on and sought to be enforced. The suit in which that judgment was obtained, was commenced long after the date of the deed of trust. The suit was brought by Mrs. Hall against her husband, to recover the value of certain separate property, or peculiar paraphernalia belonging to her, which had been sold by Hall for the benefit of his creditors, whilst residing in the State of Louisiana, where she had previously intermarried with him, on or about 21st March, 1821. In the petition, judgment is prayed for the value of such property, and that her claim should be enforced as a privileged mortgage on the property of her husband. There was a judgment rendered against the husband, and the Court decreed, “ that, by the law of the contract, the plaintiff has a legal “ mortgage and a privileged lien on all the property of her “ said husband, for reimbursing the same; and it further ap- “ pearing to the Court, that the affairs of the said defendant, “ are in an embarrassed condition, as alleged by the plaintiff, “ it is ordered, adjudged and decreed by the Court, that the “ said plaintiff be recognized as a privileged creditor, with a “ lien on all of her said husband’s property, for the restitution “ of her extradotal or paraphernal property, to the amount “ of her judgment, with legal interest from the date of its “ rendition,” &c. The judgment and the decree were permitted to be read in evidence, though objected to by the plaintiffs. It may be admitted, that between Hall and his wife, the judgment and decree, remaining unreversed cannot collaterally be impeached; it is res adjudicada; but as to other parties, it is conclusive of no right or interest whatever, none others being parties to the suit, or notified of the pendency of the suit; and it is competent for all such, to impeach its ef[305]*305feet, as to them, in any case of a lien acquired before the rendition of the judgment; and it may well be questioned, whether in its terms, it will embrace property that the husband had previously alienated, or on which he had given a specific lien. The decree subjects all of the property of the husband, to the satisfaction of the judgment; but does not assume to subject such property, community or separate, as he may have previously disposed of, or alienated. Now, the property, embraced in the deed of trust, was beyond his control, and not subject to execution against him, unless such execution was supported by a prior lien, to the date of the deed. No matter where the contract may have been made, or what may be the lex loci contractus,

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Bluebook (online)
11 Tex. 300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hall-v-harris-tex-1854.