Harper v. Harper

274 S.W.2d 930, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 2361
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 24, 1954
Docket6410
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 274 S.W.2d 930 (Harper v. Harper) 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
Harper v. Harper, 274 S.W.2d 930, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 2361 (Tex. Ct. App. 1954).

Opinion

NORTHCUTT, Justice.

This is an action brought by Marie S. Harper, a widow, Clifton L. Harper, Billy C. Harper, Garcy W. Harper, and Sandra W. Harper, a minor joined by next friend, Marie S. Harper, and Nancy C. Harper, a minor joined by next friend, Marie S. Harper, all as plaintiffs, against C. P. Harper as defendant for judgment for title and possession of the Northwest ½ of Section 3 of the Roberts Subdivision of Parmer County, Texas, containing 160 acres of land, more or less. Plaintiffs alleged they were in possession of said property holding same in fee simple by reason of a parol gift made to the plaintiffs, Marie S. Harper and'her • deceased husband, Sanford Harper, by C. P. Harper or in the alternative were in pos *932 session of such premises and holding- same in fee simple by reason of a parol gift made by C. P. Harper to Sanford Harper, now deceased, and that thereafter on or about the fifth day of October, 1952, the defendant unlawfully entered upon and dispossessed them of such premises and withheld from them the title and possession thereof. Plaintiffs also filed their trial amendment in lieu of Paragraph IV of their second amended petition claiming they acquired the fee simple title to the premises by reason of plaintiffs having occupied, used, and enjoyed such premises claiming it as their estate and homestead for over ten years and having had peaceable, adverse possession of said lands and tenements with the use and enjoyment for over ten years and that the plaintiffs and Sanford Harper, deceased, occupied said premises under a claim of right as the fee simple owners of such property and that such claim of right as against the record owner, C. P. Harper, was known by the said C. P. Harper.

Defendant, appellant here, answered pleading not guilty and that the plaintiffs were attempting to claim title or right of title in and to the property by alleged parol gift contrary to Article 3995 and 1288 of Texas Revised Civil Statutes. Defendant as cross-plaintiff, appellant here, filed his cross-complaint alleging that whatever right, title, interest, or estate in such land and premises claimed by the cross-defendants, appellees here, was in all respects inferior and subordinate to the fee simple title to such land and premises vested in cross-claimant and that his title be cleared and quieted of any claims of the cross-defendants and for general and special relief.

The case was tried to a jury upon special issues as follows:

'‘Special Issue No. 1”
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that C. P. Harper, in the year 1935, made an oral gift of the land in controversy to Sanford Harper, to be held by Sanford Harper as his own? You will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
“Special Issue No. 2”
“If you have answered Special Issue No. 1 ‘no,’ then you will not answer Special Issue No. 2, but if you have answered Special Issue No. 1 ‘yes,’ then you will answer Special Issue No. 2, which is as follows:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Sanford Harper and Marie S. Harper went into possession of said land in reliance of said oral gift, if you find there was an oral gift? You will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
“Special Issue No. 3”
“If you have answered Special Issue No. 1, ‘no,’ then you will not answer Special Issue No. 3, but if you have answered Special Issue No. 1 ‘yes,’ then you will answer Special Issue No. 3, which is as follows:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the improvements were placed on said land in reliance upon said oral gift, if any? You will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ ”
“Special Issue No. 4”
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the Plaintiffs, Marie S. Harper and her children, in their own right and jointly with Sanford Harper, have had and held peaceable and adverse possession of the land in controversy, using, cultivating or enjoying the same, for any continuous period of 10 years prior to November 5, 1952, the date this suit was filed. You will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ ”

The jury answered “yes” to each of these questions. Appellant made and presented his motion for judgment non obstante vere-dicto but the same was overruled by the court and judgment was entered for the plaintiffs, appellees here. Appellant presented his motion for a new trial which being overruled appellant perfected this appeal.

*933 We think the judgment should be reversed for several reasons. No issue being submitted and none being requested as to the claim that C. P. Harper gave Marie S. Harper part of the land, she has waived her right as to any claims she might have had by such purported gift and must rely upon the alleged gift to Sanford Harper and inheritance by appellees as his heirs on title by limitation. In reply to the first special issue, the jury found the land in question was given to Sanford Harper as his own by C. P. Harper. Thereafter the court granted judgment divesting title out of C. P. Harper and vesting fee simple title in the plaintiffs. Article 4613 of the Vernon’s Civil Statutes of the State of Texas provides all property of the husband acquired after marriage by gift is his separate property. Article 2571 provides the wife is only entitled to a life estate in ⅛ of the land of her husband’s estate where there is a child or children. If this property was the separate property of Sanford Harper, which it would have been if given to him, then the court erred in granting Marie S. Harper fee simple title to any part of the same as she would only have a life estate in ⅜. If Sanford Harper were the owner by virtue of the gift from his father, as found in Special Issue 1, and is now deceased, Marie S. Harper as his wife would only be entitled to a life estate in ⅝ of the land but if all the plaintiffs are entitled to title by limitation, as found by the jury in reply to Special Issue 4, then all the plaintiffs would be entitled to the property. Consequently, the answers to the two issues cannot be harmonized.

Appellant presents as his fifth point of error that the finding of the jury in response to Special Issue 1 is not supported by sufficient evidence and presents as his eighth point of error that the finding of the jury in response to Special Issue 4 is not supported by sufficient evidence. We will first consider appellant’s eighth assignment.

Appelleés pleaded their cause of action in the form of trespass to try title by virtue of a parol gift and also under the ten-year Statute of Limitation. Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 5510. Where plaintiffs' sue in trespass to try title and plead their titles specifically, they are bound by the title relied upon. Franzetti v. Franzetti, Tex.Civ.App., 124 S.W.2d 195, writ of error refused. By appellant’s first assignment of error he complains of the court admitting testimony of heirship over appellant’s objection on the part of the appellees because there was no proper pleading to authorize the same. Plaintiffs pleaded Sanford Harper was Marie S. Harper’s deceased husband and that the rest of the plaintiffs were all of the children born to Marie S. Harper and Sanford Harper, now deceased.

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Bluebook (online)
274 S.W.2d 930, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 2361, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harper-v-harper-texapp-1954.