Hasty v. McKnight

460 S.W.2d 949, 37 Oil & Gas Rep. 585, 1970 Tex. App. LEXIS 2445
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 10, 1970
Docket7999
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 460 S.W.2d 949 (Hasty v. McKnight) 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
Hasty v. McKnight, 460 S.W.2d 949, 37 Oil & Gas Rep. 585, 1970 Tex. App. LEXIS 2445 (Tex. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

CHADICK, Chief Justice.

On the 4th day of April, 1938, Mrs. Mary W. Hasty, individually and as community administratrix of the estate of Union Hasty, deceased, as lessor, entered into an Oil, Gas and Mineral Lease Agreement covering an 89 acre tract of land in Marion County, with S. W. McRae, as lessee. Thereafter, on the 8th day of August, 1938, Mrs. Hasty as grantor and in the same capacities previously mentioned executed and delivered to H. A. Vestal, as grantee, an instrument conveying an interest in the same land. Determination of this appeal is controlled by a proper construction of the nature and effect of this latter instrument of conveyance. The scrivener employed a form printed by Martin Stationery Company, Dallas, labeled “Mineral Deed” in writing the conveyance contract. The body of the instrument, with the typed-in verbiage emphasized, is as follows:

“KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: THAT I, Mary W. Hasty, Community Administratrix of the Estate of Union Hasty and individually hereinafter called Grantor, of Marion County, Texas, for and in consideration of the sum of Ten & No/100 Dollars ($10.00) cash in hand paid by A. J. Vestal hereinafter called Grantee, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, have granted, sold, conveyed, assigned and delivered, and by these presents do grant, sell, convey, assign and deliver unto the said Grantee, an undivided One half interest in and to all of the oil, gas and other minerals in and under, and that may be produced from the following described land situated in Marion County, Texas, to-wit:
Being part of the Lower I. N. Jones Survey and described as being 89 acres of land more or less, bounded as follows:
On the West by lands owned by Carrie Moseley;
On the North by lands owned by Mrs. Sussie Chatten;
On the East by lands owned by C. C. Braden;
On the South by lands owned by Mrs. Mary Torrans, and being all of the lands owned by Union Hasty and heirs in the said lower I. N. Jones Survey.
It is agreed and understood by and between the parties hereto that this deed is intended to convey only one half of the mineral under said land but the Grantee is not to receive any part of the Bonus Money in case the present lease should lapse or become forfeited, and it will not be necessary for said Grantee to join in the lease, and is to receive no part of the rental money paid to extend the term of said lease.
Together with the right of ingress and egress at all times for the purpose of mining, drilling and exploring said land for oil, gas and other minerals, and removing the same therefrom.
“Said land being now under an oil and gas lease executed in favor of Any valid lease of record, it is understood and agreed that this sale is made subject to the terms of said lease and/or any other valid lease covering same, but covers and includes one half interest of all of the oil royalty and gas rental or royalty due and to be paid under the terms of said lease, in so far as it covers the above described land.
*951 “It is understood and agreed that none of the money rentals, which may be paid, on the above described land, to extend the term within which a well may be begun under the terms of said lease, is to be paid to the said Grantee; and, in event that the above described lease for any reason becomes canceled or forfeited, then and in that event, Grantee shall own no part of all oil, gas and other minerals in and under said lands, together with a like none (of) the interest in all bonuses paid, and all royalties and rentals provided for in future oil, gas and mineral leases covering the above described lands.
“TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the above described property, together with all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto in anywise belonging unto the said Grantee herein, and Grantee’s successors, heirs and assigns 'forever; and Grantor does hereby bind myself my successors, heirs, executors and administrators, to warrant and forever defend all and singular the said property unto the said Grantee herein, and Grantee’s successors, heirs and assigns, against every person whomsoever lawfully claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof.
“WITNESS, my hands this the 8th day of August, 1938.”

The facts, as well as certain legal conclusions and the question for decision, were stipulated in the trial court. Included in the stipulation agreement were the following paragraphs, to-wit:

“6. That on August 8, 1938, the 89 acres above described was under an oil and gas lease executed by Mary W. Hasty, individually and as community administratrix of the estate of Union Hasty, deceased, as Lessor to S. W. McRae, as lessee, dated April 4, 1938, recorded in Vol. 108, page 109, Deed Records of Marion County, Texas;
“7. There was no production of oil, gas or other minerals from the land in question under the terms of the lease to S. W. McRae referred to in item 6 above and said lease expired and was cancelled by its own terms; and
“8. That the sole purpose of this lawsuit is to have the Court construe two instruments executed by Mary W. Hasty, individually and as community administration of the estate of Union Hasty, deceased, as grantor, one to A. J. Vestal as grantee, dated August 8, 1938, recorded in Vol. 109, page 150, Deed Records of said County; and the other to Roy R. Golden, as grantee, dated January 6, 1939, recorded in Vol. 109, page 630, said Deed Records; and determine as a matter of law (a) whether said instruments conveyed perpetual interests in the land covered thereby; or (b) whether said instruments conveyed term interests in said land terminating upon the expiration of the lease mentioned in item 6 above.”

The action for construction of the Mary W. Hasty to Roy R. Golden instrument mentioned in the stipulation was abandoned and its construction is not at issue in this appeal. The appellees, as defendants in the trial court, contended and the trial court found that the conveyance by Mary Hasty to A. J. Vestal, when properly construed, vested in Vestal and his successors in title a perpetual undivided one-half non-participating royalty interest in the tract described. The judgment was founded upon the court’s construction of the following language typed into the Mary W. Hasty to H. A. Vestal conveyance, to-wit:

“It is agreed an understood by and between the parties hereto that this deed is intended to convey only one half of the minerals under said land but the Grantee is not to receive any part of the Bonus Money in case the present lease should lapse or become forfeited, and it will not be necessary for said Grantee to join in the lease, and is to receive no part of the rental money paid to extend the term of said lease.”

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

Related

Veltmann v. Damon
696 S.W.2d 241 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
460 S.W.2d 949, 37 Oil & Gas Rep. 585, 1970 Tex. App. LEXIS 2445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hasty-v-mcknight-texapp-1970.