Henderson v. Goodwin

368 S.W.2d 800, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 2364
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 23, 1963
DocketNo. 6617
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 368 S.W.2d 800 (Henderson v. Goodwin) 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
Henderson v. Goodwin, 368 S.W.2d 800, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 2364 (Tex. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

McNEILL, Justice.

This action was one in trespass to try title instituted September 18, 1953, by Mrs. Louise Henderson, appellant, against ap-pellees Billy Goodwin and Virgil Redd, seeking recovery of a tract of 33 acres situated in the northwest corner of the John Watson Survey in Angelina County. Virgil Redd, joined by his wife, Evie Redd, answered pleading “not guilty” and the benefit of the various statutes of limitation in land actions claiming that they had had adverse and peaceable possession of the premises described in appellant’s petition for the various periods of time sufficient to mature title by limitation. Billy Goodwin, joined by his wife, Mazy Lee Goodwin, and her mother, Mrs. Cora Wise, a widow, filed similar answer.

Upon the trial, appellees disclaimed as to all of the 33 acre tract except the portions marked “R” and “G” shown on the sketch below. Redd and wife claimed tract “R”, consisting of about 6 acres, and Goodwin and wife and her mother claimed tract “G” of about 7 acres. Appellant proved record title to the premises and the contest resolved itself into whether ap-pellees had shown adverse possession of these tracts “R” and “G”. The court submitted two issues to the jury. The first was one inquiring whether Billy Goodwin and wife and her mother for any period of ten consecutive years before September 18, 1953, had had peaceable and adverse possession of the land described as tract “G”, cultivating, using or enjoying same. The other issue was of similar language with reference to the peaceable and adverse possession of Virgil Redd and wife as to tract “R”. Both of these issues were answered in the affirmative and upon such verdict, the trial court rendered judgment for Goodwin and wife and her mother as to tract G”, and in favor of Redd and wife as to tract “R”.

Appellant makes various attacks upon this judgment. In order to understand the controversy, a sketch has been prepared of the area involved. This sketch follows.

This map is only approximately correct and is used for illustrative purposes only. The 33 acre tract described in plaintiff’s petition is bounded by the figures 1, 2, 3, and 8 on the map and is the northwest portion of the John Watson League bordering the Neches River. Directly north of the 33 acres is the S. Cheatham 181 acre Survey and it is bounded by the figures 2, 4, 7, 9 and 3; its south line being the north boundary of the 33 acre tract in suit.

J. M. Wise and wife, Mrs. Cora Wise, became the owners by deed in 1911 of the tract marked “Goodwin 45 acres” on the [802]*802sketch. The south boundary of this tract is shown by the line 2-11. About 31 years ago Billy Goodwin married the daughter of the Wises and built a home on the north part of the Goodwin tract. Wise was then dead and his widow lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Billy Goodwin, for all this period of 31 years. Goodwin testified that soon after moving on the premises he built a fence from points 4 thru 2 to 1, from 4 to 5 and from 5 thru 11 h> 8. There was no material controversy that fences were built and maintained along the lines indicated for some 30 years. There is, however a material conflict in testimony as to whether a fence was built and maintained for any appreciable time along the line 1-8.

J. E. Wells owned all of the Cheatham Survey except the east 45 acres. About 1936, Wells’ wife died and he then conveyed to two of his daughters, for their mother’s share in the property, the tract labeled the “Redd 45 acres” tract, the south line of which is 10-11. Wells’ daughter, Evie Redd, was conveyed a tract at the north end consisting of about 10 acres and a tract of some 12 acres at the south end of the Redd tract. In between was situated a 22 acre tract which was conveyed by Wells to his daughter, Allie Birdsong. Redd and wife built a home on the north 10 acre tract, and Mrs. Birdsong and-her husband, who died years ago, built a home on the middle tract of 22 acres. Mrs. Birdsong has continued to live on the 22 acre tract. During all times material hereto, there has been no fence either along the line 6-14 nor along the line 2-3.

Appellant urges that the evidence fails to raise the issue of adverse possession as to either tract “R” or tract “G” and, in the alternative, that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the finding of the jury as to each tract. We have carefully read the entire Statement of Facts. It is our conclusion therefrom that appellees Redd and wife have failed to make a case for the jury as to tract “R”. The testimony shows that these tracts of land, both “R” and “G”, were fit only .for timber growing, cattle grazing, and hunting and fishing. In order to show continuous occupancy, both groups of appellees have necessarily relied upon their cattle grazing upon the tracts in dispute. The evidence most favorable to the Redds indicates that they sold timber off tract “R” a few times over the period of some 25 years involved, hunted and fished over the land, and that their cows grazed over the area. However, the evidence is conclusive that there was no fence along the line 6-14 and that other people who owned tracts in the Wells 90.7 acres had unfenced premises and the cattle in the neighborhood, including those belonging to the Birdsongs, grazed back and forth over all of the land west of line 5-8. Several witnesses testified that this area between points 5, 8, 3, 9 and 7 was open range territory where cows of several owners grazed at will, as well as some hogs and goats that went over the area.

This evidence fails to raise an issue for the jury as to tract “R”. No improvements of any kind were ever placed by ap-pellees Redd on this tract. They held possession of their premises north of the disputed area under deed and it is presumed that their possession only extended to the boundaries of their deed. In order, therefore, to establish adverse possession of the adjoining tract “R”, it was necessary for them to “ * * * have actual possession of such additional land of such a character as of itself will give notice of an exclusive adverse possession and mature into title after the statutory period.” Harmon v. Overton Refining Co., 130 Tex. 365, 109 S.W.2d 457 (460).

It was held in De Las Fuentes v. Macdonell, 85 Tex. 132, 20 S.W. 43, that the grazing of uninclosed land will not mature limitation title. There the adverse claimants grazed sheep and had a few sheep pens made of brush and posts on the premises. The land was only fit for grazing purposes. Cattle of others were permitted [803]*803to graze upon it. In holding that the facts were not sufficient to sustain the adverse possession claimed, the court said:

“ * * * the mere occupancy of land by grazing live stock upon it, without substantial inclosures or other permanent improvements, is not sufficient to support a plea of limitation under our statutes. Uninclosed land, in this state, has ever been treated as commons for grazing purposes; and hence the mere holding of live stock upon it has not been deemed such exclusive occupancy as to constitute adverse possession.”

This holding was reaffirmed in Orsborn v. Deep Rock Oil Corp., 153 Tex. 281, 267 S.W.2d 781.

That timber was sold and removed from the land a few times over the period of some 25 years will not sustain an adverse claim; nor will hunting over the land and fishing in its waters do so.

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Bluebook (online)
368 S.W.2d 800, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 2364, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henderson-v-goodwin-texapp-1963.