Hornbeck v. Barker

192 S.W. 276, 1917 Tex. App. LEXIS 82
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 25, 1917·No. No. 650.·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

WALTHALL, J.

Plaintiff in error filed this suit in the district court of Pecos county to enjoin the sale of certain real estate levied on under execution issued out of the county court of that county in a suit wherein the First State Bank of Ft. Stockton was plaintiff and John C. Firth was defendant. The titles to the real estate stood on the records in Pecos county in the name of said Firth. Attachment was issued out of the county court and levied on said land before trial in the suit of the bank against Firth. The lands were in two parcels, lots 1 to 6, block 16, being purchased July 5, 1910, and block 8 being purchased June 22, 1910. A part of the consideration in each purchase was paid in money, and the balance evidenced by notes executed by Firth. On September 29, 1910, Firth conveyed all of the lands to F. A. Horn-beck, but the deeds were not filed for record until January 27, 1915, which was after execution had been issued and levied on the lands in the case of the bank against Firth.

Hornbeck in this suit alleged that Firth purchased the property for him and with his money and took the deeds in his (Firth’s) name. Temporary injunction was granted by the district judge.

The case was submitted to the jury on special issues in two groups, having reference to the two purchases, and on the answers to the issues the court rendered judgment denying permanent injunction and dissolving the temporary injunction. The issues submitted and the answers of the jury are as follows:

Group One.
(1) Was J. O. Firth acting as the agent of F. A. Hornbeck when he purchased lots 1 to 6 in block 16 from James Rooney, Herman H. Butz, and W. P. Rooney? Answer “Yes” or “No.” To this issue the jury answered “No.”
(2) Did said Firth make the aforesaid lots under an agreement with Hornbeck that he was acquiring the same for him? Answer this question “Yes” or “No.” The jury answered “No.”
(3) Was the consideration for the purchase of said lots paid with money furnished by or belonging to Hornbeck? Answer “Yes” or “No.” The jury answered “No.”
Group Two.
(4) Was J. C. Firth acting as the agent of F. A. Hornbeck in the purchase of block 8, conveyed by John R. Nasworthy to said Firth? Answer “Yes” or “No.” Answer: No.
(5) Did J. O. Firth make the purchase of said block 8 under an agreement with Hornbeck that he was acquiring the same for Hornbeck? Answer “Yes” or “No.” Answer: No.
(6) Was the consideration for the purchase ol said .block 8, paid with money furnished by or belonging to Hornbeck? Answer “Yes’.’ or “No.” Answer: No.

Appellant presents seven assignments of error, with appropriate propositions, in which it is insisted that the verdict of the jury is not supported by the evidence, and for that reason the court should have granted his motion for a new trial. It is contended that the evidence is conclusive and undisputed that Firth was acting as agent for Hornbeck in the purchase of the two properties and with Hornbeck’s money under an agreement with Hornbeck that he was acquiring same for him (Hornbeck), that he did acquire same for him, and that the evidence showing these facts is undisputed and conclusive. Plaintiff did not object to the charge submitting the case to the jury on special issues, nor request a peremptory charge, and defendants in error object to a consideration of the assignments on the grounds stated in the assignments because of the failure to request a general charge in his favor. We are referred to Gilbert v. Fuhrman, 182 S. W. 51, and Railway *278 Co. v. Wheat, 173 S. W. 977, as sustaining the contention.

We will not discuss the two cases referred to, but content ourselves with holding that neither sustain the objection made. Defendant in error filed a motion to strife© out the statement of facts on the ground that the statement is made up partly in narrative torra and partly in questions and answers.

The statement of facts cover about 30 pages of the record. The questions and answers complained of cover less than one-half page. Article 2070, R. S., requires the statement to be in narrative form. A portion of the evidence of a witness is in narrative form. The questions and answers copied do not show such flagrant violation of the statute and rales as to exclude the statement of facts. The motion is overruled. We might suggest, however, that under rules 72- to 76 for district and county courts (142 S. W. xxii) it was unnecessary to copy the deeds and their acknowledgments in full, as there was no question made as to the validity or correctness in their form or the record of them.

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

Hornbeck v. Barker, 192 S.W. 276, 1917 Tex. App. LEXIS 82 (Tex. Ct. App. 1917).

192 S.W. 276 (Hornbeck v. Barker) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Schwam v. Reece
210 S.W.2d 903 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1948)
Morrison v. Farmer
210 S.W.2d 245 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1948)
Perales v. Flores
147 S.W.2d 974 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1941)
Butler Bros. v. Baker
271 S.W. 272 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1925)
Highsaw v. Head
202 S.W. 155 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1918)
Heidritter v. Keith Lumber, Co.
197 S.W. 885 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1917)