Houchins v. Scheltz

590 S.W.2d 745, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 4603
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 24, 1979
DocketB2149
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 590 S.W.2d 745 (Houchins v. Scheltz) 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
Houchins v. Scheltz, 590 S.W.2d 745, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 4603 (Tex. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinions

JUNELL, Justice.

This is a summary judgment case in which appellant, plaintiff in the court below, claims that because there are unresolved fact issues the trial court erred in granting defendants’ motions for summary judgment. This dispute involves appellant’s claim under a deed given to satisfy a debt for attorney’s fees, and the effect of a judgment in a prior partition suit. The trial court’s summary judgment for defendants is affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part.

The appellant, Kenyon Houchins, assign-ee of Regina Brelsford, bases his suit upon her claims against appellees, Michael Scheltz and Allan Scheltz. Brelsford had performed legal services for Allan Scheltz. To satisfy his obligation to pay, on March 28, 1975, he conveyed to her by general warranty deed 8% of his one-half interest in a tract of land we will call the Brittmore Road property. On November 2, 1972, Mary Ida Scheltz, the mother of Michael and Allan Scheltz, conveyed the entire tract to Michael Scheltz, trustee. On June 4, 1973, Mary Ida Scheltz died testate. By the terms of her will she left her entire estate to her sons and appointed Michael Scheltz as independent executor. Brelsford assigned to Houchins one-half of her 4% interest in the property, and Houchins then purchased from Brelsford’s trustee in bankruptcy the remainder of Brelsford’s claim against Scheltz. Houchins brought the present action in trespass to try title and, in the alternative, for declaratory relief as to the status of the title to the Brittmore Road property. Previously Brelsford had brought an action, in which Houchins intervened, for partition of this same property. In that earlier suit the First Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the trial court’s judgment denying partition, holding that Brelsford and Houchins had failed to prove joint ownership and present right to possession. Brelsford v. Scheltz, 564 S.W.2d 404 (Tex.Civ.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1978, writ ref’d n. r. e.). That court did not determine who held title, only that Brelsford did not prove joint ownership.

In the present action, defendants moved for summary judgment on the ground that the prior partition suit is res judicata of the issue of title. Before the hearing on the motion for summary judgment plaintiff timely filed an amended petition repleading the claims in trespass to try title and for declaratory relief, and adding alternative claims against Allan Scheltz for damages for breach of the general warranty in the deed to Brelsford, and on the underlying agreement of Allan Scheltz to pay attorney’s fees. The plaintiff filed no opposition to the motion for summary judgment and defendants submitted no additional summary judgment proof after the amended petition was filed. The summary judgment states as grounds that the decision in the prior partition suit is res judicata.

Appellant claims that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment on the entire suit in the face of unresolved fact issues springing from the alternative causes of action. He does not assign as error the trial court’s summary judgment for appellees on the trespass to try title suit. That portion of the judgment awarding recovery to one party, from which no [749]*749appeal is taken, is final on the appeal and all subsequent litigation. Kendrick v. Tidewater Oil Company, 387 S.W.2d 122 (Tex. Civ.App.-Tyler 1965, writ ref’d n. r. e.). The summary judgment on the trespass to try title action is, therefore, affirmed as to Michael Scheltz and Allan Scheltz.

Appellant’s alternative claims raise the issue of the effect of the finality of the trespass to try title judgment on appellant’s real property interest. Appellant pleaded an action for a declaratory judgment on the status of the title, contending on appeal that such action was not barred by appellee’s defense of res judicata. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 7391 (Vernon 1960) states that any final judgment rendered in any action for the recovery of real estate shall be conclusive as to the title established upon the party against whom it is recovered. A party loosing under a valid judgment in a trespass to try title case is precluded thereby from asserting interest in the land in controversy through any fact which existed at the time the judgment was rendered. Toole v. Christ Church, Houston, 141 S.W.2d 720 (Tex.Civ.App.-Galveston 1940, writ ref’d). We hold, therefore, that the entire issue of title to the land has been settled by a final judgment in the trespass to try title action. That judgment was in effect a declaration that title to the land is vested in appellees and that Houchins has no interest therein. Appellant has no standing in an action for declaratory judgment because he does not meet the standing requirements of the Declaratory Judgments Act in that he has no interest in the property. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 2524-1 (Vernon 1965). The record reveals no possible recovery by appellant on the other one-half of Brelsford’s real property interest. The sale by the trustee in bankruptcy, upon which Houchins bases his claim, conveyed only an interest in “a legal action.” That action was the pending suit of Brelsford v. Scheltz, which has been resolved. Thus, the judgment for appellees Michael and Allan Scheltz on the declaratory judgment action is affirmed. The remaining alternative claims do not involve a real property claim, thus must be considered separately to determine if summary judgment was proper on the ground of res judicata.

The doctrine of res judicata operates to bar subsequent actions involving an identical cause of action between the identical parties and those in privity with them. Abbott Laboratories v. Gravis, 470 S.W.2d 639 (Tex.1971). In Texas the rule also operates to bar litigation of all issues connected with a cause of action or defense which might have been tried in a former action as well as those which were actually tried. Abbott Laboratories, supra, citing Ogletree v. Crates, 363 S.W.2d 431 (Tex.1963).

A judgment in a suit on one theory is conclusive as to all theories of liability that might have been alleged and defenses that might have been urged with respect to the claim; thus all grounds of recovery or defense must be urged or will be barred.. A judgment on the merits of one cause of action is not conclusive of a subsequent suit on a different cause of action except as to issues of fact actually litigated and determined therein. Griffin v. Holiday Inns of America, 496 S.W.2d 535 (Tex.1973), and cases cited therein.

In the prior partition action only issues of real property interest were addressed. In the present case the alternative claims for attorney’s fees and damages for breach of -warranty in the deed are new causes of action against Allan Scheltz, not merely additional theories of liability or grounds of recovery which would be barred by Griffin. These claims were not encompassed by the partition suit where the only issue determined was that appellant and Brelsford did not show title to the property. Thus the affirmative defense of res judicata did not operate to bar the alternative claims against appellee Allan Scheltz.

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Houchins v. Scheltz
590 S.W.2d 745 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
590 S.W.2d 745, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 4603, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/houchins-v-scheltz-texapp-1979.