Hovel v. Kaufman

280 S.W. 185
CourtTexas Commission of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 10, 1926
DocketNo. 739-4331
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 280 S.W. 185 (Hovel v. Kaufman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Commission of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hovel v. Kaufman, 280 S.W. 185 (Tex. Super. Ct. 1926).

Opinion

HARVEY, P. J.

This is a suit in trespass to try title to certain lands in San Antonio, Tex., brought by plaintiff in error, Mary Louise Hovel, against L. Kaufman and another, defendants in error. Plaintiff in error is the widow of J. O. Hovel. The latter, in his lifetime, purchased the property in controversy from Julia Swart, who is shown to be the common source of title of all the parties herein. Subsequent to said purchase by Hovel and before the preseht suit was commenced, the property got in litigation, involving vendors’ liens, mechanics’ liens, and tax liens on the property, as well as other claims relating to the property, resulting in the rendition and entry of a final judgment in such suit by the district court of Bexar county.

This judgment shows on its face that, by a compromise agreement of all the parties to the suit, certain respective parties plaintiff, [186]*186interveners, and codefendants of the Hovels recovered money judgment against J. 0. Hovel and wife, for the amount of their respective claims, which several amounts are stated in the judgment, and the several liens on the property to secure the payment of such several amounts are established and declared foreclosed by the judgment. The judgment definitely shows that, as to all the above matters, the judgment is by agreement of all parties. The judgment further shows, upon its face, that upon the prayer of J. C. Hovel and wife, and one of their codefendants, whose claim and lien are -established by the judgment as above stated, and with the consent of all of the other parties, the court appointed a receiver (in the language of the judgment), “with powers as hereinafter provided ; and for the purpose of protecting the rights of the different parties to this suit, and carrying into effect the powers hereinafter conferred upon the said receiver, the title to (describing the property in controversy in the present suit) be and same is hereby vested in said receiver, who shall immediately take charge of all of said property, except the house and lot now occupied by the said J. C. Hovel and wife, who-shall have the right to occupy said house and lot until the same shall be sold by the receiver, at which time the said J. 0. Hovel and wife, Louise Hovel, shall surrender possession thereof to the purchaser of said property from the receiver.”

The judgment then proceeds to specify the powers and duties of the receiver, a summary of which we here give as follows: (a) To ascertain and. report to the court the amount of taxes due on the property; (b) to make a plot or plan of said land, and report same to the court for its approval, by which said property may be sold in lots; (c) after the approval of said plot, to sell the different lots or parcels at private sales for cash, or partly for cash and partly on time, on- such terms as the receiver may deem proper, taking notes for the purchase money to be secured by the vendor’s lien on the property sold; (d) to borrow a sufficient sum of money to pay the full amount herein adjudged to the plaintiff in the suit and two of the codefendants of the Hovels, specified by name, together with the taxes due upon said property, such lien to be secured by a paramount lien upon the entire property, or such part thereof as may be agreed upon between the lender and the receiver; (e) in case of sale by the receiver of any of the property, such sale shall pass all right, title, interest, and claims of all parties to the judgment to the parcels sold; (f) to sell, subject to approval by the court, all notes taken by the receiver, and transfer the lien securing the same, in case a purchaser can be found who will be willing to pay the face valué of the notes; (g) to pay, from the proceeds arising from any sales made by the receiver under the powers conferred in the judgment, to the various parties, to the suit, the amounts severally adjudged to them in the judgment as above stated, and to pay the taxes due on the land, and also a commission of 5 per cent, to the receiver on moneys received by him from such sales, and, when the above claims and debts have been fully paid, “the receiver shall account, under orders of such court, to said J. C. Hovel for all balance of said property, cash or security, which may remain in the hands of the receiver from the proceeds of said property, and shall make due report to this court in accordance with law.” Some of the claims to be paid by the receiver are directed to be given priority of payment by the receiver because of the superiority of the liens securing same. The judgment does not, by its terms, direct the issuance of execution against the Hovels for the collection of any of the amounts adjudged against them, nor is there any express provision to the effect that the Hovels shall be liable to pay any unpaid balance of the several amounts- adjudged against them which may remain after the receiver has exhausted the said property.

In pursuance of such judgment the receiver took charge of the property and thereafter sold it to the defendants in error, in pursuance of the terms of the judgment, and executed deeds therefor. Such sales were reported to the court by the receiver and were confirmed by the court, although it does not appear that such actions were required by the terms of the judgment.

No question is made here as to the validity of said judgment. After it was rendered J. O. Hovel was duly adjudged insane by the county court of Bexar county, and a guardian of his estate was appointed by the court, in proceedings instituted for that purpose. After Hovel had been so adjudged insane and a guardian of his estate appointed, and while' Hovel still was insane and- the guardianship pending, the above-mentioned sales of the land in controversy by the receiver to the defendants in error were made. Afterwards Hovel died without ever having regained reason.

One of the contentions made' here by plaintiff in error, in substance and effect, is that because of the fact that J. O. Hovel had been duly adjudged insane, and a guardianship of his estate was open and pending at the time the lands were sold to defendants in error by the receiver .in pursuance of said judgment of the district court, the latter court had thereby lost jurisdiction over said property, and that exclusive jurisdiction over same was in the probate court, under the terms of the Constitution of this state, and that therefore said sales by the receiver and his conveyances of the property to defendants in error were and are void. To such contention we cannot agree.

After such judgment of the district court [187]*187was rendered, Hovel Lad no title remaining in him. Excepting a qualified right to occupy the dwelling house and lot, as provided in the judgment, he had no right to take or hold possession of the property. From the tenor of the judgment and the circumstances attending its rendition as revealed by the judgment itself, it appears that the receiver was vested with the title to the lands, and the right of possession thereof, for the purpose of providing immediate payment of the debts of Hovel which were established by the judgment. Such being the case, the judgment had effect to divest Hovel of the title to the lands, as well as the right to the possession thereof.- Thaxton v. Smith, 40 S. W. 14, 90 Tex. 589.

But irrespective of the apparent purpose of the provisions of such judgment, we are inclined to the opinion that, considering the fact that the court rendering the judgment was a court having competent jurisdiction to divest and vest title to land, its decrees in that respect are • binding on the parties before it, unless vacated or shown to be void.

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Bluebook (online)
280 S.W. 185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hovel-v-kaufman-texcommnapp-1926.