Jones v. Watkins

97 S.W.2d 1027
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 3, 1936
DocketNo. 12320
StatusPublished

This text of 97 S.W.2d 1027 (Jones v. Watkins) 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
Jones v. Watkins, 97 S.W.2d 1027 (Tex. Ct. App. 1936).

Opinions

LOONEY, Justice.

Defendants in error (plaintiffs below) brought the statutory action of trespass to try title against plaintiffs in error (defendants below) and a few others who did not appeal, to recover two tracts of land, parts of the Hollian survey in Henderson county, Tex., and for injunctive relief, temporary and permanent, enjoining defendants from asserting claims, clouding plaintiffs’ title, and enjoining the county clerk of said county, in his official capacity, from accepting for filing and recording any instrument in writing by defendants, having the effect of clouding plaintiffs’ title.

Plaintiffs in error (except Jake or Jacob Thompson against whom judgment by default was rendered) answered by a general denial and plea of not guilty. The case was tried without the intervention of a jury and resulted in judgment for plaintiffs against the defendants, granting all relief prayed for, from which this appeal was taken.

The court filed findings of fact which, in our opinion, are supported by evidence and are adopted as the conclusions of this court. Among others, the court found: “9th. ■ That the plaintiffs clearly showed a record title from the sovereignty of the soil in to them, to the property in question. 10th. That the Thompson defendants in this case'are mostly ignorant negroes and are easily persuaded by others to execute fictitious claims for land such as the one in evidence in this cause, and have harrassed the plaintiffs in this manner on various occasions by filing such fictitious claims.”

The court’s conclusions of law are these: “1st. That the plaintiffs are ' entitled to their right of title an4 possession to the land in question and that they have a good, clear record title to the same from the sovereignty of soil to them. 2nd. That the plaintiffs and their predecessors in title are innocent purchasers to any claim ©f the defendants, if they ever had any claim to the property 'in question. 3rd. That defendants failed to show any title or interest in the property in question and their claim if any to said property is purely a fictitious one. 4th. I further conclude that ’ under the law plaintiffs are entitled to the injunctive relief sought in view of the continual harrassment by the Thompson defendants in finding (filing) and asserting fictitious claims such as the one in this cause to the property in question.”

These findings and conclusions authorized the judgment appealed from, which in our opinion should be affirmed, unless reversible error is shown.

As to Jake or Jacob Thompson, the contention is urged that the citation issued to Dallas county and served on this defendant • was void, because issued without authority, in that, in plaintiffs’ original petition, the residence of said defendant was alleged to be in Henderson county, therefore the court, being without jurisdiction, was without authority to render the default judgment against this defendant.

The question is raised for the first time on appeal. The record discloses that the suit was filed June 19, 1935; the residence of Jake Thompson was alleged to be in Henderson county, Tex. It appears that on June 22, 1935, the clerk of the court issued citations to Henderson, Collin, and Dallas counties, for service on [1029]*1029Jake Thompson and other defendants. The one issued to Dallas county was duly served on Jake Thompson June 27th, hut it seems that on June 26th plaintiffs filed a formal pleading, praying for the issuance of citation for this defendant to Dallas and other counties.

On appeal, in the absence of a showing to the contrary, we think the presumption should be indulged that the citation served upon this defendant was issued to Dallas county on the application of plaintiffs or their attorney. The filing of a supplemental petition requesting the issuance of such process is not required to be. in writing, hence the request could have been made, as presumably it was made, by parol.

With reference to service had under similar circumstances, Chief Justice Stayton, in Sanders v. City Nat’l Bank (Tex.Sup.) 12 S.W. 110, 111, said: “It has long been settled that such service was proper.” Also see Pierson v. Beard (Tex.Civ.App.) 181 S.W. 765 (writ refused). We overrule this assignment of error.

The further contention is made on behalf of Jake or Jacob Thompson that the trial amendment filed September 23d, the day judgment was rendered, by plaintiff Royall R. Watkins, set up an entirely new and different cause of action, in that in their original petition plaintiffs sued as joint owners of the lands involved, but in the trial amendment Royall R. Watkins claimed both in his individual capacity and as trustee for his daughter, Margaret (also plaintiff).

In their original petition, plaintiffs alleged “that on the first day of January, A. D. 1935, plaintiffs were and still are the owners in fee simple of the following described premises- situated in the County of Plenderson and State of Texas,” followed by a detailed description of the two tracts involved. The trial amendment filed by plaintiff Royall R. Watkins on September 23, 1935, reads: “Now comes Royall R. Watkins, one of the plaintiffs herein, and with leave of the court first had, files this his trial amendment to his original petition, and would thereby show to the court that this cause of action is brought by him, Royall R. Watkins, individually and as trustee for his said daughter, Margaret Watkins, and all of said plaintiffs pray judgment of the court as in the original, petition on file herein.” Default judgment was rendered against Jake or Jacob Thompson on the same day. The judgment rendered was in favor of Royall R. Watkins, individually for the recovery of the 327.2-acre tract, and as trustee for' his daughter Margaret for a one-half undivided interest in and to the oil, gas, and minerals in and under said tract of land, and also in his favor as trustee for his daughter for an undivided one-fourth interest in the oil, gas, and mineral rights in and under the 88.9-acre tract, and in favor of Margaret Watkins individually for the recovery of the 88.9-acre tract.

We do not think the trial amendment either set up a new or different cause of action from that alleged in the original petition, or that it in any material sense broadened the basis for the introduction of evidence as to the respective interests owned by each plaintiff in the lands. Royall R. Watkins and his daughter Margaret, having sued in trespass to try title, claiming absolute ownership of the lands, could, without the trial amendment, have proven the interest respectively owned by each and obtained the relief granted by the court. The allegation in the original petition of absolute ownership was substantially proven by evidence, showing that title, either in whole or in part, was held in a trust capacity (Matula v. Lane, 22 Tex.Civ.App. 391, 55 S.W. 504-508), each plaintiff being entitled to judgment for the portion or interest in the lands sued for, less than the whole, to which title was proven. As said by Judge Gaines in Smith v. Olsen, 92 Tex. 181-186, 46 S.W. 631, 633: “If the plaintiff shows title to an interest in any part of the land described in his petition, he is entitled to a recovery of such interest in such part.” To the same effect, Judge Watts, in Williams v. Davis, 56 Tex. 250, 255, said: “Appellants, having sued for the whole land, could have recovered even an undivided interest” — citing Hutchins v. Bacon, 46 Tex. 408, 414; also, see 41 Tex. Jur. § 103, pp. 587, 588.

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

Related

Padgett v. Guilmartin
172 S.W. 1101 (Texas Supreme Court, 1915)
Matula v. Lane
55 S.W. 504 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1900)
Pierson v. Beard
181 S.W. 765 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1915)
Smith v. Olsen
46 S.W. 631 (Texas Supreme Court, 1898)
Hutchins v. Bacon
46 Tex. 408 (Texas Supreme Court, 1877)
Williams & Guyon v. Davis
56 Tex. 250 (Texas Supreme Court, 1882)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 S.W.2d 1027, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-watkins-texapp-1936.