Kitchens v. Kitchens

407 S.W.2d 300, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2852
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 21, 1966
Docket5801
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 407 S.W.2d 300 (Kitchens v. Kitchens) 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
Kitchens v. Kitchens, 407 S.W.2d 300, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2852 (Tex. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

OPINION

CLAYTON, Justice.

Suit for Partition. John P. Kitchens died on February 24, 1952, intestate, and no administration has been had on his estate. His wife, Inez Kitchens, died October 31, 1960, and her son, Clay Kitchens, is the Independent Executor of her estate, having been named in her will. She had two other children — Lynette Wallace and Ray Kitchens, the latter having died on November 14, 1959, leaving a will devising his interest, if any, in the lands involved in this suit to his wife and naming her, Peggy Viola Kitchens, Independent Executrix of his estate, and administration of his estate has been completed. Their only child is Patricia Anne Bunyard.

On April 5, 1923 one August Dunlop obtained a judgment in the amount of $865.-00 against John P. Kitchens on which judgment no abstract of judgment or execution was ever obtained, and the judgment was paid off and released in 1941.

One Gus Noyes died on January 13, 1923, and in his will he devised all the real property in Gaines County, Texas which he owned to eighteen different persons, including John P. Kitchens, all eighteen of whom, in turn, joined by the widow and daughter of Gus Noyes, conveyed said real estate to E. L. Noyes as Trustee, in order to effect a partition of said real estate under the terms of the will. The share to which John P. Kitchens was entitled under the Noyes will was 482 acres of said property. In an attempt to place part of said real estate beyond the reach of the judgment creditor, August Dunlop, John P. Kitchens and his wife, Inez Kitchens, caused these 482 acres to be conveyed by E. L. Noyes in the amount of 200 acres to John P. Kitchens, and 282 acres to Inez Kitchens. No consideration was given to the grantor for any of the conveyances above mentioned. Inez Kitchens then bequeathed all of the land and property in Gaines County, Texas, to which she had any claim, title *301 or interest, one-third to Clay Kitchens, one-third to Lynette Wallace, and one-third to Patricia Bunyard.

It was agreed by the parties to this suit, in which Peggy Viola Kitchens and her assignees, W. J. Beckham and M. G. Riggan, are plaintiffs (appellees here), and Clay Kitchens, individually and as Independent Executor of the Estate of Inez Kitchens, Patricia Anne Bunyard and her husband, Mike Bunyard, and Lynette Wallace and her husband, J. P. Wallace, are defendants (appellants here), that there is no controversy as to the undivided one-third interest in the property in question which is owned by Clay Kitchens or as to the undivided one-third interest therein owned by Lynette Wallace or her assignees, Beckham and Riggan. The only controversy involved in the suit is as to the ownership of the remaining undivided one-third interest in said property, as to whether this one-third interest is owned by plaintiff Peggy Viola Kitchens or by defendant, Patricia Anne Bunyard. The property in question is the 482 acres to which John P. Kitchens was entitled as his share of the estate of Gus Noyes.

In a trial before the court without a jury, the court held that the 200 acres which John P. Kitchens retained out of the 482 acres was the separate property of John P. Kitchens and was presently owned by W. J. Beckham, M. G. Riggan and Clay Kitchens, in shares of two-thirds to Beck-ham and Riggan, share and share alike, and one-third to Clay Kitchens. The court further held that the 282 acres conveyed to Inez Kitchens was the community property of John P. and Inez Kitchens, and was presently owned by Beckham, Riggan, Clay Kitchens and Patricia Anne Bunyard in shares of one-half to Beckham and Riggan, share and share alike, one-third to Clay Kitchens and one-sixth to Patricia Anne Bunyard. From such judgment this appeal was taken.

Appellants have three points of error: First, that the court erred in determining that the 282 acres of land conveyed to Inez Kitchens was the community property of John P. and Inez Kitchens; second, that this property was the separate property of Inez Kitchens, and the court erred in not so finding; and third and last, that the court erred in holding that plaintiff and her assignees own any interest in the 282 acres conveyed to Inez Kitchens. The case was tried on the stipulations and their accompanying exhibits.

As to the first point of error, we are of the opinion that the trial court did not err in determining that the 282 acres conveyed to Inez Kitchens was the community property of John P. and Inez Kitchens. The deeds to the 282 acres conveyed to Inez Kitchens were conveyed during the marriage of John P. and Inez, and recited that they were conveyed “to Inez Kitchens, her heirs and assigns” and contained no language tending to show that this property was purchased with the separate funds of the wife, since under the stipulations there was no consideration paid for the transfer, or to show that the property was conveyed to Inez as her separate property. In the Supreme Court case of Brick & Tile v. Parker, 143 Tex. 383, 186 S.W.2d 66, 67 (1945), it is held:

“Since the property was acquired during the marriage of F. K. Parker and wife, it was presumably their community property, and this presumption prevails even though the deed was taken in the name of the wife, in the absence of language in the deed tending to show that it was purchased with the separate funds of the wife, or that it was conveyed to her as her separate property. Stiles v. Japhet, 84 Tex. 91, 19 S.W. 450; Ross v. Martin, 104 Tex. 558, 140 S.W. 432, 141 S.W. 518; Cooke v. Bremond, 27 Tex. 457, 86 Am.Dec. 626; Speer, Law of Marital Rights, 3rd Ed., § 352, p. 428; Connor v. Boyd, Tex.Civ.App., 176 S.W.2d 212.”

*302 See also Lockhart v. Garner, 165 Tex. 580, 298 S.W.2d 108, 110 (1957), which recites :

“ * * * Our conclusion to consider the 50-acre tract as community property is based on the fact that the tract was conveyed to Mrs. Davis during coverture and is presumed to be community property. There being no recital in the deed or evidence to the contrary, the presumption is conclusive that the land involved is community property.”

In a suit related to this suit, but involving different land, Kitchens v. Kitchens, 372 S.W.2d 249, 255, 256 (Tex.Civ.App., 1963; err. ref.) the Court of Civil Appeals holds:

“Having been acquired during the marriage of John P. and Inez Kitchens, ‘presumptively it was community property, even though’ the deed to Inez ‘was drawn in her name, there being no language in the deed disclosing that the consideration was paid from her separate funds or that the property was conveyed to her as her separate estate.’ Magee v. Young, 145 Tex. 485, 198 S.W.2d 883, 884; Brick & Tile v. Parker, 143 Tex. 383, 186 S.W.2d 66, 67; Van v. Webb, 147 Tex. 299, 215 S.W.2d 151, 152; Art. 4619, Sec. 1, Vernon’s Ann.Tex.Stats.”
* * * * * *

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

Related

Short v. United States
395 F. Supp. 1151 (E.D. Texas, 1975)
Higgins v. Higgins
458 S.W.2d 498 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
407 S.W.2d 300, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2852, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kitchens-v-kitchens-texapp-1966.