Klein v. Humble Oil & Refining Co.

67 S.W.2d 911
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 6, 1934
DocketNo. 2333.
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 67 S.W.2d 911 (Klein v. Humble Oil & Refining Co.) 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
Klein v. Humble Oil & Refining Co., 67 S.W.2d 911 (Tex. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinion

O’QUINN, Justice.

May 29, 1928, Robert Stein and wife were the owners of a certain 60 acres of land, a part of the Jacob Darst survey, in Guadalupe county, Tex. On that date they conveyed said 60 acres of land to F. F. Klein by warranty deed. The deed, after describing the 60 acres by metes and bounds, contained the following special provision:

i “Grantors herein, however, reserve for themselves, their heirs and assigns, one-eighth (1/8) of all mineral rights in and under Ten (10) acres of land, running north and south, on the éast end of the 60 acres herein conveyed, and it is understood and agreed that if no production of oil is had on said Ten (10) acres within a period of Twenty (20) years, this reservation shall terminate and become null and void, and it is further understood that grantors herein are not to participate in any oil lease or rental bonuses that may be paid.on any lease on said above described land, and hereby waive any rights they may have or be entitled to in any future oil or gas lease.”

July 16, 1928, F. F. Klein and wife, by general warranty deed, conveyed the said 60 acres of land to D. D. Baker, describing same by metes and bounds, as in the deed from Stein and wife to Klein, which deed contained the following special provision':

“There is however excepted from this conveyance 1/8 of all mineral rights in and under Ten acres of land running north and south on the east end of said 60 acres, and it is understood that if no production of oil is had on said 10 acres within a period of Twenty years from May 29,1928, then this'reservation shall lapse. Also understood that the owner of said rights is not to participate in any oil lease or rental bonuses that may be paid for any léase, and have no interest in any future oil and gas lease.”
“The property herein conveyed is the same conveyed to us by Robert Stein and wife by deed dated May 29, 1928, and recorded iii Guadalupe County, Deed Record Book 97, p. 898.”

July 24, 1928, D. D. Baker executed and delivered to H. H. Weinert an oil and gas lease covering the 60 acres of land describing same by metes and bounds as described in the deed from Stein to Klein, and Klein to Baker, said lease being on the regular 88 form, and containing a general warranty clause. February 6, 1929, Weinert assigned this lease to the Humble Oil & Refining Company, which will hereinafter be referred to as Humble Company.

Thereafter, Stein by deeds conveyed to Baker 13/16ths of the l/8th of the minerals reserved in the deed from himself to Klein. Stein also sold small interests in said l/8th to others, and Baker made a number of conveyances.

The Humble Company took possession of ' said 60 acres of land and made developments *913 on the east 10 acres, discovering oil in paying quantities. After oil was discovered, Klein claiming to have reserved for himself l/8th of the mineral rights in said east 10 acres, executed conveyances to the other plaintiffs who join him in the suit.

The Humble Company refused to recognize Klein’s claim to any interest in the mineral rights in said 10 acres, and Klein and the other parties plaintiff, to whom he had executed conveyances of portions of the interest claimed by him, brought this suit against the Humble Company to recover the value of 1/Sth of all the oil said company had produced from the said 10 acres, and 1/Sth of the value of all oil thereafter produced therefrom.

The Humble Company answered by plea of not guilty,' general denial, and specially denied that the plaintiffs had any interest in the mineral rights in the east 10 acres of said 60-acre tract of land. By bill of interpleader said company brought into the suit as cross-defendants, D. D. Baker, Robert Stein, and all the record owner's of any interest in the minerals in the entire 60 acres of land, alleging them to be necessary parties, and asked that all their respective rights be determined by the suit. Baker, Stein, and the other defendants impleaded by the Humble Company filed appropriate answers. Supplemental pleadings were filed by all parties.

The case was tried to the court without a jury, and judgment rendered denying any recovery to pláintiffs F. F. Klein et al., and decreeing to the Humble Company all of the leasehold rights, title, and interest in and to all of the minerals in the entire 60 acres of land, subject only to the payment of a l/8th royalty to the parties in the various interests set out in the judgment. The judgment awarded to Baker a 2/64ths interest in the minerals in the 10 acres in question, and denied him any recovery by his cross-action against the Humble Company. From this judgment, the plaintiffs H. H. Klein, Roy Campbell, Jake K. Harmon, O. L. Wither-spoon, and C. M. Gaines, and the cross-defendant D. D. Baker have appealed.

It will be observed from the judgment that the ownership of the minerals in the whole 60-acre tract was involved in this suit, and was determined by the judgment. However, there is no controversy in regard to the findings and holdings of the trial court with respect to any of the acreage except the east 10 acres of the tract; so the judgment as it relates to the remaining 50 acres is of no importance on this appeal. The whole contest here is as to the ownership of the mineral rights in the east 10 acres of said 60- acre tract.

That Stein and wife reserved to themselves and were the owners of l/8th of the minerals in the east 10 acres of the 60-acre tract, is ad- ' mitted by all the other parties.

Klein insists that in his deed to Baker he excepted for himself l/8th of all the minerals in the east 10 acres of land described in the conveyance, and that the deed and said exception are without ambiguity, and that judgment should have been for him for said l/8th of the minerals in said 10 acres.

The deed from Klein and wife to Baker reads:

“The State of Texas, County of Guadalupe
“Know all men by these presents: That we, F. F. Klein and wife Mrs. Della Klein of the County of Guadalupe State of Texas, for and in consideration of the sum of Ten Dollars and other valuable considerations to us in hand paid by D. D. Baker in cash or its equivalent, the receipt of which is hereby acknowL edged, have Granted, Sold and Conveyed, and by these presents do Grant, Sell and Convey unto the said D. D. Baker of the County of Guadalupe State of Texas1 all that certain tract and parcel of land'situated in Guadalupe County, Texas, containing 60 acres of land, out of the Jacob Darst 24 Labor Survey, particularly described as beginning ai the S. E. corner of 400 acres conveyed to Houston Wilson by Henry Campbell, a stone set in the ground from which a hickory 12" in dia. brs S. 29½ w. 13-1/3 vrs. Thence with the East line of said 400 acres, N. 5 deg. E. 476 varas to stake from which a P. O. 12" dia. brs. S. 11 w 11 vrs; Thence N. 85 W. on' a line parallel with the south line of said 400 acres, 711½ vrs. to stone in ground for corner ; Thence S. 5 deg W. 476 varas to stone in S. line of said 400 acres; Thence S. 85 E. 711⅜ vs. to the place of beginning, containing 60 acres. ''

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Bluebook (online)
67 S.W.2d 911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/klein-v-humble-oil-refining-co-texapp-1934.