Lusk v. Carter Oil Co.

1935 OK 636, 58 P.2d 656, 172 Okla. 508, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 315
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 4, 1935
DocketNo. 23396.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 1935 OK 636 (Lusk v. Carter Oil Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lusk v. Carter Oil Co., 1935 OK 636, 58 P.2d 656, 172 Okla. 508, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 315 (Okla. 1935).

Opinion

RILEY, J.

This case involves the question of the title and right to certain portions of the income from royalty interest in certain lands formerly the property of D. H. Lusk, being the N.E.%, section 33, township 1 S., range 3 W., in Carter county. D. H. Lusk died on or about December 23, 1923. At the time' of his death he was the owner of all the. surface rights and interest in said land. There were at that time certain valid oil and gas mining leases covering said land providing for a. 1/8 royalty. At the time of his death D. H. Lusk owned 3/8 of the royalty interest. Said land was the homestead of Lusk. He left surviving him as his heirs, his widow, Leonard E. Lusk, and eight children. These are the plaintiffs in this action. The widow was appointed administratrix of the estate of D. H. Lusk. It is conceded that she continued to possess and occupy the land as a homestead until August 1, 1929.

It is conceded that the widow inherited an undivided 1/3 interest in the surface rights and 1/3 of the 3/8 oil and gas royalty rights, and that each child inherited an undivided 1/12 interest in the surface and 1/32 of the royalty or mineral rights, subject to the homestead rights of the widow.

Between February 5, 1924, and January 27, 1927, the widow, Leonard E. Lusk, who it appears was twice married after the death of D. H. Lusk, first to H. O. Clayton and then to Charlie Reed, sold or attempted to sell certain of the royalty or mineral rights as follows: February 6, 1924, 1/32 to R. F. and J. F. McCrory; February 7, 1924, i/32 to C. F. Dillingham (now owned by R. F. and J. F. McCrory) ; April 10, 1924, 1/80 to Sidney J. and C. C. Miller; March 19, 1925, two barrels of oil per day to Eva Hefner; June 22, 1925, one barrel of oil per day to Freeman Galt; October 14, 1926, 3/80 to H. T. Vernon; and January 26, 1927, one barrel of oil per day to H. T. Vernon.

In addition thereto, D. H. Lusk, one of the children, who had on March 25, 1925, attained his majority, sold or attempted to sell his 1/32 interest in the mineral rights to Berta B. Holloway, and on April 7, 1927, Mrs. Lusk,' for the purpose of confirming and effectuating the attempted sale by D. H. Lusk, executed a conveyance of the 1/32 interest to Berta B. Holloway. Whatever was conveyed thereby is now owned by C. D. Williams.

On May 13, 1927, Mrs. Lusk-Reed and six of the children, all of whom were then minors, commenced an action in the district court of Carter county, to cancel all the conveyances or assignments of parts of the oil and gas royalties made by Mrs. Lusk-Reed. The Humble • Oil & Refining Company was then the owner of the oil and gas lease.

In. that action plaintiffs alleged the homestead character of the land, and that the widow was then occupying same as a homestead. It was claimed that, notwithstanding the so-called assignment, plaintiffs were entitled to all the income from the land because of the homestead character thereof.

The defending owners cf such assignments answered, setting same up, and prayed for judgment adjudging them to be the absolute owners of such portion of said mineral interests represented by their respective assignments.

The. issues as joined in that case were tried to the court upon an agreed statement of facts, resulting in a general finding and judgment for defendants. An appeal to this court was attempted, but the attempted appeal was dismissed. Lusk v. Humble Oil & Ref. Co., 140 Okla. 152, 282 P. 311.

This action was commenced September 27,' 1930, and for the same general purposes.

All the eight children join in this action. The two who were not plaintiffs in the former action are Gladys Adine Lusk, now Murray, and L. IT. Lusk, both adults. Five of the children are minors and join in the action by their guardian, Mrs. L. E. Lusk, now Reed. Mrs. Lusk-Reed also joins in the action as administratrix.

The principal difference between this action and the former one is that herein it is alleged that Mrs. Lusk-Reed wholly aban *510 doned the land as a homestead on or about August 1, 1929.

The Carter Oil Company, having become the owner of the oil and gas lease, is made one of the defendants in the place of the Humble Oil & Refining Company. Defendants in this action all set up the conveyances of the respective interests represented by the assignments of royalty interests made by Mrs. Lush-Reed and L. H. Reed. They also plead the judgment in the former action as an adjudication of the rights of the parties. They also specifically deny that the land in question was abandoned as a homestead by Mrs. Lush-Reed.

The issues as thus joined were tried to the court without a jury, resulting in a finding of “all of the issues in favor of defendants and against the plaintiffs.” Judgment was rendered in accord therewith, and plaintiffs appeal.

The first proposition presented is that the evidence discloses that plaintiffs Gladys Adine Lush, now Murray, Francis Irene Lush, now Springer, Jessie ¡Pryor Lush, Willie Faye Lush, Barney Willard Lush, Aline Lush, and J. Lush are children and heirs of D. H. Lush, deceased; that they have never disposed of their interests in the property involved, or the royalties accruing therefrom, and that the conveyances executed by their coplaintiff, Mrs. Leonard E. Lusk, now Reed, convey no part of their interest in said estate.

That is true. There is no contention that any of the children named are not heirs of said D. H. Lush. It is conceded that they are, and that each of the children inherited an undivided 1/12 interest in the surface, and a 1/32 of the 1/8 royalty interests in the land. The children above named have never sold or disposed of any of their interests. One adult child, L. H. Lush, has attempted to sell his 1/32 interest in the royalty. But whatever interest the children inherited from their father was at all times subject to the homestead rights of the widow, Mrs. Leonard Lush, now Reed.

The homestead rights of the widow are defined by section 1224, C. O. S. 1921 (sec. 1223, O. S. 1931), as follows:

“Upon the death of either husband or wife, the survivor may continue to possess and occupy the whole homestead, which shall not in any event be subject to administration proceedings, until it is otherwise disposed of according to law; and upon the death of both husband and wife the children may continue to possess and occupy the whole homestead until the youngest child becomes of age.”

Where the title to the homestead is in the husband upon his death, leaving a widow and more than one child, the title vests 1/3 in the surviving widow and 2/3 to the surviving children.

But, under the homestead law, the widow, in addition to inheriting the 1/3 interest in the fee, has the right to use and occupy the whole homestead together with all the rents, profits, and income therefrom. The children have no homestead rights as against the widow. So long as she elects to use, occupy, and possess the land as a homestead, the children have no claim to any of the rents, profits, or income therefrom.

In Lawley et al. v. Richardson et al., 101 Okla. 40, 223 P. 156, it is held:

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Bluebook (online)
1935 OK 636, 58 P.2d 656, 172 Okla. 508, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lusk-v-carter-oil-co-okla-1935.