Magnolia Petroleum Co. v. Jackson

82 S.W.2d 1011, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 514
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 9, 1935
DocketNo. 3192.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 82 S.W.2d 1011 (Magnolia Petroleum Co. v. Jackson) 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
Magnolia Petroleum Co. v. Jackson, 82 S.W.2d 1011, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 514 (Tex. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinions

HIGGINS, Justice.

This suit involves the title to a 1 acre tract of land. By dismissal, some of the original parties were eliminated, and upon the trial the issues narrowed tó L. S. Tunks, J. A. Hard, R. A. Noah, B. H. Bird, and F. W. Waldron, trustees of Fair Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South, and D. L. Edminston, as plaintiffs, against Magnolia Petroleum Company, J. R. Wright, E. H. Samuel, and others not necessary to mention, as defendants. •

In addition to the claim of record title, both sides asserted title by limitation. Upon the issues of limitations the jury found in favor of the plaintiffs under the five and ten-year statutes and against the defendants’ counterclaim of title under • said statutes.

Judgment was -rendered in favor of the plaintiffs , from which the particularly' named defendants appealed to the Court of Ciyil Appeals of the Sixth district. By equalization order of the Supreme Court, [1012]*1012the appeal was later transferred to this court.

The land is out of a 137y2-acre tract in the Juan Vargas League conveyed to J. M. Jackson by Clay Denton and wife by deed dated August 19, 1903, filed for record February 8, 1904.

On October 14, 1903, Jackson and wife conveyed the land by deed reading:

“Know all men by these presents:
“That we, J. M. Jackson and wife, L. P. Jackson, of the County óf Smith, State of Texas, for and in consideration of the love we bear for the cause of Christ, and from an earnest desire to promote His heritage on earth, do give and grant and by these presents convey unto B. F. Thompson, J. W. Ritch and J. P. Ritch, the Board of Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church', South, and to their successors in office, for the use and benefit of Marvin’s Chapel Methodist Church, as a site for a house of worship, according to the Doctrines, faith and practice of the said Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to be applied by the said Trustees to the object stated, under the direction of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the following described property and premises, situated in Smith County, Texas:
“A part of the Juan League of land more perfectly described as follows: Beginning at N. W. corner of J. C. Hughes tract of land; Thence South Seventy (70) yards; Thence West seventy (70) yards; Thence North seventy (70) yards; Thence East seventy (70) yards to the place of beginning, being one acre of land out of the East side of a tract conveyed to me by Clay Denton, and the said Trustees are to have and to hold the property aforesaid for the use aforesaid, free from the claim or claims of myself, my heirs, my executors or administrators and from the claims of all persons whatsoever.”

By deeds executed in 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928, the surviving wife and heirs of J. M. Jackson conveyed the 137%-acre tract to the defendant Wright.

On September 13, 1930, Wright gave an oil and gas lease upon the 137/4-acre tract to Magnolia Pfetroleum Company. Samuel acquired an interest in the rpyalty reserved by Wright.

The plaintiff trustees claim to be the successor trustees of B. F. Thompson, J. W. Ri.tch, and J. P. Ritch, the original trustee grantees named in the Jackson deed of October 14, 1903. Edminston holds an oil and gas lease executed by the plaintiff trustees.

Opinion.

The question which first. arises is the character of estate conveyed by the Jackson deed for the evidence shows that not later than 1928 the church house upon the land was burned and the use of the land as a site for a house of worship was then permanently abandoned.

The appellant’s theory is that only an easement for use as a site for a house of worship passed by the deed and upon abandonment of such use the easement terminated.

The deed gives, grants, and conveys the land itself to the trustees named. Under the decisions in this state, particularly the recent rulings in T. & P. Ry. Co. v. Martin, 123 Tex. 383, 71 S.W.(2d) 867, Plughes v. Gladewater C. L. I. School Dist. (Tex. Com. App.) 76 S.W.(2d) 471, and Stanbery v. Wallace (Tex. Com. App.) 45 S.W.(2d) 198, it must be held that the grantees took, under the deed, a fee-simple title in trust for the use and benefit of Marvin’s Chapel Methodist Church.

In this connection see, also, Olcott v. Gabert, 86 Tex. 121, 23 S. W. 985, Stevens v. G., H. & S. A. Ry. Co. (Tex. Com. App.) 212 S. W. 639, Tarrant County v. McLemore (Tex. Sup.) 8 S. W. 94, and Barker v. Hazel-Fain Oil Co. (Tex. Civ. App.) 219 S. W. 874.

Appellants also contend that no privity of estate is shown between the trustees of Fair Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church and the grantees named in the deed who held in trust for Marvin’s Chapel Methodist Church. The appellants’ theory is that Fair Chapel Church is an entirely different local association of the Methodist Church, recently organized. On the other hand, the appellees assert that the name of Marvin’s Chapel Methodist Church was changed to Fair Chapel Methodist Church; that' it is the same church and the plaintiff trustees are the successors in trust of the original grantees.

Marvin’s Chapel Church was built in 1904 upon the land in controversy and an adjoining 1 acre tract to the east which was not a part of the Jackson 137%-acre tract. The church and use thereof was actively and regularly maintained in the building, until about February 27, 1913, [1013]*1013when the roof was damaged by hail. This damage was never repaired and church' service therein was not so regularly maintained after such damage, but the evidence shows that it continued to be used as a place of worship by the Marvin’s Chapel congregation and occasionally by other religious denominations until the destruction of the building by fire. According to the testimony of the defendant Wright, it was so destroyed in 1922, but according to tne ■testimony of Mrs. Ritch, the fire occurred in 1926, 1927, or 1928. Upon the development of oil in that section, a town called Wright City was built upon the highway near the land in controversy. What is now known as Fair Chapel Church is in Wright City, built upon a ■site donated by R. W. Fair and A. G. Hancock. The deed from Fair and Hancock is dated September 22, 1932, is conditioned ■that the land should be used for church-■purposes only, and provides that the church should be known as Fair Chapel Church. 'The conveyance was to “Henry Smith, Mrs. Henry Smith, and J. J. Denton as Trustees for the Methodist Episcopal Church South, of Wright City, Rusk County, Texas.” After the destruction of the house upon the land in controversy, the Marvin’s Chapel congregation seems ■to have ceased to function as an active religious association, but in 1932 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Smith came to Wright City and organized a Methodist Church there which is still active. The plaintiff trustees are the duly elected trustees of that church, now known as Fair Chapel Church.

The question at issue, as we view it, is whether that church is to be regarded as a reorganization of Marvin’s Chapel Church under a new name. If so, the Fair Chapel Church and its trustees • are in privity- ‘with Marvin’s Chapel Church, and the trustees to whom the land was originally conveyed for a mere change in name of a local unincorporated religious association does not affect the ■property rights of trustees holding property for the benefit of such association.

In behalf of plaintiffs, Rev. Gordon -Alexander testified:

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82 S.W.2d 1011, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/magnolia-petroleum-co-v-jackson-texapp-1935.