Mahoney v. Snyder

93 S.W.2d 1219, 1936 Tex. App. LEXIS 471
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 27, 1936
DocketNo. 4583.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 93 S.W.2d 1219 (Mahoney v. Snyder) 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
Mahoney v. Snyder, 93 S.W.2d 1219, 1936 Tex. App. LEXIS 471 (Tex. Ct. App. 1936).

Opinion

.HALL, Chief Justice.

Mrs. B. O. Mahoney, a resident of California, filed this suit in Yoakum county, against H. O. Mahoney, who also resides in California, and against Roy M. Snyder, of the state of New Mexico, and the Sisters of Mercy of Stanton, Tex., a corporation, alleging that she and her husband, H. O. Mahoney, are permanently separated, but not divorced; that he had failed and refused to contribute to her support.

The first count is a suit in trespass to try title for an undivided one-half interest in the following real estate: Sections 742, 744', 808, the east one-hálf of 1S2, 194, 509, 479, 806, 422, 474, and the west one-half of 756, all in block D, in Yoakum county, Tex. She alleged that she and ap-pellee, Roy M. Snyder, were each the owner of an undivided one-half interest in said land, and that the appellees, H. O. Mahoney and Sisters of Mercy were claiming ownership or interest in some of the lands, which claims were a cloud upon her title. She prayed for recovery of an undivided one-half interest in said lands, together with writ of possession, etc.

By the second count of her petition, and in the alternative, she alleged that sections 742, 744, 808, 479, 505, 806, 194, and the east one-half of 152, in said block D, were the community property of herself and IT. O. Mahoney, having been acquired during their marriage relation. That the said IT. O. Mahoney, without her consent or knowledge, and without consideration therefor, conveyed, or caused to be conveyed, to the other defendants said lands for the purpose of defrauding plaintiff of her interest therein. That neither Roy M. Snyder nor the Sisters of Mercy of Stanton paid a valuable or adequate consideration for any of the property. That the conveyances were made by Mahoney in pursuance of a scheme to deprive plaintiff of her community interest in said property, and also of her interest in certain vendor’s lien notes. That the said Snyder accepted said conveyances and transfers of lands and notes with knowledge of and in pursuance of said scheme to defraud plaintiff, and without paying a valuable consideration’ therefor. She then alleged in detail the manner in which the various tracts of land had been acquired by Mahoney for their community estate, and further set forth in' detail the fact that several notes were executed by various parties in favor of Mahoney, secured by deeds of trust upon' certain of the lands sued for herein. That Mahoney transferred said notes to Snyder without consideration, in pursuance of their scheme to defraud plaintiff and to deprive her of her interest- in said notes. That Snyder afterwards foreclosed the liens securing said notes, and purchased the lands at foreclosure sales, without paying an adequate consideration therefor, merely crediting the bids on the judgments. That J. J. Kendricks and others executed various vendor’s lien and deed of trust liens upon certain lands located in Yoakum county, payáble to H. O. Mahoney, who transferred said notes to Snyder without consideration, who still holds them. That by reason of all the foregoing facts she is the owner of an undivided one-half interest in and to all of said lands and notes and deeds of trust, and that the defendant, Roy M. Snyder, is the owner of the other undivided one-half interest therein. That the defendant, Snyder, holds in trust for appellant the legal title to her one-half interest in all of said property, and although she has often requested him to convey such legal title to her, he has at all times refused and still refuses to make such conveyance.

She prays for judgment against Snyder and all the other parties to the suit, for an undivided one-half interest in all of said property, and for partition thereof.

Mahoney .answered by general denial, and alleged that there had been a suit in the superior court of Los Angeles county, Cal., brought by appellant against him; that judgment was rendered therein in the year 1927, partitioning the community property of the parties, but that no divorce was granted, and that both parties have acted upon said decree and partition, and by reason thereof the appellant should take nothing in this suit. The prayer is that all the property in controversy be decreed to be the separate property of Ma-honey.

*1221 He also alleged in behalf of Roy M. Snyder that he, Snyder, was holding all the property in trust for the grandchildren of H. O. Mahoney, naming them. -He denied that the transfers were made for the purpose of defrauding appellant of her community interest in the property, hut said that said property was received hy him in good faith, in trust, for the purpose of being distributed in accordance with' the trust agreement entered into by himself and H. O. Mahoney.

Snyder’s prayer is that appellant take nothing, and that the property be'adjudged' to be the separate property of H. O. Ma-honey, with right to convey the same .without joinder of appellant.

■By supplemental petition, appellant denied the allegation that the judgment in the superior court of Los Angeles county, Cal., was a partition of the community property.

' The California Exploration Company, Inc., intervened, saying that it held certain mineral leases executed by Snyder and cov-' ering some of the lands involved, believing at the time that Snyder was the owner of the land. It tendered the rent in money into court, asking that the leases be confirmed, and that the rents be paid to whomso--ever the .court should determine.

There was an agreement that the leases' were valid; and that the company should pay the rent in money into the registry of the court pending the litigation.

By agreement the jury was discharged,- and the court rendered judgment that the appellant, Mrs. Mahoney, it not entitled to. recover an undivided one-half interest in the lands and. other property, but that all the deeds and transfers to Snyder should be held for naught; that all transfers of notes and mortgages to Snyder should be held for naught; that all the property is the community • property of Mahoney and wife. The judgment then proceeds to set aside each and all of the deeds and conveyances, and adjudges the property to be the community _ property of the community estate of Mahoney and wife, ordering Snyder to deliver all the notes and deeds to H. O. Mahoney and make proper transfers to him. The California leases were validated, and the costs taxed against H. O. Mahoney.

The- substance of the court’s findings of fact is as follows:

■ That H. O. Mahoney and appellant were married in 1874 and are now husband and wife, although they have lived apart for mány years. That the superior court of Los Angeles county, Cal., entered a judgment in favor of appellant for her separate maintenance. That the lands and notes described were acquired by appellant and appellee during the marriage relation and constitute community property. That they were transferred, to Snyder in trust for certain grandchildren of the Mahoneys, and that there was no other consideration for such conveyances and transfers. That the transfers were without the knowledge' or consent o.f appellant. That Snyder had sued upon certain notes and foreclosed the liens and bought the lands in accordance with the trust agreement, which lands were the community property of appellant and her husband. He concludes as a matter of law that the conveyances and tranfers being without consideration are wrongful and void, and that they all still belong to the, community estate of the appellant and H. O.

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Bluebook (online)
93 S.W.2d 1219, 1936 Tex. App. LEXIS 471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mahoney-v-snyder-texapp-1936.