McSpadden v. Moore

728 S.W.2d 439, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7257
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 2, 1987
DocketNo. 09 86 182 CV
StatusPublished

This text of 728 S.W.2d 439 (McSpadden v. Moore) 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
McSpadden v. Moore, 728 S.W.2d 439, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7257 (Tex. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

BROOKSHIRE, Justice.

Loyd J. Moore and wife, Evelyn Moore, and Jerry McDonald, instituted this litigation against J.C. McSpadden, Trustee, and the First State Bank of Livingston, Texas. The Moores and McDonald sought an injunction to prevent a non-judicial foreclosure of a deed of trust executed by McDonald. The cancellation of that deed of trust and the cancellation of a deed from Loyd and Evelyn Moore to McDonald were sought as part of the Appellees’ relief. The bank and the trustee filed a cross-action against McDonald asking for judgment for the balance owed on a purchase money promissory note executed by McDonald and payable to the bank. The Appellants prayed, additionally, for foreclosure of the lien on the land described in the deed of trust.

The trial court granted a summary judgment, setting aside and canceling the deed from Loyd and Evelyn Moore to McDonald and canceling the deed of trust from McDonald to McSpadden, Trustee. The remaining issues in dispute were submitted to a jury. By the jury’s verdict, the bank recovered judgment against McDonald for its debt of $38,646.77, plus attorney’s fees and interest. The interlocutory summary judgment was reconfirmed and made final by a judgment of May 16, 1986.

The Appellants, in their first point of error, argue that the trial court commit[441]*441ted reversible error in granting the motion for summary judgment because a material fact issue existed as to whether the bank had knowledge or notice that the conveyance from the Moores to McDonald was simulated. McSpadden and the bank filed a response to the Appellees’ motion for summary judgment, advancing the proposition that neither the bank nor the trustee had knowledge or notice that the deed in question was a simulated sale for the attempted purpose of fixing a lien upon an alleged homestead. The sworn response, basically, averred that the transaction was a bona fide sale as shown by the documents upon which the bank based its claim against McDonald. There is an affidavit in the record executed by J.C. McSpadden. He swore that he had knowledge of the facts stated in his affidavit. He swore that the deed records of Polk County demonstrated that Jerry McDonald was the record title holder and bona fide owner of the property in question. He swore that there was no instrument of record that would cast a cloud on the title of McDonald. He swore that, on November 7, 1979, as security for a certain promissory note, executed by McDonald and delivered to the bank, that McDonald executed a deed of trust conveying the property in question in trust to McSpadden as Trustee. Later, in October, 1983, and February, 1984, McDonald was in default and McSpadden was instructed by the bank to conduct a Trustee’s Sale under the deed of trust and effect a foreclosure. McSpad-den’s oath (in part):

“I had no reason to believe that the transaction was something other than a bona fide sale.”

The sale he refers to was a sale from the Moores to Jerry McDonald. McSpadden further swore that the note dated November 7, 1979, in the principal amount of $33,000., to the bank, was past due, in default and unpaid. We conclude this record raises a fact issue as to whether the sale from the Moores to McDonald was a bona fide, arms-length, good faith transaction. In summary, the bank contends that it advanced the money, relying upon the apparent genuineness of the sale, according to the public records in Polk County, without knowledge of any subterfuge, in-formity, or simulated deal, and without knowledge of any facts that would put a reasonable lender on notice of any simulated transaction attempting to place a lien on a valid homestead. The bank contends that the lien should be enforced.

We must stress that this is an appeal from a final summary judgment. We decide, under well-settled authority, that a material fact issue was raised, being a simulated transaction to impress a deed of trust lien on a homestead. We conclude that the affidavit of McSpadden at least raised a material issue when gauged by summary judgment practice. Carter v. Converse, 550 S.W.2d 322 (Tex.Civ.App.— Tyler 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.); Fuller v. Preston State Bank, 667 S.W.2d 214 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1983, writ ref’d n.r.e.).

The Bankruptcy Question

The Appellants’ second point of error states that the trial court was wrong in granting Appellees’ motion for summary judgment because the issue of whether the real property in question was the homestead of Loyd and Evelyn Moore was not litigated and settled, as a matter of law, in the bankruptcy court. We have reviewed the entirety of the bankruptcy proceeding in our record.

We perceive that an administrative proceeding was held in the Moores’ bankruptcy case. No judicial hearing was held on the exemption of the Moores’ homestead. The administrative proceeding was held by a clerk, not a judge or judicial officer. An official court reporter was not present.

Although probably some nature of notice was given to the bank, we perceive that that notice was not adequate. The notice did not adequately call attention to the bank that a homestead claim would be made in such a manner as to be superior to the bank’s alleged lien.

The debtors in bankruptcy [Loyd J. Moore and wife, Evelyn M. Moore, d/b/a Down-Town Motor Co.] did not point out to the bankruptcy court that there was a deed [442]*442in existence, and recorded, conveying their homestead to the son of Evelyn, one Jerry McDonald.

We conclude the clerk does not have plenary power and jurisdiction to set aside a deed given by the Moores to Jerry McDonald. Indeed, Jerry McDonald was not a party to the bankruptcy. He was not listed as a creditor in the bankruptcy proceeding. The bankruptcy of Loyd J. Moore and wife, Evelyn M. Moore, d/b/a DownTown Motor Co., was a proceeding wherein no trustee was appointed. There was no other meeting of the creditors except a first meeting.

The Bankruptcy Schedules

In the bankruptcy Schedule B-l.-Real Property, the debtors list 1.7 acres, more or less, in the E. Stephenson Survey, Polk County, Texas, as part of their real property and state to the court that the nature of their interest was from the deed dated May 13, 1970, from Emanuel Miller and wife, Leta Miller, to Loyd J. Moore and wife, Evelyn M. Moore, recorded in Vol. 245, page 525, et seq., Deed Records of Polk County, Texas, and a deed dated June 4, 1971, from Emanuel Miller to Loyd J. Moore and wife, Evelyn Moore, recorded in Yol. 256, p. 309, et seq., of the Deed Records of Polk County, Texas.

Under Schedule B-l.-Real Property, the debtors were required to specify all deeds and interest relating to the property owned in the E. Stephenson Survey. But they failed to inform the bankruptcy court of a deed given by them to Jerry McDonald dated November 7, 1979, and recorded in Yol. 379, p. 585, et seq., of the Deed Records of Polk County, Texas. The grantee of that deed was Jerry McDonald [also shown as Jerry W. McDonald]. The consideration was $10.00 cash and other good and valuable consideration and, also, one vendor’s lien note in the sum of $33,-000., payable in monthly installments of $413.68 each. The deed contained a general warranty. Nor did the debtors reveal to the bankruptcy court a certain deed of trust dated November 7, 1979, given by Jerry McDonald to J.C.

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

Related

Puga v. Donna Fruit Co., Inc.
634 S.W.2d 677 (Texas Supreme Court, 1982)
Fuller v. Preston State Bank
667 S.W.2d 214 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1983)
Carter v. Converse
550 S.W.2d 322 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
728 S.W.2d 439, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcspadden-v-moore-texapp-1987.