Melton v. Locke

44 S.W.2d 799
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 28, 1931
DocketNo. 3673
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 44 S.W.2d 799 (Melton v. Locke) 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
Melton v. Locke, 44 S.W.2d 799 (Tex. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

HALL, O. J.

Melton sued Locke, alleging, in substance: That he owned a half section of land in Hale county, against which there was an indebtedness secured by liens amounting to $8,-200. That Locke owned 86.7 acres of land in Dallas county, consisting of two tracts which are described by metes and bounds in the petition. That there was an indebtedness against said land evidenced by five notes of $500 each, one note for $300, and still another note for $2,850, besides interest. That in the latter part of November, 1928, H. L. Bartlett negotiated with plaintiff, proposing an exchange of plaintiff’s land for Locke’s land, representing that there was indebtedness thereon of about $5,800. That during the negotiations plaintiff proposed to exchange his half section in Hale county upon the basis of $45 per acre for Locke’s land in Dallas county, upon a basis of $125 per acre, each party to assume the indebtedness against the land the other was receiving and Locke to pay the difference in the value of the respective equities, provided plaintiff would not have to pay out any cash at the time of the exchange. That thereafter, on December 26, 1928, plaintiff and his wife executed a warranty deed, conveying their Hale county land to Locke for a recited consideration of $6,-121.40, that being the value of plaintiff’s equity in the Hale county land, when valued at $45 per aere, and mailed the same to Bartlett, to be delivered to Locke upon the execution by Locke of a deed conveying his Dallas county land to plaintiff and the payment by Locke of the difference in value of tlie respective equities, provided said Locke pay all indebtedness due upon the land up to the time the exchange was effected. That plaintiff did not learn that one of the $500 notes was due January 1, 1929, until about January 20, 1929. That at such time Locke had not delivered his deed to plaintiff, nor had plaintiff’s deed to Locke been delivered to the latter by Bartlett. That at such time plaintiff told the defendant Locke that he was not willing to consummate the exchange unless Locke would take care of the $500 note due January 1, 1929, to which Locke replied that he would take the matter up with Bartlett and see if it could be adjusted and further falsely and fraudulently told plaintiff that he (Locke) would notify him (Melton) what Bartlett said. That Locke thereupon falsely and fraudulently represented to Bartlett that everything was ready for the delivery of the deeds, and by such false and fraudulent representations induced Bartlett to deliver plaintiff’s deed conveying the Hale county land to him, and delivered his deed conveying the Dallas county land, to Bartlett to be delivered to plaintiff. That, if plaintiff is mistaken in the allegation, that Locke represented to Bartlett that everything was ready for the delivery of the deeds, then he alleges that Bartlett and defendant Locke entered into a conspiracy to defraud plaintiff of his land and agreed that plaintiff’s deed should be delivered to Locke without having to pay the $500 note, and did thereby defraud and cheat plaintiff out of his land. That the act of Locke in securing plaintiff’s deed without informing Bartlett that plaintiff was not willing to make the trade with the $500 note past due and unpaid and knowing that Bartlett was purporting to represent him (Locke) in said deal, as well as plaintiff, constituted a fraud and by virtue of said fraud defendant received plaintiff’s deed to the Hale county land. That defendant did not pay plaintiff the difference of $1,062.75 in the respective equities at such time, and has never offered to make such payment. That shortly after the 26th of January, 1929, when plaintiff had received the deed from defendant Locke, the owner of the $500 note instituted foreclosure proceedings, declared all of the notes [801]*801due, and foreclosed Lis lien upon the Dallas county land, which was sold under order of sale to E. W. Groves, and by reason of such facts the plaintiff: received no consideration whatever for his 320 acres of Hale county land. That, by virtue of the concealment by Loche of the fact that there was a note for $500 falling due against the Dallas county land on January i, 1929, and the fraud and deceit above set out and the 'foreclosure of such lien by the owner of the notes as above set out, plaintiff has wholly lost his land, to his damage in the sum of $6,121.40, 'tog-ether with his interest from February 1, 1929; such being the value of the defendant’s equity in the Dallas county land at the time of the sale, plus the difference in value of the respective equities of plaintiff and defendant, which defendant was to pay plaintiff. These allegations are followed by a prayer for the cancellation of his deed conveying the Hale county land to Locke, and that he have and recover title and possession thereof, for costs of suit, and for such other and further relief, in law and equity, as he may show himself entitled to.

The first count, the substance of which is hereinbefore set out, is subdivided into numerous numbered paragraphs.

By a second count, the plaintiff pleads in the alternative, adopting certain paragraphs of the first count, and on account of the fraud of defendant he sues for damages in the sum ol' $6,200 as the market value of his equity in the Hale county land at the time of the deed to Locke.

By a third count, in which he adopts four paragraphs in the first count of his petition as a part thereof, he alleges further: That Bartlett delivered the deed from plaintiff to Locke, and Locke delivered his deed conveying his Dallas county land, to Bartlett for delivery to plaintiff; said deed reciting a consideration of $5,225 cash and the assumption of all the notes described in paragraph 2 of this petition. That such deed was sent to this plaintiff by Bartlett, but Locke did not pay the difference of $1,062.75 and has wholly failed to pay such sum, to plaintiff’s damage, wherefore plaintiff is entitled to an implied vendor’s lien on the Hale county land to secure the payment of the aforesaid sum, with -interest. There is a prayer in the alternative tha-t, if he be not entitled to recover under either the first or second count of the petition, he have judgment against Locke for the amount of his debt, with a foreclosure of the implied lien, order of sale, etc.

The defendant answered by general demurrer and nine so-called special exceptions, which are not special exceptions, but are general demurrers to.certain paragraphs of the petition. The court sustained six of these general demurrers, and the plaintiff refused to amend.

The parties proceeded to trial, and, when both sides had closed in the introduction of testimony, the court directed a verdict for the defendant.

The case is before us upon three propositions. The first is that the court erred in sustaining special exception No. 2, which is: “Defendant specially excepts to the allegations of paragraphs three, four, five and six contained in said petition and says that the same do not constitute any fraud on the part of this defendant that would give to plaintiff any right of action against defendant and for the further reason that same are vague, indefinite and uncertain.”

It must be admitted that the plaintiff’s petition is not as well drawn as it might have been, but we think it is sufficient as against any of the demurrers urged and sustained by the court. The plaintiff may plead as many several counts as he may think proper, Schaff v. Sanders (Tex. Civ. App.) 257 S. W. 670; Id. (Tex. Com. App.) 269 S. W. 1034, and may plead and prove as- many inconsistent theories as he desires, and is entitled to have them all submitted, Northern Texas Traction Co. v. Weed (Tex. Com. App.) 300 S. W.

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Related

Locke v. Melton
61 S.W.2d 814 (Texas Commission of Appeals, 1933)

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Bluebook (online)
44 S.W.2d 799, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/melton-v-locke-texapp-1931.