Merrell v. Timmons

140 S.W.2d 480, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 357
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided May 2, 1940·No. No. 10980·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

GRAVES, Justice.

This appeal is from a final judgment of the 55th District Court of Flarris County, sitting without a jury, wherein appellants were denied any relief in their suit to have the $730 note of E. Frank Merrell to appellee -Dorothy Hume Tim-mons-together with its supporting deed of trust of E. Frank Merrell and Donnie Merrell, his wife, to W. J. Walden, Trustee — declared void for lack of consideration, and as violative of Texas Penal Code, Article 428, and, instead, appellees were accorded, on their cross-action, a judgment against appellant E. Frank Mer-rell for the ascertained amount of such note, together with a foreclosure against both himself and his wife upon property described in the trust deed so securing it.

Otherwise than as recited in its decree, the trial court did not file findings of fact or law, nór were any requested.

In consequence, the appeal — there being a statement of facts brought up — is de[481] terminable, if there be evidence to support them, upon the findings so made, together with such others as may properly be deemed to have been made, as in necessary support of the judgment rendered.

Appellants contend the court erred in so rendering its judgment, on these grounds:

(1) That the note and deed of trust were procured from them for an illegal purpose, in contravention of public policy, and through duress and threats of criminal prosecution of Roy O’Donnell, who was a friend of themselves; (2) that both note and deed of trust were without a valuable consideration — in fact, without any consideration at all; (3) that the deed of trust was procured from Donnie Merrell, wife of E. Frank Mer-rell, through deception and fraud; (4) that both note and deed of trust “were procured through coercion and fraud by Dorothy Hume (Timmons) threatening Roy O’Donnell with criminal prosecution to force him to pay her money he did not owe her, which threats induced the execution and delivery of said note and contract from E. Frank Merrell and wife, Donnie Merrell, to Dorothy Hume (Timmons).”

They support these presentments, serially, with citations of these authorities: (1) Seeligson v. Lewis et al., 65 Tex. 215, 57 Am.Rep. 593; Ward v. Scarborough, Tex.Com.App., 236 S.W. 434; Wegner Bros. v. E. J. Biering & Co., 65 Tex. 506; Prim et al. v. Farmers’ National Bank, Tex.Com.App., 44 S.W.2d 943; Western Union v. Smith, Tex.Civ.App., 179 S.W. 548; Day et al. v. Mallard, Tex.Com.App., 228 S.W. 164; Gostick v. State, 110 Tex.Cr.R. 282, 8 S.W.2d 167; Welborn et al. v. Nor-Wood, 1 Tex.Civ.App. 614, 20 S.W. 1129; Holiday v. Holiday, Tex.Civ.App., 19 S.W.2d 127; Medearis et ux. v. Granberry et al., 38 Tex.Civ.App. 187, 84 S.W. 1070; Tex.Jur., Vol. 10, page 198. (2) White v. Rutherford, Tex.Civ.App., 10 S.W.2d 776; James v. Fulcrod, 5 Tex. 512, 55 Am.Dec. 743; Tex.Jur., Vol. 10, page 111. (3) Wells v. Houston, 29 Tex.Civ.App., 619, 69 S.W. 183; Simon v. Garlitz, 63 Tex.Civ.App. 172, 133 S.W. 461; Robertson v. Shinn Grocery Co., Tex.Civ.App., 34 S.W.2d 367; Minardus v. Zapp, Tex.Civ.App., 112 S.W.2d 496; Tex.Jur., Vol. 7, page 906, and cited authorities. (4) Randolph et al. v. Armstrong, Tex.Civ.App., 57 S.W.2d 927; Evans v. Beard, Tex.Civ.App., 70 S.W.2d 253; Duncan v. Piper, Tex.Civ.App., 79 S.W.2d 172; Woolsey v. Panhandle Refining Co., 131 Tex. 449, 116 S.W.2d 675.

The appellees, in answer, present two counter-propositions, in his verbis, as follows:

“(1) The execution and delivery of appellant’s note, payable to Dorothy Hume (Timmons), and her acceptance thereof, in lieu of Roy O’Donnell’s admitted liability to her, which obligation and liability she thereby released and extinguished to O’Donnell, constituted a good and valuable consideration for the execution of said note and the delivery thereof by said O’Donnell to her.
“(2) The Merrell note, having been executed and delivered to Dorothy Hume (Timmons) to be in lieu of Roy O’Donnell’s liability and obligation to her, and she having released,' discharged, and extinguished the same, in consideration of receiving and accepting said note, said note was not void as against public policy, or in violation of Article 428 of the Penal Code, because there was no criminal prosecution either pending or potential against Merrell, and there was no close family relationship between O’Donnell and Mer-rell, and Dorothy Hume (Timmons) made no agreement with O’Donnell or Merrell that she would procure the dismissal of the original prosecution then pending against O’Donnell in consideration of the execution and delivery of the note.”

They, in turn, rely upon these citations: (1) 6 Tex.Jur., page 653 and 659, Sections 55 and 59, respectively. (2) Texas Penal Code, Article 428; Shriver v. McCann, Tex.Civ.App., 155 S.W. 317; Ward v. Ward, Tex.Civ.App., 68 S.W.2d 1071.

Under the conclusive if not undisputed evidence, as well as the findings of fact that must in consequence be attributed to it, the learned trial court is held to have been correct; the appellants, in so invoking the well-settled legal principles their cited authorities reflect, overlook the fact that, while there may have been some evidence tending to support the factual basis they rely upon, there was more the other way, hence the cause must be decided here upon what the court, must have determined the controlling facts to be to have rendered the judgment it [482] did — there being, of course, evidence to support them.

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Merrell v. Timmons, 140 S.W.2d 480, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 357 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

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