Merriman v. Blalack

122 S.W. 403, 57 Tex. Civ. App. 270, 1909 Tex. App. LEXIS 61
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided October 27, 1909·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

REESE, Associate Justice.

This is a suit in trespass to try title by Titus E. Merriman and others against B. E. Blalack and G. L. Hawkins, to recover an undivided eight-ninths interest in a tract of land described as the eastern or lower three-fourths of the eastern or lower league of a certain two league grant to Benigno Leal, lmown as the “Santa Ana” on the Rio Grande River in Hidalgo County.

Defendants pleaded general demurrer, general denial and “not guilty” and, under appropriate allegations, the statutes of limitation of five and ten years as to the whole tract, and also the statute of limitation of two years as to a portion of the land by them under actual enclosure. They deny specially the title of plaintiffs, assert title in themselves, and pray for removal of cloud and that they be in their title.

To this answer plaintiffs filed a supplemental petition by way of reply, denying defendants’ title and denying the defendants’ possession was adverse or that they had any notice thereof. The various deeds under which defendants are alleged to claim title are set out and it is alleged that they do not afford a basis for their claim of title by limitation of five or ten years, but that defendants’ possession, insofar as it extended to the interest claimed by plaintiffs, was in subordination to and not adverse to their title.

A trial by the court without a jury resulted in a judgment for defendants, from which plaintiffs prosecute this appeal.

The following are the material facts, as gathered from the court’s conclusion of fact and from the evidence:

1. The land in controversy is the lower three-fourths of the lower or easternmost of the two leagues granted by the Mexican Government to Benigno Leal in 1834, known as Santa Ana. The grant was confirmed and patent issued to said Leal.

2. The easternmost or lower league was conveyed by Leal and wife to Eli T. Merriman in 1852, and that portion of the league herein involved conveyed by Eli T- Merriman to Henry E. Merriman October 12, 1860. Deeds duly recorded.

3. Henry E. Merriman died intestate in 1861, leaving surviving as his sole heirs his sister, Caroline, and two brothers, the said Eli T. and Titus E., and the plaintiffs are the descendants and sole heirs of said sister and brothers.

4. By deed dated October 15, 1860, Eli T. Merriman conveyed by metes and bounds the upper or western one-fourth of the eastern *276 most or lower league of Santa Ana to John Fusselman, and by deed dated May 3, 1861, Fusselman conveyed the same land to Elizabeth Merriman, both deeds duly acknowledged and recorded.

5. Said Elizabeth Merriman by deed dated March 29, 1878, duly acknowledged and recorded, conveyed said one-fourth league by metes and bounds to Josiah W. Turner. This deed contained this further contract or agreement, “And for a good and valid consideration from the said Turner received, I hereby agree that in the event the tract now herein conveyed shall be discovered to constitute one-fourth of an entire league owned by me, then the said Josiah W. Turner shall have the preference as purchaser of same at the. rate of six hundred dollars for the whole league, or a balance of $350 to be paid to me or my heirs or assigns.”

6. On May 7, 1878, the tax collector of Hidalgo County executed to W. T. J. G. Brewster a deed duly recorded on the same day, which said deed conveys to Brewster, purchaser at tax sale for taxes due by Elizabeth Merriman for the year 1877, “all the right, title, interest and estate which the said Elizabeth Merriman had at the time which the assessment before mentioned was made” to the league of land described in tax deed as follows: "4428 acres of land lying in the county of Hidalgo and being one pf two leagues originally granted to Benigno Leal by the King of Spain and confirmed by the Legislature of the State of Texas and known as ‘Santa Ana.’ Bounded as follows: On the east by a tract of land owned by Christobal Leal, on the west by land owned by C. B. Combe, on the north by land to me unknown, on the south by the Rio Grande River, having a front of 900 varas and a depth from north to south of five Spanish leagues, being about thirteen miles below the town of Hidalgo.”

7. By quitclaim deed dated July 1, 1879, said Brewster conveyed to said Josiah W. Turner the land conveyed to him. This deed was duly recorded July 1, 1879.

8. Said Josiah W. Turner by deed dated April 24, 1882, conveyed to Julio Guzman “his right, title and interest in the easternmost league of the Santa Ana grant,” describing the same by metes and bounds, embracing the whole league and including the land in controversy. The deed was duly acknowledged and recorded in deed records of Hidalgo County on the day of its date.

As the decision of the questions raised on this appeal turns largely upon the terms of this deed, so much of it as is material to an understanding of those questions is here given in full:

“Know all men by these presents, That I, Josiah W. Turner, a resident of the county of Cameron, in said State of Texas, for and in consideration of the sum of Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00) in lawful money of the Hnited States of America, to me actually in hand paid by Julio Guzman, a resident of said county of Hidalgo, in said State of Texas, the. receipt of which sum I hereby acknowledge and confess, have granted, sold and conveyed and by these presents do grant, sell and convey unto the said Julio Guzman, his heirs and assigns all my right, title and interest in and to a certain piece or parcel of land situated in said county of Hidalgo, in a certain tract of land called and known as ‘Santa Ana/ originally *277 granted to Benigno Leal by the Mexican Government, which said piece or parcel of land being one league of land out of the two leagues composing said tract of land aforesaid, being described and bounded as follows:”

Then follows a full and correct description of the lower or easternmost league of the Santa Ana grant, after which is the following:

“I also herein convey all of my rights and interest acquired in a certain deed bearing date July 1, A. D. 1879, from W. J. T. G. Brewster to me, the said Josiah W. Turner, which said deed is duly recorded in book 0 of real estate of said county of Hidalgo on pages 186 and 187, and which is duly made part hereof. And also for a good and valuable consideration received from the said Julio Guzman, I hereby agree that in the event that Mrs. Elizabeth Merriman should own the remaining three-fourths of said league of land herein conveyed according to tire stipulation and agreement set forth in a certain deed bearing date March 29, 1878, from the said Elizabeth Merriman to the said Josiah W. Turner, and being duly recorded in book 0 of real estate of said county of Hidalgo, on pages 184, 185, as by reference thereto will more fully appear, and which is made part hereof for greater certainty, then the said Julio Guzman shall have the preference as purchaser of the same at the rate of three hundred and fifty dollars to be paid either to me, the grantor herein, or to the said Elizabeth Merriman according to the tenor of said agreement aforesaid.

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Merriman v. Blalack, 122 S.W. 403, 57 Tex. Civ. App. 270, 1909 Tex. App. LEXIS 61 (Tex. Ct. App. 1909).

122 S.W. 403 (Merriman v. Blalack) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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