National Bank of Commerce of Houston v. Dunn

381 S.W.2d 654
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 9, 1964
Docket14306
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 381 S.W.2d 654 (National Bank of Commerce of Houston v. Dunn) 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
National Bank of Commerce of Houston v. Dunn, 381 S.W.2d 654 (Tex. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinions

BELL, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment rendered in favor of appellee declaring that appellee is entitled to "one-half of the net profits having accrued and to accrue from the following described land, * * Then follows a statement that it applies to an undivided 192.057 acre interest out of a specifically described 1729 acres in Chambers County. Following the description is the provision that this “one-half of the net profits” shall be “from and after the defendants * * * have received $1,500.00 income from said property in accordance with the provisions of an unrecorded net profit agreement dated the 12th day of October, 1937 between The Federal Royalty Company and L. H. Dunn, * * *«

Suit in the nature of trespass to try title was originally filed by appellee in Chambers County on May 22, 1961. Finally ap-pellee filed her third amended original petition and this was the petition considered on motion for summary judgment. Appel-lee alleged she filed this petition pursuant to “Article 2524, R.C.S., the Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act.” Then following allegations as to the parties to the suit and their capacities the following allegations appear:

.II.
“That on October 12, 1937, Lee Ma-Gee, President of The Federal Royalty Company, in consideration for services described therein, gave to Mr. Lindsey H. Dunn a letter agreement which is appended hereto as Exhibit A and made a part hereof, wherein was granted to the said Lindsey H. Dunn a one-half (14) interest in the hereinafter described land, to-wit:
“An undivided 192.057 acre interest out of 1729 acres of land, more or less, out of the Thomas Jefferson Chambers Grant in Chambers County, Texas, being the same lands awarded to pláin'tiffs and plaintiff-in-terveners by decision of the Supreme. Court of Texas dated March 2, 1955 in Cause Number A-4666 before said [656]*656Court, styled Bascom Giles et al v. J. N. Basore et al, said judgment being recorded in Volume 167, at page 119 of the Deed Records of Chambers County, Texas, the lands so awarded to Plaintiffs and plaintiff-interveners being described as Tracts Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 in judgment of the District Court of Travis County, Texas, in said cause, which judgment is dated February 6, 1953 and duly recorded in Volume 167 at pages 112 to 118 inclusive, in the Deed Records of Chambers County, Texas.
III.
“Thereafter, on July 8, 1957 The Federal Royalty Company conveyed unto The National Bank of Commerce of Houston, Trustee, various properties including the above described undivided interest making it 'subject to an unrecorded net profit agreement dated October 12, 1937 between The Federal Royalty Company and L. H. Dunn.’ Said conveyance is appended to this pleading as Exhibit B and made and incorporated as a part hereof.
IV.
“The said Exhibit A is the unrecorded net profit agreement referred to in said conveyance, Exhibit B, and is according to the express terms of said conveyance a qualification upon the grant of the undivided acreage conveyed and described therein.
V.
“Royalties and profits have accrued from the described acreage since the date of the conveyance, Exhibit B, to the Defendants herein who are withholding all of such from this Plaintiff who is the sole devisee of the said Lindsey H. Dunn as shown by Exhibit C, attached hereto and made a part hereof, being the Will, Order admitting the Will to probate and Oath of Plaintiff as Independent Executrix of the Estate of Lindsey H. Dunn, Deceased.
“Wherefore, this Plaintiff prays that she have her judgment against the Defendants herein, jointly and severally, declaring her right, title and interest to one-half of the accrued net profits due hereunder and in accordance with said letter agreement attached hereto, and such right, title and interest in and to future accruals from said property to which she is entitled, and for such other and further relief that she may be entitled to, general or special, either at law or in equity, and for all costs herein.”

Attached to the petition was a copy of a deed to the appellants, The National Bank of Commerce of Houston and H. Fort Flowers, Co-Trustees, from The Federal Royalty Company, conveying various properties including that material to this suit. The deed conveys the property here involved by use of the following language:

“An undivided 192.057 acre interest out of 1729 acres of land: 1729 acres of land, more or less, out of the Thomas Jefferson Chambers Grant, in Chambers County, Texas, being the same lands awarded to plaintiffs and plaintiff-interveners by decision of the Supreme Court of Texas dated March 2, 1955, in cause No. A-4666 before said court, styled Bascom Giles et al. v. J. N. Basore et al., said judgment being recorded in Volume 167, p. 119, of the Deed Records of Chambers County, Texas, the lands so awarded to plaintiffs and plaintiff-interveners being described as Tracts Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 in judgment of the District Court of Travis County, Texas, in said case, which judgment is dated February 16, 1953, and duly recorded in Volume 167, Pages 112 to 118, inclusive, in the Deed Records of Chambers County, Texas.
[657]*657“The above described interest is subject to an unrecorded net profit agreement dated October 12, 1937, between The Federal Royalty Company and L. H. Dunn.”

While the petition states that the so-called unrecorded profit agreement is attached, we do not find it or a copy attached, but we do find a copy in the deposition of Mr. I. S. Handy. It reads as follows:

“Lee Hager THE FEDERAL ROYALTY COMPANY President Suite 1521 Esperson Building Houston, Texas Lillian Powell Secy. & Treas.
October 12, 1937
Ike S. Handy
General Counsel
Mr. L. H. Dunn
518 West Building
Houston, Texas
Dear Lindsey:
This will evidence our agreement to purchase the interest of Albert A. Schweinle in all of the islands lying at the mouth of the Trinity River, being out of the Thos. J. Chambers Survey, Abstract No. 9, in Chambers County, Texas, advancing to you this day the sum of $975, which is on a basis of $10 per acre for that part of the land, the title to which we have approved. It is agreed that if the title to the remaining interest, to-wit, approximately 195 acres, should be cleared and approved by us, we will make you additional advances so that the total amount advanced would be $1500.
It is further agreed that out of the money which may be received for a lease, or other disposition of this land, we are to be repaid the amount advanced to you, and any excess is to be divided equally between us, and thereafter you are to be carried for and own a one-half (Y2) interest in the land.
It is agreed that in the event a settlement of the title to all of the islands is agreed upon by the other owners, we will ratify a settlement by which the adverse claimants, to-wit, those claiming under the Saladee heirs, receive a one-fourth (54) interest in the said islands.

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National Bank of Commerce of Houston v. Dunn
381 S.W.2d 654 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
381 S.W.2d 654, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-bank-of-commerce-of-houston-v-dunn-texapp-1964.