Neinast v. Hill

206 S.W.2d 625, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 1272
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 30, 1947
DocketNo. 11920
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 206 S.W.2d 625 (Neinast v. Hill) 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
Neinast v. Hill, 206 S.W.2d 625, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 1272 (Tex. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinions

CODY, Justice.

This was an action for possession of a Chevrolet automobile of the value of $850, instituted in the County Court-at-Law, [626]*626Harris County, by appellant, W. W. Nei-nast, against appellee, Walther. L..HÍ11.

By his answer Hill admitted that the legal title to the automobile stood in the name of appellant, but alleged that he,.Hill, was the true owner. In' that connection, he alleged that he was married to Elaine Neinast Hill, a daughter of the appellant. He further alleged that, the automobile was purchased in the first instance by his wife, but title to the automobile was taken in the name of Mabel Neinast. The said Mabel Neinast is a sister of Hill’s wife, being another daughter of appellant! Ap-pellee alleged that the title was so taken in1 the name of Mabel Neinast in trust to hold said automobile for him, appellee. Appel-lee further alleged that thereafter appellant and Mabel Neinast and appellee’s wife devised a scheme and conspiracy to defraud appellee of the title and possession of the automobile; that they “affected” a purported sale of the automobile to Vickers Motor Company in violation of the trust by which the legal title was held by Mabel Neinast for appellee, and that thereafter appellant “affected” a fictitious purchase of the automobile from said Vickers Motor Company, whereby the title thereto was placed in the name of the appellant; but that the possession of the automobile was delivered to Mabel Neinast and by her held in Harris County, and was never taken possession of by appellant, who lives in Washington County, and that said automobile remained in the possession of Mabel Neinast in Harris County until appellee took possession thereof, which he still holds. ,

In the alternative appellee alleged that an implied trust to hold the automobile for ap-pellee resulted from the acts of the parties. He further alleged in the alternative that a constructive trust should be impressed upon said automobile by reason of the acts of the parties. Appellee further alleged that all of the facts were known to appellant prior to the purported purchase by appellant, or should have been known to him in the exercise of ordinary care, etc., inclusive of the fictitious sale of the automobile to Vickers Motor Company. In addition to urging said facts by way of answer, appellee also urged them by way of cross-action against appellant and- Mabel Neinast to recover the legal title and possession- of the automobile.

By supplemental petition, answering ap-pellee’s cross-action, appellant plead specially that appellee and his. wife had not lived together since July 10, 1945, and that appellee had not supported his wife since said date. That it was necessary for Mrs. Hill to sell the automobile, which was community property, to pay debts and to pay for necessities, and that said automobile was lawfully sold by Mrs. Hill. Appellant further alleged that he was an innocent purchaser for value when he purchased same from Vickers Motor Company.

At the conclusion of all the evidence, appellant moved for an instructed verdict, setting out in his said motion his grounds therefor. The Court refused said motion and submitted the case to the jury upon 4 special issues, which special issues and the answers thereto are set forth infra. Upon the jury’s answer to the special issues the Court rendered judgment for appellee for the title and possession of the automobile.

Appellant has predicated his appeal upon 4 points:

First Point: The Court erred in refusing to set aside the verdict of the jury, since it appeared that the verdict of the jury was contrary to the evidence.

Second Point: The error of the Court in overruling the motion of W. W. Neinast for an instructed verdict.

Third Point: The Court erred in refusing to set aside the answer of the jury to Special Issue Number Three, since it appeared that the answer of the jury to that issue was contrary to the evidence.

Fourth Point: The Court erred in refusing to set aside the answer of the jury to Special Issue Number Four, since it appeared that the answer of the jury to that issue was contrary to the evidence.

Since all of appellant’s points are addressed either to the contention that the Court erred in refusing appellant’s motion for directed verdict' or to the answers of the jury to the special issues, the special issues, as answered, thereon, are set forth at this point in full:

[627]*627“Special Issue No. 1. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the time of the sale from Mabel Neinast to Vickers Motor Company, that Walter L. Hill had abandoned Elaine Hill as his wife?” To which the jury answered: “We do not.”
“Special Issue No. 2. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the sale of the car was made in order that Elaine Hill could pay her debts and support herself?” To which the jury answered: “We do not.”
“Special Issue No. 3. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the time of the purchase of the car by Vickers Motor Company from Mable Neinast, the said Vickers Motor Company paid to the said Mable Neinast a valuable consideration for said car?” To which the jury answered: “We do not.”
“Special Issue No. 4. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the 'time of the purchase' of the car by Vickers Motor Company from Mabel Neinast, the said Vickers ‘ Motor Company had any knowledge of the claim of Walter L. Hill to said car?” To which the jury answered: “We do.”

We overrule appellant’s first point. Said point carries forward the first assignment of error, being the first ground of appellant’s motion for new trial, reading “Because the verdict of the jury is contrary to the evidence.” The point is too general. See Rule.418(b) Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

We overrule appellant’s second point. The evidence must be considered in the light most favorable to the plaintiff as against a demurrer thereto. As so considered, there was evidence to the effect: That on July 3, 1945,' appellee’s wife declined to live with him, and for that reason they separated; but that he did not abandon her. That at the time of such separation Mrs. Hill was working for a bank in Houston. That thereafter, on September S, 1945, she bought the car in question, but took the title thereto in the name of her sister, Mabel Neinast, who was another daughter of appellant. That the car was paid for with community funds belonging to appellee and Mrs. Hill, said funds being made of allotment checks from the government (appellée was overseas in the military service for 25 months) and of other money sent her by appellee; and that her sister, Mabel Neinast, spent $200 for tires,- seat -covers, and an over-haul of the automobile. She further testified she sold the automobile to M-r. Vickers of the Vickers Motor Company of Houston, for $852. About two weeks later, Mrs. Hill and Miss Neinast asked Mr. Vickers to sell the automobile back to them. Mr. Vickers testified that he was willing to do this, because Mrs. Hill was working in the barde, •and everyone in the bank had extended him favors. He asked them in whose name they wanted the papers on the car made out, and they told him appellant’s. The sale price was, the same as that which Mr. Vickers had paid when- he got the car from Mrs. Hill. When he transferred the title to appellant’s name, he was given a check signed by appellant. But he had no direct , contract with appellant, and never saw him until the trial.

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Bluebook (online)
206 S.W.2d 625, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 1272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/neinast-v-hill-texapp-1947.