Noska v. Mills

141 S.W.2d 429, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 444
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 27, 1940
DocketNo. 12882
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 141 S.W.2d 429 (Noska v. Mills) 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
Noska v. Mills, 141 S.W.2d 429, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 444 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

LOONEY, Justice.

Leo C. Mills sued Frank Noska, alleging that, on or about January 1, 1928, he rented to the defendant, for one year, fifty acres of land located about nine miles north of the City of Dallas, in Dallas County, Texas, agreeing to furnish everything except the labor, the defendant agreeing to furnish the labor; the parties to share equally the produce from the farm; also entered into a stock-raising agreement, to the effect that, plaintiff would furnish certain stock to be placed upon the farm and cared for by the defendant, the increase to be shared equally; that plaintiff furnished defendant one Jersey cow and several head of hogs (the number not mentioned); that,'from year to year, the oral contract was renewed and the stock of the preceding year were furnished the defendant for milk, butter, meat, as food, and use in making the crop; 'that no division of the stock raised on the farm was eve'r made, and that, at the end of the year 1938, defendant had on the farm — raised under the alleged agreement — five Jersey cows, of the value of $40 each; two sows, of the value of $20 each; seven pigs, of the value of $5 each, and two calves of the value of $20 each, aggregating a total value of $315; that at the end of the year 1938, plaintiff made demand upon the defendant for half of said stock, which was refused, and the defendant still refuses to deliver to plaintiff one-half of the stock, to his damage in the sum of $157.50. Plaintiff also alleged that, for the year 1937, the federal government, under the provisions of an Act of the Congress, commonly called the “AAA”, 7 U.S.C.A. § 601 et seq., paid to the defendant, as cotton subsidy, $81.11, of which plaintiff was entitled to one-half, but that the defendant appropriated the full amount of the money to his own use and benefit, to plaintiff’s damage in the further sum of $40.55; alleging further that, by virtue of the said rental contract, and under the provisions of Art. 5222, -R.C.S., Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 5222, plaintiff was entitled to a landlord’s lien, for the sum of $157.50, on the stock heretofore mentioned; concluding [431]*431with a prayer for judgment against the defendant for $198.05, and a foreclosure of his landlord’s lien on the cattle and hogs, and, in the alternative, for. one-half the stock and judgment for $40.55, and for general relief.

The defendant’s answer contained a general denial, a denial of the existence of the lien; alleged that the cattle and hogs mentioned in plaintiff’s petition were not the increase of the cow and hogs originally furnished by the plaintiff, but belonged exclusively to the defendant, and. were exempt to defendant and his family; wherefore, he prayed that, the plaintiff take nothing (defendant also set up a cross-action against the plaintiff, but the issues arising in regard to same are not here involved).

The case was submitted on a general charge, and resulted in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff against the defendant for $150, for which amount the court rendered judgment in favor of plaintiff, reciting therein that, plaintiff had a landlord’s lien to secure his debt, against the five Jersey cows, two black sows, seven pigs and two calves, being the stock mentioned in plaintiff's petition, and decreed foreclosure of said lien upon the cattle' and hogs, ordering same sold as under execution, for the satisfaction of the judgment, cost, etc.; from which the defendant perfected this appeal.

By appropriate assignments and propositions, the defendant challenges the correctness of the judgment on the ground, generally, that the same is not supported by the evidence, and is contrary to the controlling rules of law.

Although the evidence on the issues of fact is in irreconcilable conflict, yet, the jury having found for the plaintiff, it becomes our duty to give due weight and credit to all evidence sustaining the verdict and judgment, and reject all in conflict therewith. However, after a careful examination of the record, we are driven to the conclusion that, the evidence supporting the judgment (the testimony of the plaintiff) is entirely too indefinite and inconclusive to form a basis for same. Without reviewing the evidence in detail, we simply state our conclusions to be, that the testimony of the plaintiff on certain material phases of the case leaves so much to presumption and conjecture, we do not think it can be said with reasonable certainty that he showed himself entitled to any interest in the cattle, except one cow, being the heifer calf received in exchange for the male calf dropped by the original cow plaintiff turned over to the defendant; nor do we think plaintiff showed, with reasonable certainty, any interest in the hogs. These conclusions are reached, after giving weight and credit to plaintiff’s testimony, without considering any conflicting evidence, and are based upon what we deem to be, the undisputed testimony of the defendant, his wife, and members of his family on phases of, the case, in regard to which the plaintiff did not testify specifically, but left to conjecture and presumption. What we have just stated is based upon the record now before us, and is without prejudice to the right of plaintiff, on anoth"er trial, to prove his case as alleged.

Dofes plaintiff have a landlord’s lien on the cattle and hogs involved, under the provisions of Art. 5222, R.C.S., for whatever amount he may recover? We do not think so. Obviously, the rental contract and the stock-raising adventure were separate and distinct undertakings. The landlord’s lien, created by statute, springs by operation of law from the relationship of landlord and tenant. Under the rental contract, the landlord was to furnish everything except the labor, the tenant agreeing to furnish that. In such a situation, the statute gives the landlord a preference lien on the crops grown on the premises for any rent that may become due, and for money, provisions, etc., furnished or caused to be furnished by the landlord to the tenant to make a crop on the premises and to gather and care for same; the money, provisions, etc., being necessary for that purpose. Plaintiff does not contend that he has not received his share of all crops grown on the premises, nor does he contend that the defendant is indebted to him for money, supplies, or.provisions furnished to make a crop. So, in view of these undisputed facts, we do not think plaintiff’s claim for damages, .for the alleged conversion of his interest in the stock raised on the premises, under the alleged agreement between the parties, is secured by the statutory landlord’s lien, as contended; nor do we think the amount, $81.11, paid the defendant by the federal government, as -subsidy or bonus for idle land, can be assimilated to, or given the classification of, a crop grown upon the premises, within the meaning of the statute. Obviously, the amount paid by the federal government should have been [432]*432divided equally between the parties, but defendant’s alleged conversion of plaintiff’s half was just another instance of money had and received, for which plaintiff was entitled to judgment.

However, plaintiff insists that the court did not err in foreclosing the lien upon the stock, in view of an agreement between the parties, to the effect that, in the event the jury found any amount for plaintiff, the same shall be regarded as a lien upon one-half of the cattle and hogs.

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Bluebook (online)
141 S.W.2d 429, 1940 Tex. App. LEXIS 444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noska-v-mills-texapp-1940.