Nye v. Bradford

189 S.W.2d 889, 1945 Tex. App. LEXIS 802
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 14, 1945
DocketNo. 6165.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 189 S.W.2d 889 (Nye v. Bradford) 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
Nye v. Bradford, 189 S.W.2d 889, 1945 Tex. App. LEXIS 802 (Tex. Ct. App. 1945).

Opinions

HALL, Chief Justice.

The agreed statement of the nature of the case is that this suit was instituted in the District Court of Wood County, Texas, by Robert R. Bradford, appellee, against his sister, Mrs. Florrie Nye, and her husband, Bill Nye, in trespass to try title to recover an undivided one-half interest in Lots Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8, in Block No. 9 of the City of Mineóla, Wood County, Texas, and all fixtures, furniture and household goods located in said house on said above described lots.. Defendants answered with general denial, plea of not guilty, and “for further and special answer herein without waiving any other defense in their behalf” pleaded a deed from Mrs. Mattie Bradford to the defendant, Mrs. Florrie Nye, dated March 5, 1943, further pleaded that' for many years prior to her death, Mrs. Mattie Bradford was in poor health and an invalid and that said deed was executed to her daughter, Mrs. Nye, under an agreement between Mrs. Nye and Mrs. Bradford that Mrs. Nye was to look after and take care of Mrs. Bradford as long as she lived and that she had previous to said agreement, nursed, looked after and taken care of Mrs. Bradford for several years, and that said deed was made to her in payment for services already rendered and to be rendered in caring for her mother, Mrs. Mattie Bradford.

Based upon a jury finding that the consideration for the deed was not as contended by appellants, judgment was rendered for appellee for a one-half undivided interest in the property.

Under their first three points appellants contend that they are entitled to judgment notwithstanding the verdict of the jury, because the undisputed evidence shows that the real consideration for the deed from Mrs. Mattie Bradford to appellant Florrie Nye “was for services rendered and to be rendered” by Mrs. Nye in supporting and *890 taking care of grantor (Mrs. Bradford) and that said services were rendered; that the consideration set out in the deed was not contractual in character so as to prohibit proof of the real consideration and that under the will Mrs. Bradford had the legal right to convey the property to appellant Florrie Nye for the true consideration shown by the evidence offered. The deed from Mrs. Bradford to appellant Flor-rie Nye is:

“Know All Men by These Presents:
“That I, 'Mattie Bradford, a widow of the County of Wood, State of Texas, for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar and other consideration Dollars, to me in hand paid by Mrs. Florrie Nye, the consideration being the love and affection which I bear toward the grantee, who is my daughter,
have Granted, Sold and Conveyed, and by these presents do Grant, Sell and Convey unto the said Mrs. Florrie Nye, in her own separate right and estate, of the County of Dallas, State of Texas, all that certain lots, tracts and parcels of land situated in the town of Mineóla, Wood County, Texas, Lots Nos. Five (5), Six (6), Seven (7), Eight (8) in Block Nine (9) of the City of Mineóla, Wood County, Texas, said land being originally out of the William Page Survey.
“Also all fixtures, furniture and household goods located in the dwelling situated on above described lots.
“Grantor expressly reserves a life estate in the above described property together with the right to retain possession and collect all rents and revenues therefrom during the life of the Grantor.
“To have and to hold the above described premises, together with all and singular, the rights and appurtenances, thereto in anywise belonging unto the said Mrs. Flor-rie Nye in her own separate right and estate, her heirs and assigns forever; and I do hereby bind myself, my heirs, executors, and administrators, to Warrant and Forever Defend all and singular the said premises unto the said Mrs. Florrie Nye in her own separate right and estate, her heirs and assigns, against every person whomsoever lawfully claiming, or to claim the same or any part thereof.”

It is undisputed that Mrs. Bradford was an invalid for quite a while before she died, and required constant attention. It is also undisputed, that Mrs. Nye, the daughter, moved from her home in Dallas to Tyler, took her mother into her new home and cared for and nursed her for several months ’before the mother’s death. Several witnesses offered by appellants were permitted to testify, over the objection of appellee, to conversations had with the grantor, Mrs. Bradford, to the effect that she either had conveyed or contemplated conveying the property to Mrs. Nye in consideration for services rendered and to be rendered during her last illness. The trial court refused to permit appellant Mrs. Nye to testify to similar statements on the theory that such testimony was inhibited by R.C.S. Article 3716, commonly known as the “dead man’s statute.” It is our opinion that neither the testimony admitted nor that proffered by appellant Mrs. Nye is admissible. While it is true that appellants offered this testimony for the purpose of showing the true consideration, still it performed another equally important function, that of changing the character of the estate conveyed. The deed upon its face shows that the land conveyed was the separate estate of appellant Mrs. Nye. The testimony admitted, as well as that of Mrs. Nye, which was refused, would change the estate conveyed by the deed to community property of appellants Mrs. Nye and her husband, Bill Nye. This for the reason that Mrs. Nye’s service rendered during coverture would constitute community earnings. Such evidence would contradict the plain language of the deed which is contractual in nature. This should never be permitted in the absence of fraud, accident or mutual mistake. Justice Williams of our Supreme Court in the case of Kahn v. Kahn, 94 Tex. 114, 58 S.W. 825, 827, clearly states the rule-to be:

“The statement in the deed from Kahn to his wife is more than the mere statement of a fact. Under the decisions referred to, its legal effect is to show the character of the right to be created by this deed, and is as much a contractual recital as any in the instrument, and belongs to that class of particular and contractual recitals which, in deeds, estop the parties from denying them.”

See also Kahle v. Stone, 95 Tex. 106, 65 S.W. 623; McKivett v. McKivett, 123 Tex. 298, 70 S.W.2d 694; Davis v. Davis, 141 Tex. 613, 175 S.W.2d 226, and authorities there cited. These points are overruled.

*891 Appellants’ 7th point is:

“In any event the trial court should have rendered judgment in favor of the appellant, Mrs. Florrie Nye, for a three-fourths (¾) undivided interest in the land in controversy, the appellant being entitled to a one-fourth (½) interest under the terms of the will of R. T. Bradford, and a one-half (⅛) interest by reason of the deed from Mrs. Mattie Bradford to appellant, Mrs. Florrie Nye.”

The joint will of R. T. Bradford and wife, Mattie Bradford, follows:

“The State of Texas
“County of Wood
“Know All Men by These Presents: That we, R. T.

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Bluebook (online)
189 S.W.2d 889, 1945 Tex. App. LEXIS 802, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nye-v-bradford-texapp-1945.