Oliver v. Corzelius

223 S.W.2d 271, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 2105
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 20, 1949
DocketNo. 4576
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 223 S.W.2d 271 (Oliver v. Corzelius) 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
Oliver v. Corzelius, 223 S.W.2d 271, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 2105 (Tex. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinion

PRICE, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from the District Court of El Paso County, 65th Judicial District. Curtis Corzelius as plaintiff sued his divorced wife, Anne Oliver, and her present husband Robert H. Oliver, to specifically enforce a certain contract to convey to him certain ranches, cattle, and other property situated in the State of Colorado, which was made by his divorced wife when a single woman. The trial was before the court with a jury. On the verdict the court decreed specific performance in favor of plaintiff Corzelius, against the defendants. The defendants, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, perfected an appeal to this court.

Hereinafter plaintiff will be designated as appellee and defendants as appellants. This court rendered judgment reversing the judgment of the trial court and rendering judgment in favor of appellants. Oliver v. Corzelius, 215 S.W.2d 231. The opinion of this court in this case fully states the nature and character of the case. The Supreme Court granted a writ of error in the case. Upon the hearing the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals rendering the case in favor of appellants and remanded the case to the Court of Civil Appeals for consideration of certain points of error not considered by the Court of Civil Appeals and not considered by the Supreme Court. Corzelius v. Oliver, 220 S.W.2d 632, 635. In the original disposition the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals rendering the case, but affirmed the judgment reversing the same and remanding it for a new trial. On appellee’s motion for a rehearing the Supreme Court set aside the order remanding the case-to the trial court and remanded same to the Court of.Civil Appeals' for consideration of the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain, the finding of the jury on Special Issue No. 6, which [273]*273was in substance that but for the repudiation of the option contract by Mrs. Oliver appellee would have tendered performance within the time provided for in the contract. On appellants’ second motion for a rehearing it is ordered that the case be remanded to the Court of Civil Appeals for a consideration of all points properly raised which have not been decided by that court or by the Supreme Court, including the effect of the improper admission of hearsay evidence. It hence becomes our duty to pass on all points of error not disposed of by the former judgment of this court or the judgment of the Supreme Court. If we properly construe it the holding of the Supreme Court was that the affirmative finding of the jury on Special Issue 'No. 6 comprehended a finding that during the existence of the option appellee was ready and willing to tender the sum of money conditioning the repurchase of the property involved and would have done so but for the wrongful repudiation of her contract by Mrs. Oliver. We erroneously held as a matter of law that the evidence was insufficient to raise the issue. The Supreme Court held that disregarding hearsay evidence the finding had some support in the evidence. In substance the matters this court is to consider in disposing of the proper disposition of the appeal is first, the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the judgment of the trial court; the effect'of the improper admission of hearsay evidence and the admission of the testimony of appellee as to the values of ranches, cattle, etc., in Colorado, the ground of objection being that the witness was not shown to be qualified to express an opinion as to the value of this property. We shall first dispose of the point as to the admission of the testimony of appellee as to his opinion of the value of the' properties. In the original opinion of the Supreme Court it is said:

“This record does present proof, besides the improperly admitted testimony, that Corzelius would have tendered the necessary funds within the contract period had Mrs. Oliver not repudiated her agreement. He - testified .that the cattle were of the reasonable value of $123,000 and the ranches together with their improvements were valued at $331,342, values which would certainly have supported a loan of .substantial proportions.”

It is further stated in substance that Corzelius’ brother testified that hé was financially able to and would have loaned Curtis Corzelius the difference between the amount, needed to repurchase the ranch and what- an insurance company would loan against it. An officer of an El Paso -bank testified that the bank had agreed to loan Corzelius around $90,000.00 on the cattle involved. This and other testimony comprised as a matter of law some evidence to support the finding of the jury that Corzelius, but for Mrs. Oliver’s repudiation of the contract, would have been able seasonably to tender her the money required under the agreement to repurchase the property. While the evidence of Cor-zelius as to the value of the property was not found by the Supreme Court to be the sole basis in supporting the finding as to Corzelius’ ability to consummate the repurchase, it was some evidence to support the finding of the jury.

Testimony as to the value of property is deemed relevant on the issue on trial. This must be correct where the party seeking to purchase relies solely on borrowing on the property to obtain its purchase price. . The evidence in no way shows any ability to raise the purchase price of this property save by appellee’s ability to borrow and give a lien or liens on the property as security, in fact there was testimony that appellee was indebted in about the sum of $200,000.00. There is no evidence that he was possessed of any property.

Appellee had owned and operated this property for some time prior to the time he conveyed it to his wife. He had borrowed money on part of same from his wife; by reason of the knowledge he must have acquired in purchasing this property and in running and owning same it would seem reasonable that he was able to express an opinion of some weight as to. its value.

[274]*274In our opinion the assignment does not present reversible error. 32 C.J.S., Evidence, § 545, pages 288, 306; Texas Law of Evidence, McCormack & Ray, par. 638, p. 808 et seq.; Driscoll v. Nolan, Tex.Civ.App., 130 S.W.2d 400; Id., 131 S.W.2d 1025; Gulf & Interstate R. Co. of Texas v. Stephenson, Tex.Civ.App., 212 S.W. 215.

This court held as a matter of law ap-pellee failed to show an ability and readiness to purchase the property during the relevant time. In this the Supreme Court held we were in error. It was authoritatively held by the Supreme Court that there was some evidence sustaining the finding. In part, at least, our ruling was based on the mistaken view that ability to borrow money could be only shown by .definite committment by the lender to the proposed borrower.

The statement by the official of the bank that he would have loaned appellee $90,-000.00 on the cattle; the statement of appellee’s brother that he would have loaned on a second lien enough to have repurchased the property when added to what an insurance or loan company would loan on a first lien; the evidence as to the value of the property; the statement of Iwo or three other witnesses that they would have loaned him in addition to •what the insurance company would loan the sum of $50,000 to $70,000, if relevant, was •sufficient to support the finding of ability to raise the money.

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Bluebook (online)
223 S.W.2d 271, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 2105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oliver-v-corzelius-texapp-1949.