Panhandle Co-Operative Royalty Co. v. Ferguson

1951 OK 93, 229 P.2d 594, 204 Okla. 303, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 461
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 27, 1951
Docket34022
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1951 OK 93 (Panhandle Co-Operative Royalty Co. v. Ferguson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Panhandle Co-Operative Royalty Co. v. Ferguson, 1951 OK 93, 229 P.2d 594, 204 Okla. 303, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 461 (Okla. 1951).

Opinion

JOHNSON, J.

The parties herein will be referred to as they appeared in the trial court, and for convenience, the Panhandle Co-Operative Royalty Company will be referred to as “Panhandle” and the Flag Oil Company will be referred to as “Flag.”

This action was commenced by Doreen Mae Ferguson on June 2, 1947, in the district court of Beaver county, Oklahoma, against Elmer L. Fickel, Fay Fickel, his wife, the Panhandle, the Flag and the Farmers Union CoOperative Royalty Company et al. She alleged that on August 17, 1923, Fletcher McAdams and Della D. McAd-ams, husband and wife, executed their note and mortgage to the Commissioners of the Land Office of the State of Oklahoma for $4,000; that said mortgage covered the E.% of the N.WUA and the S.W.y4 and the W.% of the S.E.y4 of section 1 and the E.y2 of the S.E.y4 of sec. 2, all in township 3 north, range 24 east of the Cimarron Meridian in Beaver county, Oklahoma, containting 400 acres, more or less; that thereafter Elmer L. Fickel purchased the real estate in question and assumed and agreed to pay the note in question; that on February 15, 1929, Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fickel, for the purpose of extending the school land loan, executed a new note to the Commissioners of the Land Office for $4,000, and thereafter, on August 15, 1943, Elmer L. Fickel and Fay Fickel, his wife, for the purpose of further extending the time of payment of the loan executed their amortization note in the sum of $4,000.

It was further alleged that on March 26, 1945, the Commissioners of the Land Office executed and delivered its assignment of the mortgage and note and extension notes to Doreen Mae Ferguson, and that she was the owner of the same; that a breach of the conditions of the note and mortgage occurred by failure of Elmer Fickel to pay the installment due August 15, 1945, or any other payment since that date, and praying for judgment against Elmer Fickel and Fay Fickel, his wife, for $3,834.70, interest and attorneys fees, and for foreclosure of mortgage.

Thereafter Flag filed its answer denying the allegations of the petition and claimed an interest in part of the real estate, and by way of cross-petition alleged that by mineral deed dated November 17, 1930, signed by Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fickel, a one-half interest in all of the oil and gas and other minerals was conveyed to the Panhandle under a part of the property described as the E.% of the N.W.% of sec. 1, township 3 north, range 24 east of the Cimarron Meridian, and that thereafter, on March 3, 1935, Panhandle conveyed one-eighth of all the oil and gas and other minerals under the last described land to Flag, and that it now owns one-eighth of all the oil, gas and other minerals under the land last described.

It further alleged that on November 17, 1930, Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fickel conveyed to the Farmers Union Co-Operative Royalty Company and Flag an undivided one-half interest in the proportions of three-fourths and one-fourth, respectively, in and to all the oil, gas and other minerals under the E.i/2 of the S.E.14 of sec. 2, township 3 north, range 24 east of the Cim-arron Meridian, and that by reason thereof Flag now owns one-fourth of one-half of the oil, gas and other minerals under the land last described; *305 that Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fick-el, his wife, and Fay Fickel, his wife, and their grantors, received the sole benefit of the mortgage loans, and that Flag had received no benefit therefrom, and Flag prayed for a marshaling of assets in the event their mineral interests were subordinate to the mortgage and for equitable relief.

Panhandle filed its answer and cross-petition wherein it denied all allegations of plaintiff’s petition except such as were admitted. Panhandle admitted its corporate existence under the laws of Oklahoma and requested strict proof as to the execution of the notes and mortgages.

Panhandle further alleged that on November 17, 1930, Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fickel were the owners in fee simple of the E.% of the N.W.14 of section 1, township 3 north, range 24 east of the Cimarron Meridian, Beaver county, Oklahoma; that on that date Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fick-el executed and delivered their mineral deed to a one-half undivided interest under said land to Panhandle. That thereafter Panhandle conveyed to Flag an undivided one-eighth interest in said property, and that Panhandle now owns three-eighths of all the oil, gas and other minerals under the property above described and that its title is superior to all other defendants; that the mortgage referred to in plaintiff’s petition covered other properties to the extent of some 400 acres; that on the 26th day of March, 1945, said note and mortgage were paid in full to the Commissioners of the Land Office by Elmer Fickel, and that the official receipt of the Commissioners of the Land Office showing payment in full was in the name of Elmer Fickel, and that at said time and place Elmer Fickel, acting for himself alone, requested the Commissioners to assign the mortgage to his daughter, Doreen Mae Ferguson, in order that he might keep the mortgage lien alive on the premises.

Panhandle further alleged that it became cotenant with Elmer Fickel and Jessie Mae Fickel on November 17, 1930, and alleged that the' assignment of the mortgage was made to Doreen Mae Ferguson at the request of Elmer Fickel for his own use and benefit for the purpose of securing control of the mortgage lien and thereafter foreclose same against Panhandle and deprive it of its royalty interest; that the actions of Fickel were oppressive and designed to deprive his cotenant of his interest in the property.

Panhandle prayed that the mortgage be canceled and expunged from the record, or'that if said morgtage be held valid, the assets be marshaled.

Doreen Mae Ferguson replied to the answer of Flag denying that she held thé notes and mortgage as agent or trustee and alleged that she acquired title to said notes through certain settlements made in connection with the estate of her mother, Jessie Mae Fickel. She further alleged that Flag had acquired its interest through chicanery and deceit in that it was represented that certain shares of stock in the company would be issued which would pay annual dividends and make a profitable investment; that said stock was worthless and never paid any dividend.

Plaintiff filed the same reply to answer of Panhandle.

The mineral deeds alleged to have been given by the Fickels to the Farmers Union Co-Operative Royalty Company and the Flag and Panhandle companies were attached to and made a part of their pleadings and contained the following provision:

“It is hereby further expressly agreed between the parties hereto that the grantee accepts this conveyance with the understanding that this deed to the above described premises shall be subject to any loan now existing, against said described land, or any renewal thereof, or any new loan which may *306 be made on said land by grantor, said new loan not to exceed $10.00 per acre.”

Elmer Fickel and Fay Fickel, his wife, on the 6th day of June, 1947, waived the issuance and service of summons, entered their general appearance, and consented that said cause could be tried at any time without further notice to them.

Upon trial the evidence in substance was as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
1951 OK 93, 229 P.2d 594, 204 Okla. 303, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 461, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/panhandle-co-operative-royalty-co-v-ferguson-okla-1951.