Pasadena Police Officers Ass'n v. City of Pasadena

497 S.W.2d 388, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2950
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 17, 1973
Docket16034
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 497 S.W.2d 388 (Pasadena Police Officers Ass'n v. City of Pasadena) 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
Pasadena Police Officers Ass'n v. City of Pasadena, 497 S.W.2d 388, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2950 (Tex. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

PEDEN, Justice.

After a non-jury trial in this trespass to try title suit, the trial court rendered judgment for plaintiff, the City of Pasadena, against the Pasadena Police Officers Asso *390 ciation, a corporation, and its officers for title and possession of a 4.61 acre tract of land located in Pasadena.

The uncontroverted facts include:

1. The Pasadena Police Officers Association, hereinafter referred to as “Association,” requested the City of Pasadena to convey a tract of land to the Association so that the Association could build a recreational center for the children of Pasadena. The Association is entirely independent from the City of Pasadena.

2. The City Commission of Pasadena, hereinafter referred to as “City,” passed Ordinance No. 1130 on January 13, 1953. This ordinance stated that such recreational center to be built on the requested tract of land would be in the best interests of the City and that the Association should be given a deed to the tract in question subject to the following conditions:

A. The City would place a reverter clause in the deed.
B. If the Association became inactive or failed to carry out and continue use of the property as a recreation center for boys and girls, then by ordinance duly passed and recorded title to the land would revert to the City.

3. A deed was executed to the Association by the City on January 13, 1953. This deed conveyed the 1.564 acre tract to the Association and contained the reverter clause authorized by Ordinance No. 1130.

4. The Association desired a larger tract of land than the 1.564 acre tract and there was evidence that the City needed the 1.564 acre tract. A request was made to the City that a 4.61 acre tract some distance away be conveyed to the Association. In return for the 4.61 acre tract, the Association would return the 1.564 acre tract to the City and would build the already promised recreational facility.

5. On December 1, 1953, the City Commission passed the second ordinance, No. 1181. This ordinance recited (1) the request of the Association for the 4.61 acre tract; (2) that the Association proposed to erect a recreational center; (3) the Association in consideration of such conveyance would convey to the City title to the 1.564 acre tract; (4) that the conveyance of the 4.61 acre tract would be subject to a re-versionary clause which stated that if the Association became inactive or if the 4.61 acre tract was not used for recreational purposes, the City could effect a reversion of title.

6. On March 2, 1955, a deed conveying the 4.61 acre tract from the City to the Association was executed. $10.00 and other valuable consideration were cited as consideration. This deed did not contain a re-verter clause as recited in Ordinance No. 1181.

7. On May 8, 1956, the City passed Ordinance No. 1292 stating that the 4.61 acre tract was to be conveyed to the Association without the reverter clause. It recited that the Association had agreed as consideration to convey to the City the 1.564 acre tract described above.

8. On May 8, 1956, the City executed a new deed to correct the deed dated March 2, 1955. The new deed was passed pursuant to Ordinance No. 1292 and (1) recited $10.00 and other valuable consideration and (2) stated that the reversionary interest of the City of Pasadena as described in Ordinance No. 1181 was expressly repealed.

9. The City enacted Ordinance No. 69-105 on May 13, 1969, in which the City stated that it exercised the City’s right of reverter in its former Ordinance No. 1181 so that title to the land reverted to the City.

10. Members of the Association generously contributed their time, energy and money for many years in building and operating the recreational center.

The City’s petition in this suit asserted that Ordinances 1130, 1181, and 1292 and the accompanying deeds were void as being without consideration and were in violation *391 of Article III, § 55 of the Texas Constitution, Vernon’s Ann.St.

The defendants answered by (1) general denial, and by (2) plea of not guilty; (3) they pleaded that in passing Ordinance No. 1130 the City was exercising a legitimate governmental Function under its charter and under the general laws of Texas, (4) they asserted that in compliance with Ordinance No. 1181 the plaintiff delivered a deed to defendant which did not contain any condition on the use of the property, nor did it contain a right of reverter, (5) contended that the plaintiff agreed that in consideration of the defendant Association borrowing the sum of $25,000 from Great Southern Life Insurance Co., and of the Association obligating itself to repay said money and performing the governmental function of providing recreational facilities the plaintiff would release any conditions or restrictions and right of reverter that plaintiff held on the 4.61 acre tract, (6) stated that in reliance on plaintiff’s cancel-ling all of its claims and restrictions the defendant Association borrowed the $25,000 and became obligated to pay it, (7) listed expenses of $44,898.68 incurred by the Association in maintaining the recreational center; (8) denied that plaintiff, under Ordinance 69-105, was authorized to exercise its right of reverter and that Ordinance 69-105 operated to divest defendant of its title to said 4.61 acre tract, because :

a. The 4.61 acre tract was unencumbered with any conditions or right of re-verter by the City.

b. The City repealed Ordinance No. 1181 which possessed a right of reverter.

c. Ordinance 1292 which repealed the right of reverter was supported by valid consideration since defendant Association bound itself to pay a sum of $25,000 and to erect valuable improvements, both of which obligations it carried out.

d. Ordinance 69-105, which asserted the right of reverter, was invalid since no notice was given to defendant of its intended passage and such Ordinance 69-105 violated defendant’s constitutional rights, Art. 1, § 19 of the Texas Constitution and the 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, and (9) alleged that the City is estopped to assert that its Ordinance No. 1292, which canceled its right of reverter, is invalid.

The trial judge rendered judgment that the City recover the 4.61 acre tract of land in question.

Findings of fact and conclusions of law were made. The findings of fact included:

8. “That Ordinance No. 69-105 as the same appears as Plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 7 was duly enacted on the date therein stated and filed in the Deed Records of Harris County, Texas, at the volume and page shown thereon.”
10. “That the City of Pasadena was not promised, nor did it receive anything in exchange for the purported property transfers described above.”
11. “That the findings of the City Council in Ordinance No. 69-105 are true and correct.”
Conclusions of law included:
1.

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497 S.W.2d 388, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pasadena-police-officers-assn-v-city-of-pasadena-texapp-1973.