Patricia Jo Kardell, Martin Murphy Snowden, Mickey Darrell Snowden, and Mary Delilla Snowden v. Edwin v. Acker, Jr., Stephen Adolph Acker, Elaine Acker George, Shella Acker (Reinke) Bonner, and Edwin Scott Acker

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided December 18, 2015·No. 04-15-00534-CV·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

04-15-00534-CV

FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 12/18/2015 4:46:17 PM

KEITH HOTTLE

CLERK

NO. 04-15-00534-CV

FILED IN

4th COURT

IN THE FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS AT SAN ANTONIO OF APPEALS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

12/18/15 4:46:17 PM

KEITH E. HOTTLE

PATRICIA JO KARDELL, MARTIN MURPHY SNOWDEN, MICKEY Clerk

DARRELL SNOWDEN AND MARY DELILLA SNOWDEN, Appellants,

v.

SWIFT ENERGY OPERATING, LLC, Appellee.

Appealed from the 218th Judicial District Court of La Salle County, Texas

APPELLANTS’ BRIEF

Gilbert Vara, Jr.

State Bar No.: 20496250

&

Richard J. Karam

State Bar No.: 11097500

THE LAW OFFICE OF GILBERT VARA, JR.

&

LAW OFFICES OF RICHARD J. KARAM The Ariel House 8118 Datapoint Dr.

San Antonio, Texas 78229-3228 Telephone: (210) 614-6400; Telecopy: (210) 614-6401 Emails: gilbert@varalaw.com & rjkaram@aol.com Attorneys for Appellants, Patricia Jo Kardell, Martin Murphy Snowden, Mickey Darrell Snowden, and Mary Delilla Snowden APPELLANTS REQUEST ORAL ARGUMENT

IDENTITY OF PARTIES & COUNSEL

Appellants: Patricia Jo Kardell, Martin Murphy Snowden, Mickey Darrell Snowden, and Mary Delilla Snowden

Trial and Appellate Counsel: Richard J. Karam Law Offices of Richard J. Karam The Ariel House 8118 Datapoint Drive San Antonio, Texas 78229-3228 Telephone: (210) 614-6400 Telecopy: (210) 614-6401 Email: rjkaram@aol.com

Lead Appellate Counsel: Gilbert Vara, Jr.

The Law Office of Gilbert Vara, Jr. The Ariel House 8118 Datapoint Drive San Antonio, Texas 78229-3228 Telephone: (210) 614-6400 Telecopy: (210) 614-6401 Email: gilbert@varalaw.com

Appellees: Elaine V. Acker, Jr., Stephen Adolph Acker, Elaine Acker George, Shella Acker (Reinke) Bonner, Edwin Scott Acker

Trial Counsel: Wilson Calhoun Law Office of Wilson Calhoun 719 Shoreline Blvd., Suite 404 Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 Telephone: (361) 882-3300 Telecopy: (361) 888-5404 Email: Wilson@wcalhoun.com

Lead Appellate Counsel: Audrey Mullert Vicknair

i

Law Office of Audrey Mullert Vicknair 802 N. Carancahua, Suite 1350 Corpus Christi, Texas 78401-0022 Telephone: (361) 888-8413 Telecopy: (361) 888-6207 Email: avicknair@vicknairlaw.com

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IDENTITY OF PARTIES & COUNSEL ........................................................... i

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES ........................................................................... .v

STATEMENT ON ORAL ARGUMENT ........................................................vii

STATEMENT OF THE CASE ..................................................................... .viii

ISSUE PRESENTED ........................................................................................ x

ISSUE NUMBER ONE Whether the motion for summary judgment filed by the Mabel Snowden Heirs, supported by competent summary judgment evidence, required the trial court to properly construe the referenced conveyances in the Correction Warranty Deed in order to validate the grantor’s intent.............. x

STATEMENT OF FACTS ................................................................................. 1

Nature Of The Appeal ..................................................................................... 1

Procedural History ........................................................................................ 2

Substantive Facts ............................................................................................5

Murphy Partition Deeds and Estate Plan .......................................................5

Conveyance/Re-Conveyance of Snowden Ranch Royalty Interests.............. 8

This Court of Appeals previously interpreted the 1948 Murphy Estate Partition Deeds, including the 1948 Snowden NPMD, and the 1953 Declaration and Agreement .......................................................................... 13

The instant Royalty Interest Dispute is Limited to Mabel Snowden Heirs and Johnie Acker Heirs ................................................................................. 15

STANDARDS OF REVIEW ........................................................................... 16 iii

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ............................................................... 17

ISSUE NUMBER ONE (RESTATED) Whether the motion for summary judgment filed by the Mabel Snowden Heirs, supported by competent summary judgment evidence, required the trial court to properly construe the referenced conveyances in the Correction Warranty Deed in order to validate the grantor’s intent............ 18

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES .............................................................. 18

The Mabel Snowden Heirs Met Their Burden of Proof ............................... 18

1. Documents are Unambiguous .................................................................. 20

2. Winslow v. Acker: The declaration of rights in this prior appeal constitutes Res Judicata and/or Collateral Estoppel to the issues in the instant appeal ................................................................................................ 21

3. Attorneys' Fees - Declaratory Judgment ................................................. 28

CONCLUSION AND PRAYER ..................................................................... 28

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ....................................................................... 30

APPENDIX .................................................................................................... 31

iv

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

CASES

Altman v. Blake, 712 S.W.2d 117 (Tex.1986)………………………………………………………….. .........27

Amstadt v. U.S. Brass Corp., 919 S.W.2d 644 (Tex.1996) .......................................................................... 21

Barr v. Resolution Trust Corp., 837 S.W.2d 627 (Tex.1992) .......................................................................... 21

Bonniwell v. Beech Aircraft Corp., 663 S.W.2d 816 (Tex.1984) .......................................................................... 21

Cathey v. Booth, 900 S.W.2d 339 (Tex.1995) .......................................................................... 16

City of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d 802 (Tex.2005) ......................................................................... 17

Comm’rs Court of Titus County v. Agan, 940 S.W.2d 77 (Tex.1997) ....................................................................... 16, 17

Harris v. Windsor, 156 Tex. 324, 294 S.W.2d 798 (Tex.1956) .....................................………24, 25

Hausser v. Cuellar, 345 S.W.3d 462 (Tex.App.–San Antonio 2011, pet. denied).................. ……….…….....22, 23

Johnson v. Brewer & Pritchard, P.C., 73 S.W.3d 193 (Tex.2002)....................................................................….......17

Julia Authelia Winslow v. Edwin V. Acker, 781 S.W.2d 322 (Tex. App–San Antonio 1989, writ denied) ......15, 19, 22, 27

v

Luckel v. White, 819 S.W.2d 459 (Tex.1991) ...................................................................….....20

Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors, Inc. v. Fielding, 289 S.W.3d 844 (Tex.2009) ............................................................. ............ 17

Myrad Properties, Inc. v. La Salle Bank Nat. Ass’n, 300 S.W.3d 746 (Tex.2009) ................................................................. ....... 25

Neel v. Killam Oil Co., Ltd., 88 S.W.3d 334 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 2002, pet. denied) ..................... ..23

Nelson’s Legal Investigating & Consulting v. Myrick, No. 04-11-00158-CV, 2011 WL 6090082 (Tex.App.—San Antonio Dec. 7, 2011, no pet.) (mem. op.) ..................... .... 17

Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Knott, 128 S.W.3d 211 (Tex.2003) ........................................................................... 17

Stewart & Title Guar. Co. v. Aiello, 941 S.W.2d 68 (Tex.1997) ........................................................................... .20

TEXAS STATUTES

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Patricia Jo Kardell, Martin Murphy Snowden, Mickey Darrell Snowden, and Mary Delilla Snowden v. Edwin v. Acker, Jr., Stephen Adolph Acker, Elaine Acker George, Shella Acker (Reinke) Bonner, and Edwin Scott Acker, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Patricia Jo Kardell, Martin Murphy Snowden, Mickey Darrell Snowden, and Mary Delilla Snowden v. Edwin v. Acker, Jr., Stephen Adolph Acker, Elaine Acker George, Shella Acker (Reinke) Bonner, and Edwin Scott Acker (Patricia Jo Kardell, Martin Murphy Snowden, Mickey Darrell Snowden, and Mary Delilla Snowden v. Edwin v. Acker, Jr., Stephen Adolph Acker, Elaine Acker George, Shella Acker (Reinke) Bonner, and Edwin Scott Acker) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors, Inc. v. Fielding
289 S.W.3d 844 (Texas Supreme Court, 2009)
Myrad Properties, Inc. v. LaSalle Bank National Ass'n
300 S.W.3d 746 (Texas Supreme Court, 2009)
Harris v. Windsor
294 S.W.2d 798 (Texas Supreme Court, 1956)
Luckel v. White
819 S.W.2d 459 (Texas Supreme Court, 1992)
Cathey v. Booth
900 S.W.2d 339 (Texas Supreme Court, 1995)
Stewart Title Guaranty Co. v. Aiello
941 S.W.2d 68 (Texas Supreme Court, 1997)
Commissioners Court of Titus County v. Agan
940 S.W.2d 77 (Texas Supreme Court, 1997)
Barr v. Resolution Trust Corp. Ex Rel. Sunbelt Federal Savings
837 S.W.2d 627 (Texas Supreme Court, 1992)
Neel v. Killam Oil Co., Ltd.
88 S.W.3d 334 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)
City of Keller v. Wilson
168 S.W.3d 802 (Texas Supreme Court, 2005)
Provident Life & Accident Insurance Co. v. Knott
128 S.W.3d 211 (Texas Supreme Court, 2003)
Johnson v. Brewer & Pritchard, P.C.
73 S.W.3d 193 (Texas Supreme Court, 2002)
Winslow v. Acker
781 S.W.2d 322 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)
Bonniwell v. Beech Aircraft Corp.
663 S.W.2d 816 (Texas Supreme Court, 1984)
Altman v. Blake
712 S.W.2d 117 (Texas Supreme Court, 1986)
Amstadt v. United States Brass Corp.
919 S.W.2d 644 (Texas Supreme Court, 1996)
Hausser v. Cuellar
345 S.W.3d 462 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Beach v. Chollett
166 N.E. 145 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1928)
Utah & Northern Railway Co. v. Fisher
3 P. 3 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1884)