Patton v. Cumbie

74 S.W.2d 134, 1934 Tex. App. LEXIS 790
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 19, 1934
DocketNo. 3032.
StatusPublished

This text of 74 S.W.2d 134 (Patton v. Cumbie) 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
Patton v. Cumbie, 74 S.W.2d 134, 1934 Tex. App. LEXIS 790 (Tex. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinion

WALTI-IADL, Justice.

Appellee Mrs. J. E. Cumbie, a feme sole, brought this suit against L. H. Patton and others to recover the title and possession of the real estate described, to remove cloud from title, her title'quieted, and for damages, rents, and costs of suit.

The land involved in the suit is described in appellees’ third amended original petition upon which the trial was had as follows:

“All that certain lot, tract or parcel of land, lying and being situated in Van Zandt County, Texas, and comprising 43.8 acres, more or less, of the John Walling League and described as follows:
“Beginning at the N.E. corner of a 48 acre tract sold by E. J. Jarvis to J. G. Tunnell, a P. O. brs. N 52 W 7⅜⅛ vrs a R.O. brs S 57 W 9 vrs; Thence S 715 vrs to J. G. Tunnell S.E. corner a R.O. 6 in. in dia. brs N 80½ E 7 vrs; a R.O. 8 in. in dia. brs N 71 W 4 vrs: Thence E 345.4 vrs to corner of Block No. 3, a P.O. 24 in. in dia. brs N 41 E 11.9 vrs; a B.J. 8 in. in dia. brs N% W 12.2 vrs; Thence N 716 vrs to corner a B. J. 4 in. in dia. brs S 6 W 1 vrs. a B.J. 8 in. in dia. brs S 63 W 19/20 vrs; Thence W 345.4 vrs to the place of beginning, less, however the 20 acres of this tract now owned by W. H. White and deeded to said White by the plaintiff herein, Mrs. J. E. Cum-bie, deed dated August 6th, 1917, recorded in Vol. 127, page 538, Deed Records of Van Zandt County, Texas.”

Appellee also pleaded in the alternative; but the judgment for appellee not having been rendered on the matters pleaded in the alternative, we need not state the matters there pleaded.

Other parties than L. H. Patton made defendants in the suit, though cited, did not answer but made default, and judgment was entered in favor of appellee and against them.

As to the matters involved there, L.' H. Patton answered by general denial, and plea of not guilty. The trial court heard 'the evidence and at its close instructed a verdict in favor of appellee, and upon said verdict the court entered judgment in favor of appellee, overruled appellant’s motion for a new trial, from which appellant duly prosecutes this appeal.

Opinion.

Appellant’s brief contains two assignments of error;

“1. The court erred in instructing the jury to return a verdict for plaintiff because, under the law and the uncontradicted evidence, the plaintiff was not entitled to recover against the defendant L. H. Patton.
“2. The court erred in rendering judgment against this defendant, L. H. Patton, in favor of the plaintiff, because the verdict of the jury and said judgment is not supported by the law and the evidence.”

Under the above assignments appellant submits three propositions to the effect that under the deeds and power of attorney evidencing title in appellee and in appellant, to the land in controversy, and shown in evidence, the verdict and judgment should have been in favor of appellant

The evidence is substantially as follows:

1. It was agreed by the parties that the common source of title was in W. H. Cook by deed duly recorded in the deed records of Van Zandt county conveying the land in controversy out of the John Walling survey in that county.
2. Appellee then offered a duly • recorded warranty deed from W. H. Cook and wife, the common source, to appellee, of date November 17,1911. The land described in the deed from Cook to appellee conveys the land in controversy.

*135 With the introduction of the Ooolc deed ap-pellee closed her evidence. Appellant introduced in evidence the following recorded instruments :■

1. A power of attorney of date the-day of August, 1930, signed hy a number of parties, among them Johnnie Cumbie, and acknowledged on the ISth day of August, 1930. The instrument recites that the parties executing the instrument reposing confidence in J. W. Fowler have this day constituted and appointed him as their agent and attorney in fact to represent them and each of them “in recovering any and all lands which we own in which we have an interest in the John Walling League in Van Zandt County, Texas. We impower and authorize our said agent to compromise and adjust any and all claims which we may have in and to said lands for such consideration as in his judgment may be wise and we expressly authorize and impower him to make and execute in our names any and all deeds and contracts which may be necessary in the actions involving the settlement and recovery of our said interest in said land.” “We further authorize and impower and prosecute such suit or suits to recover our interest in said land or any part thereof, which suit, if necessary, may be instituted and prosecuted in our names or in the name of our said agent.” “For and in consideration of the services of our said agent rendered and to be rendered in our behalf, we bargain, sell, and convey, and do by these presents bargain, sell, transfer and convey, to the said J. W. Fowler, an undivided one-half (½) interest in and to all of the lands which we may have, own or in which we may have an' interest in said John Walling League. To have and to hold unto the said J. W. Fowler, his heirs and assigns forever.”

2. Appellant introduced Jn evidence a recorded royalty deed from J. W. Fowler to B. R. Fowler, dated February 28,1931, conveying one-eighth of all the oil, gas, and other minerals in and to the lands described in appellee’s petition; that deed is made subject to an oil and gas lease held by the Pure Oil Company.

3. Appellant introduced in evidence a recorded royalty deed from B. R. Fowler to appellant, L. H. Patton, of date March 39, 1931. By that deed B. B. Fowler conveyed to appellant two-thirds of a one-eighth royalty interest in and to all of the oil, gas, and other minerals in and under and that may be produced from the land and premises described in appellees’ petition.

4. Appellant introduced in evidence a recorded conveyance from J. W. Fowler to appellant, L. H. Patton, thereby assigning to appellant all of the unpaid royalties due by the Pure Oil Oompnay on the land in controversy up to and including March 30,1981.

5.Appellant testified in his own behalf that he purchased from B. B. Fowler two-thirds of one-eighth royalty in the land in controversy and paid therefor the sum of $1,200 in cash, without any knowledge of any fact or circumstance affecting the title to said property other than is shown by the records of Van Zandt county and as shown by the records contained in the statement of facts; that he in person made no examination of the records, but that his attorney did and advised him that B. B. Fowler had good title to said royalty interest.

Appellant then closed his evidence.

Appellees introduced a lis pendens notice of this suit and her original petition filed April 24, 1931.

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Bluebook (online)
74 S.W.2d 134, 1934 Tex. App. LEXIS 790, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patton-v-cumbie-texapp-1934.