Peurifoy v. Wiebusch

174 S.W.2d 610
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 1, 1943
DocketNo. 4255
StatusPublished

This text of 174 S.W.2d 610 (Peurifoy v. Wiebusch) 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
Peurifoy v. Wiebusch, 174 S.W.2d 610 (Tex. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

PRICE, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment of one of the District Courts exercising jurisdiction in Dallas County. This judgment established and foreclosed in favor of the plaintiff, G. W. Wiebusch, a mortgage lien on certain property in Dallas County, for the sum of $94,170.81, as to Powell University Training School, a corporation, Nathan Powell, Florence Powell, Minnie Powell, M. J. Peurifoy and husband, P. G. Peurifoy. The case was tried by the court with a jury, and on the verdict and independent findings, judgment was rendered as above stated. Defendant P. G. Peurifoy perfected this appeal. The case is here, transferred by the Supreme Court from the Dallas Court of Civil Appeals.

This is the second appeal of the case. A detailed statement of the nature and history of the litigation prior to the second trial is set forth in the following reported cases: Thomason v. Wiebusch, Tex.Civ. App., 89 S.W.2d 452 and Peurifoy v. [621]*621Wiebusch, 132 Tex. 36, 117 S.W.2d 773. In view of this fact, the prior history and nature of the litigation will be set forth as briefly as possible.

This case was instituted on January 9, 1931, by G. W. Wiebusch, Nathan Powell, Minnie Powell and Powell University Training School against G. W. Thoma-son. It was a trespass to try title action in which plaintiffs sought to recover title and possession of the property in question here. Thomason answered and filed a cross action. Thereafter, on May 15, 1931, P. G. Peurifoy filed an intervention setting up title to the property. Plaintiffs went to trial on their third amended original petition. All the rights asserted in that trial and the trial here by Wiebusch were founded on a certain deed of trust from Powell University Training School to him. This deed of trust is dated August 16, 1928. It recites that while the conveyance is made to Wiebusch as trustee, it conferred upon him the power of managing, selling and conveying the land just as though he were the owner in fee simple. This deed of trust was executed and delivered under and by virtue of the authority of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Powell University corporation. Among the provisions of the resolution, the following appear:

“That this Deed is given to said G. W. Wiebusch, Trustee, in part liquidation of the affairs of the corporation preparatory to the surrender of the corporation charter with the State of Texas and to assure the payment of 2 certain deeds of trust notes payable to the order of G. W. Wiebusch on the above described property.

“1 note dated April 14, 1927, in the principal sum of $20,000.00 due 5 years after date bearing interest at the rate of 8% per annum interest due semi-annually, interest on same paid to October 14, 1927, and one note dated November 8, 1927, for $2,000.00 due April 14, 1932, bearing interest at the rate of 8% per annum interest due semi-annually.

⅜ ⅛: ⅜ ⅜ ⅝

“That after the sale of the above lots by the said G. W. Wiebusch, trustee, and a balance of cash or notes in hand after paying the above described 2 notes to the said G. W. Wiebusch together with interest at the rate of 8% per annum note payable semi-annually and payment to the said G. W. Wiebusch, trustee, all advances on open account now due or hereafter due and paying the expenses of management hereto such as sales commissions, taxes, paying assessments and other expenses incidental thereto, then the said balance if any is hereby assigned and transferred to Minnie E. Powell who is hereby authorized and empowered to receive same free unto herself.”

Powell University Training School was a corporation with a capital stock of $50,-000, divided into 500 shares. Nathan Powell at all relevant times owned 498 shares thereof, his daughter one share and his wife one share. The Powells constituted the board of directors of the corporation. The corporation was dissolved on November 28, 1928, by a decree of the District Court of Travis County, cancelling and forfeiting its. charter at the suit of the State. No receiver was ever appointed to wind up its business.

In the former appeal of .this case we held, among other things, that the deed of trust constituted a mortgage and conveyed no title to Dr. Wiebusch, but denied to Peurifoy a judgment for the possession of the property. See Thomason v. Wiebusch, 89 S.W.2d 452, supra. Writ of error was granted by the Supreme Court in the case, and the judgment entered on the first trial was disposed of by that court, Peurifoy v. Wiebusch, 132 Tex. 36, 117 S.W.2d 773, 776, supra. The concluding paragraph of the opinion of the Supreme Court represents the judgment of that body, and mandate issued in accordance therewith. It was there said: “Accordingly, the judgments of the Court of Civil Appeals and the district court are reversed and judgment is here rendered in favor of plaintiff in error Peurifoy against defendant in error Wiebusch for the title and possession of the property in controversy, subject, however,, to a lien on said property to secure the payment of so much of the indebtedness of Powell University Training School to Wiebusch described in the said resolution as is unpaid; and the cause is remanded to the district court, with direction that the pleadings be amended, the issue as to payment of the notes tried, the amount of the indebtedness determined, and judgment rendered foreclosing the lien.”

The trial court, after the mandate was filed, again obtained jurisdiction of the case, which had been divested by the perfection of the appeal. This jurisdiction [622]*622Was circumscribed and limited by the mandate. The. authoritative .judgment of the Supreme Court determined all other matters.

In accordance with the direction of the Supreme Court, the pleadings' were amended before the second trial. The trial court on that trial scrupulously adhered to this mandate. ■ The judgment disposes of the only issues in the case such court was authorized to try. In • accordance with the verdict finding the notes unpaid, the judgment decreed a foreclosure of the lien as to the notes. The other indebtedness referred to in the resolution in the Supreme Court’s opinion was not in its entirety submitted to the jury. As to the matters un-submitted, the court made its own findings. The judgment decrees a general indebtedness of $4,806.31. The next item of indebtedness is $7,908.70, representing taxes paid by plaintiff Wiebusch on the property in question.

Appellants assert that the $20,000 note and the $2,000 note were, as a matter of law, barred by limitation; that no suit was ever filed on said notes until the 23rd day of June, 1939, the date of the filing of plaintiff Wiebusch’s fourth amended original petition; that all other items allowed were, as a matter of law, barred by limitation. Hence the judgment should be reversed and rendered in their favor. Further, this suit could not be maintained against a dissolved corporation; in the alternative, that the items of indebtedness, other than the notes, were not shown to exist by the undisputed proof, hence same should have been submitted to the jury in order to form the basis of a judgment, and the case should be reversed and remanded. Complaint is made as to argument of counsel and as to alleged misconduct of the jury.

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Bluebook (online)
174 S.W.2d 610, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peurifoy-v-wiebusch-texapp-1943.