Potts v. Potts

354 S.W.2d 624, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2224
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 16, 1962
DocketNo. 15950
StatusPublished

This text of 354 S.W.2d 624 (Potts v. Potts) 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
Potts v. Potts, 354 S.W.2d 624, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2224 (Tex. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

DIXON, Chief Justice.

Appellants James Potts, Sr. and Pearlie Potts, children of Ed Potts and his first wife Virgie Potts, brought suit in trespass to try title against appellee Ammy Addie Potts, second wife and surviving widow of Ed Potts, and stepmother of appellants, for title to a house and lot in the City of Sherman, Texas.

Appellants’ claim of title is not based on a deed. They claim that their parents acquired title by ten years’ limitation as provided in Arts. 5510 and 5513 Vernon’s Ann. C.S. and that they as heirs succeeded to the title. They do not ask for possession. They concede that appellee Addie Potts, as surviving widow of Ed Potts, has a right to live on the property during her lifetime.

Appellee Ammy Addie Potts, hereinafter called Addie Potts, filed a plea of not guilty, and in addition defensively pled the three, five and ten year statutes of limitations. She did not ask for affirmative relief.

After a trial before the court without a jury, judgment was rendered in favor of Addie Potts that appellants take nothing by their suit.

FACTS

Some of the facts are undisputed. In 1918 Ed Potts and Virgie Potts, husband and wife, entered into possession of the property. There is no conveyance of record and no showing of any unrecorded conveyance in their favor. They entered into possession by virtue of a purchase contract entered into with Mrs. M. E. Brannon, owner of the record title.

Ed Potts and Virgie Potts lived on the property until Virgie Potts died intestate on [626]*626June 1, 1941. Ed Potts continued to live there until he married Addie Potts on December 5, 1942. They continued to live on the property until Ed Potts died intestate on March 22, 1949. Appellee Addie Potts thereafter continued to live on the premises until the date of trial.

The records of the tax assessor show that the property was assessed in the name of Ed Potts for the years 1918 through 1949, though there is no showing that the property was actually rendered by Ed Potts, or that Ed Potts ever paid any taxes thereon. The records do show that on November 30, 1953 Addie Potts, appellee, paid delinquent taxes, penalty and interest for the years 1936 and 1937; that on March 25, 1956 she made a similar payment for the year 1923; that on July 21, 1956 she made another payment for the years 1924, 1925 and 1927; and that on November 30, 1956 she made still another payment covering the years 1939 to 1946 inclusive.

On February 11, 1927 Ed Potts and Virgie Potts signed a paving contract as own-, ers of the property.

For several years prior to her death in August 1929, Mrs. M. E. Brannon, accompanied by her son J. C. Brannon and his wife, made frequent trips to the Potts home to collect installment payments on the purchase price. After the death of Mrs. M. E. Brannon, her son J. C. Brannon, acting for himself and other heirs, continued for several years to collect installment payments from the Potts.

At some undetermined time Ed Potts refused to make further payments because the City of Sherman claimed a portion of the land for street purposes. More than a year before the death of Ed Potts, J. C. Brannon declared the purchase contract forfeited and demanded possession of the premises.

A new contract was then entered into, in connection with which Addie Potts made a down payment of $50 out of her separate funds. She continued to make payments on such contract out of her separate funds until the death of Ed Potts on March 22, 1949.

On March 30, 1949, Addie Potts made a final payment of $797.77 out of her separate funds, and received a warranty deed from J. C. Brannon. This deed by its express terms conveys the “undivided right, title and interest of every kind and character” of J. C. Brannon in the property in controversy. The grantee named in the deed is “Ammie Addie Potts, a feme sole”. This deed was filed for record April 3, 1949.

Since March 30, 1949 Addie Potts has occupied the premises as her home, paying taxes and making valuable improvements on the premises.

The trial court made findings of fact which have support in the evidence. After J. C. Brannon demanded possession of the property following the forfeiture of the purchase contract because of Ed Potts’ refusal to make further payments, Addie Potts redeemed the property and in her own behalf entered into a new and separate purchase contract with J. C. Brannon, acting on behalf of himself and other heirs. The first payment under the new contract and all subsequent payments until the death of Ed Potts were made by Addie Potts out of her separate funds. All of this was done with the consent, knowledge and acquiescence of Ed Potts.

On or about April 2, 1949 appellant Pearlie Potts had actual notice that Addie Potts was asserting a claim of exclusive ownership of the property as opposed to her homestead rights as surviving widow of Ed Potts. On or prior to February 23, 1950, both James Potts, Sr. and Pearlie Potts had notice of such claim in behalf of Addie Potts.

Addie Potts’ claim of ownership has been open, peaceable, exclusive and adverse from about April 2, 1949 until this suit was filed.

OPINION

It is to be remembered that in trespass to try title suits the burden is on the [627]*627plaintiff to show prima facie title, and if he fails to do. so judgment must be rendered for defendant. It is not necessary to determine the question whether defendant has title to the property. Jackson v. Griffin, Tex.Civ.App., 302 S.W.2d 266; Beken v. Hoffman, Tex.Civ.App., 196 S.W.2d 548; Reese v. Cobb, 105 Tex. 399, 150 S.W. 887 ; 41-A Tex.Jur. 685. The question then in this case is this: did appellants as plaintiffs in the trial court prove title in themselves under the ten year Statute of Limitations ? We have concluded that this question should be answered adversely to appellants.

The trial court filed written conclusions of law including the following: (1) there is no showing that the possession of Ed Potts and Virgie Potts resulted from a claim of ownership hostile to that of Mrs. M. E. Brannon and her heirs; (2) contrariwise it is indicated that the possession of Ed Potts and Virgie Potts was held under an executory contract of sale; (3) Ed Potts and Virgie Potts never perfected title by limitation; (4) had they done so, such title would have been extinguished through the subsequent claim and possession of Addie Potts; (5) the fact that taxes were assessed to Ed Potts and the further fact that Ed and Virgie Potts executed a paving contract does not establish a hostile claim in view of their subsequent payments to Mrs. M. E. Brannon and J. C. Brannon; (6) lack of hostility in Ed and Virgie Potts’ claim is confirmed in Ed Potts’ subsequent acquiescence in Addie Potts’ redemption of the property and (7) Addie Potts’ claim of ownership has been adverse to appellants.

In their first seven points on appeal appellants contend that the above conclusions were error on the part of the court. We are unable to subscribe to appellants’ contentions.

As we have indicated many of the facts are undisputed. Other facts, though not undisputed, have support in the evidence and the court’s findings thereon are binding on us. Addie Potts testified in substance that J. C.

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Related

August Reese v. Zach L. Cobb
150 S.W. 887 (Texas Supreme Court, 1912)
Beken v. Hoffman
196 S.W.2d 548 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1946)
Jackson v. Griffin
302 S.W.2d 266 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1957)

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Bluebook (online)
354 S.W.2d 624, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2224, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/potts-v-potts-texapp-1962.