Queen v. Turman

241 S.W. 786, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 940
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 4, 1922
DocketNo. 1340.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 241 S.W. 786 (Queen v. Turman) 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
Queen v. Turman, 241 S.W. 786, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 940 (Tex. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

HARPER, C. J.

This suit was instituted by Lizzie Queen, joined by her husband, Mrs. N. O. Bearden, a feme sole, A. Bearden, Zula Hortpn and husband, and C. D. Woodard, individually, and as guardian of the estate of C. O. and J. C. Woodard, minors, against L. C. Turman and Cleaves Rhea, guardian of the estates of Evelyn and John W. Potter, minors, and the Magnolia Petroleum Company, and others, who for cause of action alleged:

That November 1, 1918, plaintiffs were joint owners of 121.3 acres of the Juana Salinas survey in Eastland county, Tex.; that about November 1, 1918, they, by oral agreement, partitioned the mineral rights therein so that each would own and hold the mineral rights in a particular part as follows: To C. D., C. O., and J. O. Woodard, minors, lot No. 1, containing 15⅝ acres.- To Lizzie Queen and husband lot No. 2, containing 15 acres. To Zula Horton.and husband, lot No. 3, 15 acres. To Mrs. N. O. Bearden and A. Beard-en, lot No. 4, 79.9 acres subject’ to lease theretofore executed to Hog Creek Oil Company.

That this partition applied to mineral and not to the surface; that November 20, 191S, this agreed partition, after plat was made, was submitted to the district court of East-land county, Tex.; and that after a commission appointed had reported this to be a fair partition of the lands between the parties, the court, cause No. 4827, entered judgment in all things confirming same.

That after-- the oral agreement, and before-judgment entry, defendant L. C. Turman offered to purchase 30 acres of Mrs. N. O. Bearden’s royalty; that she informed him of the above agreement, and that he agreed to take conveyance subject thereto, and with full knowledge of said facts Turman secured a deed from plaintiff Mrs. N. O. Bearden, by which he and his assigns are now claiming an undivided 30-acre royalty in the whole of said 121.3-acre tract; that plaintiffs have sold their royalties to the Magnolia Petroleum Company in accordance with above partition, and it refuses to pay because of the-claim of defendant Turman and his assigns.

It is then alleged that L. C. Turman, F. E. Tucker, and J. W. Potter were copartners in the purchase from Mrs. Bearden, and that subsequent to the execution of the deed J. W. Potter died, leaving surviving him, as heirs at law, Evelyn and Jno. W. Potter; that Cleaves Rhea is their guardian; that defendants should not be heard to contend for any other construction than that placed on said instrument at the time of its execution and-delivery; that they are estopped from doing so by certain facts detailed.

*788 They pray judgment for a. construction of the conveyances and partition and for a money judgment against the oil company.

Defendant L. C. Turman answered hy denying the alleged oral partition. He denied that it had any binding effect; that he had no notice thereof or of the decree of court, (a) because he was not a party to the suit, that it was instituted after his purchase, that his deed from Mrs. Bearden was a conveyance of one-half of her interest in and to all oil, gas, and other minerals in an undivided one-half interest in and to 121.3 acres. Then he named his assigns and their interests, as well as his own, and reconvened, and by cross-action ashed a judgment against all parties plaintiff and the Magnolia Petroleum Company, for the value of oil taken.

Other defendants by their answers ask for same relief.

The cause was submitted hy special issues, and upon the answers judgment was entered against the plaintiffs and for defendants on their cross-action for royalty interests in all of said 121.3-acre tract for various sums against each plaintiff and against the Magnolia Petroleum Company for large sums, from which this appeal.

We fail to see the pertinency of the assignment and proposition that the defendants’ answer is subject to general demurrer because there is no offer to return, the statu quo.

There are no pleadings to cancel any conveyance, but a cross-action for the value of oil taken which defendants claim belong to them under the conveyances recited in their pleadings, and judgment is entered accordingly.

Assignments Nos. 2 to 8, inclusive, complain of the refusal of the trial court to sustain special exceptions of plaintiff by supplemental petition to the answers and cross-actions of defendants. These supplemental pleadings contain many special exceptions, and we are not advised by proposition, or otherwise, which one or more are charged to be the basis of exception, so are not considered.

The court submitted the following special issues, and they were answered as indicated:

(1) “Did the plaintiffs herein on or prior to November 15, 1918, by mutual consent or oral agreement, partition the mineral rights in the 121½ acres of land in controversy into lots Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, partitioning to each party their respective interests therein? Answer: No.”

Other questions not answered.

Then specially requested by counsel for plaintiff:

“Did the plaintiff, Mrs. N. O. Bearden, make written demand on L. O. Turman for the payment of the additional consideration of $12,-000 provided for in said mineral deed prior to the time that any well had been brought in on what is called lot No. 4, having settled daily production of 200 barrels of oil? Answer: Tes.”

It is by assignments and propositions contended that the court erred in submitting these charges for various reasons assigned.

These objections to the charge are waived because not presented in the trial court as required by article 1971, Vernon, Sayles’ Statutes of Texas.

Next, it is urged that there is no evidence to support the finding in response to issue No. 1, and for that reason cannot be the basis for a judgment in the case.

This contention rests upon the proposition that all the testimony is to the contrary and to the effect that there was an oral partition of the tract of land prior to the date of the. Turman deed. The appellants’ evidence relied upon consists of the testimony of parties at interest and plaintiffs.

We take it that the rule is now established in Texas that the testimony of a party need not be accepted as establishing the facts stated by him, though there is no evidence to the contrary., Burleson v. Tinnen (Tex. Civ. App.) 100 S. W. 350; Brannan v. Bank (Tex. Civ. App.) 211 S. W. 945. But we are of the opinion that the record will not bear out the proposition that there is no evidence to the contrary.

Again, appellants insist that the court should have construed the written instrument, deed from Mrs. Bearden to Turman, in the light of the understandings between the parties, to be a conveyance of a 30-acre interest of a subdivision containing 60 acres. The deed in question reads, as applicable to the proposition:

“I, Mrs. N. O. Bearden, widow, * * * do'grant, bargain, sell, set over and assign and deliver unto B. C. Turman the following, to wit:

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Bluebook (online)
241 S.W. 786, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 940, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/queen-v-turman-texapp-1922.