Reed v. Benjamin State Bank

114 S.W.2d 365, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 913
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 21, 1938
DocketNo. 1742.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 114 S.W.2d 365 (Reed v. Benjamin State Bank) 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
Reed v. Benjamin State Bank, 114 S.W.2d 365, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 913 (Tex. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinions

[367]*367GRISSOM, Justice.

On March 27, 1936, the appellant, Mrs. Mattie Reed, filed suit against the Benjamin State Bank, as successor to the First National Bank of Benjamin, and on May 6, 1936, by amended petition, Z. Gos-sett, Commissioner of Banking of the state of Texas, was made a party defendant. The cause, of action alleged was: (1) Trespass to try title to 440 acres of land in Knox county, Tex.; (2) in the alternative plaintiff adopted the allegations of the first count, and in addition alleged: (a) That the consideration for said land was paid by Mrs. Reed out of her separate funds, which funds were acquired by the sale of property inherited by her, and that said land belonged to her separate estate; (b) that by mistake of the scrivener the name of her husband was inserted in the deed as one of the grantees; (c) that on December 26, 1922, the First National Bank of Benjamin procured the execution of a deed of trust on said land to secure a note for $6,582.50; (d) that on March 22, 1926, said bank executed and delivered a release wherein it was declared that said note and the lien of said deed of trust were fully paid and released; (e) that on March 1, 1929, said bank filed a purported deed of trust dated February 20, 1929, purporting to secure a note in the principal sum of $4,846.67 (said deed of trust recited that said note was for the unpaid balance of the note for $6,582.50). Plaintiff attacked the validity of the deed of trust dated February 20, 1929, and the trustee’s deed thereunder, because (f) the note dated January 15, 1923, for $6,582.50 had been fully paid and the debt evidenced thereby, and the deed of trust lien securing the same had been released and there was no consideration for the note and deed of trust of date February 20, 1929. Plaintiff alleged that on February 20, 1929, she was of unsound mind; (g) because there was no legal acknowledgment by the plaintiff of said deed of trust; (h) because said note and deed of trust dated February 20, 1929, for $4,846.67, were executed, if at all, for the accommodation of the bank for the purpose of assisting it in passing an expected examination. It was alleged that it was understood that after such examination said instruments would be returned canceled. That no right, title, or interest was procured by the bank under a purported sale by the trustee under said deed of trust dated February 20, 1929; (i) it was alleged (and is admitted) that the Benjamin State Bank was the successor of the First National Bank of Benjamin, and took over the affairs of said National Bank merely by changing its name; that said state bank being in a failing condition was placed in the hands of said banking commissioner for the purpose of liquidation. (There is no question of innocent purchaser involved.)

The defendants, among other things, answered by general denial, plea of not guilty, and plea of limitation under article 5529. Defendants further pleaded by way of estoppel that said land was conveyed to Mattie Reed and her husband jointly; it being alleged that thereby, as a matter of law, the title thereto was in the community; and, further, that the defendants had no notice of plaintiff’s claim that such land was her separate property. Defendants, further specially .pleaded that plaintiff’s husband died leaving a will wherein the plaintiff was appointed independent executrix without bond, and bequeathed and devised all his property to plaintiff. The plaintiff filed an inventory and ap-praisement showing said land to be community property, and that by reason thereof she is now estopped to assert the contrary.

The case was submitted to the jury upon special issues, which issues and jury’s answers thereto are substantially as follows:

“No. 1. Do you find from a preponderance qf the evidence that the lands in controversy were on February 20, 1929, the separate property of the plaintiff, Mrs. Reed? Answer: Yes.
“No. 2. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff, Mrs. Mattie Reed, has traced funds derived from the proceeds of the sale of lands owned by her as her separate property into the payment of the cash purchase price of the lands in controversy, to the full extent of the cash purchase price thereof? Answer: Yes.
“No. 3. .Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the purpose or intention of the parties, Mrs. Mattie Reed, plaintiff, and her husband, W. H. Reed, at the time of acquiring ’the property in controversy, was to make and constitute the same the community property of their marriage? Answer: Yes.
[368]*368“No. 4. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the time the deed of trust dated February 20, 1929 was signed by Mrs. Mattie Reed, if you find that it was so signed by her, that the said Mrs. Mattie Reed, was mentally incapable of understanding the transaction involved? You will answer this issue ‘She was mentally incapable/ or ‘She was not mentally incapable/ accordingly as you find the evidence to be. Answer: She was mentally incapable.
“No. S. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such mental incapacity, if any, of the said Mrs. Mattie Reed continued until on or about the time she was operated upon in July, 1933? Answer: Yes.
“No. 6. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the time of the signing of the $4,846.67 note dated February 20, 1929, if you find same was so signed, that W. H. Reed and/or Mrs. Mattie Reed was indebted to the said First National Bank of Benjamin, in said sum? Answer: Yes.
“No. 7. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the note dated February 20, 1929, in the sum of $4,846.67, if executed, was so done at the instance and request of C. H. Burnett, president of the First National Bank of Benjamin, in order that said note might be used for the accommodation of said bank? Answer : No.
“No. 8. Do you find from.a preponderance of the evidence that W. H. Reed paid unto the First National Bank of Benjamin, Texas, the note as mentioned in the release of the First National Bank of Benjamin dated March 22, 1926? Answer : No.
“No. 9. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that W. C. Glenn failed to take the acknowledgment of Mrs. Mattie Reed at a time when W. H. Reed was absent from the room in which it is purported the acknowledgment was taken? Answer: Yes.
“No. 10. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that W. ■ C. Glenn failed to explain to Mrs. Mattie Reed the nature and contents of the instrument that it is purported her acknowledgment was taken to, to-wit: The deed of trust dated February 20, 1929. Answer: W. C. Glenn failed to explain fully.
“No. 11. Do you find from a preponderance of. the evidence that W. C. Glenn failed to ask Mrs. Mattie Reed that, such instrument was her act and deed? Answer : He did not.
“No. 12. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that plaintiff, Mrs. Mattie Reed, at the time of said claimed acknowledgment did not declare to said W. C. Glenn that she had willingly signed the same for the purposes and consideration therein expressed? You will answer said issue ‘She did not so declare,’ or ‘She did so declare’ accordingly as you may find the facts to be. Answer: She did not so declare.
“No. 13.

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Bluebook (online)
114 S.W.2d 365, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 913, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reed-v-benjamin-state-bank-texapp-1938.