Rudy v. Hardy

610 S.W.2d 565, 1980 Tex. App. LEXIS 4272
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 31, 1980
DocketNo. 6233
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 610 S.W.2d 565 (Rudy v. Hardy) 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
Rudy v. Hardy, 610 S.W.2d 565, 1980 Tex. App. LEXIS 4272 (Tex. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION

McDONALD, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal by plaintiff Rudy from take-nothing judgment in a trespass to try title suit to an approximate 40 acres of land in Madison County.

Plaintiff Rudy sued defendants John Hardy, his mother and his sister, to recover title and possession to an approximate 40 acre1 tract of land. Plaintiff claimed record title from the State of Texas. Defendants answered by plea of not guilty, and plead the ten year statute of limitations of adverse possession.

Trial was to a jury which found:

1) Defendants and the late Rayford Hardy, under whom they claim, had peaceable and adverse possession of the 40 acres as against plaintiff and his predecessors in title, cultivating, using or enjoying the same for 10 consecutive years between May 28, 1951 and July 16, 1974.

2) Plaintiff Rudy or his predecessors in title knew that defendants were claiming the 40 acres adverse to the plaintiff, or that defendants asserted such adverse possession against plaintiff, of such certainty that plaintiff was presumed to have notice of such adverse claim.

The trial court rendered judgment on such verdict that plaintiff take nothing and decreed defendants recover from plaintiff title and possession to the land.

Plaintiff appeals on 8 points which present 3 main contentions:

1) The trial court erred in rendering judgment against plaintiff because there is no evidence and/or insufficient evidence to support the jury’s findings to the special issues, and/or such findings are against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.

2) The trial court erred in failing to grant plaintiff’s motion for instructed verdict because the evidence and pleadings conclusively establish that title to the land was vested in plaintiff.

3) The trial court erred in failing to grant plaintiff’s motion for instructed verdict because as a matter of law defendants did not meet the statutory requirement to perfect a title by limitation under the ten year statute of limitations.

To constitute adverse possession under the ten year statute, the appropriation of land must be of such character as to indicate unmistakably an assertion of a claim of exclusive ownership in the occupant. VATS Art. 5510. The use of unenclosed land for grazing livestock does not of itself constitute adverse possession; and the grazing of an enclosure “casually” or “incidentally” created as result of being fenced out by surrounding owners does not constitute actual and visible appropriation of land; and the additional cutting of burrs and weeds does not result in meeting of the requirements of the ten year statute. McDonnold v. Weinacht, Tex., 465 S.W.2d 136; Orsborn v. Deep Rock Oil Corp., 153 Tex. 281, 267 S.W.2d 781; Chapa v. Garcia, Tex.Civ.App. (San Antonio) N.R.E. 513 S.W.2d 953.

[567]*567The 40 acres in dispute is located within a fenced area containing additional lands to the 40 acres. A schematic diagram follows:

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Bluebook (online)
610 S.W.2d 565, 1980 Tex. App. LEXIS 4272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rudy-v-hardy-texapp-1980.