Shinault v. McLennan County

330 S.W.2d 486, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 1722
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 10, 1959
DocketNo. 3656
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 330 S.W.2d 486 (Shinault v. McLennan County) 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
Shinault v. McLennan County, 330 S.W.2d 486, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 1722 (Tex. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

This is a condemnation case and is the second appeal. See McLennan County v. Shinault, Tex.Civ.App., 302 S.W.2d 728, n. r. e., for factual statement regarding the lease provisions and the severance order which we think are pertinent here. At the conclusion of the evidence the Court overruled McLennan County’s Motion for Instructed Verdict and submitted the cause to the jury on one issue, and it is substantially:

“What amount of money, if any, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, was the reasonable cash market value of the improvements on that portion of the land actually taken by condemnors herein, on July 18, 1956?
“Answer: $5621.50.”

In connection with the foregoing issue the Court instructed the jury:

“In arriving at your answer to the foregoing issue you will consider only the reasonable cash market value of said improvements considered as severed from the land.”

Shinault did not object to the charge nor did he request any other issue. The Court overruled McLennan County’s Motion for Judgment Non Obstante Veredicto and entered judgment in favor of Shinault on the verdict and Shinault seasonably filed his Motion for New Trial, and it being overruled perfected his appeal to this Court. McLennan County duly excepted to the judgment and gave notice of appeal and has cross assigned error. Shinault assails the judgment on three grounds, they are substantially to the effect that the Court erred:

(1) In charging the jury to the effect, “In arriving at your answer to the foregoing issue, you will consider only the reasonable cash market value of said improvements considered as severed from the land.”
(2) In refusing to allow Shinault to recover damages for improvements as erected on the remainder of the property, which property the county did not take in condemnation but which improvements Shinault lost because of the county taking the front part of the property.
(3) In allowing the County Judge, the Honorable Bill Logue, to testify as to the price the improvements brought at the sale conducted by the county.

We shall direct our attention first to consideration of Appellant’s Point 2. Appellant, in his 4th amended plea of intervention in paragraph 6, among other things specifically alleged the loss of five separate pieces of personal property; One was a shed, and he alleges the value to be $4,700; Two was a septic tank that he alleged to be of the value of $200; Three was a fence which he alleged sur[488]*488rounded the entire tract and alleged the reasonable market value to be $1,650; Four, the water well with water pipes and lines leading from the well to the buildings on the property, and that he had constructed a small house over the well, and he alleged the reasonable market value of the entire improvements relating to the well to he $850; Five that he had a painted sign on the property that was of the reasonable market value of $200. In paragraph 7 he alleged each item as alleged was of the reasonable market value on July 18, 1956, at the time the condemnor took the property. The condemnor urged certain special exceptions to the items of damages set out in paragraph 6; said exceptions being grounded on the theory that the part of the improvements remaining on the part of the leased property that was not taken in the condemnation proceedings was not in anywise damaged by the condemnors, and that intervenor’s property on his leasehold interest not taken did not constitute a loss to the intervenor and they prayed that all of paragraph 6 be stricken, and the Court sustained such exception at a pre-trial hearing, to which Shinault duly excepted. Attorneys for intervenor tendered testimony as to the losses he sustained to the improvements located on the leasehold interest not taken. The Court sustained con-demnor’s objection to this testimony, and for the purpose of perfecting his bill of exceptions to the Court’s action in this matter tendered testimony outside of the presence of the jury as to the reasonable cash market value of each of the items of personal property above referred to when sold to a person willing to purchase, but not obligated to do so, and where the seller was willing to sell, but not obligated to do so, as of July 18, 1956, which was the date condemnor took the property. We think the action of the Court in sustaining the condemnor’s special exceptions to paragraph 6 and striking it in toto and in refusing to let appellant tender testimony as to the damages he claimed to have sustained to his improvements on the leased property not taken, was error, and that it will require a reversal of this cause for reasons which we shall hereafter briefly state.

Our Supreme Court in State v. Carpenter, 126 Tex. 604, 89 S.W.2d 194, and 979, (Com. of Appls.,) opinion adopted, and particularly on motion for rehearing, 89 S.W.2d at page 980, made the following statement of the Rule which is controlling here:

“It is a general rule that improvements situated upon the portion of land taken are to be considered as a part of the realty. They ordinarily have no market value separate from the land. Therefore, when such improvements are taken or destroyed their value can be reflected in the finding as to the value of the land taken, and evidence of their value is admissible for that purpose. As an alternative, however, if the improvements which are situated upon the portion of land taken are essential to the use and enjoyment of the remainder of the land, or if their replacement, by removal or reconstruction, is necessary in order to obviate depreciation in the value of the residue, the cost of .removal, and/or reconstruction and/or replacement may be a proper inquiry in connection with the issue of diminished market value of the remainder.”

Our Supreme Court has not seen fit to change this Rule. It is true that paragraph 11 of Shinault’s lease provided:

“If the property subject to this lease, or any part thereof, shall be taken through the right of eminent domain, lessee shall have no right or interest in the proceeds .received by the lessor in such condemnation, or such property taken. However, in the event any of the demised premises shall be taken as hereinabove mentioned and proceeds received for the removal of improvements thereon, or damages to such improvements, then and in that event [489]*489such amount or amounts received as damages or for the removal of property shall belong to the lessee and. paid directly to him. If condemnation results in taking only a part of the demised premises, this lease contract and agreement shall remain in full force and effect so long as the remaining portion thereof is capable of being used for the purpose of which lessee had heretofore used such property, with a reduction in the rental price proportionate to the decreased utility to the land remaining.”

It is also true that prior to the trial of this case as it affected appellant, Shinault, the parties thereto, including the lessor, Shinault, and McLennan County and others not pertinent here, agreed to a severance order in order to separate the landlord’s interest from that of Shinault. This severance order contained the following provisions :

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Bluebook (online)
330 S.W.2d 486, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 1722, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shinault-v-mclennan-county-texapp-1959.