Sinz v. Meredith

116 S.W.2d 464, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 578
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided April 21, 1938·No. No. 5484.·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

HALL, Justice.

This is an application for mandamus against Hon. D. S. Meredith, district judge of the Special district court of Gregg county, and R., Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast, parties defendant, in a certain suit, No. 10235-B, in which relator is-plaintiff, to compel Hon. D. S. Meredith, district judge, to proceed to try said cause.

It appears that R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast purchased the leasehold interest of relator in certain oil-producing lands in Gregg county, Tex., aggregating 12½ acres, and as a part of the consideration therefor they executed and delivered to relator vendor’s lien notes aggregating $10,000. This indebtedness and the lien securing same constitute the subject matter of cause No. 10235-B.

Prior to the filing of cause No. 10235-B, known hereinafter as the last suit, cause No. 9004 — B, known hereinafter as the first suit, was filed in the district court of Gregg county by F. D. Prince and others (plaintiffs) holding certain mineral interests under the original lease, against relator, R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, George Prendergast, and other persons (defendants) not necessary to mention here, for the sum of $10,000 claimed to be due for excess or “hot” oil run by defendants from a certain one-acre tract of land.

*465 Ill the first suit plaintiffs also sought to cancel the assignment of the oil and gas lease under which defendants held covering . the one-acre tract from which the excess or “hot” oil allegedly had been produced, which one-acre tract comprised a portion of the 12½ acre leasehold purchased by R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast from relator; or, in the alternative, to fix a lien thereon to secure the payment of their damages. In the first suit defendants R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast filed their cross-action against relator seeking judgment for damages in case of loss to them of the title to the leasehold interest to the one-acre tract in .controversy, and on relator’s warranty of title to same.

Upon a trial in the first suit plaintiffs were given judgment against defendants, except R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast, for approximately $10,000 damages for excess or “hot” oil run, but judgment was refused them for the cancellation of the assignment of the leasehold interest in the said one-acre tract, or the fixing of a lien thereon. In said judgment the trial court dismissed without prejudice the cross-action of R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast, and these three defendants were absolved from any damages resulting from the running of excess or “hot” oil by some of the other defendants, one of whom was relator. Exception was reserved to said judgment by F. D. Prince -and others (plaintiffs) and notice of appeal given, but same was not perfected by them.

The first suit is now on appeal in this court through' the efforts of P. Sinz and others adversely affected by the judgment, and F. D. Prince and' others, royalty owners, are appellees. R. Lacy, Edwin Lacy, and George Prendergast are not parties to that appeal.

Effort was made by relator on several occasions to try the last suit, but the judge has refused to try same, the reason therefor being stated in the following orders :

“3-3-37. Continued-without prejudice to any pleas or rights of parties until after disposition of 9004-B, styled Prince vs. Rineman et al, which plaintiff excepts.
“11-29-37. Defendant’s, motion for continuance granted, the Court holding that the order of 3-3-37 is effective until cause 9004-B is finally disposed of, and therefore decline to try this cause upon merits until disposition of 9004-B. Plaintiff excepts. Jas. V. Leak, Special Judge.
“2-10-38. Order of 3-3-37 and 11-29-37 set aside, and Court refuses to try case until Cause No. 9004-B is finally disposed. D. S. Meredith, Jr.”

Relator’s first proposition is: “When the trial judge set aside all previous orders relating to a hearing on the case, and entered an order in which he refused to proceed with the trial, the plaintiff as a matter of right 'is entitled to a writ of mandamus compelling him to do so.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Sinz v. Meredith, 116 S.W.2d 464, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 578 (Tex. Ct. App. 1938).

116 S.W.2d 464 (Sinz v. Meredith) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Bowman v. Puckett
185 S.W.2d 228 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1944)