Smith v. Bittick

237 S.W. 331, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 191
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 12, 1922
DocketNo. 1258. [fn*]
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 237 S.W. 331 (Smith v. Bittick) 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
Smith v. Bittick, 237 S.W. 331, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 191 (Tex. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

HARPER, C. J.

A. W. Bittick brought this suit against Fenton W. Smith and C. E. Benton. The petition contains two counts:

First, in trespass to try title to lands described as follows:

“All of C. M. Newman survey No. 325, on the waters of the Rio Grande, as described in patent from the state of Texas to C. M. Newman, dated April 9, 1908, recorded in book 25, at page 321, of the deed records of El Paso county, Tex., containing approximately 120 acres of land and being about 40 miles south 45° east from the county seat of El Paso county, Tex., and adjoining what is known as Ralph Wright survey No. 44.”

The second count recites that it is in the alternative, and sets up certain notes and prays for judgment for their several sums and for foreclosure of liens therein described.

The defendant answered by general denial and not guilty, and, specially, that the sale of the land by substitute trustee was void, for ike reasons hereinafter mentioned; also that the sheriff’s sale under execution was void for reasons hereinafter discussed.

The court instructed a verdict and entered judgment for plaintiff for the land sued for, from which an appeal is perfected. Dismissed as to O. E. Benton without objection. It is agreed that E. H. Griffith is the common source of title.

Plaintiff introduced in evidence:

Deed from E. H. and Lola Griffith to Fen-ton W. Smith, consideration, $4,800; said deed contains a description of. the land by definite location and by metes and bounds.

Deed of trust, Williams, trustee, to secure the payment of note payable .to the City National Bank of El Paso.

Judgment dated May 19, 1919, in cause No. 6990, Texas Bank & Trust Company v. Fenton W. Smith, in El Paso county court at law, for $159.60, and foreclosing lien upon horses and mules as provided in chattel mortgage.

Order of sale dated July 18, 1919, and sheriff’s return thereon, which recites the sale of certain stock for $55; not all.

Execution, in same case, which recites that the judgment was recovered May 18, 1919, and the return of the sheriff, which recites:

“Return.
“Came Jo hand the 30'th day of January, 1920, at 10':40 a. m., and executed the 4th day of February, 1920, at 10:25 a. m., by levying upon the following described real property, as the property of Fenton W. Smith, to wit: Survey No. 325 in El Paso county, Tex., about 40 miles south 45° east from the county seat,' near Tornillo, and adjoining Ralph Wright survey (44, and containing approximately 120 acres. And thereafter, on the 2d day of March, 1920, I sold said property at public sale for cash to the highest bidder, between the hours of 10 o’clock a. m. and 4 o’clock p. m. on said day, and the highest bidder being the First National Bank of El Paso, Tex., it having bid for said property the sum of $75, and that being the highest and best bid for same; and I having, previous to said sale, mailed a written notice of the time, place, and terms of sale, and the authority under which said sale was to be held, describing the land in the manner required by law, and said notice containing all of the requisites required by law, to Fenton W. Smith, and I having, previous to said sale, published such notice to sell in the El Paso Morning Times, a daily newspaper published in the English language in El Paso county, Tex., and having a general circulation in said county, said notice being published on the 5th day of February, 1920, on the 12th day of February, 1920, and on the 19th day of February, 1920, and as shown by affidavit hereto attached and made a part of this return, and said sale having been held in all respects according to law, I have executed and delivered to the First Na *333 tional Bank o£ El Paso, Tex., a deed to said property, it having paid said sum of $75, out of which the costs have first been deducted, amounting to the sum of $8.50, and the balance of said sum has been delivered to Jones, Jones, Hardie & Grambling for the plaintiff, as a credit on said judgment. Seth B. Orndorff, Sheriff, by K. E. Bryant, Deputy.”

Next, sheriff’s deed dated March 6, 1920, to First National Bank of El Paso county, Tex., describing the land as follows:

“All of survey numbered 325 in El Paso county, Tex., about 40 miles south 45° east from the county seat, being near Tornillo, and adjoining Ralph Wright survey No. 44, and containing approximately 120 acres.”

Quitclaim deed from First National Bank of El Paso, Tex., to A. W. Bittick.-

Transfer of deed of trust lien from City National Bank to H. M. Morris.

Request to Williams, trustee therein, to sell; his refusal to act; appointment of Har-■die substitute trustee and request of him to sell, and then trustee’s deed executed by said Hardie to said Morris, reciting consideration •of $100, dated June 3, 1920.

Special warranty deed from Morris to Bittick, which describes the land in controversy substantially as in sheriff’s deed above described.

The defendant Smith testified that he lived (at one time) about a mile and a half from 'Tornillo, on.this land; that it is worth from $100 to $125 per acre; that only two animals were sold under the mortgage given to secure the Texas Bank & Trust Company, because ■one of the horses was dead and another, got into Mexico, was stolen.

The trial court.having instructed a verdict for plaintiff and entered judgment for title .and possession of the land as described in the first count of the petition, it is clear that the second count was in no way considered, so if the judgment is to be sustained it.is because the above muniments of title divest title out of appellant, Smith, and vest it in appellee, Bittick.

[1] The first assignment is that the court erred in instructing a verdict for plaintiff and in refusing to instruct verdi .‘t for defendant, because (taking up the sale under the execution from the county court at law first, because this deed is first in time), the ■court had no jurisdiction to render the judgment, ■ in that the amount sued for nor the value of the stock for which the lien was foreclosed were of the value of $200 or more; therefore the sale was void.

This is a collateral attack upon the judgment and in such cases the jurisdictional facts, when not recited, as in this case, will be conclusively presumed to have existed. Ferrell M. Abst. & Title Co. v. McCormac, 184 S. W. 1081; Black on Judgments, § 270; Bender v. Damon, 72 Tex. 92, 9 S. W. 747,

[2] True, the evidence is that only two of the four animals were sold under the order of sale, and that they brought only $55. But it further appears that one of them had died and another had been stolen before the sale took place, but this falls far short pf evidence that the animals were not in existence and of the value of $200 or more, at the date of the judgment.

[3] It is urged by assignments and propositions that the sale of the land under execution was void because of many irregularities named in the issuance of the writ, the notice of sale, and inadequacy of price, etc.

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237 S.W. 331, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-bittick-texapp-1922.