Southern Lloyds v. Jones

345 S.W.2d 435, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2218
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 29, 1961
Docket10835
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 345 S.W.2d 435 (Southern Lloyds v. Jones) 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
Southern Lloyds v. Jones, 345 S.W.2d 435, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2218 (Tex. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

GRAY, Justice.

Appellee, Tom Jones, sued appellant, Southern Lloyds, to recover on a policy of fire insurance issued by appellant to ap-pellee and insuring a building in Manor, Texas against loss by fire. Appellee sued for $2,000, the amount of the insurance, and for $5,000 exemplary damages.

On February 6, 1959, appellant issued and delivered its policy of fire insurance to ap-pellee naming him as the insured and as the owner of a composition frame house located on lot 2 of block 48 in the town of Manor, Texas. The total insurance was $2,000 and the occupancy of the house was stated: "Dwelling-Tenant.” The period of the insurance was from February 6, 1959 to February 6, 1964.

The insured house was totally destroyed by fire in the early morning of August 9, 1959 and on that day appellee filed his proof of loss reciting:

“(2) Title and Interest: The property described in the said policy on which loss is claimed belonged at the time of the loss to the assured in fee simple, and no other person or persons had any interest, lien or encumbrance thereon except: No exception.”

Thereafter appellant issued and delivered its check to appellee for $2,000 but before the said check was cashed appellant stopped payment on it. This suit followed, appellee alleging:

“That from and since the issuance of the policy hereinbefore described plaintiff, Tom Jones, has been the owner of the insured premises and entitled to the funds covered by said check as partial compensation for the loss sustained by the plaintiff.”

Appellee also sued to recover on the check.

Appellant answered admitting issuing the policy of insurance to appellee; alleged that it issued such policy to appellee as the owner of the building, and that upon learning he was not such owner it stopped payment on the check which it admitted was issued and delivered.

At the trial appellee moved for a summary judgment for $2,000 actual damages and appellant moved for summary judgment denying appellee a recovery of actual or exemplary damages. The trial court severed appellee’s suit for exemplary damages and granted his motion for $2,000 actual damages.

Appellant says that as a matter of law it and not appellee was entitled to a summary judgment. Its contention is predicated on its assertion that by appellee’s deposition it is shown that at all material times appellee was not the owner of the insured property.

The order overruling appellant’s motion for summary judgment was interlocutory and even if we find that appellee’s motion was erroneously granted we cannot enter judgment for appellant. Rogers v. Royalty Pooling Company, 157 Tex. 304, 302 S.W.2d 938.

Appellee says that appellant’s points on this appeal should be overruled because they *437 are based on evidentiary matters not properly brought forward by a statement of facts.

Rule 166-A, Sec. (c), Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, in part, provides:

“The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that, except as to the amount of damages, there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.”

On this appeal the same matters are before us by the transcript that were before the trial court. The rule supra states the requisites for entering a judgment in summary judgment proceedings and we find nothing in the rule requiring that a statement of facts is necessary. In fact we can see no need for it. Appellee cites Gardner v. Martin, Tex.Civ.App., 336 S.W.2d 263. We notice that a writ of error has been granted in that case but as yet the Supreme Court has not decided the cause.

Appellee also says that his cause of action is on the check supra. In Mashek v. Leonard, Tex.Civ.App., 186 S.W.2d 745, 746, Er. dism., the court said:

“We believe, however, that the nature of a check is such as to remove it from the operation of the rules just mentioned. ‘An ordinary check is simply a written order of a depositor to his bank to make a certain payment, and is executory in its nature.’ State v. Tyler County State Bank, Tex.Com.App., 277 S.W. 625, 627, 42 A.L.R. 1347; Id. Tex.Com.App., 282 S.W. 211, 45 A.L.R. 1483. As a general rule, the drawer of a check can revoke it, or stop payment on it, at any time before certifications, acceptance, or payment of it by the bank, unless it has passed into the hands of * * * bona fide holder for value.”

If appellant is correct in its allegation that the consideration for the check failed because of appellee’s false representations in procuring the policy of insurance and the check then appellee has no right to recover on it because he had no right to recover on the original debt. Mashek v. Leonard, supra.

Appellee’s deposition was taken and he testified that he sold the property to Lucille DeWitty and her husband in about 1953; that the purchase price was $1,500 only a part of which was paid; that he had a deed drawn up conveying the property to the DeWittys, in another place he called the instrument a contract; he said he gave the DeWittys money to have the contract recorded but did not know whether it was recorded or not and said Lucille DeWitty told him she did not record it. He said that he had had trouble collecting his money and that all of it had not been paid. He did not say that he had taken the property back but did say that his contract with the DeWittys was for them to live there. In part he said:

“Q. And as far as you were concerned, you had sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. Dewitty back in ’53?
A. Yes, sir.”

On cross-examination he testified:

“Q. Tom, when you say you sold it, you mean you sold it if they paid you for it? A. Sure, that’s right. Because I give them five years to pay for it, and it was seven years before it burned down and they haven’t paid it yet.
“Q. Before the house burned down, Tom, did you ever tell them to, get out of the property, that you wanted the property back? A. Well, I told her that they done lost it, but I would have to go into a lawsuit unless she would get out, to get her out of it. But I said, now, if you will pay me as much as Ten Dollars a month you can stay here.
*438 “Q. When did you tell her that, Tom? A. I told her that the last of January the first in ’59, but she had stayed there plumb up to ’58. I went up there on .the 10th of ’59 and told her. Instead of paying me Ten Dollars month she paid me Forty-five Dollars in nine months. I remember that.
“Q. And after that time, Tom, did you tell her that the contract was can-celled any time after that? A. No, sir, that was the last time I said anything to her.
“Q.

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

Related

Combs v. Morrill
470 S.W.2d 222 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)
Panola County Commissioners Court v. Bagley
380 S.W.2d 878 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
345 S.W.2d 435, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southern-lloyds-v-jones-texapp-1961.