Spencer v. Pettit

34 S.W.2d 798
CourtTexas Commission of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 21, 1931
DocketNo. 1374-5535
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 34 S.W.2d 798 (Spencer v. Pettit) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Commission of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spencer v. Pettit, 34 S.W.2d 798 (Tex. Super. Ct. 1931).

Opinion

CRITZ, J.

This suit has been tried twice in the district court and twice appealed; this being the second appeal. The opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals on the first appeal is found in 268 S. W. 779, and the opinion of the Commission in 2 S.W.(2d) 422, 423. ’ The opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals in the instant appeal is found in 17 S.W.(2d) 1102. We refer to these several opinions for detailed statements of the issues here litigated. However, we will make a sufficient statement for this opinion to be complete within itself.

It is shown that J. H. Pettit and Amanda Pettit were husband and wife on and prior to April 1, 1930. On that date Amanda Pettit died intestate. She left surviving her nine children, six of whom are defendants in error here, and J. H. Pettit, her surviving husband. For the purposes of this opinion we will say that at the time of her death the community property of J. H. Pettit and Amanda Pettit consisted of three sections of land, and certain personal property. The personal property consisted of cattle, horses, mules, farming implements, household furniture, etc. There is considerable dispute about the value of this personal property, but under the view we take of this case the exact value is immaterial. It is sufficient to say that such personal property, under the findings of the jury, supported by competent evidence, had a net value over and above incumbrances, such as chattel mortgages, and community debts of several thousand dollars.

Since the death of Amanda Pettit, the six minor children have received their part of the land belonging to the community estate at the time of their mother’s death, but have never received any part of the personal property.

At the time Amanda Pettit died, J'. H. Pettit was engaged in the ranching business. This business was carried on on the three sections of land then owned by them in community, and considerable leased lands adjoining. After the death of Amanda Pettit, J. H. Pettit continued the ranching business in much the same manner that he had conducted it during the lifetime of his wife. Pie continued in the possession of the personal property of the community, and sold the same. He took the proceeds thereof and the increase, and invested the same in other properties of a like or similar character, and mixed and mingled such proceeds with funds and properties which he acquired after his wife’s death. He continued to do this for years, buying and selling all of the time. He also during this time borrowed money at various and sundry times in large and small amounts and from various parties, including banks and individuals. He would buy cattle, sheep, and other, live stock with these funds so acquired and later sell the same, together with their increase, and pay the debts for the borrowed money. These borrowed funds were also mixed and mingled in such a manner that they lost their identity. In the course of these dealings he so mixed and mingled the proceeds of the orig'nal personal property on hand when his wife died that it lost its,identity, and the record fails to in any manner account for what became of same except as shown above.

After the death of Amanda Pettit in 1910, J. H. Pettit purchased, and had conveyed to him individually, six tracts of land in Lubbock county, Tex., aggregating about 5,940.6 acres. The following is a statement showing the several tracts, dates of purchase, price paid, etc., of these six tracts:

First tract: W. II. Lewis land, being 222.4 acres Out of section 37, block P; purchased December 20, 1912; consideration, $2,224; $500 cash, balance notes.
Second tract: J. S. Duggan land, being the north one-half of section 25, block P, 320 acres; purchased April 26, 1916; consideration $4,862; $400 paid cash, balance notes.
Third tract: Canovan & Bronson land, being survey 9, block P, 640 acres; purchased November 21,1916; consideration $9,600; $1,-000 cash, balance notes.
Fourth tract: L. M. Davidson land, being survey 7, block P, 640 acres; purchased April 1, 1917; consideration $9,600; $2,000 cash, balance notes.
[800]*800Fifth tract: Whaley & Jones land, being section 11, 640 acres; 149.65 acres out of survey 43, block P; south three-fourths of section 132, block A; 640 acres section 26, block P; 640 acres section 27, block P; 640 acres section 28, block P; 640 acres section 29, block P; total 3,349.65 acres; purchased August 29, 1917, the deed reciting a consideration of $78,053; all notes, some assumed and some executed by J. H. Pettit.
Sixth tract: Tiffany & Jones land, being west one-half of section 10, block D-T; purchased January 1,1918 ; consideration $7,800; ■$1 paid cash and balance notes.

It is shown that J. H. Pettit and his second wife conveyed all of the above lands to W. E. and J. E. Spencer by general warranty deed, dated September 22,1919. It is further shown by the deed to the Spencers that they assumed liens against the several tracts so conveyed to them aggregating many thousand dollars. In fact, the record justifies us in concluding that J. H. Pettit paid practically nothing on this land except the initial payments. Also the jury found that the Spencers at the time they purchased the above land had notice of whatever rights the heirs of Amanda Pettit had therein, and this finding has evidential support in the record.

As stated above, the six minor children of Amanda Pettit seek a recovery of one-third of the above lands upon the theory of a constructive trust in their favor because they claim J. I-I. Pettit, their father, used funds and properties, and the proceeds of funds and properties belonging to them, in acquiring such lands, title to which was taken in the individual name of J. I-I. Pettit. We have already shown that the claim that funds of these six children were used in acquiring these lands is based upon proof that at the time Amanda Pettit died there was on hand certain personal properties, which J. I-I. Pettit took charge of, and with which he continued his ranching business as before Amanda Pet-tit’s death, selling the same, and with the proceeds acquiring other personal properties and the lands here involved. The record in this respect is, in law, of sufficient legal probative force to show that J. H. Pettit did take the personal properties of the community of himself and Amanda Pettit, deceased, and use the same as his own, in continuing his ranching business in much the same manner that he did before his wife’s death; that he sold such properties at various times, and acquired other cattle, sheep, etc.; that he continued to sell and again purchase and again resell in the manner above shown; that he borrowed various large and small sums of money, and also mixed these borrowed funds with his other funds so that all of the funds, that is, the proceeds of the property on hand at Amanda Pettit’s death, and the properties thereafter acquired, and the borrowed funds, were so mixed and mingled as to lose their identity; and make it impossible to separate the one from the other.

In order for the six children to recover the one-third interest in the land here involved, it is necessary that they prove that money belonging to them went into the purchase thereof. In addition to the proof of the mixing and mingling of funds and properties above shown, the evidence of J. H.

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34 S.W.2d 798, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spencer-v-pettit-texcommnapp-1931.