Spillman v. Hibler

60 S.W.2d 1103, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 810
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 1, 1933
DocketNo. 2841
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 60 S.W.2d 1103 (Spillman v. Hibler) 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
Spillman v. Hibler, 60 S.W.2d 1103, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 810 (Tex. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

WALTHALL, Justice.

Prior to September 2, 1931, appellants, Euclid Spillman and wife, owned the property in controversy in this suit. At that time there was a lien indebtedness outstanding against said property in the principal sum of $1,650, with about two years of accrued interest and about two years delinquent taxes. Appellants, Spillman and wife, executed and delivered to appellees, Hibler and wife, a general warranty deed conveying to them the property in question, the consideration recited being , $10 ' and other valuable considerations, and the assumption of the indebtedness against said property, including the accrued interest and delinquent taxes due thereon.

On the same date, and as a part of the same transaction, appellants and appellees executed and delivered an instrument in words and figures as follows:

“The State of Texas County of Dallas
“In consideration of the premises and the conveyance by Euclid Spillman and Kate D. Spillman to V. N. Hibler and Lula B. Hibler, of Lot No. 2, in Block 13, of Lakeview Addition to the City of Dallas, Texas, it is agreed by the parties hereto as follows:
“The said Euclid Spillman and wife shall h'ave the right to redeem said property at any time on or before September 2, 1932, provided the said V. N. Hibler and Lula B. Hibler shall receive at such time all moneys expended in the way of taxes, insurance premiums, payment of lien indebtedness, principal and interest, cost of repairs, and any and all other moneys expended upon or in connection with said property, together with eight per cent interest from the date of such payment, and also $100.00, said money to be paid as follows:
“It is further agreed that said property may be redeemed within the aforesaid time •by the payment to the said V. N. Hibler and Lula B. Hibler of the sum of $1000.00 and the execution of a first lien note for the balance due to the said V. N. Hibler and Lula B. Hibler, upon said property.
“It ⅛ further agreed by the said Euclid Spillman and wife that they will give possession of said property and premises to the said V. N. Hibler and Lula B. Hibler, on or before 30 days from the date . hereof, and should said parties remain in possession of said premises after said date, they shall account for rent on said property and premises at the rate of $20.00 per month.”

The instrument was signed in duplicate by all of the parties. The date is left blank but other parts of the record show its date to be the 2d of September, 1931.

On January 15, 1932, appellants filed this suit to have said deed set aside as a conveyance, and prayed that no liens or other charges be fixed as against said property by reason of said deed; they also pray for damages, stating same, and for relief, general and special.

Appellants allege title in themselves to the property; that the property was their homestead and at all times was used and occupied as such; the petition describes the property and states its value; alleges that on and prior to September 2, 1931, there was an indebtedness in the principal sum of $1,650 existing against said property as evidenced by a recorded deed of trust executed by appellants on December 2, 1926, to secure a certain promissory note described in said deed of trust, the due date of the said indebtedness was five years after date with interest from date.

The third paragraph of the petition then undertakes to state the cause of appellant’s failure to meet the payments due and taxes on said property, and make statements as to some matters as to appellees, their promises, etc., not embraced in the above stated contract of September 2, 1931, and not stated as an inducement to the execution of said contract and which matters seem wholly immaterial.

The petition then states the execution by appellants of the warranty deed of September 2, 1931, to appellees, and undertakes to state facts in avoidance of said recorded warranty deed, in substance, to the effect that appellees fraudulently induced appellants to an attorney’s office and induced them to sign the instrument which was in fact the warranty deed but which, when signed, was in blank and purported to be an instrument incorporating the terms and conditions of an extension and renewal of the said note and deed of trust, and conveying the legal title to appellees; that the deed recites the payment to appellants of $10 and the assumption by appellees and promise to pay and discharge said note and the taxes on said property; that said $10 was not paid nor said note and lien paid nor discharged and that by reason thereof the consideration for the deed has wholly failed and has become of no effect, but that in the event of the payment and discharge of said note and deed of trust the legal effect would be the creation of an indebtedness of such amount and the fixing of a lien securing [1105]*1105same according to its terms stated; that appellants did not surrender possession of said property; that surrender of possession was never contemplated or demanded until after the execution and delivery of said instrument; that appellants were induced to execute said instrument by false and fraudulent representations in that the agreement was only to be instrumental to extend said note and deed of trust, and was procured by duress by reason of appellant’s great financial distress and misapprehension of the facts, and not knowing the legal effect of their acts. Appellants filed a trial amendment alleging in effect' that the wife’s acknowledgment was not taken at the time of the execution of said instrument and that in taking her acknowledgment she was not examined separate and apart from her said husband.

Appellees answered by general demurrer and special exceptions, general denial and by cross-action, in substance, that appellees are the owners of the property in controversy by reason of said warranty deed of September, 1931; that said deed is of record; then pleaded in form of trespass to try title, that on January 15, 1932 (the date of the filing of the suit), they were in peaceable possession; that they were dispossessed by appellants who are unlawfully withholding from them the possession thereof to their damage, stating same; that the rental value is $20 per month; they pray for title and damage.

At the conclusion of the evidence appellants submitted a number of special issues and requested that they be submitted to the jury for the jury’s findings thereon; the court refused to submit such special requested instructions and instructed a verdict in favor of appellees on their cross-action “for title and possession of the property involved herein, subject to the rights of plaintiffs under a contract between plaintiffs and defendants dated September 2, 1931,” and which verdict the jury returned as instructed.

On appellees’ motion the court, on May 19, 1932, entered judgment in their favor on their cross-action as indicated by the jury’s verdict; that appellants take nothing by their suit; that appellees recover on their cross-action, subject to the terms and provisions of said contract of September 2, 1931.

The contract is not set out in the judgment.

The court overruled appellants’ motion for a new trial and appellants prosecute this appeal.

Opinion.

Appellants submit error in the court’s action in directing a verdict against them.

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Bluebook (online)
60 S.W.2d 1103, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 810, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spillman-v-hibler-texapp-1933.