Spires v. Price

176 S.W.2d 592
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 8, 1943
DocketNo. 9406.
StatusPublished

This text of 176 S.W.2d 592 (Spires v. Price) 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
Spires v. Price, 176 S.W.2d 592 (Tex. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

McClendon, chief justice.

Spires sued Price to recover title to and possession of a 7,040-acre ranch situated partly in Coke and partly in Nolan Counties. The trial was to the court; the judgment was in favor of Price; and Spires has appealed.

Title to the ranch had previously been vested in Price by judgment in a specific performance suit against Spires; which judgment was affirmed (Spires v. Price, Tex.Civ.App., 159 S.W.2d 137), and writ of error refused; and Price had been put in possession of the ranch by the sheriffs of the respective counties, under writs of possession.

Spires sought in the instant suit to avoid the effect of the specific performance judgment; and presents two points urging the following grounds in support of his asserted avoidance:

1. Failure of Price to comply with the specific performance judgment in two respects : (a) the cash deposit by Price with the clerk was $202.97 short of the amount specified in the judgment; and (b) the $1,500 for the Federal Land Bank stock was not deposited in cash with Fannin (representative of the bank) as required by the judgment.

2. Price, through his agent and attorney, procured a writ of garnishment which prevented collection of the $5,000 check given as part payment for the ranch.

The controlling facts, which are without dispute, follow: The specific performance judgment was rendered February 12, 1941. It divested title out of Spires and vested title in Price subject to certain outstanding liens which Price agreed to assume. It decreed title to the Land Bank stock in Price, adding that he “is hereby required to pay to defendant Spires $1,500 upon proper transfer of said stock in accordance with the regulations of said Bank.” It decreed *594 recovery by Price of 57 cents per acre per year from July 1, 1940, until Price should be put in possession of the ranch. It required that Price pay Spires $88,075, less certain specified items aggregating $31,788.-83, and less the $5,000 check which Spires “is required to cash”; also less $383.53 (½ of 1940 taxes) and $2,466.10 (damages recovered by Price); leaving a stated balance of $48,436.54; “said cash payments that are due to defendant, to be made to defendant upon delivery of possession by defendant to plaintiff.” The judgment recited that Price had offered in open court to pay Spires the above full amount, which Spires refused to accept; whereupon it was further decreed that: Price deposit the $48,-436.54 with the clerk and the $1,500 with Fannin, such deposits to be made within 60 days thereafter, if no appeal were taken from the judgment, but in case of appeal and affirmance, within 60 days after the mandate from the appellate court was filed in the trial court. The judgment further provided for adjustment of items accruing after July 1, 1940. The mandate was filed in the trial court May 11, 1942, and on May 14, 1942, Price deposited with the clerk $47,325.12, which, it is conceded, lacked $202.97 of the requisite amount. This shortage was due to an error in calculation.

Spires was represented in the matter by Beall, an attorney of Sweetwater, and by Upton, an attorney of San Angelo. Price was represented by Wilson of San Angelo. Prior to making the deposit Wilson asked Upton if a conference could be arranged for delivery of the ranch, and was told, “he would check into it and see.” Wilson then telephoned Beall who “suggested that I come up on the 14th and we would try to have a conference there, and Price and I went up there, and Mr. Beall said Spires was not there, that he was busy.” On that occasion Wilson submitted his calculations to Beall, requesting that he check the figures, which Beall declined to do because he didn’t want to waive any of his client’s legal rights. Wilson then told him he was going to deposit the money together with his calculation with the clerk, and if there was any mistake it would be adjusted when the stock payment was made. Beall said “that would be all right if Spires agreed to deliver the ranch, but that he would have a talk with Roy (Spires) and see if he would agree to deliver before he would tell me, and he suggested that I keep in touch with Mr. Upton, and that after he had a conference with Mr. Spires he would communicate with” Upton and Upton “with me.” In the latter part of May, Upton told Wilson that Spires “had made up his mind not to deliver the ranch voluntarily and not to accept payment for the lands or the stock and that we would have to go the legal route.” Wilson asked Upton to go with him to Fannin and see if he would take the money and transfer the stock. Upton declined “because Spires would not deliver the ranch.” Wilson then went to Fannin and offered to pay him the money, but Fannin refused to accept it unless he had a transfer of the stock. June 24, 1942, writs of possession were issued to the respective counties. Before they were executed, Spires filed an application for injunction which was set for hearing July 18, 1942. Upon hearing, temporary injunction was denied. Immediately thereafter there was a conference between the parties and their attorneys, in which it was agreed that in consideration of Price’s paying Spires for a well and windmill which Spires had put on the ranch and Price’s waiver of any “comeback on him because of the possibility of some (about 200 acres) of his land lying in the pasture of Ralph Harris, which he might claim by limitation,” and withdrawal of the writs of possession, Spires would deliver possession of the ranch on September 1, 1942. On that date Wilson wrote to Spires tendering full performance of the agreement, and demanding possession of the ranch. There was no response to this letter and writs of possession were issued October 2, 1942, and Price was put in possession of the ranch thereunder. This suit ensued.

We overrule the point asserting forfeiture of the specific performance judgment based upon the $202.97 deficiency in the amount deposited with the clerk upon each of the following grounds:

1. The refusal of Spires’ attorney to check the figures of Wilson coupled with the unequivocal refusal of Spires to deliver possession of the ranch constituted a waiver of any right of forfeiture by reason of the error in calculation.

2. Under the specific performance judgment, Price had 60 days after May 11, 1942, within which to make the deposit with the clerk. The judgment awarded him rental of 57 cents an acre per year, or $11 a day, from July 1, 1940, until Spires should deliver possession of the ranch. In making the deposit Wilson figured this rental up *595 to May 15, 1942. Thereafter the amount increased at the rate of $11 per day. Before the writs of possession were issued, and within the 60-day period, this additional rental had exceeded the amount of the deficiency in the deposit; so that a sufficient deposit was in the hands of the clerk within the 60-day period as required by the judgment.

3. The agreement of Spires to deliver the ranch on September 1, 1942, was supported by a valuable consideration—recalling of the writs of possession then outstanding, waiver of any subsequent claim of breach of warranty as to the 200 acres, and payment for the well and windmill— and constituted an express waiver of any right of forfeiture by reason of the error in calculation.

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Related

Spires v. Mann
173 S.W.2d 200 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1943)
Spires v. Price
159 S.W.2d 137 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1942)

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Bluebook (online)
176 S.W.2d 592, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spires-v-price-texapp-1943.