Stevenson v. Wilson

206 S.W.2d 613, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 1269
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 20, 1947
DocketNo. 2758
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 206 S.W.2d 613 (Stevenson v. Wilson) 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
Stevenson v. Wilson, 206 S.W.2d 613, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 1269 (Tex. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

HALE, Justice.

This is a suit to foreclose an asserted abstract of judgment lien on property claimed to be exempt from forced sale because of its homestead character. For a detailed history of the litigation prior to the trial from- which the present appeal has been perfected reference is made to the reported opinions in Tex.Civ.App., 130 S.W.2d 317 and Tex.Civ.App., 163 S.W.2d 1063.

’ From the record now before us and the opinions to which we have referred, it appears that appellant, J. McAllister Stevenson, recovered a judgment against appellee, W. L. Wilson, in the District Court of Nolan County during the year 1932 for the sum of $3,143.03. That judgment has been kept in full force and effect, continuously, and has never been fully satisfied. On March 16, 1936, Wilson’s- father died, leaving a will by the terms of which he devised to his' son an undivided l/7th interest in 468 acres of land situated in Hill County, Texas.- On September 18, 1936 appellant caused’an ábstract of such judgment to be issued and the same was duly recorded in Hill County the next day after its issuance. On October 8, 1937 the sheriff of Hill County levied a writ of execution which had been theretofore issued out of the District Court of Nolan County on Wilson’s interest in the Hill County land. Thereupon, Wilson sought and secured a permanent injunction against appellant and the sheriff enjoining them from proceeding with the execution sale, upon' thé ground that the property levied upon constituted the .homestead of Wilson at the time .the writ was levied.- . . • ■ .

[614]*614Appellant then instituted this suit against Wilson and his wife in the District Court of Hill County on May 26, 1939, seeking a foreclosure of his asserted abstract of judgment lien on Wilson’s undivided interest in the Hill County land. Wilson and wife answered with a plea of res adjudicata based upon the judgment in the injunction suit theretofore tried in the District Court of Nolan County, and a further claim that the premises against which foreclosure was sought constituted their homestead. Trial before the court without a jury resulted in judgment denying the foreclosure sought, but upon appeal to this court that judgment was reversed and the cause was remanded.

In their Third Amended Answer, upon which the present trial was had before a jury, appellees alleged fully and in detail, facts showing that the premises against which foreclosure was sought constituted Wilson’s homestead at the time the abstract of judgment was recorded in Hill County. Upon the conclusion of the testimony appellant duly presented his motion for an instructed verdict, which was overruled. The court then submitted the case to the jury on two special issues, in response to which the jury found that at the time'when the abstract- of judgment was recorded in Hill County, on September 19, 1936, Wilson had the intention of using and occupying his share of his father’s estate as a home for himself and family, and that Wilson and his wife, after the death of Wilson’s father and betore September 19, 1936, did certain acts preparatory to making their home upon Wilson’s share of his father's estate. The court rendered judgment on the verdict, denying the foreclosure sought, and hence this appeal.

, Appellant says in effect the judgment appealed from should be reversed and here rendered in his favor because the pleadings and evidence on the present trial were insufficient as a matter of law to serve as a basis for the verdict and judgment establishing the homestead exemption claimed. He also complains of alleged improper remarks and arguments of counsel for appel-lees to. the jury.

Upon the present trial Wilson testified that it was his intention on and prior to September 19, 1936' to live upon the land which he had inherited from his father and make the same his homestead; that he had talked to his father prior to the latter’s death with reference to. making said land his homestead and had asserted his intention at that time to do so; and that he had continuously intended at all times thereafter to make said land his homestead. He also testified to various overt acts which had been performed by him prior to September 19, 1936, preparatory to making his homestead on said land, such as improving and repairing the house and fences on the 60 acres he was to receive in the contemplated partition of his father’s estate, planting shade trees and shrubbery thereon and arranging for the electrification thereof, and that he owned no property other than that which he was claiming as his homestead.

By referring to the opinion reported in Tex.Civ.App., 130 S.W.2d 317, it will be observed that the controlling issue upon that trial was whether Wilson’s undivided l/7th interest in his father’s estate constituted his homestead on October 8, 1937, as there alleged by him. The controlling issue upon the present trial was whether the premises constituted Wilson’s homestead on September 19, 1936, as alleged in his current pleading. The testimony of Wilson on the present trial was substantially the same as that given by him at the former trial, as set forth in the opinion to which reference has been made, the chief distinction being that on the former trial he testified, in accordance with his pleading, to his homestead intentions on October 8, 1937 and to overt acts performed by him prior to that date, whereas, on the present trial he testified, in accordance with his current pleadings, to his homestead intention on September 19, 1936 and to overt acts performed by him prior to the latter date. It was shown on the present trial that the estate of Wilson’s father had been partitioned among the de-visees under his will since the last trial, as reported in Tex.Civ.App., 163 S.W.2d 1063, and the particular 60 acres referred to in the testimony at the former trials had been actually set apart to Wilson. It appears that Mrs: Wilson has. died since the last trial aiid her children have intervened in this suit as her heirs at law. However, her [615]*615testimony as given on the former trial was introduced in evidence again at the present trial. The testimony of other witnesses on the present’ trial was substantially the same as that given by them on the former trials.

After careful consideration of the record now before us,, we have concluded that the pleadings and evidence on the present trial were sufficient to raise the special issues submitted to the jury and the findings of the jury on such issues formed a proper legal basis for the judgment of the court establishing the homestead exemption claimed by appellees and denying the foreclosure sought by appellant. Stevenson v. Wilson, Tex.Civ.App., 130 S.W.2d 317, error refused and authorities; Stevenson v. Wilson, Tex.Civ.App., 163 S.W.2d 1063 and authorities.

Upon the voir dire examination of the jury panel, counsel for appellees stated in substance that appellant had already caused some of Wilson’s property to be sold and was now trying to subject more of his property to forced sale.

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Bluebook (online)
206 S.W.2d 613, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 1269, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stevenson-v-wilson-texapp-1947.