Stewart v. Mobley

500 S.W.2d 246, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2650
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 4, 1973
Docket7494
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 500 S.W.2d 246 (Stewart v. Mobley) 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
Stewart v. Mobley, 500 S.W.2d 246, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2650 (Tex. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

STEPHENSON, Justice.

This is a declaratory judgment action involving the construction of certain deeds. Trial was before the court and judgment was rendered for defendant that she recover the fee simple title to the 1.74 acre tract of land in issue. The parties will be referred to here as they were in the trial court.

The primary instrument to be construed is dated April 24, 1902, and is executed by the president and secretary of Sabine Land & Improvement Co., a Texas corporation (owner of 49% of the 2.75 acre tract of land covered by this instrument), John H. Kirby, an individual (owner of 51% of this tract), and H. A. Taylor, Acting Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.

The operative portion of that instrument reads as follows:

“Whereas, The Secretary of the Treasury has been authorized by law to establish the Life-saving Station herein described ;
“And Whereas, Congress, by Act of March 3, 1875, provided as follows, viz: ‘And the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized, whenever he shall deem it advisable, to acquire, by donation or purchase, in behalf of the United States, the right to use and occupy sites for life-saving or life-boat stations, houses of refuge, and sites for pierhead Beacons, the establishment of which has been, or shall hereafter be, authorized by Congress;’ And whereas, the said Secretary of the Treasury deems it advisable to acquire on behalf of the United States, the right to use and occupy the hereinafter described lot of land as a site for a Life-Saving Station, as indicated by his signature hereto: Now This Indenture between Sabine Land and Improvement Company, a corporation of the State of Texas, and John H. Kirby, of the City of Houston, in the State of Texas, parties of the first part, and the United States, represented by the Secretary of the Treasury, party of the second part, Witnesseth that the said parties of the first part, in consideration of the sum of One dollar, by these presents do grant, demise, release and convey unto the said United States all that certain lot of land [description of 2.75 acres omitted], Together with a right of way over the lands of the parties of the first part, along such route as shall be most convenient to them, from the premises above described to the nearest public road, street or highway which may be maintained and used for public travel, for those in the employ of the United States, on foot or with vehicles of any kind, with boats or any articles used for the purpose of carrying out the intentions of Congress in providing for the establishment of Life-Saving Stations, which route may be changed from time to time, by said parties of the first part, as new highways or roads are laid out; and also the right to erect such structures upon the said land as the United States may see fit, and to remove any and all such structures and appliances at any time; the said premises to be used and occupied for the purposes named in said act of March 3, 1875. To have and to hold the said lot of land and privileges unto the United States from this date, so long as the same shall be used for the purposes aforesaid, and should the United States cease to use the same for the purposes aforesaid for the space of three years, then and in that event the said land shall revert to the said parties of the first part, their successors, heirs and *248 assigns. And the said Sabine Land & Improvement Company for itself and its successors and the said John H. Kirby, for himself, his heirs, executors and administrators, do covenant with the United States to warrant and defend the peaceable possession of the above described premises to the United States, for the purposes above named, for the term of this covenant, against the lawful claims of all persons claiming, by, through, or under them. No covenant shall be implied from the use in this instrument of the words ‘grant and convey’ and the said grantors make no covenant whatever in this instrument, either expressed or implied, except the aforesaid covenant of warranty against the lawful claims of all persons claiming by, through or under them; [signatures, dates and acknowledgements omitted].”

The controversy between the parties is stated as follows: Plaintiffs contend the 1902 instrument executed by Sabine Land & Improvement Company, John H. Kirby, and the United States imposed a conditional limitation upon the title conveyed. Plaintiffs also contend that even if such instrument imposed a condition subsequent, the interest conveyed reverted to the grantors’ successors in interest upon reentry by the filing of this suit. Defendant contends that such instrument created a condition subsequent which, having been satisfied, is of no further force or effect.

The trial court made findings of fact and conclusions of law in agreement with defendant’s contentions. The findings included :

“14. One purpose for the conveyance and donation of the 2.75 acre tract referred to above to the United States by Sabine Land and Improvement Company and John W. Kirby in 1902 was to increase the value of grantor’s remaining and adjoining land.
“15. After the conveyance and donation of the 2.75 acres to the United States by the grantors referred to in Findings No. 5 and 14, the United States built a life savings station on the 2.75 acre area, producing an appreciation in value of said grantor’s surrounding land.”

The conclusions of law included:

“1. The deed referred to in Finding No. 5 created a condition subsequent with a reversionary interest in grantor.
“7. The reversionary interest excepted from the conveyance referred to in Findings No. 8 and 11 by Sabine Land and Improvement Company has terminated because the act of the United States in building the life savings station produced the appreciation in value of the grantor’s land and the subsequent sale by said grantor, as found in Findings No. 8 and 11, caused said grantors to be no longer concerned with the condition subsequently referred to in Conclusion No. 1.”

Plaintiffs, Mallory Kountze and Ira L. Couch, Jr., are successors in title to Sabine Land & Improvement Company and brought this suit to establish their title to and right to possession of an undivided 49% interest in and to the land in controversy. Defendant, Ruby Mobley, claims under a deed dated February 14, 1961, from the United States. This appeal comes to this court with an agreed statement of facts in which it is stipulated that from and after February 14, 1961, the land in controversy has not been used for the purpose of a life-saving site.

Defendant relies primarily upon Stevens v. Galveston, H. & S. A. Ry. Co., 212 S.W. 639 (Tex.Comm.App.1919, jdgmt.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
500 S.W.2d 246, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2650, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stewart-v-mobley-texapp-1973.