Strasburger v. Compton

324 S.W.2d 951, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 2473
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 22, 1959
Docket15992
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 324 S.W.2d 951 (Strasburger v. Compton) 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
Strasburger v. Compton, 324 S.W.2d 951, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 2473 (Tex. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

BOYD, Justice.

Appellees Marjorie Mullins Compton and husband, C. Ray Compton, and Jake Rushing sought to have probated as the last will of Mrs. D. A. Cole, Deceased, an instrument dated October 29, 1950, and to set aside the probate of a will of Mrs. Cole dated June 15, 1949. The action was brought against Henry W. Strasburger, individually and as independent executor of the estate of Mrs. Cole, and Rebbie Vincent Gathings and husband, Paul Gathings. All relief sought by appellees was denied by the County Court. On appeal to the District Court, there was a verdict for appel-lees and judgment was rendered setting aside the probate of the first will and admitting the second will to probate. Stras-burger, individually and as executor, has appealed.

*954 Appellant’s mother was a first cousin of Mrs. Col.e. Mrs. Compton is a niece as well as a second cousin of Mrs. Cole, her father being Mrs. Cole’s brother. Mrs. Compton and another niece are Mrs. Cole’s sole heirs at law.

Appellant was the principal beneficiary in the first will. There was a conditional bequest to Mrs. Gathings, but she assigned any interest she may have had in the estate to appellant. After directions as to burial, payment of debts, expenses, and taxes, the second will bequeathed to Strasburger, Mrs. Compton, and Raymond C. Gee $5,000 each; to Rushing 10 shares of stock in Ellison Furniture & Carpet Company; $1,500 to Mamie Henderson; and the balance of the estate to Mrs. Dove Alice Mullins, the mother of Mrs. Compton and widow of Mrs. Cole’s deceased brother. Mrs. Mullins died intestate before the trial, leaving Mrs. Compton as her only heir at law.

Appellant contends that it was error to overrule his motions for an instructed verdict and for judgment non obstante vere-dicto. The grounds for the motions were based on the contention that the contest of the probate of the first will was barred by the provisions of Article 5534, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St, and that the application to probate the second will was barred by the provisions of Article 3326, it having been offered more than four years after the death of the testatrix.

We do not. think that error is reflected by these points. Appellees’ suit was filed June 8, 1956. The jury found that the first will was probated June 22, 1952. Although there was evidence raising the issue that it was probated on June 2, 1952, we think the evidence was sufficient to support the finding that it was probated on June 22, and that therefore the four year limitation provided for in Article 5534 does not bar the suit. From the time the will was probated until twelve days after this case was submitted to a jury in the District Court, the judgment' admitting it to probate, as recorded in the minutes of the County Court, showed that it was probated on June 22, 1952. On June 18, 1958, after the District Court verdict but before its judgment was rendered, the County Judge signed an order instructing the County Clerk to correct the minutes to show that June 2 instead of June 22 was the date of the judgment. There was no notice to the adverse parties of the action of the County Judge, as seems to be required by Rules 316 and 317, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

“ * * * The acts of a court of record are known by its records alone and cannot be established by parol testimony. The court speaks only through its records, and this rule applies in case of a judge. Furthermore, the records of a court cannot be impugned upon matters within its jurisdiction, when offered in evidence, by counter evidence * * 14 Am.Jur., p. 350, sec. 137, quoted with approval in Baumgarten v. Frost, 143 Tex. 533, 186 S.W.2d 982, 985, 159 A.L.R. 428.

Moreover, Mrs. Compton was at all times material to this suit a married woman. By the provisions of Article 5535. it appears that the limitation mentioned in Article 5534 did not run against her. And recovery by her inures to the benefit of the other appellees. Masterson v. Harris, 107 Tex. 73, 174 S.W. 570; Michaelis v. Nance, Tex.Civ.App., 184 S.W. 785, error refused; Owens v. Felty, Tex.Civ.App., 227 S.W.2d 379, error refused.

Another point is that the finding that Mrs. Cole executed the second will is so against the overwhelming weight of the evidence that it ought to be set aside. The evidence thát she executed the will is clear and unimpeached. Her banker testified that in his opinion Mrs. Cole signed the instrument. Two other handwriting experts testified that they did not think she did. The persons whose names were on the will as attesting witnesses testified that Mrs. Cole-signed the instrument, that she declared to them that the paper was her will, that she was of sound mind, and that the will *955 had not been revoked so far as they knew •and believed. There was evidence that Mrs. Cole at times evidenced dislike for some of those who are devisees in the last will. But the jury and the trial court heard •all the evidence and observed the witnesses; and we do not feel constrained to hold that the opinion of two handwriting ■experts and the other circumstantial evidence overcome the plain and unequivocal testimony of witnesses who were in a position to know, to such an extent as to show 'that the jury verdict was manifestly wrong. Unless such appears, the findings bind this court. Article 5, sec. 6, Constitution of Texas, Vernon’s Ann.St.; Rules 451, 453, and 455, T.R.C.P.; In re King’s Estate (King v. King), 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660; Banks v. Collins, 152 Tex. 265, 257 S.W.2d 97; Matlock v. Matlock, Tex.Civ.App., 245 S.W.2d 536; Hambrick Consolidated v. Walker, Tex.Civ.App., 269 S.W.2d 923.

Another point is that the court serred in not submitting an issue as to \whether appellees were in default in not (offering the second will for probate within ■four years of the testatrix’ death. He excepted to the court’s failure to submit such ‘issue. The uncontradicted evidence is that the will was found by Mrs. Compton among the effects of her deceased mother, about May 20, 1956. Mrs. Cole died May 15, 1952. There was evidence that Mrs. Compton and her husband had heard that a subsequent will had been executed, but we think it was shown that they did not know •enough about its execution and contents to probate it as a lost will. One of the attesting witnesses did not read the will, and the other attesting witness said he read the will but could not remember what sums or what property had been left to each person named therein, and did not remember the names of all the beneficiaries. There was no evidence that Rushing ever heard of the will until Mrs. Compton found it. To probate a lost will, it is necessary to establish with some degree of certainty its material contents in order that title to property may pass. Harris v. Robbins, Tex.Civ.App., 302 S.W.2d 225; 57 Am.Jur., p. 639, sec. 983.

But even if it was not shown as a matter of law that appellees were not in default, we do not think appellant can complain. The execution of the later will revoked the former one. May v. Brown, 144 Tex.

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324 S.W.2d 951, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 2473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/strasburger-v-compton-texapp-1959.