Tarver v. Youngblood

274 S.W.2d 442, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 2339
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 31, 1954
DocketNo. 5009
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 274 S.W.2d 442 (Tarver v. Youngblood) 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
Tarver v. Youngblood, 274 S.W.2d 442, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 2339 (Tex. Ct. App. 1954).

Opinion

R. L. Murray, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal by Lourie Hollyfield Tarver and Grady Tarver, and Terrell Buchanan, appellants, from a judgment in the district court of Hardin County decreeing their undivided interest in a 160 acre tract of land in the James Rafferty League.

Plaintiffs, Security Realty & Development Company, a firm owned by Violet G. O’Fiel, joined by her husband, David E. O’Fiel, sued to establish their undivided interest in and to a 160 acre tract in the James Rafferty League in Hardin County, Texas, and in other lands as well. By stipulation, this1 controversy was limited to the 160 acre tract in controversy. Named as defendants were various other persons claiming an interest in said land, including the Houston Oil Company of Texas and American Republics Corporation. It was stipulated that the latter two companies hold valid and subsisting oil, gas and mineral leases on said 160 acre tract as against all other parties plaintiff and defendant. The latter two companies filed their answer and a cross-action in the nature of a bill of interpleader or stakeholder action against plaintiffs and all the other defendants, and alleged that said companies had obtained production from said 160 acre tract as lessees, and were unable to make payment of the royalty therefrom because of conflicting claims to the royalty, and praying that the royalty ownership of the various parties hereto be adjudicated. All defendants answered setting up their alleged claims.

The defendants, Lourie Hollyfield Tar-ver and husband, Grady Tarver, and Terrell Buchanan answered to the trial court [443]*443setting up claim to an undivided l/80th interest in the 160 acres by virtue of a conveyance from L. L. Williams and James F. Parker, and setting up claim to an additional interest in said land, alleging that Lourie Hollyfield Tarver was the sole heir at law of Claude Hollyfield, deceased, and that the latter was an adopted son of Hannon Hollyfield, deceased, by common law adoption, and that they were entitled to a 26.5/864th interest in said property thereby, in addition to the l/80th interest. It was stipulated that the 160 acres in controversy was the community property of Hannon Hollyfield and wife, Mary, and that Hannon Hollyfield died intestate. The other defendants in this suit are the natural children of Hannon Hollyfield, and their heirs and assigns. Trial was to the court without a jury, and judgment was rendered adjudging and finding that Hannon Hollyfield did not adopt Claude Hollyfield, deceased, and awarding appellants only their undivided l/80th interest in said property, subject to the oil and gas leases aforesaid.

The appellants’ first three points, under which they present their contentions in regard to the adoption, are that the trial court erred in its finding of fact and conclusion of law and judgment that Claude Hollyfield was not adopted as a son by Hannon Hollyfield in any manner for the reasons (1) there was no evidence to support them; (2) the evidence was insufficient to support them; and (3) such finding, conclusion and judgment were contrary to the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence, and were so contrary to the overwhelming weight of all the evidence as to be clearly unfair and unjust.

The principal issue involved in this appeal is the correctness of the trial court’s finding and holding that Claude Hollyfield was not the adopted son of Hannon Holly-field, and in allowing appellants a recovery of their l/80th interest, only. To determine this issue we must examine all of the evidence and must consider it in the light of the rule announced in Cavanaugh v. Davis, 149 Tex. 573, 235 S.W.2d 972, 977. Our question here is identical with the question in that case and it is stated for our guidance by Judge Calvert in the opinion in that case as follows, “The question here is not whether the trial judge could have found the existence of the agreement as alleged from the evidence here summarized but whether he was compelled to do so; not whether the relevant facts and circumstances as established by the acts and conduct of the parties would authorize a logical inference that the agreement did exist but whether such facts and circumstances would permit of no other reasonable inference.”

By a stipulation of the parties it was established that the . 160 acres in controversy was the community property of Hannon Hollyfield and his wife, Mary; Hannon Hollyfield died intestate July 21, 1931 and was survived by his wife, ‘Mary Hollyfield, and the several children fully identified in the stipulation. Prior to his marriage to his wife Mary he was married to Lou Hooks and to this marriage two children were born who are identified as parties to the suit. Lou Hooks died prior to the acquisition of the land in controversy by Hannon Hollyfield and died intestate. There is a reference in such stipulation to “the estate of Claude Holly-field, deceased,” but there is no statement therein as to the date of' the death of Claude Hollyfield, or what the relation is between him and the appellants.

• W. C. Britton testified that he had lived in Silsbee since 1918, that he worked in a bank at Silsbee, knew Hannon Holly-field during his lifetime and knew Claude Hollyfield; that when Hannon and Claude were present Claude addressed Hannon as his father and Hannon addressed Claude as his son, and1 that so far as he knew they were.lcnown generally in the community as father and son. He dealt with them primarily as father and son on loans at the bank, they were required to sign notes together, when Claude needed money he would ask him to get his father to sign the note' with him and sometimes the two would come in together and make cattle loans. It was his understanding that they owned cattle together.

[444]*444John T. Wright testified that he lived in Hardin County since he was about 14 years old and he was born in 1877; he knew Hannon Hollyfield during his lifetime; he did not know who Hannon Hollyfield married the first time; he told him he married in Mississippi the first time and come here, then he married Nannie Haynes, then he married Lou Hooks in 1900; he and Hannon Hollyfield married sisters, the witness having married Linie Jane Hooks. He further testified:

“Q. Before Hannon Holyfield married Lou Hooks, did he live with anyone else? A. Him and his wife—
“Q. I mean did he live with anybody besides his wife? A. Ada McIntosh.
“Q. Did Ada have any children? . A. Yes, she had a boy; she called him Claude.
“Q. Hannon didn’t marry her? A. Not so far as I know.
“Q. What was her position there? A. He was a big farmer; he had his mother and father, and Ada McIntosh kept house for him.
“Q. This boy, Claude, was bom on his place? A. Yes, on his place, right in his house.
“Q. Was Hannon living with this Ada McIntosh? A. I guess he was, he claimed to be.
“Q. Were you staying with Han-non ? A. I worked for him that year ; that is the year he made that big cotton crop, in 1900.
“Q. I thought you said in 1900 that you lived in Tyler County. A. Well, I lived right across the line, I worked for Hannon that year, though.
“Q. After this child was born, what happened to him? A.

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Bluebook (online)
274 S.W.2d 442, 1954 Tex. App. LEXIS 2339, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tarver-v-youngblood-texapp-1954.