Thompson v. Jones

116 S.W.2d 778, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 1062
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 2, 1938
DocketNo. 5169.
StatusPublished

This text of 116 S.W.2d 778 (Thompson v. Jones) 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
Thompson v. Jones, 116 S.W.2d 778, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 1062 (Tex. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Chief Justice.

This is an action of trespass to try title to the north one-half of block 13 in the town of Gladewater, Gregg county, Tex., filed December 29, 1931, by appellants, Pat Thompson and wife, plaintiffs in the trial court, against a number of defendants, among whom were Minnie Thompson Jones .and Leroy Thompson. Judgment was entered March 24, 1932, in favor of plaintiffs against all defendants, upon service of process by publication. A bill of review, was filed January 3, 1933, within the time prescribed by law, R.S. art. 2236, and a new trial was granted. Leroy Thompson died during pendency of the suit. His heirs intervened, and by pleadings in the nature of a cross action asserted title to an interest in the land. Like pleadings were filed by Minnie T. Jones, joined by her husband, O. J. Jones. The heirs of Betty Wilburt, deceased, also intervened and claimed an interest in the property. Plaintiffs, Pat Thompson and wife, by their first amended original petition specially pleaded the statute of ten years’ limitation. Vernon’s Ann. Civ.St. art. 5510.

Title to the land in controversy was acquired by Robert Thompson and wife, Harriett, in 1890. Robert Thompson died about 1903. His wife, Harriett, died prior to that date. Pat Thompson, Minnie Thompson Jones, and Leroy Thompson were children of and the sole surviving heirs of Robert and Harriett Thompson, and as such heirs they inherited title to the land now in controversy.

On October 5, 1917, D. S. Meredith, as sheriff of Gregg county, executed and delivered to A. F. Sheppard a deed purporting to have been made under authority of an order of sale issued out of the 'district court of Gregg county in a judgment foreclosing a lien in fávor of the state of Texas for delinquent taxes against the property. The deed purports to convey “all of the estate, right, title and interest which the said Pat Thompson had on the 22nd day of May, A. D. 1917, or at any time after-wards,” in and to the north one-half of block 13 of the town of Gladewater.

By general warranty deed dated February 21, 1921, A. F. Sheppard and wife, Bertha, conveyed to Pat Thompson:

“All that certain tract, lot or parcel of land, situated in the town of Gladewater, Gregg County, Texas, to-wit:
“Being the North one-half of Block No. 13 as per plat of the town of Gladewater, which plat is recorded in Vol. A on page 3, Deed Records of Gregg County, Texas, said land being out of the H. R. Hokit Survey, being the same property described in a deed from D. S. Meredith, Sheriff of Gregg County, Texas, to A. F. Sheppard October 5, 1917.”

The two deeds were filed for record September 24, 1921, and recorded in the Deed Records of Gregg county.

Pat Thompson testified, in substance, that he purchased the land from' Mr. Sheppard in 1917 of 1918, during the World War; that he immediately went into possession, fenced it, built a dwelling house on it, and had since continuously occupied and used it as his home, paid the taxes on it, and claimed to own it “because he had bought the land from Mr. Sheppard.” He further testified that he gave actual notice to his sister, Minnie Thompson Jones, and to his brother, Leroy Thompson, at or about the time he purchased it, that he was claiming title to the land because he had “bought it from Mr. Sheppard.” That Mr. Sheppard executed the deed to the land after hé paid for it.

In response to special issues, accompanied by appropriate instructions and definitions, the jury found the facts in favor of plaintiff .Pat Thompson, on his claim of title under the statute of ten years’ limitation; and further, that defendants Minnie Thompson Jones and Leroy Thompson received notice, in 1918 that Pat Thompson was claiming the land adversely to them.

Defendants Minnie Thompson Jones and the heirs of Leroy Thompson filed a motion praying for judgment non obstante veredic-to, based upon the alleged ground that the *780 findings of the jury in favor of plaintiff on his plea of limitation, and that his sister, Minnie Thompson Jones, and his brother, Leroy Thompson, had acquired notice in 1918 of his adverse claim against them, was without support in the testimony. The motion was sustained and judgment was entered awarding Minnie Thompson Jones title to an undivided one-third interest and to the heirs of Leroy Thompson an undivided one-third interest, and the remaining one-third undivided interest to plaintiff Pat Thompson. All other parties were disposed of in the judgment. Plaintiffs, Pat Thompson and his wife, have appealed.

Appellants have assigned as error the action of the trial court in rendering judgment for appellees for an undivided two-thirds interest in the property, .notwithstanding the verdict of the jury, and in refusing to render judgment for appellants for all the property in accordance with the verdict of the jury.

Aside from that of constructive notice, the question here presented is whether or not the findings of the jury are without support in the testimony that Minnie Thompson Jones and Leroy Thompson had actual notice in 1918 of the adverse claim of their brother and cotenant, Pat Thompson, to the land. In support of such findings of the jury, the record reflects the following testimony:

Pat Thompson on direct examination testified :

“Q. Do you know the number of the block you live on? A.‘Yes sir.
“Q. What number of the block is it there you live on? A. The North half of block 13.
“Q. How long have you lived there ? A. I moved there in 1917.
“Q. Are you sure of that date? A. Yes, sir, it was in 1917 or T8.
“Q. What makes you think it was one of those two years? A. Because the war was going on, the man that put the house up for me, Dr. Sheppard, I was farming for him, and he was keeping house, and he wanted me to hurry up and get done 'so I could take care of the farm across the river. We got the house done. I kept arguing to him, I says, ‘We have got to go to war,’ and he says, ‘We are not arguing about the war now/ he says, ‘We have got to hurry and get that house done.’
“Q. Did you ever get a deed to the North half" of block 13? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. You say you built the house there some time while the World War was going on? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Either in 1917 or 1918? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Did you move in the house as soon as you got it completed? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. State where you have lived since that time? A. Right there on block 13, the north half. I have never been out of it.
“Q. Have you got a fence around the north half of block 13? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. When did you build the fence? A. When I built the house, I built the fence at the same time.
“Q. Does your wife live there with you all the time? • A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Has any one, from the time you built that house in 1917 or T8, up until now, ever filed a suit against you for any interest in block 13? A. No, sir, not up until right now.
“Q.

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116 S.W.2d 778, 1938 Tex. App. LEXIS 1062, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-jones-texapp-1938.