Topletz v. Thompson

342 S.W.2d 151, 1960 Tex. App. LEXIS 1884
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 9, 1960
Docket15686
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 342 S.W.2d 151 (Topletz v. Thompson) 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
Topletz v. Thompson, 342 S.W.2d 151, 1960 Tex. App. LEXIS 1884 (Tex. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

DIXO.N, Chief Justice.

Appellee Sylvester Thompson brought this suit against Jack Topletz, Harold Topletz, Velta M. Walker and Juanita Isaacs, pleading statutory trespass to try title involving a house and lot located at 4512 Congo Street in the City of Dallas, Texas; and pleading in the alternative to set aside a trustee’s deed dated May 4, 1954. Thompson alleged that the trustee’s deed should be set aside (1) because of a fraudulent scheme to divest him of title and possession, and (2) because notice of the trustee’s sale had not been posted in three public places, as required by law.

Jack Topletz and Harold Topletz were holders of a note secured by a deed of trust lien against the property. It was through foreclosure of the lien that they now claim title to the property, as evidenced by the trustee’s deed to them, of May 4, 1954.

Velta Walker is the son and Juanita Isaacs is the daughter of Alma Thompson, deceased wife of Sylvester Thompson. They are Sylvester Thompson’s stepchildren.

A jury’s answers to special issues were-in substance as follows: (1) one of the-notices of the foreclosure sale was not posted in a public place; and (2) prior to-the conveyance of the property to Jack and. Harold Topletz, Jack Topletz, for himself and Harold Topletz, agreed with Sylvester Thompson or Velta Walker that rents from, the property would be applied to the debt, owed by Sylvester Thompson, Velta Walker and Juanita Isaacs until advances of money made by Topletz were paid, when the property would be reconveyed to Thompson, Walker and Isaacs; (3) but at the time-the agreement was made, Topletz did not intend to comply with it; (4) a bid of $300 by Jack and Harold Topletz at trustee’s, sale on May 4, 1954 was a grossly inadequate consideration; (5) believing themselves owners of the property, Jack and Harold Topletz made permanent improvements of a value of $1,300, but these improvements increased the value of the-property only $800; (6) it was not a part, of the agreement referred to in (2) above-that Juanita Isaacs would live in the property and would pay on the debt to Topletz what she would otherwise have to pay as rent; (7) and the rental value of the premises from May 4, 1954, without improvements made by Topletz, was $50 per month..

Based on the above jury verdict judgment was entered (1) setting aside the-trustee’s sale of May 4, 1954 and the trustee’s deed of the same date; (2) declaring-said sale and deed void and of no effect; (3) awarding appellee Thompson a homestead right for life in the subject property against all defendants; and (4). granting • appellee Thompson a money judgment against Jack and Harold Topletz in the-amount of $1,014.

Jack and Harold Topletz have perfected, their appeal by filing a supersedeas bond., Sylvester Thompson has perfected a cross-appeal by filing an appeal cost bond.

*153 Appellants Topletz have briefed twenty-nine points on appeal. Appellee Thompson has briefed thirteen counterpoints and six cross-points. The nature of these points requires a somewhat detailed statement of the evidence.

Evidence.

Alma Alexander acquired ownership of the house and lot May 1, 1944 for a consideration of $806.87, paying- $484.69 cash, and executing a note for the balance in the amount of $322.18. This note had been paid in full by the time this controversy arose.

About a year later Alma Alexander married Sylvester Thompson and the couple •occupied the house most of the time until •death of Alma Alexander Thompson in 1952. Thompson testified that they made some improvements to the house soon after their marriage. A fire occurred in 1948 but the couple rebuilt the house with insurance -money.

Alma Alexander Thompson died October ‘9, 1952. To pay funeral expenses Sylvester Thompson, Velta Walker, Juanita Isaacs .and her husband executed a note for $541 payable in ninety days, secured by a deed ■ of trust lien against the subject property. The note was payable to C. F. Sparks, one •of the partners owning Peoples Funeral Service.

Life insurance proceeds were applied -.toward payment of this note and from time to time other payments were made, so that by April 6, 1954, according to C. F. Sparks, the balance due on the note had been reduced to $163.88. However there is in evidence a cancelled check of Hexter Title Company, endorsed on the back by Sparks, which check shows that Sparks was paid $308.88 by the Title Company in Topletz’s behalf when the note and mortgage were transferred to Topletz. No payments had been made on the note for some time prior to the transfer to Topletz. Sparks testified that he had not posted notices for foreclosure, nor had he threatened to do so, but he had placed the note in the hands of an attorney for collection. Williams, the attorney, did not testify, so the record is silent as to what action he took to accomplish collection.

Velta Walker was permitted to testify, without objection, that he received a document (not admitted into evidence) 1 which he sent to his sister, Juanita Isaacs, because she too was one of the heirs to the property. Juanita then came to Dallas, and she and Velta went to see Sylvester Thompson, who was living on the property. None of them was able to pay the balance due on the note or make payments on it. Velta Walker and Juanita Isaacs then went to see Jack Topletz about refinancing the debt. They proposed that Juanita and her husband move into part of the property, Sylvester Thompson to remain in the other part, and that Juanita Isaacs and her husband would thereafter make payments to Jack Topletz in an amount equal to the rent they would *154 have to pay should the Isaacs live elsewhere. According' to Velta Walker and Juanita Isaacs this plan was acceptable to Jack Topletz.

But it was at this point that trouble arose. All the parties involved, including appellee Sylvester Thompson, testified that Sylvester Thompson refused to agree for Juanita Isaacs and her husband to move into and occupy part of the premises. So the refinancing plan fell through.

Thereupon, according to Velta Walker and Juanita Isaacs, they told Jack Topletz, who had arranged to buy the Sparks note and mortgage, that Sylvester Thompson had refused to permit Juanita Isaacs to move into part of the house, that they could-do nothing further toward paying the indebtedness, and that Jack Topletz would have to look out for himself.

The testimony of Juanita Isaacs is substantially in accord with that of Velta Walker. She testified that her brother forwarded to her a notice he had received of the foreclosure on the Congo Street property. It was -then that she came to Dallas and she and Velta Walker attempted to make arrangements above described for the refinancing of the note through Jack Topletz.

Jack Topletz testified that he had known Velta Walker and Juanita Isaacs for a number of years. Velta Walker first called him by telephone about the Congo Street property. Velta wanted Topletz to refinance the Sparks note in order to prevent a foreclosure. ■ Following this conversation' Topletz went to see Sylvester Thompson who agreed to make payments on the note. Afterwards Velta Walker and Juanita Isaacs came to his office and it was agreed that Topletz would buy the Sparks note.

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Bluebook (online)
342 S.W.2d 151, 1960 Tex. App. LEXIS 1884, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/topletz-v-thompson-texapp-1960.