Trusler v. Grigsby

286 P.2d 603, 74 Wyo. 204, 4 Oil & Gas Rep. 2016, 1955 Wyo. LEXIS 33
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 26, 1955
DocketNo. 2679
StatusPublished

This text of 286 P.2d 603 (Trusler v. Grigsby) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trusler v. Grigsby, 286 P.2d 603, 74 Wyo. 204, 4 Oil & Gas Rep. 2016, 1955 Wyo. LEXIS 33 (Wyo. 1955).

Opinion

[208]*208OPINION

Riner, Chief Justice.

Anna L. Trusler and her husband, Albert Ray Trusler, as plaintiffs brought their action in the district court of Sheridan County to cancel a mineral deed by which the wife had conveyed to one Foster C. Grigsby an undivided one-half interest in all the oil, gas, and other minerals in and under and that may be produced from certain lands in Sheridan County, Wyoming, described as follows: SW¼NE¼, SE¼NW¼, E½ SW¼, SE¼ sec. 24, T. 58 N., R. 85 W., sixth principal meridian, containing 320 acres more or less. Being unsuccessful in that action, they have brought the case here by direct appeal, seeking a reversal of the judgment in the court below. That judgment was rendered by the court, no jury being called, and, omitting formal parts, is to the following effect:

“Whereupon the Court proceeded to take and hear the evidence and the testimony of the parties and their witnesses and, upon a full consideration of the issues, of the applicable law, and of the facts as the same appeared by admission, evidence and testimony, made and entered its findings of fact; its conclusion of law, [209]*209and its judgment thereon, all as follows, to-wit:

“FINDINGS OF FACT

“In addition to the facts admitted in the pleadings and by stipulation between the parties, the Court makes the following findings of fact, to-wit:
“1. The mineral interest conveyed by the plaintiff, Anna L. Trusler, to the defendant, Foster C. Grigsby, was not owned, held and occupied by the plaintiffs as homestead property. This allegation was abandoned by the plaintiff in open Court.
“2. That at the time the mineral interest in question was conveyed, to-wit, April 12, 1952, the lands in question were of no value as oil producing properties and that no oil, gas or other hydrocarbon substances were then being produced therefrom; that any value of the mineral interest conveyed was prospective, remote and speculative only, a fact which was known to both the plaintiffs and the defendant.
“3. That the consideration paid for said mineral interest, to-wit, |5,500.00, was not inadequate or insufficient and there is no showing made that said consideration was not commensurate with the value of lands similarly situated.
“4. That the mineral deed in question, together with its acknowledgment, as well as the draft and the written receipt therefor are complete upon their face and are certain and definite as to the parties’ engagement. “5. That the said mineral deed in question represents the entire contract of the parties and the full extent and manner of their undertaking.
“6. That at the time the plaintiff, Anna L. Trusler, made and executed the mineral deed in question she understood the full nature of the transaction in which she was engaged.
“7. That at the time the plaintiff, Anna L. Trusler, made and executed the mineral deed in question, she acted of her own free will and accord and not by reason of any coercion, duress, or undue influence on the part of the defendant or anyone acting in his behalf.
“8. That the plaintiff, Anna L. Trusler, was not in[210]*210duced to make and execute the mineral deed in question by any misrepresentation, false representation, or fraud on the part of the defendant or anyone acting in his behalf.

“CONCLUSION OF LAW

“The Court makes the following conclusions of law:

“1. That the mineral deed made and entered into under date of April 12, 1952, wherein the plaintiff, Anna L. Trusler, together with other signatories, conveyed and warranted to the defendant, Foster C. Grigsby, an undivided one-half interest in and unto all of the oil, gas and other minerals in, upon and under the following described property situate in Sheridan County, State of Wyoming, to-wit: The SW¼NE¼, SE¼NW¼, E½ SW¼, and the SE% of Section 24, Township 58 North, Range 85 West of the 6th P.M. witness and constitutes a good, valid and legal conveyance of said interest to said defendant.
“2. That the plaintiffs herein should take nothing by their petition herein and that title to the above described interest should be quieted in the defendant, Foster C. Grigsby.

“JUDGMENT

“IT IS, THEREFORE, BY THE COURT ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED

“1. That the plaintiffs, Albert Ray Trusler and Anna L. Trusler, take nothing by their petition and that judgment be, and hereby is, entered for the defendant, Foster C. Grigsby, on each of the five separate causes of action contained in plaintiff’s petition.
“2. That the defendant, Foster C. Grigsby, have judgment against the plaintiffs and each of them upon his cross-petition, quieting title in him, as owner, against any and all adverse claims of interest now, or hereafter, asserted by the plaintiffs herein or either of them, or anyone claiming by, through or under them, in and unto the following described mineral interest, to-wit: an undivided one-half interest in and unto all of the oil, [211]*211gas or other minerals in, upon or under the following-described real property in Sheridan County, State of Wyoming, to-wit: The SW¼NE¼, SE¼NW¼, E½ SW¼, and the SE¼ of Section 24, Township 58 North, Range 85 West of the 6th P.M.
"8. That the costs of this action are assessed at $22.80 and are taxed to the plaintiffs herein.
“4. That the plaintiffs are allowed their exception.”

As indicated above, dissatisfied with the result obtained in the district court, plaintiffs as appellants have brought the cause here by direct appeal for review.

The facts so far as they control the disposition of the case were and are in dispute. The testimony of the witnesses produced by the parties appears to be in hopeless conflict. Plaintiffs’ witnesses recall and testify fully concerning the transaction which took place on April 12, 1952, in the Randall home in Sheridan between Mrs. Trusler and most of her children (by a former marriage) and one William J. Kirven, as the representative of Foster C. Grigsby and his associate, Jeff Hawks. Preliminary to this date, Mrs. Trusler was the owner of certain lands situated on Ash Creek in the northern part of Sheridan County. These lands had been set over to her under probate proceedings connected with the estate of her deceased first husband, Ernest A. Kester. She, however, considered that her children by her first husband were definitely interested in this land and that she merely held it for them. Subsequently, she married Albert Ray Trusler and was his wife on the date in April 1952 as mentioned last above. Prior to that date, Mrs. Trusler had given an oil and gas lease to the Shell Oil Company, which covered the 320 acreage involved in this present action and other lands she owned, for a royalty interest of one-eighth in all production. That company turned those lands with other leased lands in the vicinity over to J. Ray McDermott & Co., Inc., for exploration and de[212]*212velopment, if oil was discovered. Previously, some test wells had been drilled in the general vicinity of Ash Creek which were to the knowledge ofMrs. Trusler nonproductive of oil. None of these wells were on her lands. Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
286 P.2d 603, 74 Wyo. 204, 4 Oil & Gas Rep. 2016, 1955 Wyo. LEXIS 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trusler-v-grigsby-wyo-1955.