Wade v. Brockmann

404 S.W.2d 622, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2664
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 15, 1966
DocketNo. 11415
StatusPublished

This text of 404 S.W.2d 622 (Wade v. Brockmann) 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
Wade v. Brockmann, 404 S.W.2d 622, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2664 (Tex. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

ARCHER, Chief Justice.

Appellants filed this suit against appel-lees to remove cloud from title, claiming that a deed from their father and mother to the father of appellees was void for want of a sufficient description of the “Second Tract,” referred' to in the deed.

Appellees answered by a general denial, estoppel by deed, laches, and filed a cross-action in trespass to try title, asserting a good record title, title under the adverse statute, and a title by presumed grant.

Trial was had without the aid of a jury and the court rendered judgment for the appellees.

Findings of fact and conclusions of law were made and filed, in response to the request by appellants, and to which no objections were made and no request for additional findings was made.

The appeal is predicated on thirteen points and are that the court erred in concluding as a matter of law that the deed in issue was legally sufficient to convey the “Second Tract,” the land in controversy, in admitting extrinsic evidence to prove the identity of the “Second Tract” and in holding that the evidence was sufficient to support the use of defendants’ Exhibit No. 4, the deed from Charles J. Anderson and wife to W. G. Wade and wife Jessie O. Wade, in applying the doctrine of presumed grant, principle of estoppel, laches, title under Articles 5519 and 5519a, Vernon’s Ann. Civ.St., because there was no evidence or insufficient evidence to support the conclusion that the terms of Articles 5519, 5519a, and Article 5510 had been met, and finally that the finding of the court that the appellees had claimed or used the land since 1924 is against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.

[624]*624The facts are undisputed that by deed dated January 8, 1921, Charles J. Anderson and wife, Emma C. Anderson, conveyed by general warranty deed to W. G. Wade and wife, Jessie O. Wade, two tracts of land both out of the George W. Davis Survey Number Fifteen (No. 15) in Travis County, Texas, designated in said deed as “First Tract” and “Second Tract.” The “First Tract” is described as containing twenty-one and seven-tenths (21%o) acres of land and the “Second Tract” as containing “twenty (20) acres of land more or less (timberland).”

The deed from the Andersons to the Wades recited a total consideration of $4500.00, of which sum $1500.00 was paid in cash and the balance of $3,000.00, represented by four vendor lien notes, payable to C. A. Nelson and Tom Nelson at Round Rock, Texas. Note No. 1 became due on or before March 15, 1921, and Notes Nos. 2, 3 and 4 on or before one, two and three years after date; said deed further providing that a vendor’s lien was reserved on the property to secure the payment of the notes and further, that when the notes had been paid in full “this deed shall become absolute.”

It is also undisputed that W. G. Wade and wife, Jessie O. Wade, by deed dated November 29, 1924, conveyed by general warranty deed to John Brockmann, two (2) tracts of land designated as “First Tract” and “Second Tract” out of the George W. Davis Headright Survey Number Fifteen (No. 15) in Travis County, Texas; and following the description in “First Tract” said deed reading as follows: “ * * * and being the same premises conveyed to us by Charles J. Anderson and wife Emma C. Anderson, Jan. 8, 1921.” Appellants concede that the deed from the Wades to John Brockmann, dated November 29, 1924, was a valid deed and was sufficient to convey the “First Tract” and do not seek to set aside that portion of the deed, but do seek to set aside and hold for nought the conveyance to the “Second Tract” on the ground that the description is insufficient to pass title.

Appellants introduced in evidence the original deed from W. G. Wade and wife, Jessie O. Wade, dated November 29, 1924, above referred to, which recited a cash consideration of $4,000.00. The deed from the Wades to Brockmann, dated November 29, 1924, was filed for record on December 1, 1924. The facts further show that all of the principals appearing in the Wade deed are now dead. W. G. Wade died on November 19, 1938. His wife, Jessie O. Wade, died on January 7, 1959. John Brockmann died on December 13, 1943. The facts are further undisputed that although W. G. Wade lived fourteen (14) years after he had executed the deed to Brockmann and his wife, Jessie O. Wade, lived thirty-five (35) years after she executed said deed, that neither at any time during their lifetime ever asserted any claim in any court of law to Tract No. 2 described in their deed dated November 29; 1924. The appellants sue herein as the heirs at law of W. G. Wade and wife, Jessie O. Wade, and suit is brought against O. M. Brockmann and Fritz Brockmann, the heirs at law of John Brockmann.

The question we are concerned with is the sufficiency of the description in the deed to convey the “Second Tract,” described in the deed and we believe that it is and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The deed contains the phrase “ * * * and being the same premises conveyed to us by Charles J. Anderson and wife, Emma C. Anderson, Jan. 8, 1921.”

The Second Tract is described:

“Twenty acres of land, more or less . (Timberland) being a part of the George W. Davis Survey No. 15, in Travis County, Texas, but more particularly described by meets and bounds as follows, to-wit: — Beginning at”

Following the description is a penciled notation, “to be inserted after surveying.”

[625]*625There is no indication as to who inserted the notation.

On June 16, 1953 Orin E. Metcalfe made a survey for “the estate of W. G. Wade, et ux and Mrs. John Brockmann.” Mr. Wade was then dead but Mrs. Wade was living and did not die until 1959.

Marlton O. Metcalfe, a licensed surveyor and who assisted his father Orin E. Metcalfe in making the 1953 survey, testified that in locating the tract:

“Q By going back to the deed from Anderson to the Wades, dated January 8, 1921, could you make a survey of that second tract?
A I would back-track all deeds that I could find. If he gave a reference, if the Anderson deed gave another reference, I would keep back-tracking until I found some legal description that would give me the tract of land that this second tract pertained to be, because in these other deeds it did describe — in one of the deeds — I don’t recall exactly which one — it did give a description of this second tract that they are talking about, and from that description I would attempt to make my survey.”

Appellants objected to the testimony of the surveyor that the field notes set out in Defendants’ Exhibit No.

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404 S.W.2d 622, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2664, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wade-v-brockmann-texapp-1966.