Walker v. Citizens Nat. Bank of Waco

212 S.W.2d 203, 1948 Tex. App. LEXIS 1321
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 20, 1948
DocketNo. 2795.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 212 S.W.2d 203 (Walker v. Citizens Nat. Bank of Waco) 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
Walker v. Citizens Nat. Bank of Waco, 212 S.W.2d 203, 1948 Tex. App. LEXIS 1321 (Tex. Ct. App. 1948).

Opinion

LESTER, Chief Justice.

The parties .to this litigation will be referred to as follows: The Citizens National Bank as “the bank,” Myrtice Walker as “the defendant”, the other joint maker of the note sued upon, who has since died, as “the deceased”, and the representatives of the estate of the deceased as “executors”.

The bank sued the defendant and the executors of the estate of the deceased for an indebtedness represented by two notes, one a renewal note of $1,700, dated July 12, 1946, and a $2,000 note, dated August 16, 1946. It was alleged by the bank that the defendant and the deceased were joint makers of said notes and prayed for a joint and several judgment against the defendant and the executors of the estate of the deceased. The bank also alleged that, the defendant had executed a deed of trust on certain property described to secure the payment of said notes, and sought foreclosure thereof.

The defendant filed an answer and cross-action, in which she alleged that she was only secondarily liable on said note, in that the deceased had given her the money and agreed with her ,to pay the notes when they became due.

The executors’ contention is that the deceased was an accommodation maker of the notes sued upon and that his estate was only secondarily liable, and pleaded lack of consideration between the defendant and the deceased in respect to the gift and the agreement to pay the notes at maturity.

The defendant further pleaded that she applied to the bank for a G. I. loan in the sum of $8,000 for the purpose of building a home, and agreed to execute a deed of trust to secure said amount. The deed of trust was dated April 26, 1946, and contained the following provision, to wit: “This deed of trust shall secure in addition to the above indebtedness any and all other indebtedness of the undersigned to The Citizens National Bank of Waco now owing or which may hereafter become owing, whether evidenced by note, open account, overdraft, endorsement, surety, guarantor or otherwise.” Concerning said clause she pleaded that it was placed in said instrument through the mutual mistake of the parties or through fraud on the part of the representative of the bank; that when she signed the deed of trust she did not know that it contained such a provision; that she was unable to read at the timé as she had recently broken her glasses and was thereby prevented from reading the same; that it was contrary to the terms of the oral agreement between her and the bank in that it was the understanding of each that the deed of trust was to secure the $8,000 note and no more, and if she had known of said provision at the time she signed it she would not have so signed.

The court submitted the case to the jury upon the following issues:

(1) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that Myrtice Walker Holmes did not know at the time she executed the G. I. deed of trust that it contained the following clause: ‘This deed of trust shall secure in addition to the above indebtedness any and all other indebtedness of the undersigned to The Citizens National Bank of Waco now owing or which may hereafter become owing whether evidenced by note, open account, overdraft, endorsement, surety, guarantor or otherwise.’ ?”

To .which the jury answered: “She did know.”

(2) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that Myrtice Walker Holmes believed, when she signed the *205 G. I. deed of trust that it secured only the $8000.00 G. I. note?”

To which the jury answered: “No.”

(3) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that the defendant Myrtice Walker Holmes would not have signed the deed of trust had she known it contained the clause securing other indebtedness, if she did not know same?”

To which the jury answered: “She would have signed.”

(4) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that before the execution of the G. I. deed of trust the representatives of the bank did not advise Myrtice Walker Holmes that the deed of trust contained the clause relative to ‘any and all other indebtedness’ ?”

To which the jury answered: “They did.”

(5) “To you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that the defendant Myrtice Walker Holmes would not have signed the $1700.00 renewal note had she known the deed of trust contained the provisions securing other indebtedness, if she did not know same?”

(6) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that the defendant Myrtice Walker Holmes would not have signed the $2000.00 note had she known the deed of trust contained the provisions securing other indebtedness, if she did not know same?”

(7) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if any, that the defendant Myrtice Walker Holmes was at fault in not reading the deed of trust which she signed, if she did not read same?”

To which the jury answered: “She was at fault.”

After the verdict was received the defendant filed her motion asking the court to render judgment for her non obstante veredicto refusing to foreclose the deed of trust lien, alleging that the answer to each issue failed to have support in the evidence. The court overruled her motion and entered judgment for the bank for its debt, with foreclosure on the property, and provided that the judgment should first be satisfied from the proceeds of the foreclosure sale, secondly, upon execution against defendant, and lastly, against the estate of the deceased. The defendant filed her motion for a new trial, which was by the court overruled; hence this appeal.

The defendant’s first contention is that the trial court erred in rendering judgment against her foreclosing the G. I. deed of trust lien on her homestead. Under this proposition she lists sixteen assignments of error, based upon the proposition that the answers of the jury and the judgment rendered by the court do not have support in the evidence.

The rule that prevails in Texas is that after disregarding all adverse evidence and considering only the evidence most favorable in support of the verdict and judgment, giving it all reasonable conclusions and inferences that might be drawn therefrom, if such evidence is of sufficient probative force that reasonable minds might differ as to the ultimate conclusion to be reached, it will be held that the evidence supports the verdict and judgment. Associated Employers Lloyds v. Self, Tex.Civ.App, 192 S.W.2d 902; Texas Employers Ins. Ass'n v. Moser, Tex.Civ. App, 152 S.W.2d 390; Associated Employers Lloyds v. Groce, Tex.Civ.App, 194 S. W.2d 103; Great American Indemnity Co. v. Beaupre, Tex.Civ.App, 191 S.W.2d 883.

Some of the evidence most favorable to such findings is that the form of deed of trust used in the instant case was one of the regular forms used by the bank in making loans of this kind; that the bank had used this form in making approximately 200 G. I.

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Bluebook (online)
212 S.W.2d 203, 1948 Tex. App. LEXIS 1321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walker-v-citizens-nat-bank-of-waco-texapp-1948.