Walker v. Dickey

98 S.W. 658, 44 Tex. Civ. App. 110, 1906 Tex. App. LEXIS 457
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 2, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 98 S.W. 658 (Walker v. Dickey) 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. Dickey, 98 S.W. 658, 44 Tex. Civ. App. 110, 1906 Tex. App. LEXIS 457 (Tex. Ct. App. 1906).

Opinion

REESE, Associate Justice.

This is an action in trespass to try title by W. T. Dickey against George W. Walker and Eva W. Walker, his wife, to recover a number of blocks of ground in Dickey’s West Park Addition to the.city of Houston. In addition to the usual allegations in trespass to try title as to all of the property sued for, appellee alleged that on April 1, 1899, he sold and conveyed to George W. Walker block Ho. 17, being one of the blocks sued for, reserving in *115 such conveyance an express vendor’s lien upon the land conveyed to secure the purchase money which was evidenced by 105 promissory notes for $30 each executed by said Walker, payable one each month after date thereof until they were all paid. There was a stipulation that failure to pay any five of the notes should, at the- option of the holder, mature them all.

It was alleged that a deed of trust was also executed to secure the payment of the notes, and sale made thereunder, at which sale appellee became the purchaser, but it was agreed upon the trial that no title passed by this sale and so far as block 17 is concerned appellee seeks to recover upon his superior title, alleging that after paying 26 of the notes appellant Walker made default as to the others, that more than five of them were overdue and appellee exercised his option to declare them all due."

Appellants answered that appellee had a good cause of action and was entitled to recover except insofar as such right might be defeated in whole or in part by the. facts set up in the answer, which are as follows, as set out in appellants’ brief:

That on April 10, 1895, the plaintiff, W. T. Dickey, while acting for himself and H. Dickey, entered into a contract with the defendants, the said plaintiff W. T. Dickey then being the real owner of said property, and the title thereto standing in the name of M. Dickey in trust for W. T. Dickey. The terms of said contract are set up fully and a copy of the contract attached to the answer as “Exhibit A,” the copy so attached being as follows, to wit:

“Houston, April 10, 1895.
“It is agreed by and between Eva W. Walker, acting for herself and husband, Geo. W. Walker, and W. T. Dickey, acting for himself and M. Dickey, as follows:
“1. That W. T. Dickey is the owner of blocks 65, 66, 67, 68, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17 and IS in what is known as Dickey’s West Park Addition to the city of Houston (being the property sued for) and that the recorded title to a part of these blocks stands in the name of M. Dickey, and therefore he joins in this contract.
“2. That W. T. Dickey and M. Dickey have this day sold the above described blocks to Eva W. Walker for $2,400, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.
“3. It is understood that Eva W. and Geo. W. Walker will fence that part of the land lying between San Felipe and the Westheimer roads, and will, during the year 1895, build a house upon block 17 which shall cost not more than $3,100, and that they will occupy same for at least five years.
“4. It is understood that W. T. Dickey will furnish the money with which to build the house, and will keep an account of all sums paid; and, after the house is completed and paid for, will deliver unto Eva W. Walker an itemized statement showing amounts paid by him, which shall be paid by Eva W. and George W. Walker as follows: Eva W. and George W. Walker shall execute their notes for the amount, including 4 percent interest thereon, for a period of five years, making a total sum of $2,520, which shall be made payable in monthly payments *116 of $30 per month, and shall, from time to time, pay on the notes such sums as they may feel able until they shall have paid as much as $720 in cash, the remaining $1,800 shall be paid in the following manner:
“Eva W. and Geo. W. Walker agree to board W. T. Dickey for a period of five years from the time they move into the house, and to reserve for him during that time one room in the house and shed room on the place for his horse and buggy, for which he agrees to pay the sum of $30 per month, to be applied to the payment of one note each month during the five years; and it is understood that, if Eva W. and George W. Walker carry out their part of this contract, they shall, at the end of five years, or so soon thereafter as they shall have paid the $720, have a deed to all the blocks mentioned herein free from any lien whatever or claim of M. Dickey or W. T. Dickey, for purchase money, or for money furnished with which to build the house.”
“(Signed) W. T. Dickey,
M. Dickey,
By W. T. Dickey.
Eva W. Walker,
Geo. W. Walker.”

That the defendants complied strictly with their part of said contract, while plaintiff only partially complied with his part thereof, setting up fully the acts and things done by each party in furtherance of said contract.

That the defendants paid bills for the plaintiff, as a payment on the cost of the house, for material that went into said house, to the amount of $251.53, as shown from an itemized statement of said bills attached to the answer as “Exhibit B.”

In addition to said bills that they paid in April, 1895, to January 14, 1897, $829.80, which amount was to be applied as a credit on the cost of said house until the cost, or the amounts due by the defendants to the plaintiff, was extinguished, and- the remainder he was to repay the defendants, which he has failed to do; an itemized statement of said payments was attached to said answer as “Exhibit C.”

They alleged the payment of other items from March 6, 1897, to June 2, 1899, to the amount of $210, and the payment of other sums for which they had no vouchers, etc. They made a restatement of all payments made by them to the plaintiff.

That when the notes described in plaintiff’s petition were executed, they owed the plaintiff nothing, and the notes were executed without consideration; that they were accommodation notes, and included no part of the purchase money of the land or cost of the house; that it was understood and agreed at the time the notes were executed that the plaintiff would return them to the defendants and release the land from the lien created thereby so soon as he was able to remove other incumbrances, etc.; that at the time of the execution of said notes, the property was the homestead of the defendants, and the lien, if any, attempted to be created thereon was void. That after the execution of the notes, the plaintiff led the defendants to believe that they would have to pay the same, and they paid twenty-six of said notes, and they are entitled to a judgment against the plaintiff for this sum.

*117 That the sale mentioned in plaintiff’s petition of block Ho.

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Bluebook (online)
98 S.W. 658, 44 Tex. Civ. App. 110, 1906 Tex. App. LEXIS 457, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walker-v-dickey-texapp-1906.