Ward v. Weaver

19 S.W.2d 140, 1929 Tex. App. LEXIS 781
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 5, 1929
DocketNo. 9294.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 19 S.W.2d 140 (Ward v. Weaver) 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
Ward v. Weaver, 19 S.W.2d 140, 1929 Tex. App. LEXIS 781 (Tex. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

LANE, J.

This suit was instituted by Mrs. Mary Weaver on July 18, 1927, against Mrs. Ward, in the form of trespass to try title to lot 8, block 6, of the Texas Savings & Real Estate Investment Association’s Second addition to the city of Houston, less 12% by 25 feet in the northern corner of said lot, and lot 10 in block 70 of the Port Houston addition to said city.

Mrs. Ward filed her original answer on the 21st day of July, 1927, consisting of a general denial and plea of not guilty, and on the 23d day of March, 1928, she filed her first amended original answer and cross-action in trespass to try title to the lots involved against Mrs. Weaver, and therein reiterated her plea of not guilty and prayed for possession of the lots and for rentals.

On the 15th day of May, 1928, Mrs. Weaver filed her first supplemental plea answering the cross-action of Mrs. Ward, wherein she disclaimed all right, title, and interest in and to lot 10, block 70, above described, except her right to a lien thereon' for the repayment of money she had expended in paying the taxes due on the same, and, as to the allegations of Mrs. Ward relative to the other lot above described, Mrs. Weaver pleaded general denial, plea of not guilty, the three, five, and ten years’ statutes of limitation, and a plea of non est factum to a certain deed purported to have been executed by her and her husband as grantors to Mrs. Ward as grantee of date December 29, 1917. She alleged that on the 29th day of December, 1917, and for a long time prior and subsequent thereto, William Weaver and she were husband and wife, that her husband was the head of a family, and that their family at all times during the period mentioned occupied the premises as their homestead.

In the alternative, she alleged that she had paid large sums of money in discharge of certain vendor’s lien notes resting against said lot, executed by Mrs. Ward, and had paid about $850 in discharging the taxes due on the property, that she and her husband had made valuable improvements on the lot in good faith; and she prayed that, if it should be determined that she was not the owner of *141 the property, she be allowed a recovery against Mrs. Ward for such sums paid out by her and for the establishment of a lien against the property to secure payment of such sums.

On May 21, 1928, Mrs. Ward filed her supplemental answer and cross-action containing a general denial, alleging the rental value of the property to be $70 per month, a total of $7,500, and praying for a recovery thereof from Mrs. Weaver, who she alleged was her tenant, and praying that, if Mrs. Weaver recovered any sum for payment of purejiase-money notes and taxes, such sum be offset against said sum due by her for rent. >

On May 21, 1928, Mrs. Weaver dismissed her original suit without prejudice to‘her plea of not guilty and her answer to the cross-action of Mrs. Ward.

Facts.

On the 15th day of July, 1913, J. G. Boyd, by his deed of that date, conveyed to Mrs. Ward lot 8, block 6, hereinbefore described, which is the lot the title to which is in controversy here. The total consideration recited in such conveyance is $4,250, of which $1,-650 was recited as being in cash and the balance evidenced by four notes, each for the sum of $650, due one, two, three, and four years from date, executed by Mrs. Ward to Boyd, bearing 7 per-cent, per annum interest, payable annually; a vendor’s lien being retained in the deed to secure the unpaid purchase money. Mrs. Ward, as additional security, also executed and delivered to E. I. Kendrick, trustee, to secure Boyd in the payment of the notes, a deed of trust on the lot. J. G. Boyd died, and his widow, Jessie S. Boyd, became the owner of the above-mentioned notes. As Mrs. Ward was unable to pay the notes as they became due, the dates of payment were extended, respectively, to July 15, 1918,1919,1920, and 1921, Mrs. Ward agreeing to increase the rate of interest to 8 per cent.

On the 1st day of October, 1917, by a deed of that date, Mrs. Ward, for a recited consideration of $250 cash and other good and sufficient considerations, conveyed the lot in controversy to Mrs. Mary Weaver.

Only $100 had been paid on the principal of the four notes, aggregating in amount $2,-600 on June 4, 1919. Thereafter Mrs. Weaver sent Mrs. Ward $250, which was paid on these notes, reducing the amount due upon them to $2,250. Mrs. Weaver and husband paid the annual interest on the notes as it accrued.

On the 20th day of August, 1920, some of the vendór’s lien notes hereinbefore mentioned having become past due, Mrs. Mary Weaver, joined by her husband, on the one part, and Mrs. Jessie Boyd on the other part, entered into a written agreement whereby the due dates of the notes were extended.

On the 9th day of December, 1920, Mrs. Weaver and husband executed to William Anderson, trustee, for the use of Mrs. Jessie Boyd, a deed of trust upon the lot in controversy to secure payment of the balance due on the four vendor’s lien notes executed by Mrs. Ward.

On the 10th day of December, 1920, Mrs. Jessie Boyd assigned to James Sinclair the vendor’s lien notes and the lien and superior title held by her to secure said notes.

On the 19th day of May, 1928, James Sinclair executed and delivered to Mrs. Weaver an instrument wherein it is recited that the four notes executed by Mrs. Ward had been fully paid by Mrs. Weaver. It recited the transfer from Mrs. Jessie Boyd to James Sinclair, above mentioned, and that, in consideration of the payment of said notes, James Sinclair sells and conveys to Mrs. Mary Weaver, as her own separate property and estate, the vendor’s lien and superior title to the lot in controversy theretofore held by Sinclair.

From the time of the purchase of the property from Boyd in 1913 to the date of the trial of this cause, Mrs. Weaver and her family had occupied the house situated upon the lot as their home, and Mrs. Weaver and-her husband, during all of such period were claiming the property as their own ; they had the house insured, and paid for such insurance.

Mr. Joe Yetrano, the insurance agent, testified that, at the time the Weavers moved into the house, it was just a shack, and that he estimated that Mr. Weaver spent about $2,-000 in changing the cottage to a duplex.

Mrs. Weaver testified that Mrs. Ward had negotiated a sale of certain property that she and her husband owned, and took possession of about $800 in cash paid to her by the purchaser of said property, as part consideration, and also had such purchaser to convey to her two lots taken as part of the consideration for the property; that Mrs. Ward never paid her any part of the $800, nor conveyed to her the lots mentioned; that she thought Mrs. Ward had J. G. Boyd to convey the lot involved in this suit to her, and that, as soon as she learned that Mrs. Ward had Boyd to convey it to her (Mrs. Ward), she had Mrs. Ward convey it to her, which she did as shown by the deed of date October 1, 1917; that she paid the taxes on the place, amounting to something more than $900.

As already stated, it was shown that the Weavers paid the interest on the four Ward notes, that they paid $250 on them so as to reduce the sum to the amount of $2,250, and ' that thereafter Mrs.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Martinez v. Southwest Bitulithic Co.
119 S.W.2d 740 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1938)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
19 S.W.2d 140, 1929 Tex. App. LEXIS 781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ward-v-weaver-texapp-1929.