White v. Hix

104 S.W.2d 136, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 547
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 11, 1937
DocketNo. 3459
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 104 S.W.2d 136 (White v. Hix) 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
White v. Hix, 104 S.W.2d 136, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 547 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

HIGGINS, Justice

(after stating the case as above).

Appellant presents two propositions, the second of which will be first considered. It reads: “Extension agreement whereby note was extended for indefinite time in that debtor was authorized to pay note on or before maturity date, was without consideration and insufficient to toll limitation statutes.”

The authorities, cited in support thereof are Novosad et al. v. Svrcek et al. (Tex. Civ.App.) 84 S.W.(2d) 247; Benson v. Phipps, 87 Tex. 578, 29 S.W. 1061, 47 Am. St.Rep. 128; and Kirby v. American State Bank (Tex.Com.App.) 18 S.W.(2d) 599, 63 A.L.R. 1528.

None of these cases support the plea of limitation upon the facts of this case.

■ Benson v. Phipps simply holds there was an extension contract between the principal maker of a note and the payee based upon a sufficient consideration which operated to release the nonconsenting surety upon the note. The contrary holding is made in Kirby v. Bank. Novosad v. Svrcek has been overruled by the Supreme Court in opinion not yet reported.

In the present case Tom had the right to pay the note at any time before December 1, 1931, but Mrs. Hix could not require payment before that date. This extension was a consideration moving from Mrs. Hix to Tom for the renewal note, and is alone sufficient to support Mrs. Hix’s claim of a lien holder for value. Steffian v. Milmo Nat. Bank, 69 Tex. 513, 6 S.W. 823. In addition, $200 was then loaned to Tom and included in the note.

On the other hand, the consideration to Mrs. Hix was the execution of a new note for past-due unsecured paper and a lien securing the same.

Appellant’s first proposition reads: “A mortgage given by one partner to secure his individual indebtedness cannot be enforced as against the rights of the other partners, even though the creditor did not know at the time he took the mortgage that such property belonged to the partnership, unless such partners are estopped to set up their rights.”

Appellant’s theory under this proposition is summarized in his concluding argument, where he asserts the judgment should be reversed and rendered because it was “conclusively established:

“(1) That the lands in controversy belonged to the partnership of White & Tom;
“(2) That G. W. Tom, deceased, a former member of said partnership mortgaged an undivided half interest in said lands to [139]*139secure his individual preexisting indebtedness ;
“(3) That the other members of said partnership did not authorize or ratify such mortgage;
“(4) That the partnership of White & Tom does not have sufficient assets wherewith to pay partnership obligations.”

1. Appellant assumed the lands belonged to the partnership and the Whites did not ratify the action of Tom in giving the deed of trust to Mrs. Hix.

The title as disclosed by the muniments of title and' deed records was in G. R. White and G. W. Tom in fee simple as tenants in common. 47 C.J., Partnership, § 190. There was nothing upon the face of the record to indicate any interest in the land owned by the partnership of White & Tom.

If the partnership owns the land, its title is equitable, based upon a parol trust. One asserting such a title must prove the trust by evidence clear, satisfactory, and convincing.

42 Tex.Jur., Trusts, § 76.. To quote the Supreme Court: “Perhaps there is no fact which, in the trial of civil causes, is required to be so satisfactorily proved as that which engrafts a parol trust upon the legal title. * * * Whilst it is not necessary that it should be established beyond a reasonable doubt, nothing must be left to conjecture, nor must presumptions be indulged which are not the usual and almost necessary deductions from the. facts proved.” King v. Gilleland, 60 Tex. 271. Again it has been said that: “The principle involved is one of the first importance to the stability and certainty of titles, and it is a principle which it is the duty of the court to enforce by granting new trials, where it has been disregarded by juries.” Markham v. Carothers, 47 Tex. 21.

The trust in this case is directly proved by the testimony of the defendant White, and he is corroborated by some circumstances. The evidence is ample to support a finding that the individuals did hold the title in trust, but we do not regard it as conclusively so showing under the rule announced above. White was vitally interested in the issue, and a suspicious angle of the evidence is the fact that the trustee Tom has had his lips sealed by death, and White did not repudiate to Mrs. Hix, Tom’s authority to give the deed of trust until after Tom’s death. In this connection see Johnson v. Deloney, 35 Tex. 42. The evidence also shows that by letter dated April 2, 1932, later quoted, Tom advised White he had given the deed of trust, and White did not repudiate such action to Mrs. Hix.

Again, it is fair to infer the partners J. E. and C. T. White knew the assets of the firm and should have been able to testify to the existence of the trust. They did not testify.

When Tom and others, on November 18, 1919, conveyed to G. R. White there remained vested in Tom the fee-simple title to a one-half interest which he theretofore owned. That estate in fee remained vested in Tom until he and White conveyed to Morrison on January 1, 1926, because Tom had not theretofore conveyed his said interest.

The asserted equitable title of. the partnership evidently could not have been created until Story reconveyed to G. R. White and G. W. Tom on August 17, 1928. Story’s deed recites the consideration as being the cancellation of the Morrison purchase-money notes in favor of G. R. White and G. W. Tom. It was not shown the partnership had acquired those notes, and it would therefore seem the consideration moved from the individuals rather than the partnership. It is fair, therefore, to infer Tom in 1928 reacquired his one-half interest in fee simple.

Findings not having been filed by the trial court, it must be assumed by this court that all issues of fact presented by the evidence were found by the trial court in such manner as will support the judgment rendered.

In view of the fact that White was a vitally interested witness, and considering the evidence as a whole, we sustain the implied finding of the trial court that the asserted trust and equitable title was not sufficiently proven.

2. It is thoroughly settled that one who claims a superior equitable title to land as against one who has purchased from the holder of the legal title must show that such purchaser did not purchase for value or purchased with notice of the outstanding equity. Teagarden v. R. B. Godley Lumber Co., 105 Tex. 616, 154 S.W. 973; Commonwealth B. & L. Ass’n, v. Howard [140]*140(Tex.Civ.App.) 61 S.W.(2d) 546; Moore v. Humble Oil & Ref. Co. (Tex.Civ.App.) 85 S.W.(2d) 943, 944; Tarkenton v. Marshall (Tex.Civ.App.) 91 S.W.(2d) 473. The same rule applies in favor of lien holders. Texas Loan Agency v. Taylor, 88 Tex. 47, 29 S.W. 1057; McAlpine v. Burnett, 23 Tex. 649, 650.

There is no reason why such rule should not apply in a case where it is attempted to subordinate the rights of a purchaser from the individual holder of the legal title to the equitable title of a partnership.

In other jurisdictions such rule is applied. We quote:

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Bluebook (online)
104 S.W.2d 136, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 547, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-hix-texapp-1937.