Young v. Gardner

507 S.W.2d 250, 1974 Tex. App. LEXIS 2429
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 17, 1974
DocketNo. 16162
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 507 S.W.2d 250 (Young v. Gardner) 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
Young v. Gardner, 507 S.W.2d 250, 1974 Tex. App. LEXIS 2429 (Tex. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinions

EVANS, Justice.

This case is the result of an unfortunate dispute between neighboring owners, the Youngs and Gardners.

[252]*252Appellants John Young and wife, Betty Young, brought suit against appellees Elmer C. Gardner and wife, Thelma K. Gardner, to rescind an agreement to amend certain building line restrictions; for in-junctive relief, and, alternatively, for damages. Appellees by cross-action sought in-junctive relief, damages and correction of deed description. At the conclusion of the evidence, appellants’ case was withdrawn from the jury and judgment entered that appellants take nothing. Special issues were submitted to the jury on appellees’ cross-action but so far as material here, the jury’s findings did not constitute the basis of the trial court’s judgment. The trial court entered judgment in favor of appellees, as a matter of law, granting certain injunctive relief and requiring delivery of a correction deed from appellants. A majority of the court has concluded that ■the case must, in part be affirmed, and, in part, be reversed and remanded for a new trial.

In January, 1966, appellants John and Betty Young acquired a tract of approximately two acres of expensive residential land in the Tall Timbers section of River Oaks in the City of Houston. In October, 1966, appellants subdivided this tract into two parcels, Tract A and Tract B, and in their Declaration of Subdivision, they subjected the property to the following restrictions :

“1. No overhead utility lines such as telephone, lights, etc. shall be permitted to cross over any portion of Lots A and B except as may be in existence at the time hereof.
“2. All utility, garage or service areas shall be screened with a brick wall sufficient in height to obscure the presence of such utility, garage or service area from the other residents as may be located on said Lots A and/or B.
“3. No structure shall be built on Lot B nearer than 40 feet from the South boundary line of said Lot or nearer than 60 feet from the west boundary line of said lot.
“4. No use shall be made of the 40' easement adjoining Lots A and B other than as a driveway or drive area and no use shall be made thereof or any structure placed thereon which would in any manner limit the use of such 40' easement for ingress and egress of vehicular traffic to Lot A.”

A subsequent Declaration was filed by the Youngs in June, 1967, for the asserted purpose of correcting certain errors in the metes and bounds description of the property and for the purpose of reserving to the Youngs a 10-foot easement for driveway purposes across Tract B. This Declaration was filed after the Youngs had entered into earnest money agreement with the Gardners for the sale of Tract B to the Gardners but before the closing of the sales transaction which occurred in July, 1967.

The relationship of the two tracts to each other and to the 10-foot and 40-foot access easements leading to Westlane, a public street, are shown on the reproduction of the plat attached to the June, 1967 Declaration of Subdivision. The 40-foot easement was the subject of prior litigation in Anderson v. Tall Timbers Corporation, 378 S.W.2d 16 (Tex.Sup.), which determined that the easement had not been dedicated as a public street.

Appellants John and Betty Young delivered their deed to the appellees Elmer C. and Thelma Gardner, on July 10, 1967, describing Tract B by metes and bounds, expressly subjecting it to all restrictions, covenants, conditions, easements and reservations shown of record and reserving specifically a 10-foot easement for driveway purposes along the southerly line of the tract as shown on the above mentioned plat.

In August, 1967, appellee Gardner sought to obtain an amendment to the recorded restrictions so as to permit the construction [253]*253of his home at a point 15 feet, rather than 40 feet from the south line. and 35 feet, rather than 60 feet, from the west line. To accomplish this purpose, he had prepared and himself presented to the Youngs, a plat with an agreement typed thereon which bears a typewritten date of August 25, 1967. The evidence is uncontroverted that Gardner also prepared and presented to the Youngs, in connection with the aforementioned plat, two elevation drawings depicting separate side views of the Gardners’ proposed home. On one of these drawings Gardner made a notation, “This is what the Youngs see,” indicating a view of the Gardners’ proposed home from the west line of the Gardner tract; on the other, he made the notation, “This is what the guests see,” indicating a view from the driveway leading to the Youngs’ home. The plats and drawings referred to above are shown on the following page.

In September or early October, 1967, ap-pellee Gardner commenced construction of his home on Tract B. In late October, 1967, Gardner wrote to Young, stating his understanding with respect to various matters and enclosing a formal instrument to be executed and acknowledged by Young and Gardner and their respective wives. This instrument purported to correct certain errors in the metes and bounds description of Tract B, and to amend the recorded building line restrictions in accordance with the distances shown in the August 25, 1967, document. The appellants Young refused to execute this instrument and construction of the Gardner home continued. As the construction of the carport and service area progressed, the Youngs became more dissatisfied with its location and appearance. A photographic picture of the carport, as constructed, is also shown on the following page. After fur-

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ther discussions and correspondence between the parties, appellants subsequently-filed this action seeking temporary and permanent injunction. The hearing on appeal of the trial court’s order refusing temporary injunction and granting injunctive relief to the Gardners is reported in Young v. Gardner, 435 S.W.2d 192 (Tex.Civ.App. —Houston [14th] 1968, n. w. h.).

In their first amended petition the Youngs alleged that the Gardners, prior to the commencement of construction of their residence indicated to the Youngs they desired an amendment of the restrictive covenants affecting their Tract B, and exhibited to the Youngs drawings of their proposed improvements; that Gardner represented to and assured the Youngs that if they would agree to such desired amendment, all utility, garage and service areas on the Gardners’ tract would be screened with a brick wall sufficient in height to obscure the presence of such areas from the Youngs’ land and from the driveway easements south of the Gardners’ tract; that in reliance on such drawings, representations and assurances the Youngs had indicated to the Gardners they would be willing to join in an instrument amending the building line restrictions and accordingly approved such change as shown by the instrument of August 25, 1967.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
507 S.W.2d 250, 1974 Tex. App. LEXIS 2429, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/young-v-gardner-texapp-1974.