Emery v. Barfield
Emery v. Barfield
Opinion of the Court
The appellees sued appellants in trespass to try title to recover the west half of the Samuel Andrews survey, in Jones county, less 550 acres out of the original survey, and recovered an undivided one-half interest as the heirs of the community estate of Susan Sullivan and her deceased husband, J. M. Sullivan.
This is objected to as being an improper presentation of the law to appellants’ prejudice; appellants basing their claim, as they do, upon the contention that the property became the separate property of Susan Sullivan. We think the charge does misstate the law. As between husband and wife, and necessarily their heirs, a conveyance by the husband to the wife has the effect of vesting a separate estate in the wife; and this, too, whether the instrument so limits the estate or not. The deed could have no other effect. Jones v. Humphreys, 39 Tex. Civ. App. 644, 88 S. W. 403, and authorities there cited. Appellees’ contention is that a married wo *420 man cannot acquire real estate wholly on credit and that the acquisition by Mrs. Sullivan was an attempt to do so; but the transaction is more favorable to Mrs. Sullivan. If the land had not been incumbered, then clearly a conveyance by the husband to the wife would have inured to the benefit of her separate estate. Even though the property conveyed had been incumbered, yet such would have been the effect; for it would have been at least a gift 'by the husband to the wife of the equity previously existing in the husband of the community estate. That the wife assumes to pay such incumbrance cannot in our opinion prevent the deed having such effect. Some question might arise of the community’s rights where such incum-brance is not actually paid out of the wife’s separate property; but this, perhaps, is the utmost that can be said. The charge quoted improperly states that the deed in effect made such property the community property of J. M. Sullivan and wife, unless she had at the time property sufficient to discharge the mortgage of $2,500. By the conveyance of J. M. Sullivan he devested himself entirely of all interest in the land conveyed, and such interest as he owned was vested separately in Mrs. Sullivan. If so, her subsequent payment out of this property was undoubtedly a payment out of her separate estate, and that which remained continued to be of that estate.
For this error the judgment must 'be reversed. We might possibly be justified in affirming the case in part as to that portion of the land sold upon execution in favor of Parker against J. M. Sullivan prior to the recording of the deed from Sullivan to wife; but clearly the record does not require such course, and the answer of the jury having no doubt been influenced by the above misdirection to appellants’ prejudice, the cause will be remanded for another trial.
Reversed and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EMERY Et Al. v. BARFIELD Et Al.
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