Yandell v. Appling
Yandell v. Appling
Opinion of the Court
This appeal involves the correctness of the judgment of the county court of said county, rendered in behalf of appellee, upon the trial of the right of property to two mules. The ease was tried by the court without a jury, who filed his conclusions of law and fact, from which it appears that A. M. Cowart, on August 30, 1906, was the owner of the mules in controversy, at which time he gave to appellee a mortgage lien thereon, to secure the payment of two promissory notes, which mortgage was forthwith duly filed for record. On the 2Sth of September thereafter, said Cowart gave to the Farmers’ & Traders’ Bank a mortgage lien on the same mules, to secure a debt due said bank, with Cooper Bros, as sureties thereon, which was also duly filed for record. Thereafter, on the 1st of April, 1907, said Cowart borrowed from the National Bank of Cleburne an amount sufficient to pay off the indebtedness to the Farmers’ & Traders’ Bank, which he did, likewise giving it a mortgage lien upon the same mules, to secure his indebtedness to it, upon which Cooper Bros, also became sureties. Subsequently Cooper Bros., as sureties, paid this indebtedness to the Cleburne bank, taking a transfer of said debt. On January 27, 1908, appellee sued Cowart alone on his debt, and procured judgment April 16th thereafter for his debt and foreclosure of his mortgage lien on said mules. On June 25, 1908, Cooper Bros, also sued Cowart alone on his indebtedness to the bank, which had been transferred to them, and obtained judgment for their debt and foreclosure of the mortgage lien upon said •mules. On the 10th of October next thereafter, Cooper Bros., for value, transferred their judgment against Cowart to A. M. Morgan, who oh the same day was placed in possession of the mules, to hold for 30 days, within which time Cowart was allowed to redeem them by paying Cooper Bros.’ judgment, which .had been assigned to said Morgan. Cowart failing to redeem said mules, on January 30, 1909, he and A. M. Morgan made a settlement, under which title and possession of the mules were transferred to said Morgan. Thereafter said Morgan sold the mules to appellants, who were in possession of them at the time of the levy of the order of sale herein mentioned. On the 3d of April, 1909, an alias order of sale was issued on the judgment in favor of appellee against Cowart, and the mules were levied on in possession of appellants, by virtue thereof, on April 6, 1909, who thereupon filed their claimant’s affidavit and bond, retaining the mules; the same being valued by the officer at $175.
The foregoing facts formed the basis of the rights of the parties,, respectively, and were set forth in their tender of issues. The only assignment presented challenges the sufficiency of the facts to sustain the judgment of the court in behalf of appellee; it being contended on the part of appellants: First, that in the trial of the right of property under our statute only the right of possession or title to the property ' can be adjudicated, and that it is error to determine the priority of liens thereunder; and, second, that a junior lienholder, whose lien is recorded, is a necessary party to a suit by a senior lienholder to foreclose, and a judgment in a suit to which such junior lienholder was not a party does not affect him or his rights as such lienholder; nor does it affect the transfer from him to another for value.
Finding no error in the judgment of the court, the same is affirmed.
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.