Louisiana & Texas Lumber Co. v. Stewart
Louisiana & Texas Lumber Co. v. Stewart
Opinion of the Court
This is an action of trespass to try title, brought by the appellant against James Stewart and wife, Mattie Stewart, to recover the title and possession of a survey of 640 acres of land in Houston county patented to the International & Great Northern Railroad Company and designated as International & Great Northern survey No. 40, patent No. 138, vol'. 41. The defendants answered by general demurrer and plea of not guilty, and by special plea asserted title by limitation to 160 acres of said survey, and asked that commissioners of partition be appointed to set apart to them 160 acres of the survey, including their improvements. The trial in the court below with a jury resulted in a verdict and judgment in favor of plaintiff for all of the land except 80 acres, including defendants’ improvements, which the verdict and judgment awarded defendants. Commissioners were appointed to partition the land and make report at the next term of the court.
This is the second appeal of the case. The opinion of this court on the former appeal can be found in 130 S. W. 199.
Other witnesses testified that appellees, had occupied and cultivated the land continuously since 1895.
A. MaeTavish, a witness for appellant, testified that in June, 1900, he was employed by the then owner of the land to find if there were squatters thereon, and that he saw appellee James Stewart, and had a conversation with him in regard to his claim to the land, and was told by him that he did not claim the land. He then told Stewart that he must sign an instrument disclaiming title to the land and make application to purchase it from the owners, and that Stewart agreed to do this, and did sign the following instrument, 'which was prepared by the witness: “Tadmor, P. O., June 1900. New York & Texas Land Co., Ltd., Austin, Texas — Dear Sir: I hereby make ap *1194 plication to purchase from you fifty (50) acres of land out of survey number forty (40) I. & G. N. R. R. Co., Houston Co., Tex.as, for which I will pay $2.50 per acre on reasonable time, said 50 acres to include improvements which I am now living on and occupying as per survey made by M. Home-yer, your surveyor. [Signed] J. H. Stewart.”
Stewart denied making such statement, and swore that he did not sign the instrument above mentioned and never saw it until it was shown him on the witness stand. He stated that he did propose to buy 50 .■acres of land from MaeTavish, but it was no part of the land he then had in cultivation, hut was' on a different survey.
George Harrison, for appellant, testified that he had a conversation with Stewart 'in regard to his claim to the land, and Stewart told him that “he went down to the .mill to buy it, and that they told him that it was not on the market yet, but when it was on the market they would give him first choice on it; and that he never heard of •appellees’ claim to this land by limitation until after this suit was filed.”
J. E. Harrison, for appellant, testified that 'he had a conversation with Stewart about his claim to the land a short time before the first trial in the court below; that Stewart ■came to witness’ house and told him that he .wanted him as a witness to prove how long he had been on the land, and witness told him that he did not have time to go to the trial, and he could get some others, and he did not know how long exactly he had been living on that land, and told him that the first place he was living on was the Leonard Lamb place, and said to him that ■he thought it was his pa’s place, and he said, “Yes, sir,” and said he did not know any ‘difference until the company came and surveyed it out, and Mr. McGregor came to him and told him that it was their land, ■•and they wanted the timber on it, but that .he could live on it, and when the timber was gone they would sell him the land. He ■did not tell witness how much land Mr. Mc-fGregor agreed to sell him.
Stewart admitted that he paid rent for ■the place to McGregor in 1908, but says he was claiming the land by limitation, and .paid the rent because it was exacted of him and he did not know any better.
We .think this evidence is sufficient to sustain the finding that appellees’ possession of the land was adverse, and, as the undisputed evidence shows a continuous occupancy, use, and -cultivation of a portion of the survey for more than 10 years before this suit was brought, the first assignment, which ■complains .of the verdict on the ground that it is without any evidence to support it, cannot be .sustained.
This disposes of all of the assignments presented by appellant’s brief.
We are of opinion that the judgment of the court below should be affirmed, and it has been so ordered.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- LOUISIANA & TEXAS LUMBER CO. v. STEWART Et Al.
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published