Versyp v. Versyp
Versyp v. Versyp
Opinion of the Court
Appellant instituted this suit on January 26, 1911, to enjoin her husband, James Versyp, from trespassing upon and interfering with her control of the 200-acre tract of land occupied by her as a homestead and claimed in her separate right by virtue of a separation contract executed by the respective parties on the 12th day of February, 1910. A temporary writ of injunction was issued; but upon a trial of the merits in the district court the injunction was vacated, on the ground that the contract had been executed by the mutual mistake of the parties in supposing that the lands disposed of by the contract were - community property instead of the separate property of James Versyp. On appeal, however, the judgment was reversed by the Court of Civil Appeals for the Eighth Supreme Judicial District for the reason that there was neither pleading nor evidence authorizing an annulment of the contract on the ground of mutual mistake. See Versyp v. Versyp, 146 5. W. 705. On the last trial in the district court, the one now- under consideration, it seems that the defense of mutual mistake if ever asserted was abandoned; defendant’s special plea in substance being that the land was wholly acquired by his separate means, that he had been induced to execute the contract by fraudulent representations, that it was the community property of himself and the plaintiff, and that the contract as made was unjust and inequitable.
In answer to special issues submitted by the court to the jury, it found, among other things that are omitted as immaterial, that at the time of the execution of the contract in question the parties were “permanently separated,” and that James Ver-syp was not “induced to execute” it “by reason of any false or fraudulent representations made to him by the plaintiff or her attorney.” The jury also found that the provisions of the contract were not “just and equitable.” The court upon all findings entered a judgment in defendant’s favor, canceling the contract and dissolving the injunction.
It is undisputed that the plaintiff and the defendant were duly married in 1889, and lived together as husband and wife until in January, 1910, when the parties permanently separated and have not lived together since; that of this marriage four children were born, three boys and one girl, the boys at the date of the contract being aged 18, 13, and 9 years, respectively, and the girl then being 13 years of age; that at the date of the contract the parties owned certain cattle, horses, and farming implements that belonged to them in community, and James Versyp owned in his own separate right 320 acres of land, upon which the parties lived and farmed. On the date already stated, to wit, February 12, 1910, James Versyp and Clara F. Versyp entered into and duly executed a contract in writing whereby the personal property was divided as therein stated and as to which there seems to be no controversy in this suit, and the 320 acres mentioned were disposed of upon the terms and in the proportions following: That is to say, Mrs. Versyp was to have 200 acres situated south of the Texas & Pacific Railway right of way, now occupied by her, and James Versyp was to retain the 110 acres lying north of such right of way. Mrs. Versyp assumed to pay, upon terms and at times stated, $2,600 to two adult children of James Versyp by a former marriage, due them it seems as their interest in their deceased mother’s estate which had been purchased by James Ver-syp, and agreed not to sell the land but to retain the entire estate therein until her death, when it should pass jto her children. The contract recited that “said sums of money due the above parties (James Versyp’s former children) are liens upon the above-described property (all the real estate mentioned) to secure the payment of the same.” It was further agreed that Mrs. Versyp was to remain in the custody and control of the children of the marriage, and that James' Versyp was not in any way to interfere with the custody of the same. It further appears that after the execution of the deed the parties acted in accordance with its terms for some time; but that, after James Ver-syp had returned from a visit to the foreign country of his birth, he, during the plaintiff’s absence, entered into one room of her home and against her will has continued to reside there since from time to time, as *167 the plaintiff testified, interfering with her control and the proper management of her farm. The plaintiff further testified that none of the debt that she had assumed to pay in the contract had been paid, but that the payment as it matured according to the terms of the contract had been prevented by the defendant’s interference. No complaint, however, on the part of James Versyp’s earlier children appears to have been made, so far as shown in the present record.
It is accordingly ordered that the judgment below be reversed, and that it be here rendered for appellant, with execution for possession, perpetuating the injunction in accordance with her prayer.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Versyp v. Versyp.
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- Published