Williamson v. McElroy
Williamson v. McElroy
Opinion of the Court
The following statement of the nature and result of this suit is taken from the brief of the defendants in error:
“This suit was brought in the district court of Hill county, Tex., by E. A. Mc-Elroy, Sr., E. S. McElroy, El A. McElroy, Jr., O. B. McElroy, Palley Day McElroy, Idona Carr, and her husband, John Carr, and J. H. McElroy, as next friend for Oscar Mc-Elroy, a minor, as plaintiffs, against Delina Williamson and her husband, James Williamson, as defendants, praying for a partition and distribution of certain real estate and personal property belonging to the community estate of E. A. McElroy, Sr., and his deceased wife, S. A. McElroy. The allegations of the plaintiffs’ petition set out the property belonging to the community estate of E. A. McElroy and his deceased wife, and the value thereof. Said property consisting of real estate situated in Hill, Midland, King, and Martin counties; the value of which real estate and the incumbrances against the various tracts being set put; of personal property of the aggregate value of $4,580; and notes of the aggregate value of $6,160.72. The petition further alleged that there were personal obligations against the estate aggregating the sum of $13,786.24, setting out the nature of each obligation and the amount thereof. The petition further alleged that of said estate E. A. McElroy was entitled to a one-half interest, and each of- the other parties, naming them, to a one-fourteenth interest each, and prayed that a partition of said estate be ordered upon such basis, setting aside to Oscar McElroy his interest in severalty, and to Delina Williamson her interest in severalty, and that the interest of the other parties, E. A. McElroy, Sr., E. S. McElroy, E. A. McElroy, Jr., O. B. McElroy, Palley Day McElroy, and Idona Carr and her husband, John Carr, be set aside to them in an undivided portion; and further prayed that, in partitioning said estate, the obligations existing against same be disposed of.
“Delina Williamson, joined by her husband, answered by general denial and pleaded that the estate could not be partitioned without sale on account of the incumbered condition of the land. Upon a hearing, the court found that E. A. McElroy was entitled to one-half of the property described in plaintiffs’ petition ; that all of said property was the community property of E. A. and S. A. McElroy;. and that each of the other parties were en-. *999 titled to one-fourteenth of said property; found that all of said property was susceptible of partition, and ordered it partitioned among the parties according to their respective interests, the one-fourteenth interest of Delina Williamson to be set aside to her in severalty, and the one-fourteenth interest of Oscar McElroy be set aside to him in sever-alty, and the interests of the others be set aside to them jointly in an undivided portion. The court further found that the obligations and incumbrances against the property and estate were community obligations and that the parties plaintiffs and defendants were charged with the duty of discharging same in the respective amounts of their interests in the property. Commissioners were appointed to partition the property in compliance with this order. The commissioners duly filed into court their report of partition. Said report listed the real estate belonging to the estate, giving the value of each tract and the amount of incumbrance against each tract. The aggregate value of the lands so listed being $84,075, and the total of the incumbrances $19,019, the personal property was listed and valued, the total value being $4,580; the notes due the estate were set out, the total amount of same being $6,160.72, with $297.04 interest, making the aggregate value of the personal property and notes due the estate $11,037.76. The personal obligations of the estate were set out; the total of same being $13,786. The report set aside to Oscar McElroy 19S acres out of survey 98, block 13, Houston & Texas Central Railway survey in King county, free from any incum-brance, valued at $4,557; the entire in-cumbrance against the 640 acres, of which the 198 is a part, to be charged against the remaining portion of said 640 acres, after deducting the 198 acres, and to be paid by the persons to whom the remaining land is set aside. To Delina Williamson was set aside 640 acres in Midland county, valued at $6,-100, against which there was an incumbrance of $1,648. The remainder of the property was set aside to E. A. McElroy, Sr., E. S. McElroy, E. A. McElroy, Jr., O. B. McElroy, Palley Day McElroy, and Idona Carr. Said parties to take the land subject to the in-cumbrances against the same, but they are not to assume the same or make same a charge upon any of the real estate, except the portion thereof upon which they are respectively already an incumbrance. Said last-named parties also to assume all of the personal' obligations of the estate.
“To the report of the commissioners, De-lina Williamson filed her objections, which were, in substance: First, that the report was unfair to her because the property set aside to her was not worth but little more than the incumbrance against it, to wit, $1,-648; second, that her interest was worth $4,-458.96; third, because there were liens, debts, and incumbrances against the estate which would prevent a pártition of same without a sale; fourth, because there were enough notes on hand to pay her her interest; fifth, because the interest set aside to her .did not equal in value $4,458.
“These objections and exceptions were presented to the court, and evidence heard upon them, and the court, after hearing the evidence, confirmed the report of the commissioners and ordered the property partitioned in accordance therewith, and, from this order and judgment, the defendant De-fina Williamson has brought error.”
None of the assignments of error comply with, the late amended rules for the briefing of eases, but the case was tried and final judgment rendered several months before the rules, as amended, became effective.
The precise question here presented does not seem to have been raised in the court below. The answer of the defendants does hot seem to have questioned the right of the *1000 court to partition the estate, but suggested, that the same could only be done by a sale of the property, and it in no wise claimed that the interests of the parties to the suit were not as alleged in the petition of plaintiffs and as found by the court. The effect of the answer was, in our opinion, not to deny the right or object to a partition of the property, but to insist that partition should be made by a sale of the property and a division among the heirs of the proceeds arising therefrom in accordance with their respective interests. This being true; the defendants are in no position to object in this court to the partition as made and question the right of the trial court to make it for the reason assigned.
What we have already said disposes of the seventh and eighth assignments of error adversely to plaintiff in error’s contention. At any rate, these assignments do not, in our opinion, disclose reversible error.
We think the judgment of the court below should not be disturbed, and it is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILLIAMSON Et Al. v. McELROY Et Al.
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published