First Nat. Bank of Wichita Fades v. Zundelowitz
First Nat. Bank of Wichita Fades v. Zundelowitz
Opinion of the Court
On the 2d day of June, 1892, the Panhandle National Bank, the predecessor of the appellant, the First National bank of Wichita Falls, was the owner of the north half of a business lot, 50x150 feet in size, in said town, and Kean & Coffield were the owners of the south half of said lot, and upon said date they entered into the following party wall agreement:
“That whereas the said bank is the owner of the north half of lot one (1), block one hundred and sixty-four (164),' in the town of Wichita Falls, Texas, and the said Coffield & Kean expect to build on their lot, but are not now ready: It is thereupon agreed between the parties that the said bank may at once proceed to erect a two-story brick building on the north half of said lot one (1), block one hundred and sixty-four (164), and shall place its south wall exactly over the dividing line, between the north half and the south half of said lot one, the said wall to be 80 feet in length and not exceeding 36 feet in height above the ground and to be 13 inches in width. The said bank is to erect its own building and to pay all expenses of same for the present, excepting that if Cof-field & Kean desire to have openings left in the south wall of the bank building now they shall pay the extra expense of said opening.
“W. T. Coffield and A. C. Kean, as owners of the south half of lot one (1), block 164, for themselves and their heirs and assigns, hereby agree and bind themselves to pay one-half of the actual cost of the south wall whenever they shall build .on their lot and join to said wall. The said payment to be made without interest, and also without deduction for deterioration of the wall by lapse of time.
“This contract to be a covenant running with the land, and in case of change of ownership on either lot the liability and privilege to pass to the assignee of either side and be performed by said assignee; the actual cost of the south wall to be ascertained by agreement of parties, when completed, or, in case of failure to agree, *41 to be fixed by each side selecting a practical brickmason who shall estimate the cost, and said two may select a third man to assist in making estimate and the amount when fixed in either manner shall be attached to this contract and become the amount to be paid under this contract.
The cost of said wall to be computed at the ruling price of plain brickwork such as enters into south wall at the time of the erection of wall.’'
The bank built a brick house on the north half of said lot, constructing the south wall of said building one half over the dividing line between the property. We are unable to ascertain from the evidence the length, height, and thickness of the south wall; the pleadings indicate that said wall is 100 feet in length, and the evidence discloses that the wall is three stories in height, constructed by said bank, and the adjoining wall thereafter attached to same is 29 feet in height of a two-story building; but the question whether the bank constructed a south wall in conformity with the contract does not seem to be raised or litigated in this cause. The appellee, petitioner for the injunction, sets up that the wall was constructed under an agreement as a party wall, and does not deny that the bank did not build the wall in accordance with said written contract.
On the 23d of February, 1893, Coffield & Kean sold their south half of said lot, conveying the same by deed to one Finkelstein, who constructed thereon the adjoining building, two stories in height and 100 feet in length, connecting to the bank’s wall; and through a foreclosure sale, on account of a mortgage executed by Finkelstein, the ap-pellee, Zundelowitz, became the possessor and owner of the building upon the south half of said lot in July, 1894, renting and enjoying the use of the property since that time.
Several years ago, just when we are unable to definitely ascertain, an agreement was made between the appellee and the bank that the latter could cut an opening into the division wall to permit egress from the bank building to appellee’s building, for the use of a stairway in, or annexed to, the latter’s building, entered from a public street of said city; the bank cut an arched opening in the wall for that purpose, but there is some variation in the testimony as to the consideration and terms of said agreement, especially in regard to the use of the toilet in the bank’s building by appellee’s tenants, which he asserts the bank granted, and which the bank denies; and, further, it- is contradicted whether it was agreed that the opening would be closed by the bank at any time upon appellee’s demand, asserted by appel-lee that it was so agreed, and also denied by the appellant.
The appellee filed this suit for injunction, praying that the appellant bank be required to close said opening, or that all of said appellants be restrained from interfering with him in closing same, which latter relief, upon final hearing, was granted by the trial court.
The evidence discloses that prior to the institution of the suit the bank refused ap-pellee’s demand to close the opening, or to permit him to close it, refusing the latter’s right to do so, with assertions carrying the meaning that an attempted performance toward that end would be resisted.
“I just told them I didn’t owe anything, and was not going to pay it. I told ’Mr. Huff at the time I went to see him that I was claiming it [meaning the wall].”
Appellee testified that the cashier of the bank upon this oeasion had informed him that the bank had a claim against him in regard to the wall, and that he immediately went to the president, 1-Iuff, and discussed the matter with him, and asserts that the latter stated, “Don’t mind, there is nothing to it.” He also testified, “1 have been claiming a half interest in that wall at all times since I have been occupying the building,” and which period has been about 18 years to the time of the institution of this suit, and about 16 years since his repudiation of the party wall agreement to the time said suit was filed.
The bank’s main proposition in this cause is as follows:
“The court erred in granting injunction herein, for that the plaintiff wholly failed to show any title or interest in the wall in which opening is ordered closed, or any right or easement therein ; the proof showing that such wall had been buildcd under an agreement with defendant bank and those under whom plaintiff claims, by which plaintiff was bound to pay the cost of the wall. Plaintiff had never paid the charge, and could own no right until he did pay.”
The constant trend of the authorities in this state is that the 10-year statute of limitations as to an easement in land is applicable. Rippetoe v. Low, 1 Posey, Unrep. Cas. 482; Shepard v. Galveston, H. & H. R. Co., 2 Tex. Civ. App. 565, 22 S. W. 268; Capps et ux. v. Texas & Pacific Ry. Co., 21 Tex. Civ. App. 84, 50 S. W. 643; Railway Company v. Caldwell, 102 S. W. 461; Railway Company v. Cuneo, 47 Tex. Civ. App. 622, 108 S. W. 714.
We think the showing is amply sufficient for the $20 judgment in regard to the insurance, but believe, however, that the judgment against Huff and McGregor, as individuals, should not have been rendered. It is true that their language at the time demand was made to close the opening was inferential in its meaning that, if the opening was attempted to be closed, they would resist such an attempt, but it is further coupledi with the statement that this would be resisted until the court adjudicated the matter. These statements were sufficient to make them proper parties to the suit; but their answer, in the nature of a disclaimer, we believe, should have precluded them thereafter as individual parties to the suit, and an injunction against them as officers and representatives of the bank, as prayed for by ap-pellee, was sufficient.
The judgment against-them as individuals for costs of the proceeding in the lower court after the filing of said answer is reversed and rendered in their favor, but ordered that the appellant bank pay all the costs of this appeal.
In all other respects the judgment is affirmed. .
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FIRST NAT. BANK OF WICHITA FADES Et Al. v. ZUNDELOWITZ
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- 4 cases
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- Published