Hodges v. Moore
Hodges v. Moore
Opinion of the Court
Ira T. Moore instituted suit in the nature of trespass to try title against A. D. Hodges, O. H. Coyle, and W. S. San-derson, and also sued S. D. Dale and W. D. Williams on their warranty, in the same action alleging that Hodges, Sanderson, and Coyle unlawfully entered into possession of lot 1, block 1, G. W. Daws addition to the city of Dallas, being a part of block 354, in the city of Dallas. Hodges answered by plea of general denial, plea of not guilty, 3, 5, and 10 years’ statute of limitation. He alleges, also, that Sanderson conveyed the land to Coyle and Coyle to him, but through mistake of the party drawing the deeds, the lot was misdescribed, describing an entirely different lot to the one sued for, but in fact, Sander-son sold the lot in question to Coyle and placed him in possession; that Coyle sold to Hodges, placing him in possession of the lot in question, but the deeds misdescribed the lot through a mutual mistake. Thereafter, these original deeds were corrected by correction deeds, properly describing the lot. He alleges that the lot in question was the lot so purchased and paid for and intended to be conveyed by Sanderson to Coyle, and from Coyle to Hodges. He prayed for judgment correcting the deeds, in accordance with the intention of the parties. The petition was filed January 26, 3914. Hodges, by his original answer, admitted that the plaintiff had title to the lot unless defeated by the statute of limitation. Sanderson executed a deed to Coyle the 20th day of April, 1906, but this deed does not describe the land in controversy. On September 12, 1914, Sanderson executed his deed to Coyle, describing the land in question, and reciting therein that the purpose of the deed was to correct the deed above set out in the description of the property, and in the last deed correctly described the land in question. There is a deed in the record from Coyle to Hodges dated January 23, 1914, but not acknowledged for record until March 7, 1914. The evidence shows that Hodges bought the land from Coyle some time in 1913, and took a deed thereto, but did not record it, and went into possession of the land at that time, and afterwards erected a rent house on the property. For the purpose of this opinion, without intending absolute accuracy, we state the evidence shows that Sanderson took possession of this lot some 24 years before suit was filed, fenced and occupied it by tenant during those years, receiving the rent therefor; that Coyle went into possession when he purchased, as did also Hodges when he purchased. On September 4, 1914, an interlocutory judgment was entered by default against Sanderson, as of May 7, 1914, reciting simply that plaintiff have an interlocutory judgment. On September 24, 1914, judgment was entered as of September 8, 1914, on Coyle’s answer, disclaiming any interest in the property, reciting that plaintiff have an interlocutory judgment. Final judgment was entered March 18, 1915. On September 4, 1914, Coyle filed his answer to the effect that he did not own, or pretend to own, the lot in question, or any interest therein, and disclaimed all right, etc. The trial court instructed the jury to return a verdict for the plaintiff Moore, and for the defendants, S. D. Dale and W. D. Williams, and a verdict was returned in accordance therewith, upon which judgment was entered.
The 10 years statute was invoked in this case, and in so far as this record shows, established title by limitation to the property in question in Sanderson, which is conceded by the appellee, and, in fact, it is urged as a reason showing no title in fact vested in ap *417 pellant. This is on the theory that the deed from Sanderson to Coyle and from Coyle to Hodges does not describe the land, and therefore under the statute of frauds the title to the land did not pass to Hodges. This, of course, is true if the deeds were alone relied upon. It is urged by appellees, under the rule, that a patent ambiguity, which renders the deed void as a conveyance of land, cannot ho explained by parol testimony, citing several authorities to that point. The description in the deed is not an ambiguity at all appearing on the face of the deed. It simply described one piece of land when, as a matter of fact, another is claimed under it. The pleadings allege the lot in question was in fact purchased and paid for, but by mistake of the draftsman, the wrong lot was written into the deed. All the parties to the deed say this is the land actually sold, paid for, and intended to be conveyed. The petition prays for a correction of the deed in accordance with the intention of the parties.
“The general rule that a court of equity will correct a mistake in the description of property in a deed, and make the instrument conform to the intention of the parties and evidence the real contract made by them, is too well settled to require citation of authority.” Openshaw v. Rickmeyer, 45 Tex. Civ. App. 508, 102 S. W. 467; Avery v. Houston, 23 Tex. Civ. App. 353, 56 S. W. 210-212; Harry v. Hamilton, 154 S. W. 637.
It is the rule in this state, where a deed fails to properly describe the land conveyed, it may be corrected by the grantor giving a correction deed, properly describing the property, and this may be done when a levy has been made on the land before correction, if the creditor had notice of the rights of the original purchaser. Milby v. Regan, 16 Tex. Civ. App. 352, 41 S. W. 372.
The trial court, we think, was in error in taking the case from the jury, and the case will therefore be reversed and remanded.
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Reference
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