Johnson v. Johnson
Johnson v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
On November 23, 1915, R. C. Johnson filed his original petition in trespass to try title against Mrs. T. K. Johnson, a feme sole, in which he sought to recover 'an undivided one-half interest in a certain lot in the town of Mart. In an amended petition, in addition to the lot referred to, he sought to recover a> half interest in certain personal property, and alleged that all the property referred to was community property of his father, T. K. Johnson, deceased, and his stepmother, Mrs. T. K. Johnson, the defendant.
The proof shows that T. K. Johnson was married twice; that in 1898 he and his first wife were divorced, and a few months thereafter he married his second wife, the defendant in this case. The plaintiff R. C. Johnson was born during the first marriage, and claimed a half interest in the property which was acquired during the second marriage. T. K. Johnson died in June, 1915, and the plaintiff is his only child.
In December, 1915, the defendant filed an answer, consisting of a general denial and plea of not guilty. After the divorce referred to, the plaintiff’s mother married J. M. Bird; and on September 18, 1916, the plaintiff executed a general warranty deed, conveying all of his interest in the tract of land involved in the litigation to his mother, Mrs. J. M. Bird; and on May 9, 1917, he and Mrs. Bird, joined pro forma by her husband, filed an amended petition, setting up the fact that the plaintiff, R. 0. Johnson, had conveyed his interest in the land to Mrs. Bird, and alleging that he disclaimed any further title or right thereto, and thereafter Mrs. Bird became the plaintiff, in so far as the land was concerned. That petition also attempted to set up the right in R. O. Johnson to recover on the ground that a certain sum of money had been placed in the hands ■of his father, T. K. Johnson, as a trust fund for R. 0. Johnson’s benefit, but neither the pleadings nor the evidence disclosed any fact that would make the- defendant, Mrs. R K. Johnson, liable to R. 0. Johnson on account of the fund referred to. There was no proof that any of that fund was used in paying for the land, and nothing was alleged or proved that would show that Mrs. T. K. Johnson was liable for that fund, even if her husband misapplied it.
On May 17, 1917, the defendant filed her third amended answer, alleging that the real estate in question was her separate property, and, if not, that it was her homestead, and not subject to partition. On May 21, 1917, she filed a supplemental answer, denying the allegations in the plaintiffs’ amended petition, wherein it was alleged that Mrs. Bird was an innocent purchaser without notice. On May 23, 1917, plaintiffs filed a supplemental petition, containing certain exceptions, denying facts pleaded by the defendant, and pleading laches and limitation against the defendant’s cross-action, wherein she sought to have her deed corrected and cloud removed from her title.
There was a jury trial, wherein, in response to special issues submitted by the court, the jury found that the property in question was the separate property of the defendant at the time of the death, of her husband, T. K. Johnson. The jury also found that at that time it was the homestead of the defendant and her husband, T. K. Johnson, and also that it was the homestead of the defendant at the time this suit was commenced.
In addition to the verdict, the trial judge made findings which were incorporated in the judgment to the effect that the plaintiff Mrs. Bird was not an innocent purchaser of the lot in controversy; that the same was the separate property of the defendant, and constitutes her homestead; and that her deceased husband, T. K. Johnson, left no community or separate property. And thereupon judgment was rendered to the effect that the plaintiffs take nothing by their suit, and that the defendant, Mrs. T. K. Johnson, recover the lot or real estate in controversy; and from that judgment the plaintiffs have appealed.
Some questions have been presented as to rulings upon the admissibility of testimony which we have considered, and they are decided against appellants. Error has also been assigned because of the refusal of certain requesteddnstructions, but we hold that reversible error is not shown in that regard.
Hence we conclude that appellants are not entitled to have the case reversed, unless it appears that material error was committed upon both issues, namely, separate property and homestead right; and, as no such error has been shown upon the issue of separate | property, our conclusion is that the case should not be reversed.
The testimony did not raise the question of estoppel; and therefore we decide against appellants on that point.
Our conclusion is that the judgment should be affirmed; and it is so ordered.
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Reference
- Full Case Name
- JOHNSON Et Al. v. JOHNSON
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published