Rooney v. Porch
Rooney v. Porch
Opinion of the Court
This is an action of trespass to try title, brought by the appellant against thq appellee to recover 58.7 acres of land, a part of a tract of 228.7 acres in Harris county, patented to Thomas Desel. Defendant answered by general demurrer, plea of not guilty, and pleas of limitation of 3, 5, and 10 years. He also in-terpleaded his vendor, J. A. Freedman, on his warranty of title. The trial in the court below without a jury resulted in a judgment in favor of the defendant.
The evidence shows that the 228.7 acres, of which the 58.7 acres in controversy is a part, was conveyed by Charles L. Desel to John H. Ruff on October 6, 1892, for a consideration of $609.86 cash and two notes executed by Ruff, one for the sum of $686.10 due 1 year after date, and the other for $533.63 due 2 years after date. These notes were secured by a vendor’s lien reserved in the deed of conveyance, and also by a deed of trust upon the land. On December 29, 1892, Desel transferred these notes and liens to C. Cusack. Prior to this transfer Ruff had conveyed, by deed of date November 19, 1892, 58.7 acres, of the land to T. J. Pierce for a consideration of $156.53 cash and the assumption and agreement by Pierce to pay $156.53 upon each of the two notes above described given by Ruff in part payment of the purchase money of the 228.7 acres. The deed to Pierce expressly reserved a vendor’s lien to secure the payment of the sums agreed to be paid by him on the notes before mentioned. On January 18, 1907,, Ruff conveyed the whole of the 228.7 acres to John C. Morrison. On February 7, 1907, C. Cusack executed a release of the liens upon the land, securing the two notes which had been transferred to him by Desel. This release recites that the two notes had been fully paid, canceled, and suv-rendered, and in consideration of the premises the grantor releases and quitclaims unto John H. Ruff all his right, title, and interest in the land by virtue of the liens thereon securing said notes. The title conveyed to Morrison on January 18, 1907, was conveyed to appellee, Porch, on May 15, 1908, by J. A. Freedman, who held same through mesne conveyances from Morrison. On June 7, 1909, T. J. Pierce, for a recited consideration of $50 'and other considerations not stated, conveyed the 58.7 acres conveyed to him by Ruff to Mary E. Scott by deed of general warranty. On January 6, 1912, Ruff executed a release to Pierce, reciting that he had conveyed the 58.7 acres to Pierce on December 19, 1892, and as part consideration therefor Pierce had assumed and agreed to pay $156.53 in 1 year and $156.53 in 2 years on the incumbrances then existing on the land, and that “said notes and all interest thereon have been fully paid and canceled and surrendered to my entire satisfaction.” On May 14, 1916, Mary E. Scott conveyed said 58.7 acres to A. E. Cole, who on May 8, 1916, conveyed it to appellant, Rooney. There was no testimony showing that the two amounts of $156.53 each assumed by Pierce were paid by him:
*247 The first assignment of error assails the judgment on the ground that the evidence is not sufficient to show a lawful rescission hy Huff of his contract of sale to Piéree. The first proposition under this assignment is:
“A vendor cannot rescind by reselling the property, unless he does so promptly with notice to the vendee, and if a considerable portion of the purchase money has been paid, he must do equity.”
If Ruff, instead of conveying the land, had himself taken possession, and suit had been brought by Pierce against him for recovery of the land, Pierce could not have recovered unless he had alleged and proven the payment of the purchase money. Burgess v. Millican, 50 Tex. 397. The appellant, who holds under Pierce in this suit against appellee, who holds under Ruff, is in no better position than Pierce would have been in a suit brought by him against Ruff.
Appellant moved for a new trial in the court below on the ground of newly discovered evidence, and in support thereof presented affidavits of both Pierce and Ruff to the'effect that the two payments on the notes assumed by Pierce were made by Pierce, but neither of these affidavits state the dates on which the payments were made. The affidavit of Ruff further recites that he did not intend to convey the 58.7 acres to Morrison, but only intended to convey to him the 228.7 acres, less the 58.7 acres, and that “Morrison knew the 58.7 acres was owned by Pierce, and that the purchase money [therefor] was all paid by Pierce.” The reasons stated in the motion for the appellant’s failure to have the testimony of the witnesses on the trial are:
“Because plaintiff was a nonresident of the state of Texas when he purchased said 58.7 acres, and is still a nonresident of the state of *248 Texas. That he paid full cousideration for said land and purchased by an abstract of title furnished him, and that he Was informed that the purchase money assumed by Pierce was presumed to have been paid, and in fact had been paid, and thereby he was receiving a good title to said land.
“Hence, upon the trial, on the 11th day of June, 1919, he was not prepared to prove that Pierce had paid the purchase money assumed by him in his deed from John H. Ruff. That since the trial he has located said T. J. Pierce, at considerable expense, and has obtained from him an affidavit wherein he states that he paid the full consideration for the said 58.7 acres, as agreed to be paid by him, and that he received a release of the lien from said John H. Ruff; and that he resides in Oklahoma county, Okl.”
The record discloses that this motion was controverted by appellee, and evidence was heard thereon, .but none of this evidence is brought up with the record.
We do not think any of the reasons presented in appellant’s brief require or would authorize a reversal of the judgment of the trial court. It follows that the judgment must be affirmed; and it has been so ordered.
Affirmed.
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