Dreyfuss v. Whittle
Dreyfuss v. Whittle
Opinion of the Court
In 1870 Nicolas Burks married Albertina Whittle, the mother of appel-lee, Henry Whittle, by a former marriage. To the union was born a daughter, who after-wards became Mary Dreyfuss, appellant herein. A few months after this marriage, Burks purchased a. lot in the city of Eagle Pass, and erected a dwelling and storehouse thereon. The family resided on the premises, which became the homestead, and operated a mercantile establishment thereon, as well.
In 1873 the daughter was born, and a year later the father died, survived by his wife and the young daughter. Mrs. Burks was appointed as administratrix of the estate, which consisted of real property, the lot and improvements, which was appraised at $2,-250, and of personal property, the stock of merchandise and fixtures, appraised at $7,-917. In 1876, after ascertainment and payment of the community debts, the final account of Mrs. Burks was filed and approved, and she was discharged as administratrix. The final account showed the estate to consist of the same real property, valued, as before, at $2,250, and the stock of merchandise and fixtures, valued at $6,709. All of this property was shown to belong to the community estate, and all of it was on the homestead premises.
Following her discharge as administratrix Mrs. Burks, without qualifying as community survivor, as provided by statute, continued in possession and control of the estate, and operated the mercantile business on the home premises. In 1879, or possibly in 1880, the store building and its contents were totally destroyed by fire. Mrs. Burks collected the insurance from this loss, but, instead of using it to purchase another stock of goods, she applied the insurance money to the construction of a new building on the premises. This building was rented to others, and the rents thus derived were used in the support and maintenance of the family, and the upkeep of the premises.
The daughter, Mary, reached her majority in 1894, and married in 1896. She had all *624 tiie time theretofore resided in the home with - her mother, who supported her, and provided her with whatever education she received. After the daughter married, Mrs. Burks continued to collect and use the rent from the home premises, which she maintained as her homestead up to the time .of her death, which occurred in 1921, although during the last year of her life she resided with her children, most of the time with her son, who is appellee here. She never made any accounting to her daughter; the latter never demanded any accounting, but acquiesced, at least by her silence, in the dominion her mother exercised' over the estate and the revenue derived therefrom.
Mrs. Burks, who never remarried, died in 1921, leaving a will in which she devised all her property to Henry Whittle, her son by a former marriage. By the terms of this will Whittle was made independent executor of the estate, which he is administering.
This suit was filed by the daughter, Mary Dreyfuss, to recover the whole of the community estate as it now exists, which consists alone of the real property and improvements, and for all the rents accruing since Mrs. Burks’ death. For cause of action Mrs. Dreyfuss, who is Joined, pro forma, by her husband, alleged the main facts set out above, and that by reason of those facts her mother had appropriated the whole of the personal property belonging to the community estate, which appropriation amounted to a parol partition, by which she elected to take the personal property as her portion of the estate, leaving the real property as the portion of her daughter, which parol partition became fixed by the daughter’s affirmance thereof, as evidenced by this suit. It is further contended by Mrs. Dreyfuss that as her mother had appropriated the personal property, which was of much greater value than the real property at the time of its appropriation, the daughter was entitled to an adjustment of equities, and that under such adjustment she was entitled to the whole of the real property, regardless of the devise to Henry Whittle. The cause was tried before the court without a jury, and judgment was rendered decreeing the property and accrued rents to each of the parties, in equal shares undivided. Mrs. Dreyfuss alone appeals, still contending that she is entitled to all the property and rents. In fact, Whittle disclaimed in the court below as to half of the property and rents, and of course was satisfied with the judgment.
We think the case was fairly tried and decided below, and the judgment must be affirmed.
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Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.