The c as e w as t r i ed t o a j ury , the H on ora bl e Dav i d L. Gl eas on, ( Ret
. ) , j udg e pres i di ng , s i t t i ng by 1 as s i g nment
. T he J u d g m e nt w a s s ign e d b yth e H o n o ra b l e J. B l a i r C h e rry , Jr., (R e t.) , si tti n g b ya s s i gn m e n t. T e x . G o v ’ t C o d e A n n . § 7 5 .0 0 2 (a )( 3 ) ( V e rn o n 2 0 0 5 ). NO. 0 7 - 0 8 - 0 3 1 6 - CV I N T HE COUR T OF AP PE AL S FO R T H E SEVENTH D I ST R I C T OF T EXAS

AT A MARI LLO PA NEL D MARCH 25 , 20 09

______________________________ L E E J OS E P H RE DDI C, S R. , A P P E L L A NT

V. LAR R YRED D I C , APPELLEE

_________________________________ F R O M TH E 9 9 D IS T R IC T C O U R T O F L U B B O C K C O U N T Y; TH NO. 2 0 0 6 - 5 3 7 , 3 9 8 ; HONO RA B L E W I L L I A M C. S OW DE R, J UDGE 1

_______________________________ Be fore Q U I N N , C
. J. , and C AM PB EL L an d PI R TLE, JJ
. M E M ORA NDUM OP I NI ON Ap pel l ant , Lee J os eph R edd i c , Sr
. , appe al s t he j udg m entof t he t r i al c ourtawardi ng Ap pe l l ee , LarryR ed di c, t i t l e t o an d po ssessi on of cert ai n real prope rtysi t ua t ed i n Lu bb ock C ou nt y , T exa s, and barr i ng Lee f r om cl ai m i ng an o w ne r shi p i nt eresti n t he prope rty . Byf i veAl t houg h Le e an d Lar ry eac h c ar ry t he s ame s ur name, Lee i s notLar ry ’ s bi ol og i c al fat herand Lee 2 nev erado pt ed L ar ry . Ats ome p oi nt , notex ac t l yc l earf r om t he rec or d, Lar ryas s umed Reddi c as hi s l eg al s ur name. 

### 2 i s s ues , eac h dea l i ng wi t h whet her Lar ry c l ear l y and s uf f i c i ent l y r epu di at ed Lee ’ s al l eged owners hi p i nt er es t , Le e c ont end s t he t r i al c ourter r ed and t he j udg m ents hou l d b e r ev er s ed a n d a n e w j u d g me n tr e n d e r e d i n h i s fa v o r . W e a ff i r m. Backg r oun d L e e ma r r i e d L a r ry ’ s mo t h e r , R o s e M a e C o t t o n , o n S e p t e mb e r2 8 , 1 9 5 7
. S o me t i me 2 s hort l yaft ert hei rm ar r i age , Le e l eftRos e a nd beg an l i vi ng w i t h a not herwom an, Rac hel Reddi c . Al t hou gh Lee an d Ros e wer e n ev erfor m al l ydi v or c ed, Le e a nd Rac hel l i v ed t oge t heras hu s ban d a nd wi fe forap pr ox i m at el yfortyy ears . O n M ay18 , 19 72, whi l e L ee w a s li v in g w ith R a c h e l, R o s e p u rc h a s e d th e p ro p e rty in q u e s tio n , ta k in g t itl e t o t h e p ro p e rty as “ Ros e Ma e Cott on, a s i ngl e wom an. ” T her eaft er , on Dec em ber6, 19 76, Ros e, ac t i ng i n d i vi d u a l l y , d e e d e d t h e p rop e rtyt o L a rry . A l t h o u g h e vi d e n ce p res e n t e d i n d i ca t e d t h a tLa rry pai d t he m ort gag e and t ax es , R os e c ont i nue d t o r es i de on t he pr ope rty . Atno t i m e f r om May 1 8 , 1 9 7 2 , u n til D e c e m b e r 6 , 1 9 7 6 , d id L e e e v e r re s id e o n t h e p ro p e rty o r o th e rw is e li v e w ith Ros e a s hu s ban d a nd wi fe. Ap pr ox i m at el y24 y ears l at er , i n 2 000 , Le e m ove d i nt o t he pr ope rt yi n q ues t i on wi t h Ros e. Aft erRos e’ s de at h i n 2 006 , fort he f i r s tt i m e, Le e c l ai m ed an owners hi p i nt er es ti n t he pr ope rtybyv i rt ue of hi s m ar r i age t o Ros e. D ue t o Le e’ s c l ai m of an ow ne r shi p in t e rest , Larryi ni t i at ed t hi s pr oce ed i ng as a t r esp ass t o t ryt i t l e act i on , seeki ng t o est ab l i sh ow ne r shi p of t he resi de nce t hrou gh adve r seT e x . C i v . P ra c . & R e m . C o d e , § 1 6 .0 2 5 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 2 ). 3 T e x . C i v . P ra c . & R e m . C o d e , § 1 6 .0 2 6 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 2 ). 4 T e x . C i v . P ra c . & R e m . C o d e , § 1 6 .0 2 7 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 2 ). 5 

### 3 pos s es s i on. Lee so ugh tt o defend t he ac t i on bym ai nt ai ni ng l i m i t at i ons ne v erbe gan t o r un b e c a u s e h e w a s a co -te n a n t, a n d L a rry fa ile d t o cle a rly a n d su ff ic ie n tlyre p u d ia te h is o w n e rsh i p i n t e res t
. Th e i ssu e of a d ve rse po sse ssion w a s su b m i t t e d t o a j u ryan d t h e j u ry d e t e r mi n e d t h a tL a r ry h a d a d v e r s e l y p o s s e s s e d t h e p r o p e rtyfo rt h e r e q u i s i t e p e r i o d o f t i me u n d e r th e fiv e , t e n , a n d tw e n ty -f iv e y e a r s ta tu te s o f lim ita tio n . B a s e d u p o n t h e ju ry’s 3 4 5 v e rd ic t, t h e t ria l co u rt e n te re d ju d g m e n t in fa v o r o f L a rry. T h is a p p e a l fo llo w e d
. Di scu ssi on T he ent i r e pr em i se of Le e’ s ap pea l i s ba s ed upo n h i s c ont ent i on t hathe ha d a n owners hi p i nt er es ti n t he pr ope rtyi n q ues t i on byv i rt ue of hi s m arr i ag e t o Ros e. Lee c ont end s t hatRos e’ s de ed t o L ar ryon l yc onv ey ed heron e- hal f i nt er est , a nd t her efor e, by v i rt ue of hi s c ont i nue d ow ners hi p o f t he ot heron e- hal f , he was a c o- t ena nt
. Lee f urt her m a in ta in s t h a t L a rry’ s co n d u c t w a s in s u ff ic ie n t to co n s tit u te a n e ff e c tive re p u d ia tio n o f h is in te r e s t. L e e ’s re lia n c e u p o n t h e la w p e rta in in g t o re p u d ia tio n o f a co -te n a n t’s in te re s t is m is p la c e d b e c a u s e th e r e c o rd b e fo re u s fa ils to e s ta b lish th e r e la tio n s h ip o f c o -te n a n c y. In o th e r w o rd s , w e fin d t h a t L e e d o e s n o t h a v e a n o w n e rs h ip in te re s t in t h e p ro p e rty in q u e s tio n . D u rin g m a rr ia g e , p ro p e rty is p re s u m e d t o b e su b je c t to t h e so le m a n a g e m e n t, co n tro l, and di s pos i t i on of

a s pou s e i f

i ti s he l d i n t hat s pou s e’ s na m e, as s hown bya m uni m entor

### 4

o th e r e v id e n c e o f o w n e rs h ip
. T e x . F a m . C o d e A n n . § 3 .1 0 4 (a ) (V e rn o n 2 0 0 6 ). R o s e h e ld t he pr ope rtyi n q ues t i on i n h ers ol e n am e u nde ra m uni m ent of owners hi p, t o- wi t : a gen er al w a rr a n tyd e e d
. A s su c h , th e e n tire co m m u n ityin te re s t w a s su b je c t to h e r s o le m a n a g e m e n t, c o n tro l, a n d d is p o s iti o n . J ean v. T ys on- J ean , 1 1 8 S .W .3 d 1 , 5 (T e x .A p p – H o u s to n [ 1 4 D is t. ] th 200 3, pe t
. d en i ed )
. T her efor e, when Ros e c onv ey ed t he ent i r e fee s i m pl e t i t l e t o t he pr ope rt yi n q ues t i on t o Lar ry , s he c onv ey ed what ev eri nt er es tLe e mayha v e o wned i n t he p ro p e rty. I d. Th e rea ft e r, be ca u se Le e w a s a st ran g e r t o t h e t i t l e a n d n o t a co -t e n a n t , La rry di d no thave t he bu r de n pl ace d on co- t en an t s of “ bri ng i ng hom e” t o t he adve r se pa rtynot i ce o f re p u d ia tio n . G o sse tt v. T id e w a te r A sso cia te dO il C o. , 43 6 S
. W
. 2d 416 , 42 0 (Tex
. C i v. A p p . – Ty l e r 1 9 6 8 , w ri tr e f’ d n.r . e . ). Si nc e L ee has notco nt es t ed an yof t he ot herel em ent s of Lar ry ’ s ad v er s e p os s es s i on c l ai m , t he t r i al c ourtdi d n oter rbyen t er i ng j udg m enti n fav orof La r ry . I s s ues on e t hr oug h f i v e a r e o v er r ul ed. Concl usi on T he j udg m entof

t he t r i al c ourti s af

f i r m ed.

P a tric kA
. P irtle Just i ce Cam pbe l l , J
. , c onc ur r i ng.