Opinion ID: 2413244
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Adverse Possession: The Boundaries Specified in the Deed

Text: The deed from Barker to Hart under which Hart claims describes roughly a parallelogram with a southern boundary of 700 varas. The tract described in Hart's petition, on the other hand, is a larger tract of a different shape, with a southern boundary of 963.5 varas. It is this larger tract which was the subject of the jury inquiry. The statute under which Hart claims title by limitation says that when possession is taken under a written memorandum of title duly registered, such peaceable possession shall be construed to be co-extensive with the boundaries specified in such instrument. Art. 5510. A rough sketch of the land is set out below. Numbers have been added to various corners to simplify the description for purposes of this opinion: The deed from Barker to Hart, under which Hart claims his adverse possession describes the land approximately as follows: beginning at point 1 on Mill Creek; then south 15° W 958 varas to point 2; thence North 75° West with the southern boundary line of said league of land 700 varas to a stake for corner and from which certain trees had certain bearings [this is roughly at point 7 on the above map]; thence north 15° E with an old marked line to Mill Creek, with a catalpa stake for corner and from which a marked tree had certain bearings; and down Mill Creek to the place of beginning. The deed thus roughly calls for beginning at point 1 and proceeding to points 2, 7, 8, and back to point 1. The land described in Hart's petition begins at point 1 and proceeds to point 2 as above described. But the southern line beginning at point 2 extends to point 3, a distance of 963.5 varas. The calls then go from point 3 to points 4, 5, 6, and back to point 1. Hart says he is entitled to the longer southern boundary because his deed from Barker refers to the land as being the same land conveyed to Barker by Gates and Brooke. In that deed the southern boundary beginning at point 2 reads: Thence west with said league line about 800 varas. Assuming that a description of about 800 varas which does not call for any monument or object is sufficiently definite, the reference to a description in the former deed cannot here be used to enlarge the tract to which Hart claims title by limitation. Article 5510 says that when adverse possession is begun under a muniment of title, it shall be construed to be co-extensive with the boundaries specified in such instrument. The deed to Hart contains an unambiguous description. No reference to any other deed is necessary to locate the tract. The reference to the deed to Barker might be helpful to show a chain or origin of title. For example, Hart used it in attempting to prove common source from Barker. But the rule is stated in Cullers v. Platt, 81 Tex. 258, 16 S.W. 1003, at page 1005: Where a grantor conveys specifically by metes and bounds, so there can be no controversy about what land is included and really conveyed, a general description, as of all of a certain tract conveyed to him by another person, or, as in this case, all of a survey except a tract belonging to another person, cannot control; for there is a specific and particular description, about which there can be no mistake, and no necessity for invoking the aid of the general description. This rule is followed in Scheller v. Groesbeck, Tex.Com.App., 231 S.W. 1092, and Coffee v. Manly, 1942, 166 S.W.2d 377, writ refused. The deed from Gates and Brooke to Barker may not, therefore, be used by reference to enlarge the claim of Hart under his deed from Barker. But Hart contends that the land described in his petition (being that inside the area from points 1 to 2 and on to points 3, 4, 5, 6 and back to 1) is the same as the property described in the deed from Barker to Hart (Points 1, 2, 7, 8 and back to 1) because his surveyor said so. The surveyor testified that the two were fundamentally the same. The Court of Civil Appeals held that if an issue of fact existed as to whether the two tracts were identical, that there would be an implied finding in the judgment of the trial court that they were. We hold that as a matter of law the two tracts are not identical. The evidence is undisputed that the surveyor, in running the southern boundary from point 2, neither found nor looked for the stake or bearing trees at the point 700 varas from point 2 described in the deed from Barker to Hart. Instead he went 263.5 varas father to a corner of the E. E. Willis tract, not called for in the instrument, where there was a fence, a concrete post, and some bearing trees, none of which were called for in the Barker-Hart deed. He gave as a reason for stopping at the Willis corner and fence that I didn't want to conflict with their lands or any of their contentions. Nor did the surveyor locate or look for the stake or bearing tree on the northern call on Mill Creek. No evidence was introduced as to the location of or search for the marked line, called for in the deed from Barker to Hart, between points 7 and 8. The surveyor did not include within his field notes the so-called Sam Hardin 20-acre tract shown on the above map because he understood that Mr. Hart was not claiming that land. The surveyor mainly relied on the word of Sam Hardin for the boundaries of the Hardin tract. There is no evidence of any legal description of it. The surveyor made no attempt to run the west line from point 4 north to Mill Creek or to locate that northwest corner on Mill Creek. Article 5510 which permits the acquisition of title by limitations under a memorandum of title says that the possession shall be construed to be co-extensive with the boundaries specified in such instrument. This Court laid down the rule in Harmon v. Overton Ref. Co., 130 Tex. 365, 109 S.W.2d 457, 460, 110 S.W.2d 555, in harmony with the statute, that: It is well settled that when one enters into possession of land under a deed his possession is referable to the deed, and is presumed to be in conformity with it, and is confined to the limits thereof. [2] Under the statute and the cases construing it, we hold that Hart's limitation claim under his deed is limited to the unambiguous calls of his deed and that he is limited to the south call of 700 varas set out in that instrument. We overrule the contention of the Petitioner lumber company that since Hart sued for a larger tract, he cannot recover for the smaller tract for which he may prove title. Smith v. Olsen, 92 Tex. 181, 46 S.W. 631; Rule 802, Tex.Rules Civil Procedure.