Opinion ID: 2370767
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Superior Title Out of a Common Source

Text: In a trespass to try title suit, where the parties agree as to a common source, it is incumbent upon the plaintiff to discharge the burden of proof resting upon him to establish a superior title from such source. See Rule 798, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure; Davis et ux. v. Gale, 160 Tex. 309, 330 S.W.2d 610 (1960). By the entry of the take-nothing judgment against the plaintiffs the trial court held that the plaintiffs failed to discharge this burden. The plaintiffs are before this court urging that the trial court and the intermediate appellate court erred in holding against them on the issue of superior legal title. The principal reason that the plaintiffs have failed to establish legal title is that description of the land in three deeds in their chain of title is fatally defective, and, therefore, void. The description of the land in the deed from the common source to J. C. Engelman, Inc., dated July 21, 1924, is as follows: The north nineteen and nine-hundredths (19.09) acres, more or less, of Block Number Two Hundred Twenty-three (223), according to the subdivision of what is known as the La Blanca Tract out of the Llano Grande and La Blanca Grants, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 1, page 33, of the Map and Plat Records of Hidalgo County, Texas, said map or plat being herein referred to for greater certainty of description. Next in plaintiffs' chain of title is a deed from J. C. Engelman, Inc., to T. L. Humble, dated July 22, 1924, which describes a tract of 6 acres, more or less, out of the J. C. Engelman, Inc., 19.09 acres, more or less, the particular description being: The north six (6) acres, more or less, of Block Number Two Hundred Twenty-three (223), according to the subdivision of what is known as the La Blanca Tract out of the Llano Grande and La Blanca Grants, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Vol. 1, page 33, of the Map and Plat Records of Hidalgo County, Texas, said map or plat being herein referred to for greater description. The third deed in plaintiffs' chain of title from the common source is a deed from T. L. Humble to the plaintiff, Edna H. Reiter, dated August 26, 1944. This deed describes the land conveyed as follows: The North six (6) acres, more or less, of Block Number Two Hundred Twenty-three (223), according to the subdivision of what is known as the La Blanca Tract out of the Llano Grande and La Blanca Grants, according to the plat thereof recorded in Vol. 1, page 33, of the Map and Plat Records of Hidalgo County, Texas. The words more or less render the description of the land attempted to be conveyed uncertain and indefinite to the extent that the land cannot be identified. Therefore, the deeds are void as legal conveyances of land. Plaintiffs seek to disregard the words more or less used in the description of the lands involved and desire to treat the descriptions as if they read: The North 19.09 acres of Block 223, and the North 6 acres of Block 223. Thus, plaintiffs would treat the words more or less as though they were added to an estimate of the quantity of land following a particular description. The words more or less cannot be ignored. The deeds in the instant case do not designate the land as the North 19.09 acres of Block 223, and the North 6 acres of Block 223. The words are not attached to an estimate of quantity following a particular description of the land. Since there is no particular description of the land, the acreage, or quantity becomes important in ascertaining what land was intended to be conveyed. The rules announced in the case of Wooten v. State, 142 Tex. 238, 177 S.W.2d 56 (1944), are controlling on the question. In that case, two tracts of land were involved. One of the tracts was described as the North part of Tract 10, Section 13, Blk. G-17, H. P. Melton Survey, containing 60 acres of land, more or less; and the description given of the other tract was that it is the North end of Tract 10, Section 11, Block G-17, Thos. F. Main survey, containing 140 acres of land, more or less. The respondents in that case, just as the plaintiffs in the instant case, sought to disregard the words more or less used in the description of the two tracts. In holding against such contention, this court said: In the instant case, however, the words `more or less' are not attached to an estimate of quantity following a particular description of the land; and since there is not particular description, the acreage, or quantity, becomes important in ascertaining what land is intended to be condemned. There is nothing to identify or define the north part of one tract and the north end of the other tract except the statement of the acreage, and that statement is qualified, made indefinite and uncertain by the addition of the words, `more or less'. The use of these words destroys the value of the statements of the acreage for the purpose of description. The substance of the description is: 60 acres, more or less, off the north end or part of one tract, and 140 acres, more or less, off the north end or part of the other tract. Is it 60 (and 140) acres or more than 60 (and 140) acres or less than 60 (and 140) acres? If more, how much more? If less, how much less? In our opinion, the description of the land contained in the petition for condemnation, in the award and in the judgment, is so indefinite and uncertain that the land cannot be identified with reasonable certainty. It follows that neither the commissioners nor the county court acquired jurisdiction. There is no material distinction between the Wooten case and the instant case. The more or less description in both instances simply described nothing and conveyed nothing. The reasonable certainty of description required for a valid conveyance is such that a surveyor could go upon the land and mark out the land designated. See Parker v. Fort Worth & D. C. Ry. Co., 84 Tex. 333, 19 S.W. 518 (1892). No surveyor could go upon the land and mark out with certainty the location of the south boundary line of the north six acres, more or less, of Block 223. As stated in Norris v. Hunt, 51 Tex. 609, 614: The true rule, as deduced from the authorities, seems to be that this description should be so definite and certain upon the face of the instrument itself, or by other writing referred to, that the land can be identified with reasonable certainty. This rule was followed in the Wooten case. However, plaintiffs seek to distinguish the Wooten case on the ground that the description of the land in that case makes no reference to any other writing in aid of the description, whereas, the description in the instant case specifically says that the tract is 19.09 acres, more or less, and 6 acres, more or less, according to the subdivision of what is known as the La Blanca Tract out of the Llano Grande and La Blanca Grants, according to the plat thereof recorded in Vol. 1, page 33, of the Map and Plat Records of Hidalgo County, Texas. In making this contention, the plaintiffs are seeking to do exactly what was held could not be done in the Wooten case. The map showing Block 223 was introduced in evidence. This map of Block 223 does not show where the south boundary of the North 6 acres, more or less is to run. Plaintiffs base their entire argument on the premise that 6 acres, not 6 acres, more or less, can be located on the ground with the aid of the map. Since the words, more or less were used as a part of the description, it is unnecessary to decide in this case whether the description would be sufficient but for the use of those words. See Wooten v. State, supra. The use of these words as a part of the description destroys the value of the statements of the acreage for the purpose of description. Plaintiffs rely upon the case of Zeppa v. Houston Oil Co. of Texas, Tex.Civ.App., 113 S.W.2d 612, (1938), wr. ref. In that case the description involved was the East 100 acres out of a larger boundary definitely described by metes and bounds. There is nothing in the holding in this case which runs counter to either the holding in the instant case or the Wooten case, supra. The respondents in the Wooten case relied upon cases similar to the Zeppa case, but this court in distinguishing the cases cited pointed out that in none of those cases was the specification of the number of acres intended to be conveyed qualified by the words more or less. To recover in trespass to try title, the plaintiff must recover upon the strength of his own title. Hejl v. Wirth, 161 Tex. 609, 343 S.W.2d 226 (1961). Where the parties stipulate common source, the burden rests upon the plaintiff to connect each party with the common source, and to establish a superior title from such source. See Bosse v. Cadwallader, 86 Tex. 336, 24 S.W. 798; Davis, et ux. v. Gale, supra. Plaintiffs failed to discharge their burden of proving superior title out of La Blanca, the common source.