Court Opinion

ID: 9556919
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-19 06:10:10.455252+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:04:28.793855
License: Public Domain

Opinion filed August 17, 2023

                                      In The

        Eleventh Court of Appeals
                                   __________

                                No. 11-21-00154-CV
                                    __________

  ECHOLS MINERALS, LLC; TOC HOLDINGS, LLC; GULF
WIND RESOURCES, LLC; ASRO MANAGEMENT, LLP; DAVID
 WEAVER ECHOLS; ROY LEE TODD; NANCY K. CARTER;
   CATHY L. HUTCHESON; DOUGLAS KIT NELSON; LEE
  KEITH TILTON; TERRA SHAMARI CONE; DANIEL ELI
DENNISON; JOSHUA MARTIN RUDIN; CEILIA KAISER; AND
            KIMBERLY LACANNE, Appellants

                                       V.
  DONALD MAC GREEN, TRUSTEE OF THE DONALD AND
  BETTY LOU IRREVOCABLE TRUST, AND INDEPENDENT
 EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF BETTY LOU GREEN; AND
          FORTIS MINERALS II, LLC, Appellees

                     On Appeal from the 118th District Court
                            Martin County, Texas
                          Trial Court Cause No. 7505
                       CONCURRING OPINION
      I would construe the 1952 NPRI deed and the 1952 guardian deed together
under Rieder v. Woods, 603 S.W.3d 86, 94 (Tex. 2020); Fort Worth Indep. Sch.
Dist. v. City of Fort Worth, 22 S.W.3d 831, 840 (Tex. 2000); Jones v. Kelley, 614
S.W.2d 95, 98 (Tex. 1981); and Veal v. Thomason, 159 S.W.2d 472, 475 (Tex.
1942). Because I would construe the two deeds together, I would not conclude that
the 1952 NPRI deed has a “Duhig Problem.” See Duhig v. Peavy-Moore Lumber
Co., 144 S.W.2d 878 (Tex. 1940).
      However, I agree with the majority that, under Trial v. Dragon, 593 S.W.3d
313 (Tex. 2019), Duhig’s remedy is not available here. Under the circumstances
presented in this case, the trial court erred by invalidating the 33.25/278.5 NPRI
reservation under Duhig and Dragon. See Duhig, 144 S.W.2d at 879–880; Dragon,
593 S.W.3d at 319. Accordingly, I concur with the majority that the final judgment
of the trial court should be reversed and remanded.

                                             W. BRUCE WILLIAMS
                                             JUSTICE

August 17, 2023
Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J.,
Trotter, J., and Williams, J.

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