Court Opinion

ID: 9868900
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-26 19:04:34.256227+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:45:56.903587
License: Public Domain

On Appellants’ Motion for Rehearing.
We have delayed acting upon this motion, pending a decision by the Supreme Court in the two cases from the Galveston court referred to in our original opinion. Scanlan v. Continental Investment Co. (opinion not yet published), and Shambaugh v. Smithey (Tex.Civ.App.) 59 S.W. (2d) 189. Opinions in those cases have now been handed down by the Supreme *416Court. Scanlan v. Continental Investment Co., 87 S.W.(2d) 476; Smithey v. Shambaugh, 88 S.W.(2d) 475.
The Shambaugh Case is on all fours with the instant case, in that there, as here, the city was incorporated under the general laws. The Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Civil Appeals’ judgment predicated upon the holding that that portion of section 11 of chapter 106, p. 489, Laws 40th Leg. 1st C.S. (Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 1105b, § 11), which provides that “property owned jointly by one or more persons, firms or corporations, may be assessed jointly,” is valid. The gist of the opinion is contained in the following quotation: “Thus it reasonably appears that the Legislature in enacting the clause under consideration in the terms it did, was dealing with tenancies in common, and meant for the assessment there prescribed to impose on the joint owners a liability of a nature corresponding to their rights in the property, namely, a joint and several liability. This being the case, there is no reason to say that the statutory clause in question violates either of the provisions of the Constitution mentioned, for in such a case, any joint owner, upon being compelled to pay the whole debt charged against the common property, may enforce contribution from the other joint owners, and for that purpose he becomes subrogated to the lien held by the creditor, together with all the rights and priorities appertaining to such lien. 11 Tex.Jur. p. 470; 25 '..C.L., p. 1365; 7 R.C.L., p. 873 ; 62 C.J., p. 489.”
Upon the authority of that decision, our former judgment is set aside, the trial court’s judgment is reversed, and the .cause remanded.
Motion granted, judgment reversed, and cause remanded.