Court Opinion

ID: 9829628
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 19:29:18.427745+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:43:03.666690
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing
Appellant moves for a rehearing, contending as we shall note.
Under the first and second assignments of error contained in the motion for rehearing, it is contended that we should here render judgment in favor of appellant for the title and possession of the property in dispute, and for the agreed rental value of $7.50 per month, and that we should sever the issue of appellee’s right to reimbursement for taxes paid by him on the property, and remand for trial upon that issue only. In view of the de-*816cisión we have reached, we shall not follow the procedure suggested.
Under the third assignment of error appellant urges that appellee’s claim of title was not made in good faith and was based on a void deed, that his payment of taxes was that of a mere volunteer, and that he is not entitled to be reimbursed therefor. After carefully considering this contention, we adhere to the view expressed in our original opinion to the effect that the record before us is insufficient to enable us to pass upon ap-pellee’s right to reimbursement for such taxes. We have no finding of the trial court in such respect, since the trial court awarded the land itself to appellee. We would feel justified in rendering judgment against appellee on his claim for the taxes paid only in the event the record showed conclusively that he was not entitled to recover therefor.
The motion for rehearing, in addition to the contentions mentioned above, contains a paragraph styled and reading as follows :
“Conditional Remittitur.
“The Appellant, as a condition of having the judgment in its favor reversed and rendered and to avoid a remand of the cause or any issue for a new trial, and conditioned that Appellant be allowed judgment for its rents, and in the event that the Court of Civil Appeals is still of the opinion that Appellee may be entitled to reimbursement for his taxes paid, Appellant offers to agree that the amount of taxes paid as shown by his deed be allowed as an off-set against Appellant’s rents.”
The amount of taxes shown by the deed is $345.31. Appellee alleged that he had paid $60 in taxes since the date of the deed, but did not offer proof in support of the allegation. The parties stipulated in the trial court that the average rental value of the property was $7.50 per month.
In view of what was said in our original opinion, in view of what we have said in this opinion, and in view of the remittitur offered, our judgment heretofore rendered is set aside, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and judgment is here rendered in favor of appellant for the title and possession of the property, and for damages figured at $7.50 per month since the date of the deed to appellee, offset by the amount of taxes shown in said deed.
Both parties are granted leave to file motion for rehearing within fifteen days after this date.