Court Opinion

ID: 9829487
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 19:20:58.033207+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:43:01.562972
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
The motion for rehearing filed by Gordon-Sewall & Co., appellant, is in all things overruled. Also, we decline to find, as requested by this appellant, “that after the marriage of G. D. Walker he ceased for a few months to live in the same house with his mother, and lived with his wife in a house different from that occupied by his mother,” but on the testimony of Mr. Walker himself we find, quoting his testimony:
“I have been living with my mother since the death of my father, and I have been her main support all the time, and, in fact, her main support. * * * My mother has deeded to me and my brother and my sister her interest in those lands surrounding that locality. In other words, she has deeded to us and conveyed to us her entire land holdings. Since making that deed she has continued to live in the house she was then living in, and she lives in the same house to this day. I occupied that house with her a part of the time. As to whether a part of that time I moved my wife awa£ from that house and lived in another and different house —well, B was away for' awhile temporarily. You asked me to tell you when I carried my family away from the house my mother occupied. I never entirely moved my stuff away from the house. I merely went away temporarily to the other house.”
The “other house” referred to was on the same tract and near the house occupied by the mother.
Appellees G. D. and C. E. Walker, in their motion for rehearing, expressly approve our finding that “the use, enjoyment, and occupation of the entire tract of land by the Walkers impressed each and every acre thereof with the character of a homestead, that is, such use, enjoyment, and occupation of the land gave the Walkers the right to carve from this land, considered as a whole and considered as one- tract, their constitutional homesteads of 200 acres each,” but they except to our conclusion that in carving their homesteads due regard must be ihad to the equities and rights of those claiming adverse liens. We have carefully considered appellees’ argument against this conclusion, but find no reason to -change-our position in this conclusion of law. If ap-pellees had impressed the entire tract of land with the character of homestead — -a conclusion of fact approved by them — then having set apart a designated tract out of *241this larger'tract, and for a valuable consideration fixed a lien thereon, they should not now be permitted to impair that contract, provided they can be fully protected in their homestead claims from other portions of the land. However, they suggest that our order of partition would be inequitable as between them. In view of that suggestion, we withdraw our instructions to the trial court as to the manner of partitioning the Statts tract and the extra 100 acres as between G. D. and C. E. Walker, and leave that question open for adjustment as between them. However, we do not modify to any extent our order directing the trial court in the selection of the 100 acres additional to the Statts tract.
In all other respects, the motion for rehearing of appellees G. D. and C. E. Walker is in all things overruled.