trespass to try title.

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Co-author Rusty Tucker

Bell v. Midway Petroleum Grp., L.P., was a trespass to try title action, suit to quiet title for possession of a land, and a counterclaim for title by adverse possession. There are several …

… Takeaways

  • A Mother Hubbard Clause can save a deed in which the property description fails to satisfy the Statute of Frauds.
  • Testimony to establish adverse possession must be of such character as to indicate unmistakably an assertion of a claim of exclusive ownership in the occupant.
  • Where there is a claim for adverse possession, an overly agressive party risks paying the oppoent’s attorney’s fees.
  • Before you head off to the courthouse for vindication, remember that the complexity of legal and factual issues is wholly unrelated to the amount in controversy. We say that because this dispute seems like a lot of work for less than an acre of land.

Continue Reading Mother Hubbard Clause Saves a Property Deed

Co-author David Leonard

In a precursor of disputes sure to come, in Lyle v. Midway Solar, LLC, a Texas court of appeals delivered a win for solar energy by applying the accommodation doctrine in favor of a solar developer’s actual use of the surface of the land over speculative future development of the mineral estate.

The lesson for mineral and surface owners

Mineral owners: This decision should remind you to diligently monitor surface use and, as appropriate, intervene in the development process with informed feedback about your actual or potential surface use needs.

Surface users: Conversely, you should be willing to incorporate informed feedback from mineral owners into the design of surface projects. An arbitrary and unilateral designation of drilling areas is unlikely to suffice under many circumstances.
Continue Reading Solar Beats Minerals in a Texas Accommodation Doctrine Battle

The pitches in your arsenal are your fastball and your curveball; it’s the late innings; third time around the batting order; they’re sitting on the fastball. Once they catch up to it (and they will unless you’re Justin Verlander which, face it, you are not), goodbye game. Why not go to the bender to keep ’em uncomfortable and give you options? In Lackey v. Templeton, plaintiffs stayed with the heater. Goodbye game.

The lesson to be learned
Continue Reading Texas Court Tells Plaintiffs How to Recover Title to Property

Scenes from the trial lawyer’s conference room:

Client: “Lookee here! This paragraph says we win!”

Lawyer: Yes, but what about all the other paragraphs?”

“Those don’t matter.”

Why is that?”

“Because they don’t help us. Did you graduate from law school?”

“But the court will harmonize all the provisions in the document.”

“If I want harmony I’ll go with the Everlys. If you’re afraid of a fight, I’ll find me a lawyer with a backbone. I’m thinking the tough, smart lawyer. That one that’s always on TV.”

and:

Client: “@*^& the words. I’ll tell ’em what the deal really was.”

(Repeat client disappointment)

In XTO Energy v. EOG Resources, a title dispute over the mineral estate in 1,653 acres in Atascosa and McMullen counties, Texas, the loser tried both, to no avail.
Continue Reading Foreclosure Included the Minerals Because the Documents Said So

cruellaThis narrative about a daughter gone bad is for title examiners, landmen and moralists. Business development persons, skip straight to the lesson.

The background

Elvira owned a home and lived with Johnny. Elvira and Johnny were named managing conservators for her three grandchildren after a daughter died. The grandchildren lived at the house. Elvira and…