A trespass to try title action is what?

WHAT DOES TRESPASS TO TRY TITLE MEAN? 

The Texas Property Code provides in part, "A trespass to try title action is the method for determining title to lands, tenements, or other real property." TEX. PROP. CODE ANN. § 22.001(a) (West 2014).

ELEMENTS OF PROOF 

"To prevail in a trespass-to-try-title action, a plaintiff must usually (1) prove a regular chain of conveyances from the sovereign, (2) establish superior title out of a common source, (3) prove title by limitations, or (4) prove title by prior possession coupled with proof that possession was not abandoned." Wilhoite v. Sims, 401 S.W.3d 752, 760 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2013, no pet.).

SOURCE: DALLAS COURT OF APPEALS - No. 05-13-01581-CV - 1/21/2015

In Coinmach Corp. v. Aspenwood Apartments Corp., 417 S.W.3d 909, 926 (Tex. 2013), the supreme court stated as follows:

We have previously held that, when "the trespass-to-try-title statute governs the parties' substantive claims . . ., [the plaintiff] may not proceed alternatively under the Declaratory Judgments Act to recover their attorney's fees." Martin v. Amerman, 133 S.W.3d 262, 267 (Tex. 2004). In so holding, we noted that the Legislature has provided the trespass-to-try-title statute as "the method of determining title to . . . real property," and the Legislature did not provide for attorney's fees in such actions. Id. (citing TEX. PROP.CODE § 22.001(a)) (emphasis added).. . . .

It is undisputed that the present case requires determination of the parties' possessory rights to the property. We see no legitimate basis to distinguish this case from Martin, in which we affirmed and upheld the Legislature's intent that chapter 22 of the Texas Property Code govern the resolution of disputes involving legal interests in real property.

Id. (emphasis original); see also Sani v. Powell, 153 S.W.3d 736, 745 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2005, pet. denied) (stating "[a]ny suit that involves a dispute over the title to land is, in effect, an action in trespass to try title, whatever its form" and attorney's fees pursuant to the declaratory judgments act "are not available in a suit to quiet title or to remove cloud on title"). Although both sides in the case before us couched their claims in terms of requests for declarations, everything requested of the court is necessary to, and a component of, the ultimate relief sought, which is to clear title to the front strip.[12] See Sani, 153 S.W.3d at 746. Accordingly, we conclude the Furnisses were not entitled to an award of attorney's fees under the declaratory judgments act and the trial court abused its discretion by awarding those fees. Id.; see Coinmach Corp., 417 S.W.3d at 926; XTO Energy, Inc., 357 S.W.3d at 62-63 (concluding that although validity of deed was contested, essence of suit was title dispute and therefore award of attorney's fees pursuant to declaratory judgments act was improper); see also RIHR Inc., 308 S.W.3d at 454.

We decide in ADLO's favor on its fifth issue.

SOURCE: FIFTH COURT OF APPEALS IN DALLAS TEXAS - No. 05-13-01581-CV - 1/21/2015

Suit to Quiet Title - Elements of Proof

SUIT TO QUIET TITLE REQUIREMENTS

To prevail in a suit to quiet title, a plaintiff must prove: (1) he has an interest in a specific property; (2) title to the property is affected by a claim by the defendant; and (3) the claim, although facially valid, is invalid or unenforceable. See, e.g., Vernon v. Perrien, 390 S.W.3d 47, 61 (Tex. App.-El Paso 2012, pet. denied); see also U.S. Nat'l Bank Ass'n v. Johnson, No. 01-10-00837-CV, 2011 WL 6938507, at *3 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 30, 2011, no pet.) (mem. op.).

"[T]o contest a bank's foreclosure of a deed of trust, a party must, at the time of the foreclosure, either (1) be the mortgagor under the deed of trust or be in privity with the mortgagor, or (2) have an ownership interest in the property affected by the foreclosure." Ursic v. NBC Bank S. Tex., N.A., 827 S.W.2d 334, 336 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 1991, writ denied) (citing Goswami v. Metropolitan Sav., 751 S.W.2d 487, 489 (Tex. 1988)). And the plaintiff must recover on the strength of his own title, not on the weakness of his adversary's title. Fricks v. Hancock, 45 S.W.3d 322, 327 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 2001, no pet.) (citing Alkas v. United Sav. Ass'n of Tex., Inc., 672 S.W.2d 852, 857 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 1984, writ ref'd n.r.e.)).

He "must allege right, title or ownership in himself with sufficient certainty to enable the court to see that plaintiff has a right of ownership that will warrant judicial interference." Ellison v. Butler, 443 S.W.2d 886, 888-89 (Tex. Civ. App.-Corpus Christi 1969, no writ); see Wright v. Matthews, 26 S.W.3d 575, 578 (Tex. App.-Beaumont 2000, pet. denied). The plaintiff has the burden of supplying the proof necessary to establish his superior equity and right to relief. Essex Crane Rental Corp. v. Carter, 371 S.W.3d 366, 387-88 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.], pet. denied) (op. on reh'g); Ellison, 443 S.W.2d at 888-89.

SOURCE: CORPUS CHRISTI COURT OF APPEALS - Nos. 13-12-00474-CV, 13-12-00753-CV - 2/13/2014


SUIT TO QUIET TITLE AND TRESPASS TO TRY TITLE - 2015 USDC CASE 

"To prevail in a trespass-to-try-title action, Plaintiffs must usually (1) prove a regular chain of conveyances from the sovereign, (2) establish superior title out of a common source, (3) prove title by limitations, or (4) prove title by prior possession coupled with proof that possession was not abandoned." Martin v. Amerman, 133 S.W.3d 262, 265 (Tex. 2004) (citation omitted). "The pleading rules are detailed and formal, and require a plaintiff to prevail on the superiority of his title, not on the weakness of a defendant's title." Id. (citation omitted).

A suit to quiet title is an equitable remedy to clarify ownership by removing clouds on the title. See Ford v. Exxon Mobil Chem. Co., 235 S.W.3d 615, 618 (Tex. 2007). To establish a claim for suit to quiet title, a plaintiff must show the following: (1) an interest in specific property; (2) that title to the property is affected by a claim by the defendant; and (3) that the claim, although facially valid, is invalid or unenforceable. Sadler v. Duvall, 815 S.W.2d 285, 293, n.2 (Tex. App.-Texarkana 1991, pet. denied). An adverse claim, to constitute a cloud on the title removable by the court, must be one that is valid on its face but is proved by extrinsic evidence to be invalid or unenforceable. Id.

Plaintiffs also bring a suit to quiet title and/or action for trespass to try title on the premise that they are the rightful owners of the Property because the foreclosure was improper.

Plaintiffs have failed to produce summary judgment evidence of their superiority of title. It is undisputed that the Property was purchased at a foreclosure sale. Plaintiffs have offered no summary judgment evidence that there was a defect in the foreclosure proceedings. When Plaintiffs defaulted on the Note, causing Defendants to foreclose on the Property, Plaintiffs lost any interest they could claim in the Property, and Plaintiffs have no evidence to establish they have an interest in the Property. Defendants' interest in the Property was valid and enforceable. The Court has already rejected Plaintiffs' other claims. Since Plaintiffs have abandoned their allegation that Defendants lacked authority to foreclose, the only bases for these claims are alleged violations of TILA and the TDCA. Plaintiffs have conceded their TDCA claims, and the Court has found that their TILA claim fails as a matter of law. Although Plaintiffs contend they have superior title to the Property because the foreclosure is void, they fail to identify any defect in the foreclosure proceeding which would render the sale void. Thus, Plaintiffs have no basis for an action based upon trespass to try title or quiet title.

SOURCE: Brewer v. Bank of America, NA, Dist. Court, ED Texas January 7, 2015.  

What must the plaintiff show in a suit to quiet title?

SUIT TO QUIET TITLE REQUIREMENTS

To prevail in a suit to quiet title, a plaintiff must prove: (1) he has an interest in a specific property; (2) title to the property is affected by a claim by the defendant; and (3) the claim, although facially valid, is invalid or unenforceable. See, e.g., Vernon v. Perrien, 390 S.W.3d 47, 61 (Tex. App.-El Paso 2012, pet. denied); see also U.S. Nat'l Bank Ass'n v. Johnson, No. 01-10-00837-CV, 2011 WL 6938507, at *3 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 30, 2011, no pet.) (mem. op.). "[T]o contest a bank's foreclosure of a deed of trust, a party must, at the time of the foreclosure, either (1) be the mortgagor under the deed of trust or be in privity with the mortgagor, or (2) have an ownership interest in the property affected by the foreclosure." Ursic v. NBC Bank S. Tex., N.A., 827 S.W.2d 334, 336 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 1991, writ denied) (citing Goswami v. Metropolitan Sav., 751 S.W.2d 487, 489 (Tex. 1988)).

Caselaw snippet from a 2015 federal district court opinion/order 

STRENGTH OF PLAINTIFF'S TITLE VS WEAKNESS OF OPPONENT'S

And the plaintiff must recover on the strength of his own title, not on the weakness of his adversary's title. Fricks v. Hancock, 45 S.W.3d 322, 327 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 2001, no pet.) (citing Alkas v. United Sav. Ass'n of Tex., Inc., 672 S.W.2d 852, 857 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 1984, writ ref'd n.r.e.)). He "must allege right, title or ownership in himself with sufficient certainty to enable the court to see that plaintiff has a right of ownership that will warrant judicial interference." Ellison v. Butler, 443 S.W.2d 886, 888-89 (Tex. Civ. App.-Corpus Christi 1969, no writ); see Wright v. Matthews, 26 S.W.3d 575, 578 (Tex. App.-Beaumont 2000, pet. denied). The plaintiff has the burden of supplying the proof necessary to establish his superior equity and right to relief. Essex Crane Rental Corp. v. Carter, 371 S.W.3d 366, 387-88 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.], pet. denied) (op. on reh'g); Ellison, 443 S.W.2d at 888-89.

SOURCE: CORPUS CHRISTI COURT OF APPEALS - Nos. 13-12-00474-CV, 13-12-00753-CV Burnett v Bank of New

What is equitable title versus legal title?

What is equitable title?

Equitable title is the present right to compel legal title. Smith v. Dass, Inc., 283 S.W.3d 537, 542 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2009, no pet.). Equitable title may be shown where the plaintiff proves it has paid the purchase price and fully performed the obligations under the contract. Cullins v. Foster, 171 S.W.3d 521, 533 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, pet. denied).

SOURCE:  DALLAS COURT OF APPEALS  -  No. 05-11-01536-CV - 6/7/2013 

Forcible Detainer ... Huh? What?

What do lawyers and landlords mean by "forcible detainer"?

It's what leads to eviction; -- the failure to move out when the renter or previous owner no longer has the right to be in the house or in the apartment ("premises"), and denies the rightful owner the right to have control over it ("possession"). A forcible detainer action is an eviction suit, whose purpose is to get a justice of the peace to order the occupant(s) out of the habitation. The landlord or property manager will typically also ask for any unpaid rent.   

Forcible detainer occurs when a person, who is a tenant at sufferance, refuses to surrender possession of real property after his right to possession has ceased. See TEX. PROP. CODE ANN. § 24.002; ICM Mortg. Corp. v. Jacob, 902 S.W.2d 527, 530 (Tex. App.-El Paso 1994, writ denied).

A forcible detainer action is "a summary, speedy, and inexpensive" procedure for determining the right to immediate possession of real property where no claim of unlawful entry exists. Williams v. Bank of N.Y. Mellon, 315 S.W.3d 925, 926-27 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2010, no pet.). To maintain the intended simplicity, the applicable rule of civil procedure, rule 746, provides that "the only issue shall be as to the right to actual possession; and the merits of the title shall not be adjudicated."[5] TEX. R. CIV. P. 746; Williams, 315 S.W.3d at 927. In other words, entitlement to possession of premises is decided "without resorting to an action upon the title." Rice v. Pinney, 51 S.W.3d 705, 710 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2001, no pet.) (quoting Scott v. Hewitt, 127 Tex. 31, 35, 90 S.W.2d 816, 818-19 (Tex. 1936)). Proof of the existence of a landlord-tenant relationship establishes a plaintiff's entitlement to possession. Pinney, 51 S.W.3d at 712. 

SOURCE: DALLAS COURT OF APPEALS - 05-12-00899-CV - 7/10/2013

Application of Law to Facts

[Former home owner's] issue on appeal mirrors his argument to the trial court. He does not dispute that (1) he defaulted on the loan, (2) the property was sold at foreclosure, (3) GMAC purchased the property at the foreclosure sale and subsequently conveyed it to FNMA, (4) he did not surrender possession of the property upon demand, and (5) the home equity agreement provided that, upon sale of the property and his failure to surrender, a tenancy at sufferance was created, which established a landlord-tenant relationship, and which established FNMA's entitlement to possession. See id. Rather, he disputes the validity of the foreclosure sale in light of the automatic bankruptcy stay, which addresses the merits of the title. Because [former home owner's] issue as to the merits of the title may not be raised in a forcible detainer action, we resolve his sole issue against him. See Williams, 315 S.W.3d at 927.  

Notice to all: Lis Pendens - and bona fide purchaser defense

  

NOTICE OF LIS PENDENS AND ITS EFFECTS

 

During the pendency of an action involving enforcement of an encumbrance against real property, the party to the action who is seeking affirmative relief may file for record with the county clerk of each county where a part of the property is located a notice that the action is pending. TEX. PROP. CODE ANN. § 12.007(a) (West Supp. 2012).

 

A recorded lis pendens is notice to the world of its contents. Id. § 13.004(a) (West Supp. 2012). The purpose of lis pendens notice is twofold: (1) to protect the alleged rights of the party filing it to the property that is in dispute in the lawsuit, and (2) to put those interested in the property on notice of the lawsuit. Collins v. Tex Mall, L.P., 297 S.W.3d 409, 418 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2009, no pet.).

 

The doctrine of lis pendens is based on the public policy that there should be an end to litigation. Cherokee Water v. Advance Oil & Gas, 843 S.W.2d 132, 135 (Tex. App.-Texarkana 1992, writ denied). It accomplishes that policy by preventing alienations that would defeat the litigation and that would deprive the plaintiff of his relief by putting the property beyond the reach of the present action. Id. The doctrine does not void a conveyance of the property during pendency of the suit. Collins, 297 S.W.3d at 418. The interest of the grantor merely passes subject to the determination of the cause. Cherokee Water, 843 S.W.2d at 135.

A recorded lis pendens is notice to the world of its contents. See TEX. PROP. CODE ANN. § 13.004(a). The purpose of a lis pendens includes putting those interested in the property on notice of the lawsuit. See Collins, 297 S.W.3d at 418. Further, as a purchaser of real property, Brent is charged with knowledge of all facts appearing in the chain of title that would place a reasonably prudent person on inquiry as to the rights of other parties in the real property. See Noble Mortg., 340 S.W.3d at 76.

SOURCE: TYLER COURT OF APPEALS - No. 12-12-00029-CV – 1/31/2013

 

Here, the evidence showed that Charlie and Elaine filed and recorded a lis pendens, which stated that a suit was pending to declare a "security instrument" void. Afterwards, but before a judgment in the first suit had been rendered, Charlie and Elaine conveyed the real property to Brent. Because his parents filed a lis pendens before he purchased the real property, Brent had constructive knowledge of the first action involving the deed of trust lien, defeating his status as a bona fide purchaser for value. See id.; Madison, 39 S.W.3d at 606. Thus, Brent failed to raise a fact issue on his affirmative defense.

 

 

Eviction vs. title dispute - Difference implicates jurisdictional aspects

Eviction (forcible detainer) vs. title dispute – Distinction has jurisdictional ramifications 

 

The sole issue to be determined in a forcible detainer action is the entitlement to actual and immediate possession, and the merits of the title shall not be adjudicated. Hong Kong Dev., Inc. v. Nguyen, 229 S.W.3d 415, 434 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2007, no pet.); Dass, Inc. v. Smith, 206 S.W.3d 197, 200 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2006, no pet.).

A justice court in the precinct in which real property is located has jurisdiction over a forcible detainer suit but is expressly deprived of jurisdiction to determine or adjudicate title to land. See TEX. PROP. CODE ANN. § 24.004 (West 2000); TEX. GOV'T CODE ANN. § 27.031(a)(2),(b)(4) (West Supp. 2011). A forcible detainer suit may be appealed to the county court, in which trial is de novo. TEX. R. CIV. P. 749; Hong Kong, 229 S.W.3d at 433-34. A county court's appellate jurisdiction is confined to the limits of the justice court. Hong Kong, 229 S.W.3d at 433-34. Thus, a county court that conducts a de novo review of a forcible detainer action is restricted to the jurisdictional limits that existed in the justice court, regardless of other statutory grants of jurisdiction to the county court. Black v. Washington Mut. Bank, 318 S.W.3d 414, 417 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2010, pet. dism'd w.o.j.).

The justice court, and a county court on appeal, lack jurisdiction to resolve any questions of title beyond the immediate right to possession but a justice court is not deprived of jurisdiction merely by the existence of a title dispute. See Rice v. Pinney, 51 S.W.3d 705, 713 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2001, no pet.). Rather, it is only deprived of jurisdiction if the right to immediate possession necessarily requires the resolution of a title dispute. Id. Courts have specifically addressed whether a justice court has jurisdiction over a forcible detainer suit where the case also involves a dispute over a trustee's deed conveying property purchased at a foreclosure sale. Courts have explained:

[A] judgment of possession in a forcible detainer action is a determination only of the right to immediate possession of the premises, and does not determine the ultimate rights of the parties to any other issue in controversy relating to the realty in question. . . . [Parties] have the right to sue in the district court to determine whether the trustee's deed should be cancelled, independent of [the] award of possession of the premises in the forcible detainer action [.]

Id. at 710 (quoting Martinez v. Beasley, 572 S.W.2d 83, 85 (Tex. Civ. App.-Corpus Christi 1978, no writ)) (emphasis in original). "To prevail in a forcible detainer action, a plaintiff is not required to prove title, but is only required to show sufficient evidence of ownership to demonstrate a superior right to immediate possession." Id. at 709. In Rice, the Dallas Court of Appeals held that where a deed of trust established a landlord and tenant at sufferance relationship between the purchaser at the foreclosure sale and the previous owners or those holding under them, there was an "independent basis on which the trial court could determine the issue of immediate possession without resolving the issue of title to the property." Id. at 712.

SOURCE: HOUSTON COURT OF APPEALS - 01-11-00546-CV – 5/26/2012