Gebhart v. Merchant

• Decision Date: 18 November 1907
• Citation: 105 S.W. 1034,84 Ark. 359
• Parties: GEBHART v. MERCHANT
• Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

105 S.W. 1034

84 Ark. 359

GEBHART v. MERCHANT

Supreme Court of Arkansas

November 18, 1907

Appeal from Garland Circuit Court; Alexander M. Duffie, Judge affirmed.

Judgment sustained.

C. V Teague and J. W. & M. House, for appellant.

1. Under the finding of facts, the occupancy of the property by the appellant and his family was sufficient to impress the homestead character upon it. 69 Ark. 596; 22 S.W. 1033; Waples, Homestead & Ex, 187; Thompson, Homestead & Ex. § 260; 29 Ark. 280; 14 S.W. 296; 78 Ark. 481.

2. Having sold his homestead in Texas and impressed the property in question with the homestead character, appellant does not lose his homestead rights in the latter by leasing it out and going to Texas to wind up his business there, since it was his intention to return to the Arkansas property. 73 Ark 174; 66 Ark. 382; 65 Ark. 373; Thompson, Homestead & Ex., § 254; 22 S.W. 1034; 58 N.W. 204; 38 Tex. 414; 54 Ill. 177; 58 N.W. 1101; 16 N.W. 895; 9 Am. St. Rep. 515; 19 S.W. 704; 48 N.W. 543; 7 Mich. 506.

Wood & Henderson, for appellee.

1. The court's findings were correct. The evidence is clear that appellant never changed his residence from Texas to Arkansas. The most that can be claimed for him is that he had an intention to establish residence on the property at some future time. He has no homestead rights in the property. Art. 9, § 3, Const.; 53 Ark. 182; 24 Ark. 155; 29 Ark. 280; 33 Ark. 404; 31 Ark. 466; 42 Ark. 175; 51 Ark. 84; 57 Ark. 179; 46 Ark. 43; 69 Ark. 109; 78 Ark. 481.

2. If the property was ever impressed with the homestead character, it was lost by abandonment as shown by the testimony.

OPINION

MCCULLOCH, J.

Appellee, W. B. Merchant, sued appellant, D. L. Gebhart, in the circuit court of Garland County to recover judgment for the amount of a debt due by contract, and caused an order of general attachment to be levied on certain real estate owned by appellant in the city of Hot Springs. Appellant claimed the property as his homestead, and filed his schedule in the action, verified by affidavit, claiming it as such. The plaintiff controverted the allegations of appellant's schedule and affidavit, putting in issue the question whether or not appellant was a resident of the State of Arkansas or had ever impressed the property with the homestead character, and upon final hearing the court denied appellant's homestead claim, sustained the attachment, and ordered the property sold to satisfy appellee's judgment. The defendant appealed.

The property in controversy was formerly owned by appellant's father, Dr. J. L. Gebhart, of Hot Springs, who occupied it for many years as his home. Appellant resided in Texas, where he owned a home. He, too, is a practicing physician, and was also the owner of an apiary. His father was in very poor health, and some time during the fall of the year proposed to him that, if he (appellant) would come to Hot Springs to live and take care of him during his illness and would occupy the place as his permanent home, he would convey it to him. He accepted his father's offer, and in December sent his wife and two children to Hot Springs. He remained in Texas for the purpose, as he explains, of disposing of his home and bees and of collecting accounts due him, but came to Hot Springs about Christmas, and remained there three or four weeks. During this time his father conveyed the property to him pursuant to promise, and about this time he sold his home in Texas. He went back to Texas about January 20th, but left his family with his father in Hot Springs. His father died on February 3d, and he was summoned back just in time to get to Hot Springs before the death occurred. He remained in Hot Springs about three weeks, and then rented out the property there, and returned to Texas, taking his family with him, where he and they have remained up to the time of the trial below. He did not move any of his furniture or other property from Texas to Arkansas, but while he and his family were in Hot Springs they occupied the property in controversy. He testified that he accepted his father's offer and sent his family to Hot Springs with intention to make that his permanent home, but remained in Texas himself to dispose of his property and wind up his business; also that after his father's death he went back to Texas with his family temporarily on account of his wife's ill health, but intended to return to Hot Springs as his permanent home. There was also testimony introduced by appellee as to conduct and statements of appellant which tended to show that he never intended to change his place of residence from Texas to Arkansas and never in fact took up his residence here. The evidence is such. we think, that the court could have drawn a conclusion either way as to the intention of appellant to remove to Arkansas and occupy the property as his permanent home. We would not feel at liberty to disturb a finding of the circuit judge either way on this question of fact. Gazola v. Savage, 80 Ark. 249, 96 S.W. 981.

The most serious question in the case, as it appears here, is whether the general findings of the trial judge sitting as a jury and the judgment of the court are consistent with the special finding of facts. It is contended by appellant that they are inconsistent, and that for this reason the judgment should be reversed with directions to the court to enter judgment in accordance with the special finding.

The statute provides that "when the special finding of facts is inconsistent with the general verdict, the former controls the tatter, and the court may give judgment accordingly." Kirby's Digest, § 6208. This statutory provision has reference especially to verdicts of juries, but it applies also to a finding of facts made by the trial judge. The judgment of the court recites a general finding in favor of the plaintiff, and "that the claim of homestead made by the defendant, David L. Gebhart, should be denied;" and also recites the following finding of facts: "That the defendants, David L. Gebhart and Johnnie A. Gebhart, were at the time of the institution of this suit, and are still, nonresidents of the State of Arkansas; that the said defendants were at the time of the institution of this suit and the issuing of the attachment herein, and are still,...