Goebel v. Brandley

• Decision Date: 11 April 2002
• Docket Number: No. 14-01-00533-CV.,14-01-00533-CV.
• Citation: 76 S.W.3d 652
• Parties: Herbert GOEBEL and Amy Goebel, Appellants, v. William BRANDLEY, Appellee.
• Court: Texas Court of Appeals

76 S.W.3d 652

Herbert GOEBEL and Amy Goebel, Appellants, v. William BRANDLEY, Appellee.

No. 14-01-00533-CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston (14th Dist.).

April 11, 2002.

David J. Salinsky, Webster, for appellants.

Daniel Ward Jackson, S. Shawn Stephens, Houston, for appellees.

Panel consists of Justices YATES, SEYMORE, and GUZMAN.

OPINION

CHARLES W. SEYMORE, Justice.

This is a boundary dispute case. Appellants Herbert Goebel and Amy Goebel appeal from a judgment declaring a common boundary line with appellee William Brandley, awarding attorney's fees under the Texas Declaratory Judgments Act, and awarding trespass damages. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

Brandley and the Goebels owned adjoining parcels of land. In 1998, the Goebels trimmed bushes and cleared debris that they believed were located on their property and along the property line they shared with Brandley. Brandley sued the Goebels for declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief under theories of adverse possession, trespass to try title, conversion, trespass, and willful destruction of property. Brandley sought a declaration from the trial court establishing the boundary line under the Texas Declaratory Judgments Act and Chapter 37 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Brandley also sought (1) a finding that he owned the property in dispute; (2) monetary damages for the Goebels' alleged trespass; and (3) attorney's fees. Brandley's surveyor located the boundary line at a location different from that found by the Goebels' surveyor.

The day of trial, Brandley abandoned his adverse possession and trespass to try title claims. After a bench trial, the court (1) held that a declaratory judgment action was an appropriate way to obtain a ruling on the right to use the property in question; (2) established a boundary line; and (3) awarded trespass damages, attorney's fees, and surveyor expenses to Brandley. The Goebels filed a motion for new trial challenging these rulings, which the trial court denied. The Goebels now appeal, raising four points of error.

II. ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW

In their first point of error, the Goebels contend the trial court erred in holding that a declaratory judgment action was an appropriate way to resolve a boundary-line dispute. In their second point of error, the Goebels contend the trial court erred in awarding Brandley attorney's fees and surveyor's expenses. In their third point of error, the Goebels contend the trial court erred by going outside the record to find that some of the bushes the Goebels trimmed were "protected vegetation." In their fourth and final point of error, the Goebels contend the trial court erred in entering a form of judgment that combined all contingent appellate attorney's fees and provided for a remittitur if the Goebels did not take certain appeals. We address each point separately.

A. Is a Declaratory Judgment Action Proper for a Boundary Dispute?

In their first point of error, the Goebels contend the trial court erred by holding that a declaratory judgment action was an appropriate way to resolve a boundary-line dispute. The Goebels assert that this dispute involves competing claims for the same property; therefore, it must be resolved by a trespass to try title action, which Brandley abandoned the day of trial. The Goebels further contend that the discrepancy between two surveys performed by their respective surveyors led to a dispute over which party owned a strip of land near an old fence from which the Goebels removed some posts. The Goebels argue that (1) both the Brandley and Goebel deeds and surveys reference the dividing boundary line by calling it the "north Lubbock line"; (2) Brandley's property is on the north side of the line while the Goebels' property is south of the line; (3) one of the issues at trial was the location of the north Lubbock boundary line; and (4) because the two testifying surveyors found different locations for the boundary line, ownership of the six to twelve inch by 287 foot strip was in dispute.¹

The Goebels contend the trial court awarded Brandley full title to the disputed land by accepting the testimony of Brandley's surveyor and declaring the boundary line. In their brief, they assert "[i]t is well established law in Texas that boundary line disputes are to be resolved through a trespass to try title action." We disagree. None of the cases cited by the Goebels support their contention. See, e.g., Hunt v. Heaton, 643 S.W.2d 677, 679 (Tex.1982) (holding boundary disputes may be tried by the statutory trespass to try title action); Plumb v. Stuessy, 617 S.W.2d 667, 669 (Tex.1981) (reiterating the well-established rule that boundary disputes may be tried by the statutory action of trespass to try title); Ely v. Briley, 959 S.W.2d 723, 727 (Tex.App.-Austin 1998, no pet.) (holding that attorney's fees under the declaratory judgments act are not appropriate in a suit that is in the nature of a trespass to try title); VanZandt v. Holmes, 689 S.W.2d 259, 261-62 (Tex.App.-Waco 1985, no writ) (holding that when there would have been no case but for the question of boundary, the case is necessarily a boundary suit even though it may involve questions of title); Rocha v. Campos, 574 S.W.2d 233, 235 (Tex.Civ.App.-Corpus Christi 1978, no writ) (holding that the "action of trespass to try title embraces all character of litigation that affects the title to real estate .... [and that d]isputes as to boundaries may also be determined in trespass to try title suits."). To the contrary, Texas law provides that boundary-line disputes may be resolved through a trespass to try title action. Hunt, 643 S.W.2d at 679; Plumb, 617 S.W.2d at 669.

The Texas Supreme Court, albeit in dicta, has acknowledged the propriety of using a declaratory judgment action to determine a boundary line. Brainard v. State, 12 S.W.3d 6, 29 (Tex.1999) ("This particular action [a boundary dispute] contemplates the determination and establishment of the boundary line (as would a declaratory judgment action), but not the award of damages or attorney's fees (as could a declaratory judgment action)."). In Brainard, the Court explained that the legislative resolution that gave certain landowners permission to sue for determination of the boundary line did not authorize the landowners to bring a claim under the Declaratory Judgments Act, which could ultimately result in an award of attorney's fees. The Court "recognize[d] that such a claim is certainly one way to resolve a boundary dispute," however, the resolution limited the suit to a judicial determination of the boundary. Id. at 29.

The Goebels also contend that the trial court necessarily declared title to real property in this case by declaring a boundary line when (1) neither party knew the exact location of the boundary; (2) two surveyors found different, overlapping locations for the boundary line on the ground; and (3) both parties had competing claims for the same strip of land. If the trial court had declared title to the property, a trespass to try title action (not a declaratory judgment action) would have been the appropriate suit to bring.² However, the Goebels have cited no authority to support their contention that a court declares title to property when it simply declares the location of the boundary between adjoining properties. In fact, appellants have acknowledged that deeds to the parties' properties had not been changed. This admission belies appellants' argument that title to the disputed property changed with the court's declaration of the boundary location.

We agree with the Goebels that Brandley may not obtain a determination of title by filing a declaratory judgment action—in hopes of receiving an award of attorney's fees—but find that Brandley's claim merely constituted a request that the trial court declare the boundary's location. Therefore, we find that Brandley properly brought his claim as a declaratory judgment action. See Brainard, 12 S.W.3d at 29.

We overrule the Goebels' first point of error.

B. Finding Outside Record

In their third point of error, the Goebels contend the trial court erred by going outside the record to find that some of the bushes the Goebels trimmed were "protected vegetation." The trial court found that because Brandley's land is noticeably lower than the Goebels', protection of his property requires protection of the vegetation and that "in most areas fronting tidal creeks such vegetation is protected."

In reviewing "no evidence" issues, we consider only the evidence and reasonable inferences that support the finding in question and disregard all evidence and inferences to the contrary. Texarkana Mem'l Hosp., Inc. v. Murdock, 946 S.W.2d 836, 838 (Tex. 1997). If we find any evidence of probative force to support the finding, we overrule the point and uphold the finding. ACS Investors, Inc. v. McLaughlin, 943 S.W.2d 426, 430 (Tex. 1997) (citing S. States Transp., Inc. v. State, 774 S.W.2d 639, 640 (Tex.1989)).

Reviewing the record in the light most favorable to the award, we find some evidence to support the portion of the trial court's finding that Brandley's land is lower than the Goebels' and that vegetation is required for protection. Mr. Brandley testified, without objection, that (1) his property was "lower than the Goebels' property"; (2) "the foliage there is a good windbreak and the roots help hold the soil"; (3) water from a nearby canal enters his property, which causes erosion; and (4) an old wood support between their properties kept the ground from eroding further. Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, and disregarding all evidence to the contrary, we find more than a scintilla of evidence to support this portion of the court's finding. See Minn. Min. and Mfg. Co. v. Nishika Ltd., 953 S.W.2d 733, 738 (Tex.1997).

Even if the remaining portion of the finding—that "in most areas fronting tidal creeks such vegetation is...