Pounds v. Callahan

Citation337 S.W.2d 148
Decision Date26 May 1960
Docket NumberNo. 6350,6350
PartiesH. M POUNDS, Appellant, v. A. L. CALLAHAN et al., Appellees.
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas. Court of Civil Appeals of Texas

W. G. Walley, Jr., Beaumont, S. Morris Rowland, Liberty, for appellant.

Cain & Friend, Liberty, for appellees.

McNEILL, Justice.

An application for writ of mandamus was filed in the County Court of Liberty County by appellant seeking to require respondent, A. L. Callahan, as justice of the peace Precinct 8 of said county to set aside all notations and orders made, and process theretofore issued by him in a certain forcible detainer suit, and to dismiss the detainer suit if the complaint therein were not amended within a reasonable time. The application made the complainant in the detainer suit, B. M. Ragan a party respondent.

The forcible detainer action was filed in the justice court of appellee A. L. Callahan on February 20, 1959 by appellee Ragan. The sworn application for mandamus stated that the complainant failed to allege the property was situated in Justice Precinct No. 8 of said county; that while no citation was served upon appellant as defendant therein, he was handed on or about February 21, 1959 a copy of said complaint by a deputy sheriff of the county; that while appellant never appeared nor waived notice the justice of the peace on March 2, 1959 made the following notation on his docket:

'This cause set for hearing on March 2, 1959, at 9:00 o'clock A.M. and the Plaintiff, B. M. Ragan having appeared in person and by his attorney, and the Defendant H. M. Pounds, having failed to appear by answer filed herein, and either in person or by attorney upon motion of the Plaintiff, B. M. Ragan, Judgment by default against said Defendant is hereby granted for damages in the amount of $199.00, for restitution of premises of Plaintiff, costs of suit adjudged against the Defendant, all as per order and decree on file herein.

'Docketed, Rendered and Entered this 2nd day of March, A.D.1959.

's/ A. L. Callahan'

The application then alleged that the justice has never since 'filed any order or decree in said cause of any kind or character as mentioned in said docket notation * * *'; that appellant did not learn of said notation of the justice until his attorney arrived at the office of the justice after said notation had been made; that though the complaint failed to describe the premises so as to confer jurisdiction upon the justice court and although no formal order as mentioned in the above notation was made and signed, the justice of the peace on or about July 22, 1959 issued a writ of restitution for the premises and placed same in the hands of an officer for execution and the officer was threatening to execute the same 'despite the voidness thereof.' The application was presented to the County Judge of the county who set a hearing thereon. After notice thereof the hearing was held and the County Court refused to grant the relief prayed for, his judgment reciting in part:

'* * * and the Court having heard the pleadings, the evidence and the argument of counsel, and being of the opinion that the Plaintiff failed to file an Appeal Bond within five (5) days pursuant to a valid judgment rendered in Cause No. 14A in the Justice Court of Precinct No. 8, Liberty County, Texas, styled B. M. Ragan vs. H. M. Pounds as required by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure relating to forcible entry and detainer proceedings; * * *'.

Appellant has filed brief herein, but appellees have not. The only point urged by appellant is that since his application for mandamus was verified and since appellees failed to join issue on his allegations they must be taken as true and the trial court erred in denying the application. Appellee Callahan appeared in person at the hearing but has filed no...

To continue reading

Request your trial
6 cases
  • In re Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co.
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • February 24, 2000
    ...concurrent jurisdiction and plead an amount in controversy sufficient to trigger the county court's jurisdiction."); Pounds v. Callahan, 337 S.W.2d 148, 150-51 (Tex. Civ. App. Beaumont 1960, no writ) (county court lacked jurisdiction to mandamus justice of peace to enter orders in prior sui......
  • Martin v. Victoria Independent School Dist.
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • May 14, 1998
    ...719, 720 (1956); Super X Drugs, Inc. v. State, 505 S.W.2d 333, 336 (Tex.Civ.App.--Houston [14th Dist.] 1974, no writ); Pounds v. Callahan, 337 S.W.2d 148, 150 (Tex.Civ.App.--Beaumont 1960, no In their original petition, appellants requested they "be awarded both mandamus and injunctive reli......
  • City of Beaumont v. West
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • September 21, 1972
    ...within the reach of the decisions just noted. Consequently, the exception so noted is not applicable to the case at bar. Pounds v. Callahan, 337 S.W.2d 148 (Tex.Civ.App., Beaumont, 1960, no writ). Instead, plaintiff seeks to support jurisdiction upon the proposition that a condemnation proc......
  • Meridien v. Leo Financing Partnership
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • January 13, 2003
    ...law has no jurisdiction to issue writs to enforce its "active jurisdiction" until one of these has occurred. Meridien relies on Pounds v. Callahan, 337 S.W.2d 148 (Tex. Civ.App.-Beaumont 1960, no writ), in support of this argument. In Pounds, the justice court entered a default judgment in ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT