SABINE RIVER AUTHORITY OF TEXAS v. Willis

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

Respondents’ motion for rehearing indicates that the penultimate paragraph of our original opinion may not be entirely clear.

The condemnation petition was filed with the County Judge prior to the trial of this case, but it does not appear that any further action had been taken in that proceeding. In their brief in the Court of Civil Appeals, 363 S.W.2d 172, respondents insisted that it was impossible under these circumstances for the trial court to say that the land will still be used for the care and maintenance of orphan children on the date of condemnation. As we interpreted their argument, they were saying that the court should not have made an unqualified declaration that respondents are entitled to no part of the condemnation award, because the land might be sold by the Home *351to someone not a party to the suit and diverted by the latter to an unauthorized use before the property is taken by Sabine. Having concluded that respondents were placing an unwarranted construction on the judgment of the trial court, we pointed out in our original opinion that the judgment in this case will not be res adjudicata of a claim based on an alleged unauthorized use occurring after the entry of such judgment and prior to the taking of the land by Sabine. This statement refers to any claimed diversion of the property other than its being taken by Sabine through an exercise of the power of eminent domain. The judgment of the trial court adjudicates and finally determines that the condemnation and taking of the land by Sabine, and the subsequent use of the same for any purpose the condemning authority considers proper, do not constitute such diversion of use as would entitle the heirs to an interest in the property or the money awarded therefor in the condemnation proceedings.

The motion for rehearing is overruled.