Petroleum Anchor Equipment, Inc. v. Tyra

ON REHEARING

Both appellant and appellees filed motions for rehearing in which they each contend that Luther S. Fite was not a necessary party to this litigation. The arguments advanced were primarily predicated on the proposition that Fite had conveyed his interest in the Application for Letters Patent to the Tyras and therefore could not have an interest in this action. Both parties seem intent in concentrating their attention towards the last instrument sought to be can-celled by appellant, that is, the one from Fite to the Tyras. In doing so they entirely overlook the crucial fact that appellant brought this action to cancel not one instrument but two separate assignments and the further fact that the cancellation of the second assignment ultimately depended upon the cancellation of the first. In its original petition appellant, after alleging in great detail the various acts which constituted conspiracy between its president, Moss, and Fite, in which conspiracy the Tyras are alleged to have participated, concludes by praying that it have judgment “cancelling said bill of sale from Petroleum Anchor Equipment, Inc., to Luther S. Fite, and said assignment from Luther S. Fite to Defendant, William D. Tyra, Sr.” (Emphasis supplied). Subsequently, both orally and by means of trial amendment, appellant abandoned its allegations of conspiracy, or knowledge thereof, as against appellees, but reiterated and strengthened said allegations relating to such conspiracy between Moss and Fite which formed the basis of cancellation of the first assignment. This left the pleadings devoid of any equitable grounds for relief against the Tyras other than the claim of invalidity of the first assignment. The statement of facts is replete with testimony relating to alleged acts of conspiracy between Moss, appellant’s president, and Fite which appellant contends formed the equitable basis for the cancellation of the first assignment to which ap-pellees are strangers. Bearing in mind the dual nature of appellant’s cause of action and the fact that appellant’s cause of action must stand or fall on the validity of the first assignment to which Fite has a crucial interest, we are convinced that our original disposition of this appeal was correct.

It must be emphasized that for appellant to obtain equitable cancellation of *877the assignment to appellees, it must first seek and obtain equitable cancellation of the assignment to Fite. Contrary to appellant’s position, the assignment from appellant to Fite is not void but merely voidable. An instrument obtained by fraud is not void but voidable only. Absent allegations of fraud or other equitable grounds of cancellation against appellees their title is prima facie valid and can only be voided by suit and a decree annulling and cancelling the voidable assignment to Fite. Deaton v. Rush, Com.App., 113 Tex. 176, 252 S.W. 1025; Fuller v. Wright, Civ.App., 82 S.W.2d 179; Pure Oil Co. v. Swindall, Com.App., 58 S.W.2d 7; Ramirez v. Bell, Civ.App., 298 S.W. 924; Terry v. Baskin, Civ.App., 27 S.W.2d 857. Such being the rule, Fite’s presence in this case becomes more obviously indispensable.

Appellees have now filed what they designate their “Reply to Appellant’s Motion for Rehearing” in which they now agree with us that Fite was a necessary party to the litigation. In this instrument appellees say:

“If it be true that Appellant seeks to set aside both the assignment from Appellant to Fite, as well as the assignment from Fite to Tyra, then we are in accord with the Court’s holding and regard Fite as an indispensable and necessary party. If the action is one merely to set aside the assignment from Fite to Tyra a different situation arises. In that situation Fite was clothed with apparent valid title and Appellees, as innocent purchasers, secured a valid title from Fite. When Appellant abandoned its claim of conspiracy and bad faith on Appellees’ part its lawsuit fell, and we think under these circumstances Fite was not a necessary party, but before Appellant can attack the assignment from it to Fite, Fite is a necessary party.”

Thus, appellees have now recognized that our original disposition of this appeal was made in the light of the dual nature of appellant’s cause of action rather than the isolated cancellation of the last assignment.

The fact that Fite conveyed his interest in the Application for Letters Patent to the Tyras does not, under the circumstances of this case, negate the fact that he is an indispensable party. The same argument was considered in Merritt, et al. v. Ryno, Civ.App., 268 S.W.2d 546, in which the court held that the wife of one of the grantors in one of the written instruments sought to be cancelled was a necessary party even though she had likewise conveyed her interest. In Backus Portable Steam Heater Co. v. Simonds, 2 App.D.C. 290, which was a suit in equity for the cancellation and surrender of an alleged fraudulent assignment of a patent and to expunge said assignment from the records of the patent office, the court held that the parties by whom and to whom the assignment was made, as well as the Commissioner of Patents, were necessary parties. In 12 C.J.S. Cancellation of Instruments § 54, p. 1032, it is stated that: “Even though he has conveyed the property in question, the original grantee is a necessary party to a suit to set aside the conveyance to him.”

It is a fundamental principal of law that where one seeks to cancel an instrument in a court of equity all parties to the instrument must be made parties plaintiff or defendant. Priddy v. Business Men’s Oil Co., Civ.App., 241 S.W. 770, affirmed 250 S.W. 156; Dial v. Martin, Civ.App., 8 S.W.2d 241; Christian v. Hood, Civ.App., 19 S.W.2d 621; Wells v. Lewis, Civ.App., 159 S.W.2d 244; Matthews v. Landowners Oil Ass’n, Civ.App., 204 S.W.2d 647; Pattison v. Highway Ins. Underwriters, Civ.App., 278 S.W.2d 207; Petersen v. Robinson Oil & Gas Co., Civ.App., 356 S.W.2d 217.

Our Supreme Court, speaking through Mr. Justice Culver, in Royal Petroleum Corp. v. Dennis, 160 Tex. 392, 332 S.W.2d 313, restated the rule that necessary parties to a suit are those who have or claim a *878direct interest m the object and subject matter of the suit and whose interest may necessarily be affected by any judgment rendered therein. Veal v. Thomason, 138 Tex. 341, 159 S.W.2d 472; Cook v. Pollard, 70 Tex. 723, 8 S.W. 512. Justice Culver continued:

“The term ‘necessary parties’ has also been defined as ‘persons who'have such an interest in the controversy that a final judgment or decree cannot be made without either affecting their interests or leaving the controversy in such a condition that its final adjudication may be wholly inconsistent with equity and good conscience.’ ” (citing authorities).

Can it be reasonably argued that Fite, one of the parties to the primary instrument sought to be cancelled, does not, or may not, have an interest in this controversy? Moreover, we think it cannot be reasonably denied that under the facts and circumstances as presented by this appeal, to omit Fite from this litigation, wherein cancellation is sought of an instrument to which he is a primary party and because of his alleged conspiracy and wrongs, would result in a situation wholly inconsistent with equity and good conscience.

The fact that the absent party is a nonresident and may not be subject to the processes of the court does not alter the rule. This question was discussed by the Commission of Appeals in Royal Petroleum Corp. v. McCallum, 134 Tex. 543, 135 S.W.2d 958 (adopted by the Supreme Court), wherein the court said:

“It necessarily follows, however, that in a suit to cancel such a contract, where necessary parties are not within the jurisdiction of the court, and the court no longer possesses power to bring them under its authority, the court is without jurisdiction to litigate the question of the invalidity of the contract, and decree its cancellation.”

This record does not reveal whether Fite may be brought into this case, either voluntarily or involuntarily, so that matter remains for determination by the trial court.

Motions for rehearing by appellant and appellees are overruled.