SRO Land & Minerals, LP, Monroe Properties, Inc., MES Land & Minerals, LP, Barry Coates Roberts and George L. Stieren, as Trustees of Coates Energy Trust, Jenny Roberts Schimpff Trust, Catherine G. Roberts Trust, Barry Coates Roberts Trust, Lisa Stieren Hardeman Trust, George L. Stieren Trust, Wendy Stiern Wirth Trust, Kelly Stieren Daniell Trust and Amy E. Stieren Trust, the Allar Company, a Texas Corporation, and Mary Rose Sievers Alonzi and Lucy Annette Sievers, as Trustees of Lucy H. Sievers Trust v. BNSF Railway Company
08-24-00347-CV
Tex. App.
Oct 30, 2024
Check Treatment

SRO LAND & MINERALS, LP; MONROE PROPERTIES, INC.; MES LAND & MINERALS, LP; BARRY COATES ROBERTS AND GEORGE L. STIEREN, AS TRUSTEES OF COATES ENERGY TRUST, JENNY ROBERTS SCHIMPFF TRUST, CATHERINE G. ROBERTS TRUST, BARRY COATES ROBERTS TRUST, LISA STIEREN HARDEMAN TRUST, GEORGE L. STIEREN TRUST, WENDY STIEREN WIRTH TRUST, KELLY STIEREN DANIELL TRUST AND AMY E. STIEREN TRUST, COLLECTIVELY “COATES ENERGY“; THE ALLAR COMPANY, A TEXAS CORPORATION; AND MARY ROSE SIEVERS ALONZI AND LUCY ANNETTE SIEVERS, AS TRUSTEES OF LUCY H. SIEVERS TRUST, Appellants, v. BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY, Appellees

NO. 08-24-00347-CV

IN THE EIGHTH COURT OF APPEALS EL PASO, TEXAS

October 30, 2024

Appeal from Cause No. 21-04-23946-CVR, 143rd District Court of Reeves County, Texas

APPELLANTS’ RESPONSE TO COURT‘S ORDER OF OCTOBER 11, 2024

John F. Carroll
SBN 03888100
Attorney at Law
1802 Blanco Road
San Antonio, Texas 78212
Telephone: (210) 223-2627
Facsimile: (210) 223-5052
jcarrollsatx@gmail.com

Co-Counsel for Appellants,

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE EIGHTH COURT OF APPEALS:

NOW COME Appellants, SRO Land & Minerals, LP; Monroe Properties, Inc.; MES Land & Minerals, LP; Barry Coates Roberts and George L. Stieren, as Trustees of Coates Energy Trust, Jenny Roberts Schimpff Trust, Catherine G. Roberts Trust, Barry Coates Roberts Trust, Lisa Stieren Hardeman Trust, George L. Stieren Trust, Wendy Stieren Wirth Trust, Kelly Stieren Daniell Trust and Amy E. Stieren Trust, collectively “Coates Energy“; The Allar Company, a Texas corporation; and Mary Rose Sievers Alonzi and Lucy Annette Sievers, as Trustees of Lucy H. Sievers Trust, and file this to the Order of the Court of Appeals dated October 11, 2024 as follows:

  1. On October 11, 2024, this Court entered an order directing Appellants to file a Motion in conformity with Tex. R. App. P. 26.3 requesting an extension of time to file notice of appeal and provide a reasonable explanation for the late filing of the notice of appeal on or before October 31, 2024
  2. Appellants would respectfully show that the notice of appeal filed in this case was timely under Tex. R. App. P. 26.1 and was filed in conformity with Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(a).
  3. The Final Judgment which is the subject of the appeal in this case was signed on August 30, 2024. Copy of Final Judgment attached as Exhibit “A“. The deadline to file a notice of appeal was September 29, 2024. Tex. R. App. P. 26.1.
  4. Appellants filed their Notice of Appeal on September 13, 2024. File marked copy of Notice of Appeal attached as Exhibit “B“. The Notice of Appeal was filed with the Reeves County District Clerk as required under Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(a). The Notice of Appeal included all the information required under Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(d).
  5. Appellants respectfully request that the Court find that notice of appeal was timely filed in the district court on September 13, 2024, thereby invoking the jurisdiction of this Court under Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(b), and that this Court permit the appeal to proceed. Appellants will pursue this appeal with diligence.

WHEREFORE, Appellants respectfully request that the Court permit this appeal to proceed.

Respectfully Submitted,

GRAVES, DOUGHERTY, HEARON & MOODY, P.C.

401 Congress Avenue, Suite 2700

Austin, Texas 78701

/s/ John McFarland

John McFarland

State Bar No. 13598500

jmcfarland@gdhm.com

Marianne W. Nitsch

State Bar No. 24098182

mnitsch@gdhm.com

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANTS SRO LAND & MINERALS, LP, MONROE

PROPERTIES, INC., AND MES LAND & MINERALS, LP

/s/ John F. Carroll

John F. Carroll

State Bar No. 03888100

Attorney at Law

1802 Blanco Road

San Antonio, Texas 78212

jcarrollsatx@gmail.com

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANTS COATES ENERGY AND THE ALLAR COMPANY

/s/ Sean M. Guerrero

Sean M. Guerrero

State Bar No. 24032378

Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughline & Browder, Inc.

550 W. Texas Avenue, Suite 800

Midland, Texas 79701

sguerrero@stubbeman.com

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANTS MARY ROSE SIEVERS ALONZI AND LUCY ANNETTE SIEVERS, AS TRUSTEES OF LUCY H. SIEVERS TRUST

VERIFICATION

My name is John F. Carroll. I am one of the attorneys for Appellants. I have read the foregoing Response to Court Order of October 11, 2024 and state that all of the facts set forth therein are within my personal knowledge and are true and correct. I am familiar with the district court filings In this case and Exhibits “A” and “B” are true and correct copies of the original documents.

John F. Carroll

SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me, the undersigned authority by the said John F. Carroll on the 30th day of October, 2024.

Notary Public in and for the State of Texas

CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE

I certify that a copy of the foregoing was delivered to all counsel listed below by e-service on the 30th day of October 2024.

Samuel Stennis
sstennis@cbtd.com
COTTON, BLEDSOE, TIGHE & DAWSON, P.C.
500 W. Illinois Ave, Ste. 300

Midland, Texas 79701

Don R. White
Dorwin L. Sargent, III
dsargent@hbwvlaw.com
HAYES, BERRY, WHITE, & VANZANT, LLP
512 West Hickory, Suite 100
Denton, Texas 76201

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY

/s/ John F. Carroll

John F. Carroll

EXHIBIT “A”

CAUSE NO. 21-04-23946-CVR

SRO LAND & MINERALS, LP, MONROE PROPERTIES, INC. MES LAND & MINERALS, LP BARRY COATES ROBERTS AND GEORGE L. STIEREN, AS TRUSTEES OF COATES ENERGY TRUST, JENNY ROBERTS SCHIMPFF TRUST, CATHERINE G. ROBERTS TRUST, BARRY COATES ROBERTS TRUST, LISA STIEREN HARDEMAN TRUST, GEORGE L. STIEREN TRUST, WENDY STIEREN WIRTH TRUST, KELLY STIEREN DANIELL TRUST AND AMY E. STIEREN TRUST, THE ALLAR COMPANY, A TEXAS CORPORATION, MARY ROSE SIEVERS ALONZI AND LUCY ANNETTE SIEVERS, AS TRUSTEES OF LUCY H. SIEVERS TRUST, Plaintiffs, vs. BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY, Defendant.

IN THE DISTRICT COURT 143RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT REEVES COUNTY, TEXAS

FINAL JUDGMENT

On June 8, 2023, the court conducted a hearing on Plaintiffs SRO Land & Minerals, LP; Monroe Properties, Inc.; MES Land & Minerals, LP; Barry Coates Roberts and George L. Stieren, as Trustees of Coates Energy Trust, Jenny Roberts Schimpff Trust, Catherine G. Roberts Trust, Barry Coates Roberts Trust, Lisa Stieren Hardeman Trust, George L. Stieren Trust, Wendy Stieren Wirth Trust, Kelly Stieren Daniell Trust and Amy E. Stieren Trust; the Allar Company, a Texas corporation; and Mary Rose Sievers Alonzi and Lucy Annette Sievers, as Trustees of Lucy H. Sievers Trust‘s (“Plaintiffs“) Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment on Deed Construction and Defendant BNSF Railway Company‘s (“Defendant“) Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment.

The Court, having considered the pleadings, the motions, responses, replies, the summary judgment evidence, the argument of counsel, and all other matters properly before the Court, the Court RULES AS FOLLOWS:

The Court GRANTS Defendant‘s Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment.

The Court DENIES Plaintiffs’ Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment on Deed Construction.

On the basis of the Court‘s pronouncements and rulings, the Court RENDERS judgment in favor of Defendant, and it is THEREFORE ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that certain Deed dated August 30, 1901, recorded in Volume 9, Page 380 of the Deed Records of Reeves County, Texas, from Thomas R. White, Jr. to The Pecos River Rail Road Company (the “Deed“), conveyed fee simple title of the property described in the Deed to Defendant‘s predecessor in interest, insofar and only insofar as said deed conveyed property within the boundaries of the properties owned by Plaintiffs, thereby vesting The Pecos River Rail Road Company with fee simple title to said lands.

It is therefore ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that Defendant is entitled to Final Judgment as set forth in this Court‘s Order Granting Defendant‘s Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment dated February 12, 2024.

It is hereby ORDERED that this Final Judgment disposes of all claims and all parties in this Cause. This order is final and appealable for all purposes. All relief not expressly granted herein is DENIED.

SIGNED and ORDERED on this the 30th day of August, 2024.

Mike Swanson

THE HONORABLE MIKE SWANSON

Approved as to substance and form:

/s/ Samuel J. Stennis
Samuel J. Stennis
COTTON, BLEDSOE, TIGHE & DAWSON, P.C.
ATTORNEY FOR BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY

Approved as to form only:

/s/ John McFarland
John McFarland
GRAVES, DOUGHERTY, HEARON & MOODY, P.C.
ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS SRO LAND & MINERALS, LP, MONROE PROPERTIES, INC., AND MES LAND & MINERALS, LP

/s/ John F. Carroll
John F. Carroll
ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS COATES ENERGY AND THE ALLAR COMPANY

/s/ Sean M. Guerrero
Sean M. Guerrero
STUBBEMAN, MCRAE, SEALY, LAUGHLINE & BROWDER, INC.
ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS MARY ROSE SIEVERS ALONZI AND LUCY ANNETTE SIEVERS, AS TRUSTEES OF LUCY H. SIEVERS TRUST

EXHIBIT “B”

CAUSE NO. 21-04-23946-CVR

SRO LAND & MINERALS, LP, MONROE PROPERTIES, INC., MES LAND & MINERALS, LP, BARRY COATES ROBERTS AND GEORGE L. STIEREN, AS TRUSTEES OF COATES ENERGY TRUST, JENNY ROBERTS SCHIMPFF TRUST, CATHERINE G. ROBERTS TRUST, BARRY COATES ROBERTS TRUST, LISA STIEREN HARDEMAN TRUST, GEORGE L. STIEREN TRUST, WENDY STIEREN WIRTH TRUST, KELLY STIEREN DANIELL TRUST AND AMY E. STIEREN TRUST, THE ALLAR COMPANY, A Texas corporation, and MARY ROSE SIEVERS ALONZI AND LUCY ANNETTE SIEVERS, AS TRUSTEES OF LUCY H. SIEVERS TRUST Plaintiffs, vs. BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY Defendants.

IN THE DISTRICT COURT 143rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT REEVES COUNTY, TEXAS

NOTICE OF APPEAL

Plaintiffs file this Notice of Appeal as follows:

1. The trial court is the 143rd District Court of Reeves County. The case‘s trial court number is 21-04-23946-CVR. The style of the case in the trial court is: SRO Land & Minerals, LP; Monroe Properties, Inc.; MES Land & Minerals, LP; Barry Coates Roberts and George L. Stieren, as Trustees of Coates Energy Trust, Jenny Roberts Schimpff Trust, Catherine G. Roberts Trust, Barry Coates Roberts Trust, Lisa Stieren Hardeman Trust, George L. Stieren Trust, Wendy Stieren Wirth Trust, Kelly Stieren

Daniell Trust and Amy E. Stieren Trust, collectively “Coates Energy“; The Allar Company, a Texas corporation; and Mary Rose Sievers Alonzi and Lucy Annette Sievers, as Trustees of Lucy H. Sievers Trust, Plaintiffs v. BNSF Railway Company, Defendant. Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(d)(1).

2. The date of the Final Judgment appealed from is August 30, 2024. Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(d)(2).

3. Plaintiffs desire to appeal. Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(d)(3).

4. The appeal is taken to the Eighth Court of Appeals. Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(d)(4).

5. The parties filing this notice are: SRO Land & Minerals, LP; Monroe Properties, Inc.; MES Land & Minerals, LP; Barry Coates Roberts and George L. Stieren, as Trustees of Coates Energy Trust, Jenny Roberts Schimpff Trust, Catherine G. Roberts Trust, Barry Coates Roberts Trust, Lisa Stieren Hardeman Trust, George L. Stieren Trust, Wendy Stieren Wirth Trust, Kelly Stieren Daniell Trust and Amy E. Stieren Trust, collectively “Coates Energy“; The Allar Company, a Texas corporation; and Mary Rose Sievers Alonzi and Lucy Annette Sievers, as Trustees of Lucy H. Sievers Trust, Plaintiffs. Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(d)(5).

Respectfully submitted,

GRAVES, DOUGHERTY, HEARON & MOODY, P.C.

401 Congress Avenue, Suite 2700

Austin, Texas 78701

/s/ John McFarland

John McFarland

State Bar No. 13598500

jmcfarland@gdhm.com

Marianne W. Nitsch

State Bar No.

mnitsch@gdhm.com

ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS SRO LAND & MINERALS, LP, MONROE PROPERTIES, INC., AND MES LAND & MINERALS, LP

/s/ John F. Carroll

John F. Carroll

State Bar No. 03888100

Attorney at Law

1802 Blanco Road

San Antonio, Texas 78212

jcarrollsatx@gmail.com

ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS COATES ENERGY AND THE ALLAR COMPANY

/s/ Sean M. Guerrero

Sean M. Guerrero

State Bar No. 24032378

Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughline & Browder, Inc.

550 W. Texas Avenue, Suite 800

Midland, Texas 79701

sguerrero@stubbeman.com

ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS MARY ROSE SIEVERS ALONZI AND LUCY ANNETTE SIEVERS, AS TRUSTEES OF LUCY H. SIEVERS TRUST

CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE

I certify that a copy of the foregoing was delivered to all counsel listed below by e-service on the 13th day of September 2021.

Samuel Stennis
sstennis@cbtd.com
COTTON, BLEDSOE, TIGHE & DAWSON, P.C.
500 W. Illinois Ave, Ste. 300
Midland, Texas 79701

Don R. White
Dorwin L. Sargent, III
dsargent@hbwvlaw.com
HAYES, BERRY, WHITE, & VANZANT, LLP
512 West Hickory, Suite 100
Denton, Texas 76201

ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANT BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY

/s/ John F. Carroll

John F. Carroll