This is а suit by Leona C. Carter, appellant, against Chester C. Grabeel and husband, Ray Grabeel, appellees, in the nature of trespass to try title. Mrs. Carter is the widow of C. C. Carter, deceased, and Mrs. Grabeel is the daughter of Mr. Carter by a previous marriage. G. C. Carter, who is the son of Leona and C. C. Carter, is not a party to this suit. The two named children and Mrs. Carter are the only surviving heirs of C. C. Carter who died intestate on Jаnuary 4, 1959. Leona and C. C. Carter were married in October, 1928, more than two years prior to the acquisition of the land in question.
The land in cоntroversy, a quarter section located in Ochiltree County, Texas, was acquired on December 30, 1930, by Leona Carter by deed from Farmer’s National Bank of Cherokee, Oklahoma. The total consideration paid for the land was $5,600, with $4,096 being paid in cash, and the assumрtion by Leona Carter of three' vendor’s lien notes each in the amount of $501.33. The trial court found, and all parties agree, that the cash down payment of $4,096 was the separate property of Leona Carter. It is to be noted that the deed did not recitе that the money paid was from the separate estate of Mrs. Carter nor did the deed indicate whether the property was tо be considered separate or community property. No new vendor’s lien notes were executed. Mrs. Carter, the grantee, merely assumed the three notes described above. It is further undisputed that the unpaid balance was later paid from the community estate of Leona and C. C. Carter.
After the close of the testimony, the trial court took the case from the jury and rendered judgment to the effect that 40.-96/56th of the land was the separate property of Leona Carter and 15.04/56ths was the community property of Lеona Carter and the two children, Chester Carter Grabeel and G. C. Carter. The trial court timely filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. Lеona Carter duly perfected this ap-. peal, contending the trial court erred in not declaring the entire tract of land to bе her separate property.
The sole question to be decided here is to determine the character of the property acquired. Whether the character of the property is separate or community must be established by the facts and circumstances that existed at the time of the inception of the title. John Hancock Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Bennett,
Appellant contends the entire tract should be declared her separate property on the theory that the cash payment of $4,096 was the separate property of Mrs. Carter, *460 and that the community estate was not obligated to pay the deferred payment of $1,503.99 аs evidenced by the vendor’s lien notes. Neither Leona nor C. C. Carter signed the notes. The deed merely recites that Leona Cartеr assumed the notes and agreed to pay the three outstanding vendor’s notes held by the vendor. The trial court found as a fact that thе husband, C. C. Carter, was not a party to the deed in question, and concluded that Carter was not bound to pay the notes assumed by his wife. In our opinion, these findings do not determine the liability of the community estate.
The law is well settled in Texas that a married woman cannot cоntract so as to make herself personally liable for purchase money as such for real estate. Houston Loan & Investment Co. v. Abernathy, Tex.Com.App.,
It therefore follows that since a community credit constituted a part of the purchase price, the community estate acquired a part interest in the land in question. Gleich v. Bongio, Tex.Com.App.,
We are therefore of the opinion the trial сourt correctly held that that portion of the land in question paid for by the separate funds of Leona Carter constituted her sеparate property, and that the remainder of the property was the community property of the three surviving heirs of C. C. Carter. The transaction created a tenancy in common between the separate estate of Leona Carter and the community estate of Leona and C. C. Carter.
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
