J. Harold Jordan v. Exxon Corporation

This appeal arises from a declaratory judgment action in an oil and gas case related to ownership of certain mineral rights in a tract of land in Gregg County. A central issue is whether a valid trust was created by a deed conveying a mineral interest to "Sam F. Jordan, Trustee," absent any other evidence showing the existence of a trust. We conclude that no trust was created. However, we further conclude that because of the disclaimer of any interest filed by the First RepublicBank Fort Worth, N.A., a defendant in the trial of this cause, the appellants, J. Harold Jordan, L. W. Sewell and Hunt Graham, are entitled to a judgment declaring their ownership of the minerals in question as against the First RepublicBank.