Williams v. Humble Oil & Refining Co.

ALVIN B. RUBIN, District Judge:

The root issue in the case is whether Humble, a mineral lessee, acted as a prudent administrator with respect to premises leased from the plaintiffs. It is settled by this court’s prior decision, 1968, D.C., 290 F.Supp. 408, affirmed, 5 Cir. 1970, 432 F.2d 165, that, “[w]hat action a prudent administrator would take under the circumstances is a factual question to be decided by the finder of fact in the light of the relevant evidence.” 290 F.Supp. at 411 and 412.

This is a question to be determined by objective standards. The criterion is what a reasonable,…