Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. v. Irving Independent School District , 49 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 861 ( 2006 )


Menu:
  • 197 S.W.3d 390 (2006)

    SATTERFIELD & PONTIKES CONSTRUCTION, INC., Petitioner,
    v.
    IRVING INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, Respondent.

    No. 04-0175.

    Supreme Court of Texas.

    June 30, 2006.

    David J. Schenck, Jones Day, James A. Baker, Christopher D. Kratovil, Hughes & Luce, LLP, Donald F. Hawbaker, Timothy Dwayne Matheny, Ford Nassen & Baldwin P.C., Jeffrey A. Ford, Dallas, for petitioner.

    James W. Deatherage, Jim Deatherage & Associates, P.C., Douglas H. Conner III, Boyle & Lowry, L.L.P., Irving, Warren W. Harris, Kelly Freis, Erin Glenn Busby, Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP, Houston, for respondent.

    Todd A. Clark, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Schulze & Aldridge, P.C., Paul Michael Shirk, Austin, P. Michael Jung, *391 Strasburger & Price, L.L.P., Joe F. Canterbury Jr., Canterbury Stuber Elder Gooch & Surratt, P.C., Conor Gray Bateman, Dallas, Eric Weisberg, Weisberg Law Firm, Denison, for amicus curiae.

    PER CURIAM.

    Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. sued Irving Independent School District for breach of a contract to construct a new middle school, violations of the Prompt Pay Act, TEX. GOV'T CODE §§ 2251.001-.055, and quantum meruit. The trial court sustained the District's plea to the jurisdiction based on immunity from suit and dismissed the case, and a divided court of appeals affirmed. 123 S.W.3d 63, 65-68 (Tex.App.—Dallas 2004). Satterfield contends that the District's immunity is waived by section 11.151(a) of the Education Code, which states:

    The trustees of an independent school district constitute a body corporate and in the name of the district may acquire and hold real and personal property, sue and be sued, and receive bequests and donations or other moneys or funds coming legally into their hands.

    For the reasons explained today in Tooke v. City of Mexia, 197 S.W.3d 325, 2006 WL 1792223 (Tex.2006), we agree with the court of appeals that section 11.151(a) is not a clear and unambiguous waiver of immunity.

    While this case has been pending on appeal, the Legislature has enacted sections 271.151-.160 of the Local Government Code, which waive immunity from suit for certain claims against local governmental entities, including public school districts. Sections 271.152-.154 "apply to a claim that arises under a contract executed before [September 1, 2005] . . . if sovereign immunity has not been waived with respect to the claim" before that date. Act of May 23, 2005, 79th Leg., R.S., ch. 604, § 2, 2005 Tex. Gen. Laws 1548, 1549. Satterfield should have the opportunity to argue in the trial court that the District's immunity is waived by these provisions.

    Satterfield does not argue that the District's immunity from suit is waived by the Prompt Pay Act, and we express no opinion on that subject.

    Accordingly, we grant Satterfield's petition for review, and without hearing oral argument, TEX.R.APP.P.59.1, we reverse the judgment of the court of appeals and remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings.

    Justice WILLETT did not participate in this decision.

Document Info

Docket Number: 04-0175

Citation Numbers: 197 S.W.3d 390, 49 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 861, 2006 Tex. LEXIS 639, 2006 WL 1793473

Judges: Willett

Filed Date: 6/30/2006

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 10/19/2024

Cited By (19)

Channelview Independent School District v. A.R.C.I., Ltd. , 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 6928 ( 2006 )

lloyd-gilliam-and-carolyn-gilliam-martha-hollan-robert-villareal-and ( 2011 )

Adan Perez Jr. v. Weslaco Independent School District ( 2015 )

Lamesa Independent School District v. David Booe D/B/A Booe ... ( 2008 )

the City of Houston v. Swinerton Builders, Inc. ( 2007 )

Clear Lake City Water Authority v. MCR Corporation ( 2010 )

Fort Worth Independent School District v. Service ... , 50 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 1053 ( 2007 )

Trend Offset Printing Services, Inc. v. Collin County ... , 51 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 662 ( 2008 )

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District v. Acosta , 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 5913 ( 2007 )

LAMESA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT v. Booe , 51 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 24 ( 2007 )

Clear Lake City Water Auth. v. FRIENDSWOOD DEVELOPMENT ... , 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 3678 ( 2008 )

Lamesa Independent School District v. Booe , 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 2200 ( 2008 )

Texas Association of Counties Property and Casualty Self-... ( 2006 )

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District v. Sandra ... ( 2007 )

Engelman Irrigation District v. Nelda Lee Shields and Nina ... ( 2008 )

Engelman Irrigation District v. Nelda Lee Shields and Nina ... ( 2008 )

Clear Lake City Water Authority v. Friendswood Development ... ( 2008 )

Tooke v. City of Mexia , 49 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 819 ( 2006 )

City of Houston v. Swinerton Builders, Inc. , 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 4835 ( 2007 )

View All Citing Opinions »