David M. Diggs v. VSM Financial, L.L.C. ( 2015 )

ACCEPTED
01-15-00301-CV
FIRST COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON, TEXAS
6/30/2015 4:58:13 PM
CHRISTOPHER PRINE
CLERK
No. 01-15-00301-CV
______________________________________________________________________________
FILED IN
IN THE 1st COURT OF APPEALS
COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS
FOR THE 6/30/2015 4:58:13 PM
FIRST SUPREME JUDICIAL DISTRICT CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE
OF Clerk
TEXAS
AT HOUSTON, TEXAS
______________________________________________________________________________
DAVID M. DIGGS,
Appellant,
vs.
VSM FINANCIAL, L.L.C.,
Appellee.
______________________________________________________________________________
Appeal from the County Civil Court At Law No. 1
of Harris County, Texas
______________________________________________________________________________
BRIEF OF APPELLANT
______________________________________________________________________________
WILLIE & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 490
Houston, Texas 77027
(713) 659-7330
(713) 599-1659 (FAX)
SBOT# 21633500
attyjrwii@wisamlawyers.com
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT
DAVID M. DIGGS
ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED
______________________________________________________________________________
IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL
The following is a complete list of all parties to the trial court’s final judgment, as well as
the names and addresses of all trial and appellate counsel.
PARTIES COUNSEL
Appellant:
David M. Diggs Willie & Associates, P.C.
Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 490
Houston, Texas 77027
Trial and Appellate Counsel for Appellant
Appellee:
VSM Financial, L.L.C. Jenkins, Wagnon & Young, P.C.
Dan G. Young, Esquire
P.O. Box 420
Lubbock, Texas 79408
Trial Counsel for Appellee
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
STATEMENT OF THE CASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
ISSUE PRESENTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
STATEMENT OF FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
I. The trial court erred by not awarding the Defendant his costs of
court as the prevailing party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PRAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
APPENDIX
Appendix 1 – Final Summary Judgment of the trial court signed on
February 25, 2015.
iii
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES
Page(s)
CASES:
Furr’s Supermarkets, Inc. v. Bethune,
53 S.W.3d 375 (Tex. 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
Imperial Lofts, Ltd. v. Imperial Woodworks, Inc.,
245 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.--Waco
2007, pet. denied) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Roberts v. Williamson,
111 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. 2003) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
RULES AND STATUTES:
TEX. R. APP. P. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
TEX. R. CIV. P. 131 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
TEX. R. CIV. P. 141 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
iv
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Nature of the Case: This is a breach of contract cause of
action brought by VSM Financial,
L.L.C.
Trial Court: The Honorable Debra I. Mayfield,
County Civil Court At Law No. 1,
Harris County, Texas.
Parties in Trial Court: VSM Financial, L.L.C. – Plaintiff;
David M. Diggs – Defendant.
Trial Court Disposition: Final Summary Judgment rendered
in favor of the Defendant.
ISSUE PRESENTED
The trial court erred by not awarding the Defendant his costs of court as the prevailing
party.
v
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS
On April 14, 2014, the Plaintiff filed its Original Petition alleging a breach
of contract by the Defendant. (C.R. 4-6.) On July 24, 2014, the Defendant filed his
Original Answer which alleged a general denial and the affirmative defenses of the
statute of limitations and laches. (C.R. 7-9.)
On September 29, 2014, the Plaintiff filed its Motion for Summary
Judgment. (C.R. 9-71.) On October 2, 2014, the Defendant filed his Response and
Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment. (C.R. 72-78.) On October 10, 2014,
Plaintiff filed its Response to Defendant’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment.
(C.R. 80-86.)
On February 25, 2015, the trial court granted the Defendant’s Cross-Motion
for Summary Judgment and denied the Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment,
however, the trial court failed to award the Defendant his costs of court as the
prevailing party. (C.R. 88.)
On March 27, 2015, the Defendant filed his Notice of Limitation of Appeal
to perfect his appeal to the Court of Appeals for the First Supreme Judicial District
of Texas. (C.R. 91-92.)
SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT
A successful party to a lawsuit shall recover its costs of court. Additionally,
in order for a trial court to adjudge costs differently, there must be good cause and
the good cause must be stated on the record. The trial court’s actions in not
awarding the Defendant his costs of court run counter to the applicable case law
and rules of procedure. See Furr’s Supremarkets, Inc. v. Bethune, 53 S.W.3d 375
(Tex. 2001); Roberts v. Williamson, 111 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. 2003); TEX. R. CIV. P.
131; TEX. R. CIV. P. 141.
ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES
I. The trial court erred by not awarding the Defendant his costs of court
as the prevailing party.
The Plaintiff clearly pled that he be awarded his costs of court if it was
adjudged that he was the prevailing party in the action below. (C.R. 8.) On
February 25, 2015, trial court entered its Final Summary Judgment which granted
Defendant’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment and denied Plaintiff’s Motion
for Summary Judgment. However, the trial court failed to award the Defendant his
costs of court as the prevailing party. (C.R. 88.)
2
It is well-settled law that a prevailing party is entitled to recover his costs of
court. See Furr’s Supremarkets, Inc. v. Bethune, 53 S.W.3d 375, 376 (Tex. 2001);
Imperial Lofts, Ltd. v. Imperial Woodworks, Inc., 245 S.W.3d 1, 8 (Tex. App.--
Waco 2007, pet. denied); TEX. R. CIV. P. 131. It is very plain from this appellate
record that the Defendant was not awarded his costs of court.
A trial court may either not award and/or otherwise adjudge costs, however,
there must be good cause and the good cause must be stated in the record. See
Roberts v. Williamson, 111 S.W.3d 113, 124 (Tex. 2003); Furr’s at 53 S.W.3d at
376-377; TEX. R. CIV. P. 141. The trial court did not state any good cause for not
awarding the Defendant his costs of court in its Final Summary Judgment. The trial
court’s Final Summary Judgment should be modified to award the Defendant his
costs of court and the remainder of the trial court’s Final Summary Judgment
should be affirmed.
PRAYER
For the foregoing reasons, Appellant, David M. Diggs, requests that the trial
court’s Final Summary Judgment be modified to award the Appellant his costs of
court and that the remainder of the trial court’s Final Summary Judgment be
affirmed.
3
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIE & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
By:/s/ Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 490
Houston, Texas 77027
(713) 659-7330
(713) 599-1659 (FAX)
SBOT# 21633500
attyjrwii@wisamlawyers.com
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT
DAVID M. DIGGS
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document was
served via e-service to Dan G. Young, P.O. Box 420, Lubbock, Texas 79408, on
the 30th day of June, 2015.
/s/ Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
I certify that the Brief of Appellant submitted complies with TEX. R. APP. P.
9 and the word count of this document is 560. The word processing software used
to prepare the document and to calculate the word count is Windows 7.
/s/ Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.
4
APPENDIX
Appendix 1
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>, FINAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Came on to be heard Defendant's Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment. The
Court, after being fully informed and after hearing the argument of counsel, is of the
opinion that the cross~motion is, in all things:
1('5 ~ ~ED``
IT ISs THFJUivQR.S; QIU)~R£D that the Plaintiffs cause of action is hereby~
d:l:sed because It Is
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oflimitations. IT I~
and 'hat tRI J!lalRuffis
FURTHER ORDERED
tueu With ail costs -,
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ofeoutt It)] wlticlt let axeCIJtjOD issue. All other relief not hereby granted is DfNlg9.
S:~NED on thas day of~ ,20 ~
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RECORDER'S MEMORANDUM:
~ At the time of recordation, thIs In,trument wei
bind to be Ine:de'luate for tM D6st photographic
reproduction beceuBo of lIIeg1bJUty, carbon or
photo copy, dlscolorod P'!Pf:r, etc, All bloc:koutl.
addlUon, and cha n-j es WtltD present.t ttw tImI
the In_truman! "!lS i\1od 3nd f'OO/'df)d,
88