Alphaville Ventures, Inc., and Noam Bizman v. First Bank

429 S.W.3d 150, 2014 WL 1318453, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3500
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 1, 2014
Docket14-12-00580-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 429 S.W.3d 150 (Alphaville Ventures, Inc., and Noam Bizman v. First Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alphaville Ventures, Inc., and Noam Bizman v. First Bank, 429 S.W.3d 150, 2014 WL 1318453, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3500 (Tex. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinions

OPINION

JOHN DONOVAN, Justice.

Appellants, Alphaville Ventures, Inc. (“Alphaville”) and Noam Bizman (“Biz-man”), appeal a summary judgment in favor of appellee, First Bank, in its suit to recover the balance due on a promissory note and guarantee. In their sole issue, appellants contend the trial court erred by granting summary judgment because First Bank failed to prove it is owner and holder of these instruments. We reverse and remand.

I. BACKGROUND

For purposes of this appeal, the following pertinent facts are undisputed. Under the promissory note at issue, Small Business Loan Source LLC (“SBLS”) was the original lender, and 5M Corp dba Arby’s was the original borrower. Via an “Al-longe to Promissory Note,” 5M Corp dba Arby’s assigned all its liabilities and obligations under the note to Alphaville. In conjunction with that assignment, Bizman, the president of Alphaville, signed a guarantee of Alphaville’s obligations under the note, and Alphaville granted SBLS a security interest in certain equipment. Alpha-ville subsequently defaulted on the Note. First Bank filed suit, alleging the note and guarantee had been assigned from SBLS to First Bank and seeking the amount due.

First Bank filed an original motion for summary judgment followed by an amended motion — the operative motion. On March 30, 2012, the trial court signed a Final Summary Judgment ordering that First Bank recover the following from appellants, jointly and severally: $613,038.46 due on the note; pre- and post-judgment interest; attorney’s fees of $20,757, plus $5,000 for each stage of an appeal; and costs of court.

II. Analysis

A party moving for traditional summary judgment must establish there is no genuine issue of material fact and it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Knott, 128 S.W.3d 211, 215-16 (Tex.2003). A plaintiff moving for summary judgment must conclusively prove all essential elements of its claim. Cullins v. Foster, 171 S.W.3d 521, 530 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, pet. denied) (citing MMP, Ltd. v. Jones, 710 S.W.2d 59, 60 (Tex.1986)). If the movant establishes its right to summary judgment, the burden shifts to the nonmovant to raise a genuine issue of material fact. See Centeq Realty, Inc. v. Siegler, 899 S.W.2d 195, 197 (Tex.1995). We review a summary judgment de novo. Valence Operating Co. v. Dorsett, 164 S.W.3d 656, 661 (Tex.2005). We take all evidence favorable to the nonmovant as true, consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmovant, and indulge every reasonable inference and resolve any doubts in the nonmovant’s favor. See id.; Doe v. Boys Clubs of Greater Dallas, Inc., 907 S.W.2d 472, 476-77 (Tex.1995).

To collect on a promissory note, a plaintiff must establish (1) there is a note, (2) the plaintiff is legal owner and holder, (3) the defendant is the maker, and (4) a certain balance is “due and owing.” McLemon v. Dynegy, Inc., 347 S.W.3d 315, 324 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2011, no pet.). On appeal, appellants do not challenge whether First Bank proved (1) validity of the note, (2) appellants are respectively the maker and guarantor, and [153]*153(3) the amount awarded is the balance due and owing. Appellants’ only contention is that First Bank failed to prove it is owner and holder of the note and the guarantee and more specifically that it was assignee of these instruments from SBLS.

A. Preliminary Issues

We must address preliminary issues regarding (1) whether appellants’ pleading was sufficient to permit it to challenge the summary judgment, and (2) what evidence we may consider in reviewing the summary judgment.

1. Appellants’ Pleading

First Bank contends that appellants may not challenge whether First Bank proved it is assignee of the note and guarantee because appellants did not file a verified denial under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 93. Rule 93 provides, “A pleading setting up any of the following matters, unless the truth of such matters appear of record, shall be verified by affidavit.” Tex.R. Civ. P. 93. One such listed matter is “A denial of the genuineness of the indorsement or assignment of a written instrument upon which suit is brought by an indorsee or assignee and in the absence of such a sworn plea, the indorsement or assignment thereof shall be held as fully proved.” Id. 93(8).

By its plain language, rule 93(8) requires a defendant to make a verified denial of the “genuineness” of the endorsement or assignment of the written instrument on which a suit is brought. See id. (emphasis added). Failure to file a verified denial under rule 93(8) waives a challenge only to the genuineness of an endorsement or assignment which has otherwise been produced; absence of a verified denial does not relieve the plaintiff of the burden to prove existence of the transfer. See Vahlsing v. Collier Cobb & Assocs. of Dallas, Inc., 560 S.W.2d 117, 117 (Tex.Civ.App.-Dallas 1977, no writ); see also Havens v. Ayers, 886 S.W.2d 506, 510 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1994, no writ) (following Vahlsing). Thus, in the absence of a sworn plea, issues such as execution, authority of the assignor, and genuineness of signatures are waived; however, these issues are dependent upon proof that an endorsement or assignment actually exists. See Vahlsing, 560 S.W.2d at 118. If the existence of the endorsement or assignment is omitted from the movant’s summary-judgment proof, lack of proof of this material fact precludes summary judgment. See Vahlsing, 560 S.W.2d at 118; see also Havens, 886 S.W.2d at 510. In the present case, appellants do not challenge the genuineness of an endorsement or assignment produced by First Bank. Rather, appellants contend that First Bank failed to prove existence of an endorsement or assignment.

First Bank cites Calbert v. Associates Asset Management, LLC, No. 01-09-01062-CV, 2010 WL 2305862, at *3 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] June 10, 2010, no pet.) (mem. op.), in which the court suggested the borrower was precluded from challenging the lender’s summary-judgment evidence in a suit on a note because the borrower failed to file a verified denial under rule 93(8). However, Calbert is distinguishable from the present case because the face of the Calbert note contained an endorsement from the original lender to the plaintiff and the defendant failed to deny genuineness of that endorsement. See id.

First Bank also complains that appellants did not file a verified denial under rule 93(4). Rule 93(4) includes the following as a matter on which the defendant must file a verified denial: “That there is a defect of parties, plaintiff or defendant.” Tex.R. Civ. P. 93(4). Generally, a “defect [154]*154of parties” refers to joinder problems involving necessary or indispensable parties. CHCA E.

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Bluebook (online)
429 S.W.3d 150, 2014 WL 1318453, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alphaville-ventures-inc-and-noam-bizman-v-first-bank-texapp-2014.