Angela Brooks-Brown v. USAA Texas Lloyd's Company

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 11, 2015
Docket03-15-00451-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Angela Brooks-Brown v. USAA Texas Lloyd's Company (Angela Brooks-Brown v. USAA Texas Lloyd's Company) 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
Angela Brooks-Brown v. USAA Texas Lloyd's Company, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ACCEPTED 03-15-00451-CV 6883235 1 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 9/11/2015 11:09:27 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK NO. 03-15-00451-CV

ANGELA BROOKS-BROWN § IN THE THIRD FILED IN 3rd COURT OF APPEALS § AUSTIN, TEXAS V. § COURT 9/11/2015APPEALS OF 11:09:27 AM § JEFFREY D. KYLE USAA TEXAS LLOYD’S COMPANY § Clerk AUSTIN, TEXAS

APPELLEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

Appellee, USAA Texas Lloyd’s (“USAA Texas Lloyd’s”) Company moves

for dismissal of this interlocutory appeal and would show the following:

I. INTRODUCTION

This is an appeal from (1) an order appointing an umpire for an appraisal

proceeding under a homeowners policy and, (2) an order of temporary injunction

prohibiting the Appellant from pursuing appointment of an umpire in another

district, and (3) denial of a plea in abatement. (CR 941, CR 946)1In its amended

notice of appeal, Appellant Brooks-Brown states that she seeks an accelerated

appeal. (CR 946)2

The appeal should be dismissed for want of jurisdiction because:

1 The Statement of Issues to be Presented on Appeal does not reference the denial of the plea in abatement, but it is included the notice of appeal (CR 946). 2 A Joint Report has been filed since the Clerk’s Record was requested. USAA Texas Lloyd’s has requested supplementation of the Clerk’s Record but, in the interim, has attached an affidavit of Lisa Songy, with a copy of the Joint Report. APPELLEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS PAGE 1 2

1. There is no legal or statutory basis for an interlocutory appeal of the

appointment of an umpire or denial of an abatement.

2. The appraisal has been completed and USAA Texas Lloyd’s has

tendered payment in the amount of the award. The temporary

injunction expired by its own terms when the appraisal was

completed. Therefore, the appeal is moot.

II. RELEVANT FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY Appellant, Angela Brooks-Brown sustained a loss to her home in Killeen,

Bell County, Texas, from fire damage occurring on or about April 4, 2014. (CR

271, 272). She also sustained damage from a hail storm occurring on or about May

12, 2014. (CR 271, 272). USAA Texas Lloyd’s was her homeowners’ insurer.

USAA Texas Lloyd’s adjusted the loss and made payment in the amount it deemed

due. (CR 271, 273-74)

Brooks-Brown retained the Scott Law Offices and, by letter of September 5,

2014, contended that the payment for the hail loss was insufficient. (CR 7, 20).

Brooks-Brown then filed suit in Bell County on September 11, 2014, asserting

contractual and extracontractual claims. (CR 7). By amendment, she added

similar claims related to her fire claim. (CR 107). By letters of March 5, 2015 and

APPELLEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS PAGE 2 3

April 20, 2015 Brooks Brown demanded appraisal of both claims and appointed

Darrell Quinney as her appraiser. (CR 420, 434).

The policy requires that, after one party demands appraisal and chooses a

competent and impartial appraiser, the other party has 20 days to appoint its own

competent and impartial appraiser. (CR 420, 430). If the appraisers cannot agree

on an umpire within 15 days, the choice is to be made “by a judge of a court of

record in the state where the ‘residence premises’ is located.” (CR 420, 430).

USAA Texas Lloyd’s appointed Mark West as its appraiser. (CR 420, 436).

The two appraisers did not agree as to the scope or amount of loss and could not

agree to an umpire. (CR 420, 421).

Brooks-Brown amended her petition several times. The Third Amended

Original Petition was filed May 19, 2015. (CR 271). In each petition Brooks-

Brown asserts that the insured property is located in Killeen, Texas, that she is a

resident of Bell County, and that venue is mandatory and proper in Bell County

because all of a substantial part of the events giving rise to the lawsuit occurred in

Bell County. (CR 7, CR 107, CR 206, CR 271).

On June 8, 2015, Brooks-Brown attempted to non-suit the Bell County suit3

(CR 418) and filed an action in County Court in Jefferson County seeking

3 Brooks-Brown contends the non-suit was filed June 6, 2015 but was not file-stamped until June 8, 2015. (CR 758-59). APPELLEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS PAGE 3 4

appointment of an umpire for the appraisal of Brooks-Brown’s claim.4 (CR 569,

640). The action was not served on USAA Texas Lloyd’s, although a courtesy

copy was provided to USAA Texas Lloyd’s counsel on June 10, 2015. (CR 758,

848).

On June 9, 2015 USAA Texas Lloyd’s filed a motion to have an umpire

appointed in the Bell County suit. (CR 420) Brooks-Brown filed a plea in

abatement, on July 9, 2015 asserting the Jefferson County Court had “dominant

jurisdiction.” (CR 687).

The District Court held a hearing, after notice to all parties, and, by Order of

July 10, 2015, appointed Ron Bickel (a Bell County roofer) as the umpire. (CR

686). The District Court also entered a temporary injunction on July 17, 2015,

enjoining Brooks-Brown from seeking appointment of an umpire in Beaumont in

the unserved action. (CR 928). The court’s order required that the appraisal be

completed within 30 days and stated that “this Anti-Suit injunction will expire after

the insurance appraisal proceeding at issue has been completed” and the court has

received a joint report. (CR 928, 931).

By order of July 27, 2015, the court denied Plaintiff’s Plea in Abatement.

(CR 948). On August 25, 2015, USAA Texas Lloyd’s received the umpire’s

4 Cause No. 0127771, styled Angela Brooks-Brown v. USAA Texas Lloyd’s Company, in County Court at Law No. 1, Jefferson County, Texas. Brooks-Brown contends the suit was filed June 6, 2105 but not file-stamped until June 8, 2015. (CR 855-56). APPELLEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS PAGE 4 5

awards. (Affidavit of Lisa Songy, Ex. 1-A) USAA Texas Lloyd’s tendered

payment on August 27, 2015. (Songy Affidavit Ex. 1-A) The parties filed a joint

report, including a copy of the award and tender of payment by USAA Texas

Lloyd’s, on September 9, 2015. (Songy Affidavit, Ex. 1-A)

IV. ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES
A. No Jurisdiction As to Appointment of Umpire

Brooks-Brown seeks an accelerated appeal. She asserts no jurisdictional

basis in the notice of appeal, and no basis for an accelerated appeal. (CR 932,

946). Generally, appeals may be taken only from a final judgment or order. Qwest

Communications Corp. v. AT&T Corp., 24 S.W.3d 334, 336 (Tex. 2000);

Schlumberger Ltd. v. Rutherford, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 8886, *8 (Tex. App. —

Houston, Aug. 22, 2015, no pet.); See also Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 51.014.

Statutes allowing interlocutory appeal are a narrow exception to the general rule

and are strictly construed. CMH Homes v. Perez, 340 S.W.3d 444, 447 (Tex.

2011). An appellate court has no jurisdiction over an interlocutory appeal unless

expressly authorized by statute. Id. at 336.

Rule 28.1 Tex. R.App. P., allows for accelerated appeals from interlocutory

orders (when allowed by statute), quo warranto proceedings, and appeals required

by statute to be accelerated or required by law to be filed within less than 30 days

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Angela Brooks-Brown v. USAA Texas Lloyd's Company, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/angela-brooks-brown-v-usaa-texas-lloyds-company-texapp-2015.