Carlos A. Puntarelli v. Susan K. Peterson

405 S.W.3d 131, 2013 WL 561484, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 1458
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 14, 2013
Docket01-11-01120-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 405 S.W.3d 131 (Carlos A. Puntarelli v. Susan K. Peterson) 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
Carlos A. Puntarelli v. Susan K. Peterson, 405 S.W.3d 131, 2013 WL 561484, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 1458 (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

SHERRY RADACK, Chief Justice.

This is a divorce case. Appellant Carlos A. Puntarelli argues that (1) the trial court deprived him of his constitutional right to a jury trial on the issue of division of the parties’ marital estate, and (2) there is insufficient evidence to support various aspects of the trial court’s property division. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

Puntarelli filed an Original Petition for Divorce on September 1, 2006, asserting that the parties were common-law married and seeking, among other things, division of the marital property. Appellee Susan Peterson denied they were married. On June 30, 2009, that issue was tried to a jury, which found that the parties were married on June 9, 2000.

On June 9, 2010, Puntarelli filed a request for a jury trial. After the parties reached an agreement as to custody and visitation issues, the remaining property division issues were tried to the bench over the course of five nonconsecutive days between April and September of 2011. On October 4, 2011, the court entered a final decree of divorce. After Puntarelli’s motion for new trial was denied, he timely appealed.

ISSUES ON APPEAL

Puntarelli brings the following three issues on appeal:

(1) “Is the District Court’s division of the parties’ estate — and, more specifically, its $200,000.00 offset of the parties’ homestead — supported by factually sufficient evidence?”
(2) “Did the District Court unconstitutionally deny Appellant a right to a trial by jury on the issues surrounding the division of the parties’ marital estate?”
(3) “Is the District Court’s $160,000.00 ‘waste’ judgment against Appellant supported by legally and factually sufficient evidence?”

RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL

In Puntarelli’s second issue, he argues that the “District Court denied his constitutional right to a trial by jury on the *134 property division issues.” Because he timely requested a jury trial and paid the required jury fee, Puntarelli contends the trial court erred in deciding the property division issues and requests that we reverse and remand for a new trial.

In response, Peterson argues that Pun-tarelli waived his jury request by proceeding to trial without a jury without objecting. Tex.R.App. P. 33.1(a) (complaint on appeal must be first presented to the trial court). Alternatively, Peterson contends that any error was harmless because the division of marital property is within the trial court’s discretion, not the jury’s. Tex.Fam.Code Ann. §§ 7.001.002 (Vernon 2006); see also Bagby v. Bagby, 186 S.W.2d 702, 706 (Tex.Civ.App.-Amarillo 1945, no writ) (jury’s findings regarding property division are merely advisory).

While Puntarelli did file a request for a jury trial and paid the requisite jury fee, nothing in the record indicates that he objected to the trial court’s conducting a bench trial. We agree with Peterson that Puntarelli’s proceeding to a bench trial without objection waived any complaint. See In re D.R., 177 S.W.3d 574, 580 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, pet. denied) (“In order to preserve a trial court’s error in conducting a bench trial despite a party’s perfected right to a jury trial, the party must timely object to the trial court’s action or affirmatively indicate that it intends to exercise its right to a jury trial.”); In re K.M.H., 181 S.W.3d 1, 16 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, no pet.) (on reh’g) (“[E]ven if there was a proper jury request, [appellant] waived any error because he failed to object when the trial court proceeded with a bench trial.”).

We overrule Puntarelli’s second issue.

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

In Puntarelli’s first issue, he challenges the factual sufficiency of the evidence to support the district court’s finding that the parties’ homestead was encumbered by a $200,000 loan. In his third issue, he challenges the legal and factual sufficiency of the district court’s finding that he wasted community assets.

A. Standards of Review

In a bench trial in which no findings of fact or conclusions of law are requested by the parties or filed by the trial court, we imply all findings of fact necessary to support the judgment. See, e.g., BMC Software Belg., N.V. v. Marchand, 83 S.W.3d 789, 795 (Tex.2002) (citing In re W.E.R., 669 S.W.2d 716, 717 (Tex.1984)). These findings of fact have the same weight as a jury’s verdict. Amador v. Berrospe, 961 S.W.2d 205, 207 (Tex.App.Houston [1st Dist.] 1996, pet. denied). When challenged, findings of fact are not conclusive if, as here, there is a complete reporter’s record. Id. When there is a reporter’s record, the trial court’s findings are binding only if supported by the evidence. Id. We review the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the findings by applying the same standards that we use in reviewing the legal or factual sufficiency of the evidence supporting jury findings. Catalina v. Blasdel, 881 S.W.2d 295, 297 (Tex.1994).

The test for legal sufficiency is “whether the evidence at trial would enable reasonable and fair-minded people to reach the verdict under review.” City of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d 802, 827 (Tex.2005). In making this determination, we credit favorable evidence if a reasonable fact-finder could, and disregard contrary evidence unless a reasonable fact-finder could not. Id. So long as the evidence falls within the zone of reasonable disagreement, we may not substitute our judgment for that of the fact-finder. Id. at 822. *135 The trier of fact is the sole judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to give their testimony. Id. at 819. Although we consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the challenged findings, indulging every reasonable inference that supports them, we may not disregard evidence that allows only one inference. Id. at 822.

In reviewing a factual sufficiency point, we consider all the evidence supporting and contradicting the finding. Plas-Tex, Inc. v. U.S. Steel Corp., 772 S.W.2d 442, 445 (Tex.1989). We set aside the verdict only if the finding is so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence as to be clearly wrong and unjust. Cain v. Bain, 709 S.W.2d 175, 176 (Tex.1986). In a bench trial, the trial court, as fact-finder, is the sole judge of the credibility of the witnesses. Sw. Bell Media, Inc. v. Lyles, 825 S.W.2d 488

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
405 S.W.3d 131, 2013 WL 561484, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 1458, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlos-a-puntarelli-v-susan-k-peterson-texapp-2013.