Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X v. Leibman

782 S.W.2d 230, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1770, 1989 WL 73746
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 6, 1989
Docket01-88-01101-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 782 S.W.2d 230 (Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X v. Leibman) 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
Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X v. Leibman, 782 S.W.2d 230, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1770, 1989 WL 73746 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

EVANS, Chief Justice.

The appellant, Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X, sued the appellee, Ralph Leibman d/b/a Rebel Liquor Store, alleging that the appellee had breached the terms of his written lease agreement covering certain premises in Carlyle’s Highpoint Shopping Center. When the appellant filed its original petition, it inadvertently omitted the “X” from the end of its name, and the appellee, in his answer and counterclaim, adopted the style of the appellant’s pleading. Thus, in the appellee’s counter *232 claim, the “X” did not appear at the end of the appellant’s name.

After a jury trial, which resulted in a verdict in favor of the appellee, the trial court entered a take-nothing judgment against the appellant, and awarded the ap-pellee damages against the appellant on its counter-claim. When the original judgment was entered, it carried forth the same error in the name of the plaintiffs name, i.e., it omitted the “X” at the end of the plaintiffs name. The appellant then brought an appeal to this Court, using its correct name “Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X.” In that appeal, we reformed the judgment to reflect reduced actual damages, and as so reformed, affirmed the trial court’s judgment. Carlyle Real Estate Ltd. Partnership v. Leibman, No. 01-87-00595, 1988 WL 10843 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] February 11, 1988) (unpublished).

Thereafter, the appellant filed application for writ of error in the Texas Supreme Court, again using its correct name, “Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X.” On June 22, 1988, the Texas Supreme Court denied the appellant’s application for writ of error.

At the conclusion of those appeals, the appellee tried to levy execution under the judgment. In response, the appellant’s attorney took the position that there was no such entity as “Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership.” On July 21, 1988, the appel-lee moved for the entry of a judgment nunc pro tunc, which the court granted on August 1, 1988, correcting the judgment by showing the appellant’s true name, “Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership-X.” The appellant then filed a motion for leave to file writ of mandamus with this Court, seeking to compel the trial court to vacate the judgment nunc pro tunc. In its motion, the appellant made the same contention that it makes on this appeal. In an unpublished opinion dated August 12, 1988, we denied leave to file the writ of mandamus, concluding that the judgment nunc pro tunc corrected a clerical, not a judicial error. Carlyle Real Estate Ltd. Partnership-X v. Chambers, No. 01-88-00725-CV, 1988 WL 86899 (Tex.App.— Houston [1st Dist.] August 12, 1988) (unpublished).

On August 9, 1988, the trial court held a hearing on the appellee’s motion for relief under the turnover statute, Tex.Civ.Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. sec. 31.002 (Vernon Supp. 1989). As a result of that hearing, the court enjoined proposed distributions to the appellant’s limited partners unless the appellant filed a bond in the amount of $75,-000. On August 12, 1988, the court signed an order granting the relief ordered at the turnover hearing, and also required the appellant to pay attorney’s fees in the amount of $5,000 in connection with that proceeding. The appellant seeks review of these rulings.

In its first three points of error, the appellant contends that the trial court’s judgment nunc pro tunc was an ineffective attempt to correct a judicial, as distinguished from a clerical error, after the court’s plenary power had expired, and that there is no evidentiary basis to support the entry of the judgment nunc pro tunc.

A trial court has plenary power to vacate, modify, correct, or reform a judgment until the expiration of 30 days after a motion for new trial has been overruled, either by written order or by operation of law. Tex.R.Civ.P. 329b(e). After the expiration of such period of time, the court has no power to enter a judgment nunc pro tunc to correct a judicial error. Dikeman v. Snell, 490 S.W.2d 183, 186 (Tex.1973). But a court may, at any time, correct clerical mistakes in the record of any judgment, and thereafter the execution will conform to the judgment as amended. Tex.R.Civ.P. 316; Campbell v. Hart, 256 S.W.2d 255, 257-58 (Tex.Civ.App.—Fort Worth 1953, writ ref’d n.r.e.).

On oral submission, the appellant concedes that it has been the real party in interest throughout all stages of this proceeding, and therefore, there is no question but that the appellant was the original plaintiff and cross-defendant in the suit. Indeed, the appellant could hardly contend otherwise, in view of its own pleadings and exhibits that are included in the transcript.

*233 We hold that the trial court did not err in rendering the judgment nunc pro tunc to accurately reflect the legal name of the party against whom the judgment was rendered. See Whicker v. Taylor, 422 S.W.2d 609, 610-11 (Tex.Civ.App.— Waco 1967, no writ) (judgment nunc pro tunc held proper to correct the name of the plaintiff whose initials were transposed in original judgment); Kendall v. Johnson, 212 S.W.2d 232, 236-37 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1948, no writ) (judgment rendered against Murphy Products Co. properly corrected to show the true name of the corporation to be Murphy Products Company of San Antonio). We note that the appellant has not cited any authority in support of its position that the court corrected a judicial, as distinguished from a clerical error.

In its fourth point of error, the appellant complains that the trial court erred in awarding attorney’s fees in connection with the turnover proceeding, claiming that there was no evidence presented showing that such fees were reasonable and necessary.

The turnover statute specifically provides for an award of attorney’s fees. Tex. Civ.Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. sec. 31.002(e) (Vernon 1986). In his application for post-judgment injunctive or turnover relief, the appellee requested reasonable attorney’s fees in the amount of $5,000. Further, the attorney’s fees were attested to by an affidavit attached to the appellee’s response to motion for clarification and cross-motion for further post-judgment relief. This sworn affidavit by the appellee’s attorney sets forth the reasonable and necessary expenses for the application for turnover relief, as well as additional expenses in the event the turnover application is appealed. There was no testimony at the hearing itself concerning attorney’s fees.

We conclude that the claim for attorney’s fees is governed by Tex.Civ.Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. sec. 38.001 (Vernon 1986). Under that section, there is a rebuttable presumption that the usual and customary attorney’s fees are reasonable. Tex.Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. sec. 38.003 (Vernon 1986). The statute further provides that in a proceeding before the court, the court may take judicial notice of the usual and customary attorney’s fees and of the contents of the case file without receiving further evidence. See Tesoro Petroleum Refining Corp. v.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Wael Anis Naime v. Nermien Sayad Soliman
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2012
Guardian Life Insurance v. Kinder
663 F. Supp. 2d 544 (S.D. Texas, 2009)
In Re Cherry
258 S.W.3d 328 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
in Re Vanessa Cherry
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
TAURUS IP, LLC v. DaimlerChrysler Corp.
559 F. Supp. 2d 947 (W.D. Wisconsin, 2008)
Claxton v. (Upper) Lake Fork Water Control & Improvement District No. 1
220 S.W.3d 537 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
State v. Medrano
127 S.W.3d 781 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2004)
In Re Broussard
112 S.W.3d 827 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
in Re: Arthur Broussard
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003
LaGoye v. Victoria Wood Condominium Ass'n
112 S.W.3d 777 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
In the Interest of Ellebracht
30 S.W.3d 605 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Ganz v. Lyons Partnership, L.P.
173 F.R.D. 173 (N.D. Texas, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
782 S.W.2d 230, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1770, 1989 WL 73746, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlyle-real-estate-limited-partnership-x-v-leibman-texapp-1989.