Charles O. "Chuck" Grigson, Gerald Hooks, and Leslie Hooks v. State

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 16, 2015
Docket03-15-00436-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Charles O. "Chuck" Grigson, Gerald Hooks, and Leslie Hooks v. State (Charles O. "Chuck" Grigson, Gerald Hooks, and Leslie Hooks v. State) 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
Charles O. "Chuck" Grigson, Gerald Hooks, and Leslie Hooks v. State, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ACCEPTED 03-15-00436-CV 6093950 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 7/16/2015 11:28:36 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK NO. 03-15-00436-CV ___________________________________________________ FILED IN 3rd COURT OF APPEALS IN THE COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT 7/16/2015 11:28:36 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE AUSTIN, TEXAS Clerk

___________________________________________________

CHARLES O. “CHUCK” GRIGSON, APPELLANT VS.

FARMERS GROUP, INC., FARMERS UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION, FIRE UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION, FARMERS INSURANCE EXCHANGE, FIRE INSURANCE EXCHANGE, TEXAS FARMERS INSURANCE COMPANY, MID-CENTURY INSURANCE COMPANY OF TEXAS, MID-CENTURY INSURANCE COMPANY, TRUCK INSURANCE EXCHANGE, TRUCK UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION, FARMERS TEXAS COUNTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, AND THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, AND THE TEXAS COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE, APPELLEES ___________________________________________________

On Interlocutory Appeal from the 53rd District Court of Travis County, Texas ___________________________________________________

APPELLANT GRIGSON’S EMERGENCY MOTION TO STAY THE SENDING OF CLASS NOTICE ___________________________________________________

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS:

COMES NOW, Appellant [Intervenor below] Charles O. “Chuck: Grigson

[“Grigson”] who files this Emergency Motion to Stay Class Notice pending his interlocutory appeal pursuant to §51.014(a)(3), Texas Civil Practices & Remedies

Code and Rules 9, 10 and 29.5 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Grigson seeks emergency relief pursuant to Rule 10.3(a)(3), and in support thereof,

respectfully shows the Court the following:

1. This is an interlocutory appeal of an order entered on July 6, 2015 certifying

a settlement class action. Under the order, class notice must be sent by September

7, 2015; beginning July 13, 2015 class notice must be continuously posted on the

settling parties’ websites; class members desiring to opt out or file objections must

do so in writing by November 13, 2015; and the hearing on final approval is set for

February 1, 2016. (Order of Preliminary Approval, paras. 6, 7, 11, and 12) (Ex.

A) (“the 2015 order”).

2. Section 51.014(b) of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code stays “all

other proceedings in the trial court pending resolution” of this appeal. It is clear

that the final hearing cannot be held on February 1, 2016—nor can the other

deadlines in the order and notice be met--before the Court can dispose of the merits

of this appeal.1 Accordingly, the class notice ordered by the trial court will

misinform and confuse the putative class and interfere with Court’s jurisdiction to

determine whether the 2015 order and the notice it requires can be upheld.

1 This Court’s most recent interlocutory decision rejecting a class certification took 14 months from date of filing until its opinion was issued. See Canyon Lake Island Property Owners Ass’n, et al v. Sterling/Suggs, et al, 2015 WL 3543125 (Tex. App. Austin, June 5, 2015). APPELLANT GRIGSON’S EMERGENCY MOTION TO STAY CLASS NOTICE 2 3. In addition, should the Court sustain this appeal and reverse the 2015 order,

the sending of notice to the 1.8 million policyholders in the three settlement classes

will have wasted the estimated $2.5 million cost of notice. 2 Most, if not all of this

cost, will be paid with policyholder money held by the policyholder-owned

insurance exchanges who are defendants in this case. As confirmed by David

Mattax, Commissioner of Insurance, the policyholders cannot opt out of this cost.3

Concern over the waste of policyholder money on the cost of notice was the basis

of the emergency motion for stay granted by this Court in the appeal of the 2003

settlement of this case. See Exhibit C.

4. Grigson seeks relief from this Court only after having sought and been

denied relief from the trial court. See Order Denying Intervenor’s Request to Stay

Sending of Class Notice entered July 13, 2015. See Exhibit D.

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Appellant Grigson prays that

the his motion be granted; that the sending of class notice be stayed until further

order of this Court; that the postings of the 2015 order and class notice on the

following websites be removed until further order of this Court, to-wit:

http://www.farmers.com/news/summary-notice-settlement-texas/;

www.TexasFarmersSettlement.com;

2 Estimate supplied by David Mattax, Commissioner of Insurance. See Exhibit B. 3 See Exhibit B. APPELLANT GRIGSON’S EMERGENCY MOTION TO STAY CLASS NOTICE 3 http://www.tdi.texas.gov/news/2015/tdi762015.html;

http://www.tdi.texas.gov/news/2015/documents/150706.docx;

http://www.tdi.texas.gov/news/2015/documents/150706s.docx;

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/texas-attorney-general-

and-texas-insurance-commissioner-obtain-approval-of;

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/epress/files/2015/Preliminary_A

pproval_Order.pdf;

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/epress/files/2015/SF-Final.pdf;4

and that Grigson have such other and further relief, both general and special, legal

and equitable, to which he may show himself justly entitled.

Respectfully submitted,

CHARLES O. “CHUCK” GRIGSON APPELLANT

LAW OFFICES OF JOE K. LONGLEY

_______/s/ Joe K. Longley__________ Joe K. Longley State Bar No. 12542000 1609 Shoal Creek Blvd. #100 Austin, Texas 78701 512-477-4444 PHONE 512-477-4470 FAX

LAW OFFICE OF PHILIP K. MAXWELL Philip K. Maxwell State Bar No. 13254000

4 See Exhibit E, Proposed Order Granting Appellant’s Motion for Emergency Relief. APPELLANT GRIGSON’S EMERGENCY MOTION TO STAY CLASS NOTICE 4 1609 Shoal Creek Blvd #100 Austin, Texas 78701 512-947-5434 PHONE

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT, CHARLES O. “CHUCK” GRIGSON

CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE Grigson’s counsel has conferenced with Scott Incerto, Lead Counsel for the

Farmers Parties; and Joshua Godbey, Lead Counsel for the State of Texas,

regarding this motion. Both oppose granting the relief sought by this motion.

Scott Incerto has stated that he will file a response on behalf of the Farmers Parties.

_______/s/ Joe K. Longley__________ Joe K. Longley

APPELLANT GRIGSON’S EMERGENCY MOTION TO STAY CLASS NOTICE 5 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

The undersigned hereby certifies that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing document was served on the following counsel of record by email transmission on this the 16th day of July, 2015.

Joshua Godbey Marcy Greer Office of the Attorney General of Alexander Dubose Jefferson & Texas Townsend, LLP P. O. Box 12548 515 Congress Ave., Suite 2350 Austin, TX 78711-2548 Austin, TX 78701

Sara Waitt Michael J. Woods General Counsel 8620 N. New Braunfels, Ste. 522 Texas Department of Insurance San Antonio, TX 78217 P. O. Box 149104 Austin, TX 78714-9104 Joseph C. Blanks PO Box 999 M. Scott Incerto Doucette, TX 75942 Norton Rose Fulbright 98 San Jacinto Blvd #1100 Austin, TX 78701

APPELLANT GRIGSON’S EMERGENCY MOTION TO STAY CLASS NOTICE 6 VERIFICATION

THE STATE OF TEXAS §

COUNTY OF TRAVIS §

BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared

Joe K. Longley, a person whose identity is known to me. After I administered an

oath to him, upon his oath, he said the following:

"My name is Joe K. Longley, and I am capable of making this affidavit, and

the facts in this affidavit are true and within my personal knowledge. I am lead

counsel for Appellant Charles 0 "Chuck" Grigson.

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Related

Farmers Group, Inc. v. Lubin
222 S.W.3d 417 (Texas Supreme Court, 2007)

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Bluebook (online)
Charles O. "Chuck" Grigson, Gerald Hooks, and Leslie Hooks v. State, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/charles-o-chuck-grigson-gerald-hooks-and-leslie-hooks-v-state-texapp-2015.