City of Shavano Park v. Ard Mor, Inc., Texas Ardmor Properties, L.P., and Texas Ardmor Management, LLC

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided March 2, 2015·No. 04-14-00781-CV·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

04-14-00781-CV

FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

3/2/2015 5:06:25 PM

KEITH HOTTLE

CLERK

CASE NO. 04-14-00781-CV

FILED IN

4th COURT OF APPEALS

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS FOR THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT 03/2/2015 5:06:25 PM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS KEITH E. HOTTLE Clerk

CITY OF SHAVANO PARK

Appellant

VS.

ARD MOR, INC.; TEXAS ARDMOR PROPERTIES, LP;

AND TEXAS ARDMOR MANAGEMENT, LLC

Appellees

APPELLANT’S REPLY BRIEF

PATRICK C. BERNAL

ELIZABETH M. PROVENCIO

DENTON NAVARRO ROCHA BERNAL HYDE & ZECH A Professional Corporation 2517 N. Main Avenue

San Antonio, Texas 78212

Telephone: (210) 227-3243 Facsimile: (210) 225-4481 COUNSEL FOR APPELLANT

CITY OF SHAVANO PARK

ORAL ARGUMENT NOT REQUESTED

IDENTITY OF COUNSEL

Appellant/Trial Court Defendant: City of Shavano Park Counsel:

Patrick C. Bernal Elizabeth M. Provencio Denton Navarro Rocha Bernal Hyde & Zech A Professional Corporation 2517 N. Main Avenue San Antonio, Texas 78212 Telephone: (210) 227-3243 Facsimile: (210) 225-4481 patrick.bernal@rampage-sa.com elizabeth.provencio@rampage-sa.com

Appellees/Trial Court Plaintiffs: ARD MOR, Inc. Texas ARDMOR Properties, LP Texas ARDMOR Management, LLC

Counsel: Co-Counsel:

Jay K. Farwell David L. Earl Karen L. Landinger EARL & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Cokinos Bosien & Young Pyramid Building 10999 West IH10, Suite 800 601 NW Loop 410, Suite 390 San Antonio, Texas 78230 San Antonio, Texas 78216 Telephone: (210) 699-1900 Telephone: (210) 222-1500 Facsimile: (210) 293-8733 Facsimile: (210) 222-9100 Email: jfarwell@cbylaw.com Email: dearl@earl-law.com Email: klandinger@cbylaw.com

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IDENTITY OF COUNSEL ...................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... iii TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 ARGUMENT & AUTHORITIES .............................................................................1 A. Alleged violation of the third party covenants cause the harm Appellees’ seek to prevent. ...........................................................................1 B. The City has not applied any City ordinance. ...............................................3 C. Standing fails for Appellees’ “void contract zoning” theory. The claim further fails as no zoning action occurred and the City is not bound to pass any zoning under the Development Agreement.....................5 D. The UDJA fails to confer jurisdiction in this case. .....................................10 E. Dismissal is proper. .....................................................................................12

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................12 PRAYER ..................................................................................................................13 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................14 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE .......................................................................15

iii

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

2800 La Frontera No. 1A, LTD v. City of Round Rock, No. 03-08-00790-CV, 2010 WL 143418 (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 12, 2010, no pet.)................................................... 9

City of Dallas v. Tex. EZPAWN, L.P. No. 05-12-01269-CV, 2013 WL 1320513 (Tex. App.—Dallas Apr. 1, 2013, no pet.) (mem. op.) . 11

City of El Paso v. Heinrich, 284 S.W.3d 366 (Tex. 2009) ............................... 11

City of McKinney v. Hank’s Restaurant Group, L.P., 412 S.W.3d 102 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2013, no pet.) .............................................................. 11

City of Mesquite v. Aladdin’s Castle, Inc., 559 S.W.2d 92 (Tex. Civ. App.—Dallas 1977)...................................................................... 4

City of Antonio v. Summerglen Property Owners Association, Inc., 185 S.W.3d 74 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2005, pet. denied)...................... 11

Lindig v. City of Johnson City, No. 03-11-00660-CV, 2012 WL 5834855 (Tex. App.—Austin Nov. 14, 2012, no pet.) (mem. op.) .............................. 4

Noell v. City of Carrollton, 431 S.W.3d 682 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2014, pet. denied) .......................................................... 4

Super Wash Inc. v. City of White Settlement, 131 S.W.3d 249 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2004, judgment rev'd in part on other grounds, 198 S.W.3d 770 (Tex. 2006) ................................................. 8

Texas Department of Transportation v. Sefzik, 355 S.W.3d 618 (Tex. 2011) (per curiam) .................................................. 11

Texas Lottery Commission v. First State Bank of DeQueen, 325 S.W.3d 628 (Tex. 2010) ....................................................................... 10

Statutes Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 37.006 (West 1985) ................................ 6 iv

Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code Ann. § 43.002 (West 2008) ............................................ 8 Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code Ann. § 43.028 (West 2008) ........................................... 11 Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code Ann. § 211.003 (West 2003) .......................................... 5 Tex. Local Gov’t Code Ann. § 211.009 (West 2008) ........................................ 4 Tex. Local Gov’t Code Ann. § 211.010 (West 1997) ........................................ 4 Tex. Local Gov’t Code Ann. § 211.011 (West 2008) ........................................ 4 Tex. Local Gov’t Code Ann. § 212.003 (West 2003) ........................................ 5 Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code Ann. § 212.172 (West 2011) .......................................... 7 Other Authorities The City of Shavano Park Ordinance No. 0-2014-014....................................... 6

v

I.

INTRODUCTION

The covenants determine the rights between Lockhill and Appellees ARD MOR impacting Lockhill’s plan to build its gas station. The City is not a party to those covenants. Appellees cannot point to any City action causing harm because Lockhill’s rights vested before annexation. As a result, without a separate basis for jurisdiction as part of Appellees’ declaratory judgment against the City, the City remains immune from Appellees’ declaratory judgment suit.

II.

ARGUMENT & AUTHORITIES

A. Alleged violation of the third party covenants cause the harm Appellees’ seek to prevent.

Appellees complain of Lockhill’s actions that Appellees perceive to violate

the covenants—any attempt to blame the City does not create an action against the City. As to the City or the County, Lockhill’s rights to build its gas station vested in 2013—prior to any 2014 Development Agreement or 2014 annexation. At issue here is whether the covenants entered between third parties, Appellees and Lockhill, affect Lockhill’s right to build its gas station.

While Appellees and Lockhill, along with other property owners, independently chose to include standards in their covenants tied to evolving City ordinances, their choice fails to confer standing to sue the City, a non-party to the covenants. CR V1 70 attached at App. 3, attaching Covenants p.4 para. 4(a)

(promising permitted uses to include the maximum extent by applicable zoning laws or other Governmental Regulations); para. 4(b) (promising prohibited uses to include any use prohibited by applicable zoning laws or other Governmental Regulations); p. 8 para.6 (promising compliance with applicable Government Regulations and promising most stringent application between covenants and Government Regulations). Appellees cite no authority to support standing where third parties tie their covenants to an evolving city ordinance.

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City of Shavano Park v. Ard Mor, Inc., Texas Ardmor Properties, L.P., and Texas Ardmor Management, LLC (City of Shavano Park v. Ard Mor, Inc., Texas Ardmor Properties, L.P., and Texas Ardmor Management, LLC) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

City of White Settlement v. Super Wash, Inc.
198 S.W.3d 770 (Texas Supreme Court, 2006)
The City of El Paso v. Lilli M. Heinrich
284 S.W.3d 366 (Texas Supreme Court, 2009)
Texas Lottery Commission v. First State Bank of DeQueen
325 S.W.3d 628 (Texas Supreme Court, 2010)
City of Mesquite v. Aladdin's Castle, Inc.
559 S.W.2d 92 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1977)
City of San Antonio v. Summerglen Property Owners Ass'n
185 S.W.3d 74 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Super Wash, Inc. v. City of White Settlement
131 S.W.3d 249 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
City of McKinney v. Hank's Restaurant Group, L.P.
412 S.W.3d 102 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013)
Texas Department of Transportation v. Sefzik
355 S.W.3d 618 (Texas Supreme Court, 2011)
Noell v. City of Carrollton
431 S.W.3d 682 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014)