ConocoPhillips Company v. Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Individually, and Jesus M. Dominguez, as Guardian for Minerva Clementina Ramirez, an Incapacitated Person, Individually

Opinion

ACCEPTED

04-15-00487-CV

FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 11/18/2015 6:15:15 PM

KEITH HOTTLE

CLERK

NO. 04-15-00487-CV

In the Fourth Court of Appeals FILED IN 4th COURT OF APPEALS

San Antonio, Texas SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

__________________________________________________________________

11/18/2015 6:15:15 PM

KEITH E. HOTTLE

Clerk

CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY et al.

v.

LEON OSCAR RAMIREZ, JR. et al.

__________________________________________________________________

APPELLEES’ MOTION TO REINSTATE APPEAL

__________________________________________________________________

TO THE HONORABLE FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS:

Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr. and Jesus M. Dominguez, as Guardian for Minerva

Clementina Ramirez, an incapacitated person, Appellees and Cross-Appellants, file this

motion to reinstate the appeal and for cause show:

1. On November 11, 2015, ConocoPhillips Company, defendant in the trial court

and one of the appellants, filed a notice of bankruptcy stating that on October

26, 2015, while this appeal was pending, Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Appellee and

Cross-Appellant in this appeal, filed a petition in bankruptcy, in Case Number

15-50164, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of

Texas, Laredo Division, styled In re Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr.

2. On November 13, 2015, this Court ordered the appeal abated and removed from

the court’s active docket pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 8.2. The Court also ordered

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that the appeal would be reinstated upon proper motion and proof. Tex. R. App.

P. 8.3.

3. On November 18, 2015, the Bankruptcy Court signed an order lifting the

automatic stay provided by 11 U.S.C. § 362, precisely so that this appeal may

continue to judgment. Attached hereto is a true and correct copy of the

Bankruptcy Court’s order lifting the automatic stay.

4. Therefore, Appellees and Cross-Appellants request that the Court reinstate the

appeal on the Court’s active docket.

/s/ Alberto Alarcon Alberto Alarcon

State Bar No. 00968425 HALL, QUINTANILLA & ALARCON, LC P.O. Box 207 1302 Washington Laredo, Texas 78042-0207 (956) 723-5527 (956) 723-8168 (fax) aalarcon@sbcglobal.net

Lisa Bowlin Hobbs

State Bar No. 24026905 KUHN HOBBS PLLC 3307 Northland Drive, Suite 310 Austin, Texas 78731 (512) 476-6000 (512) 476-6002 (fax) lisa@kuhnhobbs.com

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of this motion was served on this 18th day of November, 2015, to the following parties and counsel as designated: Michael V. Powell via e-service Locke Lord LLP 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201

John A. Kazen via e-service 211 Calle del Norte, Suite 100 Laredo, Texas 78041-6237

Bruce J. Werstak, III via e-service 6721 McPherson Road, Suite 360 Laredo, TX 78041

Jesse R. Castillo via e-service Bank of America Plaza, Suite 1020 300 Convent St. San Antonio, Texas 78205

/s/ Alberto Alarcon Alberto Alarcon

Case 15-50164 Document 32 Filed in TXSB on 11/18/15 Page 1 of 6

IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS LAREDO DIVISION ENTERED FILED IN 11/18/2015

4th COURT OF APPEALS

IN RE: § SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS § 11/18/2015 6:15:15 PM LEON OSCAR RAMIREZ, JR. § CASE KEITHNO. 15-50164

E. HOTTLE

§ Clerk (Chapter 11)

Debtor. §

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY

(Docket No. 14) FINDINGS OF FACT

The Court finds that on October 26, 2015 the Debtor filed a chapter 11 petition for relief

under chapter 11, Title 11, United State Code, which was assigned Case No. 15-50164.

The Court further finds that the Debtor is an appellee in a case pending before the 4th Court

of Appeals styled ConocoPhillips Company, and Rodolfo C. Ramirez, Individually and as the

Independent Administrator of the Estate of Ileana Ramirez, and El Milagro Minerals, Ltd. v. Leon

Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Individually, and Jesus M. Dominguez, Court of Appeals Number 04-15-00487.

The Court further finds that pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 8.2 the appeal was abated and

removed from the court’s active docket on November 13, 2015. (See attachment “A.”)

The Court further finds that pursuant to a letter dated November 16, 2015 counsel for

Appellant apprised counsel for the Debtor that Appellant would not oppose the Motion for Relief

From Stay to allow the appeal to proceed in Cause No. 04-15-00487-CV. (See attachment “B.”).

CONCLUSION OF LAW

The Court concludes, therefore, that the Motion for Relief, having no opposition filed of

record, may be approved as requested. It is therefore

ORDERED, that the Motion for Relief From Stay [Dkt #14] is GRANTED. It is further

Case 15-50164 Document 32 Filed in TXSB on 11/18/15 Page 2 of 6

ORDERED, that the automatic stay is lifted to allow the appeal in Case No. 04-15-00487-CV

styled ConocoPhillips Company, and Rodolfo C. Ramirez, Individually and as the Independent

Administrator of the Estate of Ileana Ramirez, and El Milagro Minerals, Ltd. v. Leon Oscar

Ramirez, Jr., Individually, and Jesus M. Dominguez to proceed in the 4th Court of Appeals in San

Antonio, Texas and any further appeal from a decision of the 4th Court of Appeals.

SIGNED this ____ day of November, 2015.

Signed: November 18, 2015.

____________________________________

__________________________________________

DAVID UNITED R. JONES

STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT JUDGE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

FILE COPY

Case 15-50164 Document 32 Filed in TXSB on 11/18/15 Page 3 of 6

COURT OF APPEALS

SANDEE BRYAN MARION FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT KEITH E. HOTTLE CHIEF JUSTICE CADENA-REEVES JUSTICE CENTER CLERK OF COURT KAREN ANGELINI 300 DOLOROSA, SUITE 3200 MARIALYN BARNARD SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78205-3037 REBECA C. MARTINEZ WWW.TXCOURTS.GOV/4THCOA.ASPX TELEPHONE PATRICIA O. ALVAREZ (210) 335-2635 LUZ ELENA D. CHAPA JASON PULLIAM FACSIMILE NO.

JUSTICES (210) 335-2762 November 13, 2015

Lisa Hobbs Alberto Alarcon Kuhn Hobbs PLLC Hall, Quintanilla & Alarcon * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL * * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL *

J. Francisco Tamez Jesse R. Castillo Kazen, Meurer & Perez, L.L.P. Castillo Snyder, P.C. * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL * * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL * Michael V. Powell Locke Lord LLP * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL * RE: Court of Appeals Number: 04-15-00487-CV Trial Court Case Number: 7,637 Style: ConocoPhillips Company, and Rodolfo C. Ramirez, Individually and as the Independent Administrator of the Estate of Ileana Ramirez, and El Milagro Minerals, Ltd.

v. Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Individually, and Jesus M. Dominguez, as Guardian for Minerva Clementina Ramirez, an incapacitated person, Individually

Enclosed please find the order which the Honorable Court of Appeals has issued in reference to the above styled and numbered cause.

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours, KEITH E. HOTTLE, CLERK

_____________________________

Luz Estrada Deputy Clerk, Ext. 53219

cc: Leticia Murillo Escamilla (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL)

Dora Martinez Castanon (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Cynthia Keely Timms (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Cynthia Perez Lenz (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Melanie Castillo (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Ginny Henderson (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Amanda Cottrell (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Adolfo Campero, Jr. (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Kurt Kuhn (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) John A. Kazen (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL) Darrell L. Barger (DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL)

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Case 15-50164 Document 32 Filed in TXSB on 11/18/15 Page 4 of 6

ConocoPhillips Company, and Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Rodolfo C. Ramirez, Individually, and Jesus M. Individually and as the Dominguez, as Guardian for Independent Administrator of Minerva Clementina Ramirez, the Estate of Ileana Ramirez, /s and El Milagro Minerals, Ltd.Appellant/s

Fourth Court of Appeals

San Antonio, Texas

November 13, 2015

No. 04-15-00487-CV

CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY, and Rodolfo C. Ramirez, Individually and as the Independent Administrator of the Estate of Ileana Ramirez, and El Milagro Minerals, Ltd., Appellants

v.

Leon Oscar RAMIREZ, Jr., Individually, and Jesus M. Dominguez, as Guardian for Minerva Clementina Ramirez, an incapacitated person, Individually, Appellees

From the 49th Judicial District Court, Zapata County, Texas Trial Court No. 7,637

The Honorable Jose A. Lopez, Judge Presiding

ORDER

ConocoPhillips Company, defendant in the trial court, filed a notice of appeal on June 8, 2015. Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Individually, and Jesus M. Dominguez, as Guardian for Minerva Clementina Ramirez, an incapacitated person, Individually, filed a notice of a cross-appeal on June 11, 2015. Other defendants in the trial court, Rodolfo C. Ramirez, Individually and as the Independent Administrator of the Estate of Ileana Ramirez, and El Milagro Minerals, Ltd., also filed a notice of appeal on July 29, 2015.

ConocoPhillips filed a Notice of Bankruptcy stating that on October 26, 2015, while this appeal was pending, Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr., Appellee and Cross-Appellant in this appeal, filed a petition in bankruptcy, in Case Number 15-50164, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Laredo, styled In re Leon Oscar Ramirez, Jr.

We order the appeal abated and removed from the court’s active docket. See TEX. R.

APP. P. 8.2. The appeal will be reinstated only upon proper motion and proof. See TEX. R. APP. P. 8.3; 4th TEX. APP. (SAN ANTONIO) LOC. R. 4. All motions and other documents pending or filed are abated subject to being reurged in the event the case is reinstated.

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Case 15-50164 Document 32 Filed in TXSB on 11/18/15 Page 5 of 6

We further order the clerk of this court to send copies of this order to the clerk of the trial court, the court reporter, and the attorneys of record.

_________________________________

Luz Elena D. Chapa, Justice

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said court on this 13th day of November, 2015.

___________________________________

Keith E. Hottle Clerk of Court

Case 15-50164 Document 32 Filed in TXSB on 11/18/15 Page 6 of 6