Continental Trailways, Inc. v. McCandless

450 S.W.2d 707, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2498
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 29, 1969
Docket11703
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 450 S.W.2d 707 (Continental Trailways, Inc. v. McCandless) 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
Continental Trailways, Inc. v. McCandless, 450 S.W.2d 707, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2498 (Tex. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinions

HUGHES, Justice.

This is a suit for damages resulting from the collision of a bus owned by appellant, Continental Trailways, Inc., with a carport being a part of The Terrace Motel in Austin, Texas, owned by Appellee L. L. McCandless. Trial without a jury resulted in judgment for appellee in the sum of $800.00. '

There has been filed an instrument denominated “Statement of Facts.” It contains a summary of the testimony of three witnesses which is agreed to by the parties. It does not purport to contain all the evidence heard below and, obviously, it does not contain all of such evidence because none of the witnesses testified to the amount of damages sustained by the carport.

The trial court, at appellant’s request, filed findings of fact and conclusions of law on March 20, 1969, which we quote:

“1. On April 14, 1967, a bus collided with a portion of the Terrace Motor Hotel belonging to the Plaintiff, L. L. Mc-Candless.
2. The bus was owned by the defendant, Continental Trailways, Inc.
3. Mr. K. R. Miller was the man in charge of the bus and was the employee of the defendant, Continental Trailways, Inc.
4. Mr. K. R. Miller had parked the vehicle on an incline sometime prior to the accident.
5. Mr. K. R. Miller had attempted to chock the wheels with large rocks but could not find any large rocks and used some small rocks.
6. Sometime on the evening of April 14, 1967, the bus rolled down the hill and collided with the Terrace Motor Hotel.
7. Mr. K. R. Miller was called to the scene by the employees of the Plaintiff.
8. Mr. K. R. Miller drove the bus back to its original parking position up the hill.
9. No evidence of any other human being or agency, other than K. R. Miller, [709]*709in any way tampering or operating the bus prior to the damage.
10. The defendant, K. R. Miller, was negligent in the manner in which he parked the vehicle.
11. The negligent parking was the proximate cause of the Plaintiff’s damage.
12. The acts of parking the vehicle by K. R. Miller were within the scope and course of his employment by the defendant, Continental Trailways, Inc.
13. The property belonging to the Plaintiff was damaged to the extent of $800.00 as a result of this occurrence.
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
1. There was sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue concerning the negligence of the defendant, Continental Trailways.
2. There was sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue concerning the defendant’s negligence being a proximate cause of Plaintiff’s damage.
3. Under the findings of fact in the trial of this cause, the Plaintiff is entitled to Judgment against the defendant in the amount of $800.00.”

Appellant has ten points of error the first eight of which pertain to the sufficiency or weight of the evidence to sustain findings of fact 6, 10 and 11 and conclusions of law 1 and 2.

It is our opinion that appellant is not entitled to have these points considered for the reason that it has not brought up a complete statement of facts in the absence of which we are required to presume the sufficiency of the evidence to support the findings of fact and the judgment rendered pursuant thereto. We quote from Villaneuva v. Harville, 419 S.W.2d 711, Tex.Civ.App., San Antonio, no writ (1967):

“Appellant, under her first point, urges that the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence establishes that she was denied the essential elements of due proc-cess, to-wit, notice and the opportunity to be heard and defend her property rights in the office in an orderly proceeding. We are unable to review the entire record as required in passing upon this point because of appellant’s failure to comply with Rule 377, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. * * * Since appel-lees did not consent to a partial statement of facts, we are required to treat this as an appeal without a statement of facts. Gordon v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 351 S.W.2d 602 (Tex.Civ.App. — East-land, 1961, writ ref’d).”

See also Klimist v. Bearden, 374 S.W.2d 783, Tex.Civ.App., Tyler, no writ (1964); Mulcahy v. Cohen, 377 S.W.2d 100, Tex.Civ.App., Houston (1st) writ ref. n. r. e. (1964).

There is no showing in the record that appellee agreed to a partial statement of facts. Neither is there any showing in the record that appellant made any attempt to comply with the provisions of Rule 377, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure under which a partial statement of facts may be filed.

For the reasons stated, we are unable to determine whether appellant’s first eight points have merit: They are, accordingly, overruled.

Appellant’s ninth point is that the trial court erred in his Conclusion of Law No. 3 for the reason that appellee is not entitled to judgment. This point is obviously based on the validity of the preceding eight points and since they have been overruled, this point should be, and it is, overruled.

Appellant’s last point is that the trial court erred in refusing to make requested additional findings of fact. We quote the requested findings:

“1. With respect to finding of fact Number 5; do you find the act of chocking the wheels with small rocks to be negligence ?
[710]*7102. With respect to finding of fact Number 10; what specific act or acts do you find that constitute negligence on the part of K. R. Miller?
3. Do you find that K. R. Miller did, or did not, put the bus in gear when it was parked?
4. If you find that K. R. Miller did not put the bus in gear; do you find this to be negligence?
5. If your answer to question Number 4 is yes; was this a proximate cause of the accident?
6. Do you find that K. R. Miller did, or did not, place the brake on when the bus was parked?
7. If you find that K. R. Miller did not place the brake on when the bus was parked, do you find this to be negligence ?
8. If your answer to question Number 7 is yes; was this a proximate cause of the accident ?
9. With respect to finding of fact Number 6; approximately how many hours had the bus been parked prior to the accident?
10. With respect to finding of fact Number 9; do you find that K. R. Miller was in any way tampering or operating the bus at or about the time of the accident ?”

The trial court approved appellant’s Bill of Exceptions No. 1, from which we quote:

“On February 21st, 1969 the trial Judge advised Counsel by U. S.

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Continental Trailways, Inc. v. McCandless
450 S.W.2d 707 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
450 S.W.2d 707, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2498, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/continental-trailways-inc-v-mccandless-texapp-1969.