Corey L. Roberts v. Celia Clanton Roberts

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 23, 2015
Docket01-15-00024-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Corey L. Roberts v. Celia Clanton Roberts (Corey L. Roberts v. Celia Clanton Roberts) 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
Corey L. Roberts v. Celia Clanton Roberts, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ACCEPTED 01-15-00024-CV FIRST COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS 2/23/2015 8:34:24 PM CHRISTOPHER PRINE CLERK

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT OF TEXAS AT HOUSTON FILED IN 1st COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS 2/23/2015 8:34:24 PM NO. 01—15—00024-CV CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE Clerk

COREY L. ROBERTS, Appellant,

V.

CELIA CLANTON ROBERTS, Appellee.

On Appeal from the County Court at Law Orange County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. C—l40,473-D

APPELLANT’S BRIEF

CORDELL & CORDELL, P.C. 1330 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 1800 Houston, Texas 77056

~ Tel: (832) 730-2987, Fax: (832) 730-2966

By ionBar No. 24013329 ‘

I “

Picker ,

B. State E-mail: apickelner@cordelllaw.corn Lauren E. Melhart State Bar No. 24060275 E-mail: 1melhart@cordelllaw;corn Attorneys for Appellant

ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED I])ENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Pursuant to the Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 38.l(a), Appellant, Corey

L. Roberts, provides the following complete list of all parties and counsel to the

trial court’s judgment being appealed:

Appellant: Corey L. Roberts 7705 Barton Rd. Adrian, Michigan 49221

Trial/Appellate Counsel for Corey L. Roberts Aaron B. Pickelner CORDELL & CORDELL, P.C. 1300 Post Oak BlVd., Suite 1800 Houston, Texas 77056 State Bar No. 24013329 apickelner@cordel1law.com

Appellee: Celia Clanton Roberts 7126 W. Windy Lane Orange, Texas 77630

Trial/Appellate Counsel for Celia Clanton Roberts Joe D. Alford, Attorney at Law 105 S. Market Street Orange, Texas 77630 State Bar No. 01012500 jd.alford@hotmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Identity of Parties and Counsel ............................................... ..1

II. Table of Contents .......... .L ......................... ........................ ..2

III. Index of Authorities ............................................................. ..4

Statement of the Case .......................................................... ..6

Issues Presented ................................................................. ..7

VI. Statement of Facts .............................................................. ..8

VII. Summary of Argument ......................................................... ..9

VIII. Argument ........................................................................ ..9

. Issue Number One — Under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, does a trial court commit reversible error by granting a default judgment when the record clearly shows failure to strictly comply with the rules regarding service?

1. Standard of Review ........ . ._ ........................................... ..9

2. The return of service was not on file for ten days as required under Rule l07(h) of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure ................ ..l1

3. The return of service contained defects which prevent a finding of strict compliance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure ........ ..11

. Issue Number Two — Under Texas law, does a trial court abuse its discretion by finding and ruling that one party shall be sole managing conservator when no pleadings included such a request, and the other party never received notice that sole conservatorship was al6issue? ........................................................................ ..13

IX. Prayer ............................................................................ ..l4

Verification ..................................................................... .. 16 XI. Certificate of Service .................. ..................................... .. 17

XII. Certificate of Compliance .................................................... ..17

XIII. Appendix ................................................................. . .... ..A-1 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES Cases Page

Barker CATV Constr., Inc. v. Ampro, Inc., 989 S.W.2d 789 (Tex. App.—-Houston [1stDist.] 1999, no pet.) ....... ..10

Cain v. Cain, No. 14-07-00114-CV, 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 9276, 2007 WL 4200638 at *4 (Tex.App.—Houston 14th, 2007, no pet.) ...... ..13

Capitol Brick, Inc. Fleming Mfg. Co., v.

722 S.W.2d 399 (Tex. 1986) .................................................... ..13

Halla V. Halla, No. 14-06-01126-CV, 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 6656, 2007 WL 2367600 at *2 (Tex. App.—Houston 14*, 2007, no pet.) ...... ..13

Ilzflv. 11299: 339 S.W.3d 74, 82 (Tex. 2011) .................................................. ..14 I

Ins. Co. of State of Pa. v. Lejeune, 297 S.W.3d 254, 256 (Tex.2009). ............................................ ..11

Laidlaw Waste Sys., Inc. v. Wallace, 944 S.W.2d 72 (Tex.App.—Waco 1997, writ denied) ..................... ..10

Marrot Commc’ns, Inc. v. Town & Country P'ship, 227 S.W.3d 372 (Tex.App.——Houston [1st Dist.] 2007, pet. denied) .... ..9

Illidstate Envtl. Servs., LP v. Peterson, 435 S.W.3d 287 (Tex. App.—Waco, 2014) ....... ... ...................... ..11

Nueces County Housing Assistance, Inc. v. M M & Resources Corp., 806 S.W.2d 948 (Tex.App.--Corpus Christi 1991, writ denied) .......... ..9

Patterson v. Brist, 236 S.W.3d 238, 240 (Tex. App., 2006) ..................................... ..14 Peck v. Peck, 172 S.W.3d 26, 25 (Tex. App.—Dallas, 2005, pet. denied) ................ ..13

Primate Corzstr., Inc. v. Silver, 884 S.W.2d 151 (Tex. 1994)(per curiam) ................................... ..10

Turner v. Turner, 47 S.W.3d 761, 763 (Tex.App.—Houst0n [1st Dist.] 2001, no pet.) ..... ..14

Worford v. Stamper, 801 S.W.2d 108 (Tex. 1990) ..................................................... ..14

Statutes and Rules

TEX. R. CIV. P. 107 ................................................................. ..11, A-28

TEX. R. CIV. P. 239 ................................................. ................ ..13, A-30

TEX. R. CIV. P. 301 ................................................................... ..13, A-31 Statement of the Case

This appeal arises fiom divorce litigation initiated by Celia Clanton Roberts (“Appellee”) on May 16, 2014. (Record at 5.) Appellant, Corey L. Roberts,

(“Appellant”) was Respondent below. (R. at 5.)

On July 22, 2014, Appellee filed a Motion for Alternative Service which was granted on that same date (R. at 10, 14.) The return of service, filed on August 19,

2014, states that Linda Roberts was served on July 31, 2014. (R. at 15.)

On August 26, 2014, Appellee obtained a default judgment against

Appellant. (R. at 17.).

On September 24, 2014, a Motion to Set Aside Default Judgment and Motion

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Related

Insurance Co. of the State of Pennsylvania v. Lejeune
297 S.W.3d 254 (Texas Supreme Court, 2009)
Iliff v. Iliff
339 S.W.3d 74 (Texas Supreme Court, 2011)
Nueces County Housing Assistance, Inc. v. M & M Resources Corp.
806 S.W.2d 948 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Worford v. Stamper
801 S.W.2d 108 (Texas Supreme Court, 1991)
Turner v. Turner
47 S.W.3d 761 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Marrot Communications, Inc. v. Town & Country Partnership
227 S.W.3d 372 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Peck v. Peck
172 S.W.3d 26 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Patterson v. Brist
236 S.W.3d 238 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Capitol Brick, Inc. v. Fleming Manufacturing Co.
722 S.W.2d 399 (Texas Supreme Court, 1986)
Primate Construction, Inc. v. Silver
884 S.W.2d 151 (Texas Supreme Court, 1994)
Laidlaw Waste Systems, Inc. v. Wallace
944 S.W.2d 72 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Barker CATV Construction, Inc. v. Ampro, Inc.
989 S.W.2d 789 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Midstate Environmental Services, LP v. Peterson
435 S.W.3d 287 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014)

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Corey L. Roberts v. Celia Clanton Roberts, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/corey-l-roberts-v-celia-clanton-roberts-texapp-2015.