Eskridge v. Merchants State Bank & Trust Co.

173 S.W.2d 518
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 17, 1943
DocketNo. 11258
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 173 S.W.2d 518 (Eskridge v. Merchants State Bank & Trust Co.) 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
Eskridge v. Merchants State Bank & Trust Co., 173 S.W.2d 518 (Tex. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

MURRAY, Justice.

This is an appeal from an order dismissing this cause for want of jurisdiction rendered in the 111th District Court of Webb County by Honorable K. K. Wood-ley, Judge of the 38th District Court, presiding in the 111th District Court upon an exchange of benches with the Judge of that Court, Honorable R. D. Wright. The suit was originally filed by Marshall Eskridge and Frank R. Williams against Merchants [519]*519State Bank and Trust Company on April 28, 1925.

On October 7, 1935, more than ten years thereafter, the following- order of dismissal was entered upon the minutes of the Court, to-wit:

“It is, on this 7th day of October, 1935, ordered that the following numbered and styled causes be, and they are hereby, dismissed for want of prosecution at the cost of the respective plaintiffs, for which execution may issue, to-wit: * * *
“No. 7230, Marshall Eskridge et al. v. Merchants State Bank & Trust Co. * * *” (Forty-nine other cases were included in the order.)

The order was reduced to writing and O. K’d. by Judge Wright before being spread upon the minutes by the clerk.

On November 27, 1940, Judge Wright entered another order annulling the order of dismissal and restoring the cause to the trial docket.

On July 9, 1942, Judge Woodley ruling in effect that Judge Wright’s order of November 27, 1940, annulling the prior order of dismissal and restoring the cause to the trial docket was null and void, again dismissed said cause for want of jurisdiction.

The question raised upon this appeal relates entirely to the validity of the order of November 27, 1940, annulling the prior order of dismissal and restoring the cause to the trial docket.

As to just how and why the order of November 27, 1940, was made and entered is best explained by the certificate and order of the court, which reads as follows:

“Certificate and Order of the Court Following Hearings Relative to an Order Appearing in the Minutes Dismissing the Case for Want of Prosecution.
“This suit was filed on the 28th day of April, 1925, and appears from the Minutes of the Court to have been dismissed for want of prosecution on the 7th day of October, 1935, Minute Book 2, page* 248, where the following Order appears, to-wit :
“‘In the 111th Judicial District Court in and for Webb County, Texas. September Term, 1935.
“ 'It is, on this the 7th day of October, 1935 ordered that the following numbered and styled causes be, and they are hereby, dismissed for want of prosecution at the cost of the respective plaintiffs, for which execution may issue, to-wit:
“ ‘No. 6862, The First National Bank of Laredo vs. Ed. B. Kotula;
“ ‘No. 7230, Marshall Eskridge, et al vs. Merchants State Bank & Trust Co. * * * ’ followed by forty-eight other cases, identified by number and style as are the two above cases. This Order was typewritten and appears at the lower left hand corner to have the initials, “O. K. R. D. W.” which are in the handwriting of the Judge of this Court. This Order is endorsed in the handwriting of the Judge of this Court as follows:
“ ‘ 6862,
F N Bank v Cotulla and Many Other Cases Order of Dismissal.’
“I do not remember who prepared the Order my finding is that my Court Reporter, under the directions of the Judge of this Court, prepared the Order because I do not write on the typewriter.
“The notation on the Judge’s Trial Docket appears to have been made in the handwriting of the Deputy District Clerk and was evidently taken from the typewritten order, it being the custom in this Court for the Clerk to make the notations on the Judge’s Trial Docket, as is the custom in many other counties.
“On the 31st day of August, 1937, Cause No. 12,144, entitled Frank Williams vs. Merchants State Bank & Trust Company, was filed in this Court, involving substantially the matters at issue in Cause No. 7230; thereafter a hearing was had on a Plea of Privilege, the plea being overruled and the case is now pending in this Court.
“In about September, 1940, Mr. Frank Williams, one of the attorneys, also one of the litigants in both cases, suggested to me that he would like to have some kind of a hearing held and inquire into the validity of the order dismissing Cause No. 7230 for want of prosecution, and I inquired of him whether or not he intended to file a petition or motion, and he informed me that he did not, but either -he or I, I have forgotten which, expressed the view that a petition was not necessary, and with that view I concurred and requested that the parties be given some kind of notice, informally or otherwise, and that we have a meeting and [520]*520discuss the matter. Informal notice was given and we had a meeting on October 12, 1940, at which meeting there were present Mr. Yale Hicks, Mr. Algee and Mr. Frank Williams, all representing the plaintiff, and Mr. Gordon Gibson who stated that he appeared as Amicus Curiae. At this first meeting there was some discussion and some statements were made that were not taken down by the Court Reporter, the Court Reporter’s notes of that meeting ■began with the statement of what the Court said, and from then on seems to be complete. I do recall, however, that at that meeting Mr. Gibson stated that he remembered that the case was dismissed for want of prosecution, that he prepared an Order to that effect and tendered it to the Court later and that the Court advised ■him that it was not necessary to sign it since the case was included with others that were dismissed for want of prosecution, and that he returned to his office and so advised his client. There was other discussion and statements by the attorneys that I do not recall. At that meeting I asked Mr. Gibson: ‘Do you want an opportunity to hold this hearing' open until you put some testimony in the Record? I’ll give you the privilege, I’ll do that. How much time do you want, a week or two weeks?’ And Mr. Gibson replied, ‘I don’t know whether I want to put any testimony or not, I will ask your Honor to give me two weeks, I want to see what the facts are. Your Honor told me that this morning he would find out what it was all about and that if I wanted time, thirty days, he would give them to me. This thing has been off the docket for five years,’ and the Court replied: T was just talking generally; thirty days is a little too long. I am going to give you some time but I do not think you will change my mind. I think that I am doing the proper thing. Both sides know that there has been more or less some mystery to me about this thing; every time that it was mentioned to me it was more or less of a mystery to me * * * I’ll withhold the date of my order and give you ten days or two weeks and if you want to introduce some evidence on this hearing I’ll hold it open for you ten days or two weeks.’ And the hearing was then held open and postponed until the 25th day of October, 1940.
“On the 25th day of October, 1940, the hearing was resumed and as the question arose as to whether or not service had been had on all interested parties, it was held open and postponed again until November 6, 1940.

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173 S.W.2d 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eskridge-v-merchants-state-bank-trust-co-texapp-1943.