Espeche v. Ritzell

123 S.W.3d 657, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 9983, 2003 WL 22769728
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 25, 2003
Docket14-00-00153-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by67 cases

This text of 123 S.W.3d 657 (Espeche v. Ritzell) 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
Espeche v. Ritzell, 123 S.W.3d 657, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 9983, 2003 WL 22769728 (Tex. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinions

MAJORITY OPINION ON REMAND ON REHEARING

LESLIE BROCK YATES, Justice.

Appellee’s motion for rehearing is overruled. We withdraw the majority opinion issued July 17, 2003, and substitute this opinion in its place.

In 1998, appellant Maureen Espeche, individually and as next friend of her son Jonathan, sued appellee William Ritzell for breach of contract and fraud, and sought a bill of review based on an agreement Es-peche and Ritzell allegedly executed around the time of their 1984 divorce. The trial court rendered a take-nothing summary judgment against Espeche, and she appealed, raising the following three issues: (1) whether the trial court erred when it granted Ritzell’s motion for summary judgment, which was based solely on his affirmative defense of res judicata, (2) whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because Ritzell’s motion did not address Espeche’s bill of review or Jonathan’s claims, and (3) whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because there were disputed fact issues that should have been submitted to the jury.

In our original opinion, we dismissed the appeal, concluding the trial court did not render a final judgment because there were no summary judgment grounds properly before the trial court on which it could have rendered judgment on Jonathan’s claims. Espeche v. Ritzell, 65 S.W.3d 226, 232 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2001), rev’d, 87 S.W.3d 536 (Tex.[661]*6612002).1 The supreme court disagreed, concluding the trial court’s order that Es-peche take nothing, individually and as Jonathan’s next friend, met the test of finality set forth in Lehmann v. Har-Con Corp., 39 S.W.3d 191, 206 (Tex.2001). See Ritzell v. Espeche, 87 S.W.3d 536, 538 (Tex.2002). The supreme court therefore reversed and remanded to this court, and we now consider Espeche’s appeal on the merits.

We conclude the summary judgment motion before the trial court did not address Espeche’s claim for a bill of review and we reverse the trial court’s summary judgment to the extent it ordered Espeche take nothing on that claim. We also conclude the doctrine of res judicata does not bar Espeche’s breach of contract claim for spousal support or Jonathan’s breach of contract claims, and we reverse the trial court’s summary judgment to the extent it ordered Espeche take nothing on her breach of contract claim for spousal support and to the extent it ordered Espeche take nothing as next friend of Jonathan.2

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

According to Espeche, on March 12, 1984, she and Ritzell entered into a written agreement for the division of their estates. That agreement provided:

This is a private agreement between William A. Ritzell and Maureen A. Rit-zell for property division.
I, William A. Ritzell agree to provide for Maureen A. Ritzell and her son Jonathan after our pending divorce as detailed below. Providing she does not make claim on my ARCO retirement fund and stocks and share at the time of our divorce. But I understand that under Texas law, she is entitled to half of all of these funds therefore I have asked her to postpone her claim until I officially retire from ARCO.
I, William A. Ritzell agree to the following:
1. The sum of 2,400 dollars, U.S. each month in support for Maureen and Jonathan untill [sic] such time as [J]onathan graduates from high school.
2. Retain medical and dental insurance (presently provided by AET-NA) until Jonathan reaches age 18, for both Maureen and Jonathan.
[662]*6623. Promise to provide 50 percent of each yearly income tax refund and to turn that 50 percent over to Maureen within 10 days of receipt. Due to the fact that I am and will continue to claim them both as my legal dependants.
4. At the time of my retirement, it is promised to Maureen A. Ritzell, one half 50 percent of all retirement benefits including stocks, shares and bonuses. This agreement is made because Maureen has agreed not to seek retirement, stocks and shares until I retire.

Just below paragraph 4, the agreement contains what appear to be the signatures of Ritzell and Espeche above their typed names.

The following month, Espeche filed for divorce, representing she and Ritzell had acquired no real property as part of the community estate and requesting the court to divide the personal property by awarding the same to the party having possession. She did not allude to the March 12 agreement or request it be incorporated into the divorce decree. She subsequently testified she did not bring the agreement to her attorney’s or the court’s attention because Ritzell asked her not to, saying he would lose his job if she did so.

On June 19, 1984, the trial court granted the divorce. The decree provided in part:

The Court finds that there is no child of the marriage of the Petitioner and Respondent and none is expected.3
The Court finds that no real property was accumulated during the marriage and that there has been an equitable and fair division of personal property, with due consideration being given to all insurance, pensions, retirement and other job related benefits.
IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the property of the parties be and is hereby awarded to the party having possession of such property, and all insurance, pensions, retirement and other job related benefits are hereby awarded to the respective party earning same.

The June 19 divorce decree does not acknowledge, incorporate, refer to, or approve the March 12 agreement. Espeche did not appeal the divorce.

In July 1998, Espeche sued Ritzell for breach of the March 12, 1984 agreement. Espeche alleged Ritzell never fully performed under the contract and breached it entirely in 1994. Specifically, Espeche alleged (1) Ritzell ceased paying her $2,400 per month after July 1994; (2) during July 1994, Ritzell deleted Espeche and Jonathan from coverage under his medical and dental insurance; and (3) Ritzell claimed Espeche and her son Jonathan as dependents on Ritzell’s federal income tax returns from 1983 to 1994, but Ritzell did not pay Espeche one-half his tax refund every year. Espeche also alleged Ritzell fraudulently misrepresented and omitted material facts on which she relied when she entered the March 12 agreement.

On October 11, 1999, Ritzell answered, alleging (1) he did not execute the March 12, 1984 agreement, (2) Espeche’s claims were barred by res judicata, limitations, accord and satisfaction, estoppel, lack of capacity, defect of parties, failure to notify and prove loss, and (3) the alleged agreement was ambiguous and unenforceable. In his answer, Ritzell incorporated Es-peche’s allegation that Ritzell paid Es-peche “$2,400 a month through at least July, 1994.” On the same date, Ritzell filed his motion for summary judgment, asserting res judicata and alleging the sig[663]

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Bluebook (online)
123 S.W.3d 657, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 9983, 2003 WL 22769728, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/espeche-v-ritzell-texapp-2003.