Foley v. Daniel

346 S.W.3d 687, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 8028, 2009 WL 3301738
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 15, 2009
Docket08-07-00188-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 346 S.W.3d 687 (Foley v. Daniel) 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
Foley v. Daniel, 346 S.W.3d 687, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 8028, 2009 WL 3301738 (Tex. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

OPINION

DAVID WELLINGTON CHEW, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from the granting of a traditional motion for summary judgment and no-evidenee motion for summary judgment in a suit alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment by attorneys who were retained to make a citizen’s presentation to the grand jury. We affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.

Appellant retained Appellees in January 2002 to make a citizen’s presentation to the grand jury in hopes of obtaining an indictment of Nia Umoja, who was involved in a credit card scam that defrauded Appellant’s business. Ms. Foley stated in her affidavit that the agreement was that the presentation would be made in April or May of 2002, but no later than June 2002. Appellees state that there was no time frame by which to make the presentation. Appellant paid a non-refundable retainer of $25,000 for the services. Appellees obtained files from the District Attorney’s office regarding Ms. Foley’s case. Appel-lees also hired an investigator, Fred Pen-dergraf, to help find evidence of the case. Appellees interviewed Jeanita Moore, who had all ready plead guilty in this case, by first attempting to visit with her in jail, and then by obtaining a bench warrant. Appellees met with a representative from Bank One to familiarize themselves with the credit and debit card system. They also obtained two grand jury subpoenas to be issued for documents that were not initially produced in the District Attorney’s grand jury presentment. In January 2003, Ms. Foley terminated the representation agreement with Appellees. After the termination, Appellees returned $3,000 to Ms. Foley, and provided her with copies of Mr. Pendergraf s reports.

Appellant brought suit alleging breach of contract, quantum meruit, and unjust enrichment. The trial court granted Ap-pellees’ traditional motion for summary judgment and no-evidence motion for summary judgment. On appeal, Appellant argues (1) the trial court erred in granting the traditional motion for summary judgment because Appellees’ failed to negate at least one element of each cause of action and did not conclusively establish any affirmative defense, and (2) improperly granted the no evidence summary judgment motion because Appellant presented sufficient evidence to establish her claims.

In Issue One, Appellant argues the trial court erred in granting the traditional motion for summary judgment. In Issue Two, Appellant argues the trial court improperly granted the no-evidence summary judgment motion. We review a summary judgment de novo. Valence Operating Co. v. Dorsett, 164 S.W.3d 656, 661 (Tex.2005). The traditional summary judgment standard asks whether the mov-ant carried the burden of showing that there is no genuine issue of material fact, so that judgment should be granted as a matter of law. Diversicare Gen. Partner, Inc. v. Rubio, 185 S.W.3d 842, 846 (Tex.2005). We consider all evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant, indulging every reasonable inference in favor of the non-movant and resolving any doubt against the motion. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Mayes, 236 S.W.3d 754, 756 (Tex.2007). We also consider whether reasonable and fair-minded jurors could differ in their conclusions in light of all the evidence presented. Id. at 755. Where a *690 trial court does not specify the grounds upon which it relied in granting a summary judgment, we will affirm if any ground is meritorious. See Harwell v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 896 S.W.2d 170, 173 (Tex.1995).

In reviewing a no-evidence motion for summary judgment, we must disregard all contrary evidence and inferences, and review the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movants. King Ranch, Inc. v. Chapman, 118 S.W.3d 742, 751 (Tex.2003). The moving party must specifically state the elements as to which there is no evidence. Gray v. Woodville Health Care Center, 225 S.W.3d 613, 616 (Tex.App.-El Paso 2006, pet. denied); see Tex.R.Civ.P. 166a(i). The burden then shifts to the non-movants to produce summary judgment evidence raising a genuine issue of material fact regarding each element challenged. Gray, 225 S.W.3d at 616. If the non-movants produce more than a scintilla of evidence regarding the challenged element, a genuine issue of material fact is raised. Id. Less than a scintilla of evidence exists if the evidence is so weak as to create no more than a mere surmise or suspicion. King Ranch, Inc., 118 S.W.3d at 751. However, when the evidence rises to a level that enables reasonable minds to differ in their conclusions, then more than a scintilla of evidence exists. Id. If the non-movants do not produce more than a scintilla of evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact, the trial court “must” grant the motion. See Tex.R.Civ.P. 166a(i).

The elements of a claim for breach of contract are: (1) the existence of a valid contract; (2) performance or tendered performance by the plaintiff; (3) breach of the contract by the defendant; and (4) damages to the plaintiff resulting from that breach. Abraxas Petroleum Corp. v. Homburg, 20 S.W.3d 741, 758 (Tex.App.-El Paso 2000, no pet.). Plaintiff failed to provide any evidence of a breach of the contract by the Defendants. Plaintiffs First Amended Original Petition alleges the Defendants breached their agreement with Plaintiff by not performing the services contemplated under the agreement and not performing the services in a workmanlike manner. The petition also states Defendants failed to timely or properly perform the services. Appellant’s affidavit states that the agreement was that the indictment case would be presented in April, May, or June of 2002. However, the letter agreement shows no date by which the indictment was to be performed. Additionally, Ms. Foley is the one who terminated the services of Mr. Moore and Mr. Daniel. Because Appellant did not produce any evidence that Appel-lees breached the contract or showed there was a genuine issue of fact as to the breach of contract element, the trial court properly granted summary judgment on the breach of contract claim. Issues One and Two as they pertain to the breach of contract cause of action are overruled.

Quantum meruit is an equitable theory of recovery intended to prevent unjust enrichment when there is an implied agreement to pay for goods or services provided. Vortt Exploration Co., Inc. v. Chemon U.S.A., Inc., 787 S.W.2d 942, 944 (Tex.1990). Generally, a party may recover under quantum meruit only when there is a valid contract covering the services or material furnished. Id.

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346 S.W.3d 687, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 8028, 2009 WL 3301738, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foley-v-daniel-texapp-2009.