Ford Motor Co. v. Cooper

125 S.W.3d 794, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 168, 2004 WL 34859
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 8, 2004
Docket06-03-00009-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 125 S.W.3d 794 (Ford Motor Co. v. Cooper) 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
Ford Motor Co. v. Cooper, 125 S.W.3d 794, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 168, 2004 WL 34859 (Tex. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice ROSS.

John T. Cooper purchased a new 1998 Lincoln Town Car irom Crane Lincoln Mercury, Inc., an authorized dealer for Ford Motor Company, in Texarkana. After experiencing a steering problem with the vehicle, he sued Crane and Ford for alleged violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) 1 and for breach of warranty. The jury found Crane and Ford did engage in deceptive trade practices and failed to comply with the warranty, and awarded Cooper $5,000.00 for diminished value of the vehicle and $1,000.00 for expenses. The jury also awarded Cooper additional damages of $44,000.00 against Crane and $22,000.00 against Ford for knowingly engaging in such conduct. The trial court reduced the award and rendered judgment against Crane and Ford for a total of $18,000.00. 2 Ford and Crane appeal, contending the evidence was legally insufficient to support the jury’s award of actual damages. We agree and reverse the judgment, but in the interests of justice remand the case for a new trial.

Background

Cooper purchased the automobile in question August 29, 1998, for $33,150.00. He testified he decided to buy a Lincoln Town Car because of its dependability and ease of driving during long trips. When *797 he test drove the car, Cooper discovered it “had a pull on the steering wheel.” He discussed the problem with Crane’s salesman, who assured him that the car needed an alignment and that it would be repaired before Cooper purchased the vehicle. Cooper testified that, when he took possession August 29, he was assured by the salesman the car had been repaired. He discovered, however, the problem had not been corrected to his satisfaction — that the car drifted to the right at high speeds and to the left at low speeds. He testified pressure had to be applied to the steering wheel in order to keep the vehicle on the road.

Cooper returned the vehicle to Crane on numerous occasions for the dealership to correct the problem. Crane had the vehicle realigned under the warranty each time, but Cooper testified the problem persisted. Cooper took the vehicle to several independent repair shops for evaluations. He testified Craig Cummins, of Superior Spring and Brake in Conway, Arkansas, found the car dangerous to drive long distances. 3 Cooper also testified Dale Clark, of Cooper Tire and Supply 4 in Texarkana, told him the car was dangerous. After the vehicle had been driven approximately 1,000 miles, Cooper decided to park it and cease using it. Cooper testified that he felt the car was dangerous to drive on the highway and that the car should go back to the manufacturer.

Regarding the value of the car and the expenses he incurred in having the car evaluated, Cooper testified as follows:

Q. Now, you’ve already told the jury about how much you paid for the car [$83,150.00]. Did you incur some expenses trying to get it evaluated and get this information to Crane so they would talk to you and solve the problem?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. And are you asking the jury to make a finding that you’re entitled to— based on the action that you’ve testified to here today, that you’re entitled to have your money refunded?
A. Yes, I am. I can’t use the car.
Q. Where is the car now?
A. The car’s at my house ... in the garage.
Q. And why have you not driven that car?
A. It is unsafe for what I want it for, long distance travel, it’s fatiguing. And so we bought [another] car to be able to make long trips,....
[[Image here]]
Q. Mr. Cooper, I believe you’ve said that the car is parked in the garage because you feel it’s unsafe to drive it. Just tell me what value would you place on that car.
*798 A. Nothing. It’s absolutely worthless to me for what I bought it for.

Joe Crane, co-owner of the dealership, testified there was an alignment concern with the car, but that it could be repaired. He testified that he sold the car for $33,150.00 and that the value of the car was not diminished because of the alignment problem.

Jury Findings

In answer to the questions submitted in the court’s charge, the jury found: 1) Crane and Ford engaged in one or more false, misleading, or deceptive acts or practices that were a producing cause of actual damages to Cooper; 2) Crane and Ford failed to comply with a warranty, and said failure was a producing cause of damages to Cooper; 3) $5,000.00 would fairly and reasonably compensate Cooper for the difference between the fair market value of the ear in the condition in which it was sold to him and the value it would have had if it had been as warranted and represented, and $1,000.00 would fairly and reasonably compensate him for his expenses; 4) Crane’s and Ford’s conduct found in 1) or 2) above was committed knowingly; and 5) $44,000.00 should be assessed against Crane and $22,000.00 against Ford as additional damages. '

Standard of Review

In determining a no-evidence issue, we are to consider only the evidence and inferences that tend to support the finding and disregard all evidence and inferences to the contrary. Bradford v. Vento, 48 S.W.3d 749, 754 (Tex.2001); Cont’l Coffee Prods. Co. v. Cazarez, 937 S.W.2d 444, 450 (Tex.1996). A no-evidence point will be sustained when (a) there is a complete absence of evidence of a vital fact, (b) the court is barred by rules of law or of evidence from giving weight to the only evidence offered to prove a vital fact, (c) the evidence offered to prove a vital fact is no more than a mere scintilla, or (d) the evidence conclusively establishes the opposite of the vital fact. Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. v. Martinez, 977 S.W.2d 328, 334 (Tex.1998). More than a scintilla of evidence exists if the evidence furnishes some reasonable basis for differing conclusions by reasonable minds about the existence of a vital fact. Rocor Int'l, Inc. v. Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co., 77 S.W.3d 253, 262 (Tex.2002).

Fair Market Value

The Legislature’s stated public policy in enacting the DTPA was to “protect consumers against false, misleading, and deceptive business practices, ... [and] unconscionable actions,_” Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ann. § 17.44(a) (Vernon 2002); see Latham v. Castillo, 972 S.W.2d 66, 68 (Tex.1998). The Act “shall be liberally construed and applied” to promote that underlying purpose. Tex. Bus. & Com.Code Ann. § 17.44(a); Latham, 972 S.W.2d at 68. Under the Act, “each consumer who prevails may obtain ... the amount of economic damages found by the trier of fact.” Tex. Bus. & Com.Code Ann. § 17.50(b)(1) (Vernon 2002).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
125 S.W.3d 794, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 168, 2004 WL 34859, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ford-motor-co-v-cooper-texapp-2004.