Frank's International, Inc. v. Smith International, Inc.

249 S.W.3d 557, 66 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 301, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 248, 2008 WL 126630
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 14, 2008
Docket01-06-00366-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 249 S.W.3d 557 (Frank's International, Inc. v. Smith International, Inc.) 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
Frank's International, Inc. v. Smith International, Inc., 249 S.W.3d 557, 66 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 301, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 248, 2008 WL 126630 (Tex. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION ON REHEARING

LAURA CARTER HIGLEY, Justice.

Appellee, Smith International, Inc. (“Smith”), sued appellant, Frank’s International, Inc. (“Frank’s”), for breach of contract and conversion, and the parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. Frank’s appeals from a summary judgment rendered in favor of Smith on its breach of contract claim. 1 In what we construe as four issues, Frank’s contends that the trial court erred by (1) granting Smith’s motion for summary judgment and denying 2 Frank’s’ motion for summary judgment, 3 (2) granting declaratory relief not requested in Smith’s motion for summary judgment, (3) denying Frank’s’ post-judgment motions, and (4) assessing an incorrect rate of post-judgment interest.

On June 28, 2007, we reversed and remanded for a trial on the merits. Smith moved for rehearing. We grant the motion, withdraw our opinion dated June 28, 2007, and issue this opinion in its stead. Our disposition and judgment remain unchanged.

We reverse and remand for a trial on the merits.

Summary of Facts and Procedural , History

Smith, a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Texas, and Frank’s, a Texas corporation with its principal place of business in Texas, are both *560 engaged in the provision of oilfield equipment and attendant services.

On January 1, 2002, Smith and Frank’s entered into an “Overseas Consignment and Servicing Agreement Ecuador” (the “First Agreement”), pursuant to which Smith “rented” or “consigned” certain oilfield tools to Frank’s in Texas, which Frank’s, in turn, “subleased” to end users in Ecuador through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Frank’s International Ecuador, C.A. (“Frank’s-Ecuador”). Frank’s-Ecuador is organized under the laws of Ecuador and has its principal place of business in Ecuador.

Article 1 of the First Agreement provided that

[Frank’s] shall be responsible for and shall handle the shipping of the Tools, spare parts, and servicing equipment from Houston, Texas, to the destination in [Ecuador], [Frank’s] shall be responsible for and shall handle the proper receipt at such destination and the importation into [Ecuador] of any Tools, spare parts, and servicing equipment. In addition, [Frank’s] shall bear and pay the cost of the import duties and all other charges relating to such importation.

(Emphasis added.)

Article 7 provided that

[Frank’s] shall retain twenty (20%) of the rental revenues, 50% of the service charges and 10% of the list prices for the tools sold to END USERS as a consequence of tools being damaged.... [Frank’s] will be invoiced by [Smith] for 80% of the rental revenues, on a monthly basis within the first ten (10) days of each month and 90% of the list price of parts charged to END USERS within thirty (30) days of the loss. All payments due [Smith] ... shall be tendered at par, in U.S. dollars, within forty-five (45) days from the date of [Smith’s] invoice ..., provided that, if required by applicable law of [Ecuador], [Frank’s] shall withhold such taxes assessed on [Smith] as a result of such payments. Consistent herewith, [Frank’s] warrants that it shall tender in a proper and timely manner all amounts so withheld to the applicable governmental entity in [Ecuador] and supported by appropriate tax receipts.
Article 8, “Taxes,” provided that each of [Smith] and [Frank’s] shall be responsible for its respective taxes that may be assessed upon [sic] as a result of the income derived by each pursuant to this Agreement, whether such taxes are assessed or imposed by the government of [Ecuador] or by any other governmental body or agency. Consistent herewith, each of the parties shall be responsible for any other governmental taxes by whomsoever assessed or levied as a result of its performance of this Agreement.

Frank’s states that, pursuant to Article 7, it withheld from the percentage of revenues it paid to Smith certain taxes assessed on Smith by the government of Ecuador and that Frank’s paid those sums to Ecuador. Smith states that in 2003 it learned that Frank’s was withholding 25 percent of Smith’s invoiced amounts to satisfy Smith’s purported tax obligations to Ecuador, and a dispute arose. Smith contended that it did not owe taxes to Ecuador; rather, the taxes were assessed against Frank’s and improperly withheld.

On August 1, 2003, Smith and Frank’s executed an amendment to the First Agreement, pursuant to which Article 7 was deleted “in its entirety” and revised to read as follows:

[Frank’s] will retain twenty-five (25%) of the rental revenues, fifty (50%) of the *561 service charges and ten percent (10%) of the list prices of any parts sold to end users as a consequence of tools being damaged.... [Frank’s] will be invoiced by [Smith] for seventy-five (75%) of the rental revenues, on a monthly basis within the first ten (10) days of each month, and ninety percent (90%) of the list price of parts charged to end users within thirty (30) days of the date of loss.

On January 1, 2004, a second “Overseas Consignment and Servicing Agreement” (the “Second Agreement”) was executed directly between Smith and Frank’s’ subsidiary, Frank’s-Ecuador. 4 The parties agreed that the Second Agreement “supersedes any and all prior agreements, negotiations, or understandings between the parties and is the sole agreements [sic] between the parties with regards [sic] to the matters described herein. The parties acknowledge that the [First Agreement] ... shall be cancelled, effective January 1, 200].” (Emphasis added.) At the time of the execution of the Second Agreement, Frank’s had withheld $207,874.90 under the First Agreement to satisfy what Frank’s contended was Smith’s tax assessment in Ecuador and, which Smith contended was a tax assessment against Frank’s and not itself.

On November 17, 2004, Smith sued Frank’s under the First Agreement for breach of contract, conversion, and a declaration that no taxes could have been owed by Smith to Ecuador under the First Agreement such that Frank’s could have been entitled to withhold payment from Smith. In May 2005, Smith moved for summary judgment on its claims on the grounds that Frank’s expressly promised to pay Smith certain revenues, that Smith fully performed its obligations under the First Agreement, and that Frank’s had not paid $207,874.90 of Smith’s invoices. Smith sought to recover this sum, as well as declaratory relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, and costs. To support its motion, Smith attached the First Agreement, the Amendment, the Second Agreement, and the affidavits of Mark Kosicki, senior international tax manager for Smith; Don Pinkston, worldwide credit manager for Smith; and Geoffrey H. Bracken in support of attorney’s fees.

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Bluebook (online)
249 S.W.3d 557, 66 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 301, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 248, 2008 WL 126630, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/franks-international-inc-v-smith-international-inc-texapp-2008.