Garner v. Corpus Christi National Bank

944 S.W.2d 469, 1997 Tex. App. LEXIS 2772, 1997 WL 167397
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 22, 1997
Docket13-95-105-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 944 S.W.2d 469 (Garner v. Corpus Christi National Bank) 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
Garner v. Corpus Christi National Bank, 944 S.W.2d 469, 1997 Tex. App. LEXIS 2772, 1997 WL 167397 (Tex. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinions

OPINION

SEERDEN, Chief Justice.

This is a suit to recover benefits allegedly due under an employment contract. John and Lanelle Gamer sued Corpus Christi National Bank (CCNB) to collect benefits allegedly due under an employment contract between John Gamer and CCNB. Both parties moved for summary judgment. The trial court granted CCNB’s motion and denied the Garners’ motion for summary judgment. The Gamers appeal by fifteen points of error. We affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.

In 1974, CCNB hired John Gamer as its president and chief executive officer. At some point, Valero Corporation offered him a job, which he considered. Due to that offer, CCNB’s executive committee entered into an employment contract with Garner. The contract stated that it was a commitment made to John Gamer as of August 4, 1980 (the 1980 Commitment). It stated that Gamer was to continue in CCNB’s employ, subject to health and ability to perform. It also stated that he was to be entitled to incentive bonuses, ESOP plan, ICESOP plan, Career Executive Stock Plan, a Management Security Plan (if adopted), and other benefits of executive employees-all based on his base salary or otherwise as applicable.

Mercantile Texas Corporation owned CCNB when the latter made the 1980 Commitment. Mercantile Texas established a management security plan (MSP), and on March 29, 1983, Garner and Mercantile Texas signed an agreement showing Garner’s participation in the MSP. Thereafter, Mercantile Texas and Southwest Bancshares merged, and the surviving entity became known as MCorp. CCNB became known as MBank Corpus Christi, an MCorp subsidiary. MCorp replaced the Mercantile Texas MSP with an MCorp Executive Security Plan (ESP). On December 28, 1984, Gamer and MCorp signed an agreement showing Garner’s participation in the MCorp ESP.

Gamer’s salary and other benefits were paid to him in accordance with the 1980 Commitment through December 1, 1986, his retirement date. On that date, Gamer began receiving payments of $9,068.18 per month from MCorp under his 1984 ESP agreement with MCorp. These payments continued through April or May of 1989. On March 20,1989, MCorp filed for bankruptcy, and all MCorp ESP payments ceased.

John Gamer and his wife, Lanelle, sued CCNB, alleging that CCNB breached its obligations under the 1980 Commitment because it refused to pay them the ESP benefits. Gamer sought to recover the money due to him under the 1980 Commitment.

CCNB moved for summary judgment on the grounds that it did not breach the 1980 Commitment, that John Gamer was not a consumer under the DTPA, and that it was not liable under the Personnel Employment Services Act. The Gamers also moved for summary judgment on their suit. The court granted summary judgment for CCNB on all grounds, and it denied the Gamers’ summary judgment motion. This appeal followed.

To prevail on a summary judgment motion, a movant must establish that there is no genuine issue concerning any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judg[474]*474ment as a matter of law. Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Cathey v. Booth, 900 S.W.2d 339, 341 (Tex.1995) (per curiam). A defendant who conclusively negates at least one of the essential elements of the plaintiffs causes of action or who conclusively establishes all of the elements of an affirmative defense is entitled to summary judgment. Wornick Co. v. Casas, 856 S.W.2d 732, 733 (Tex.1993); Montgomery v. Kennedy, 669 S.W.2d 309, 310-11 (Tex.1984). In reviewing a summary judgment, we must accept as true evidence in the nonmovant’s favor, indulging every reasonable inference and resolving all doubts in the nonmovant’s favor. Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548-49 (Tex.1985).

By point fifteen, the Garners assert that the court erred in granting summary judgment for CCNB because Jerry Gates’ affidavit was testimony of an interested witness without personal knowledge, and it was not free from contradictions and otherwise clear, positive, and direct.

CCNB’s summary judgment motion included Jerry Gates’ affidavit. Gates was a former president, CEO, and director of CCNB. The Gamers argue that the summary judgment proof showed that CCNB considered the ESP its employee benefit plan, but that Gates’ affidavit controverted that position. Therefore, Gates’ affidavit was not sufficiently clear, positive and direct, otherwise credible and free from contradictions and inconsistencies in order to support a judgment for CCNB.

Rule 166a(f), Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, states that “Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein.”

Gates stated in his affidavit that he had personal knowledge of the facts because: 1) as former president, CEO, and director of CCNB, he had reviewed the 1980 Commitment; 2) he attended and participated in subsequent CCNB Board of Directors and Executive Committee meetings at which the 1980 Commitment and Gamer’s benefits thereunder were discussed; and 3) he reviewed Garner’s personnel, payroll, and retirement files. Therefore, he was familiar with the provisions and administration of the 1980 Commitment and the facts set forth therein.

Gates’ affidavit met the requirements of Rule 166a(f) because it showed how he became familiar with the facts in the affidavit. Further, the affidavit is clear, positive and direct, otherwise credible, and free from contradictions and inconsistencies. We overrule point fifteen.

By points one and two, the Gamers assert that the court erred in granting summary judgment on their contract claim. They assert that the unambiguous language of the 1980 Commitment establishes that Garner is entitled to the promised benefits. Alternatively, the language is ambiguous, precluding summary judgment on their claim. In any event, the 1980 Commitment did not unambiguously provide that CCNB was not liable to Gamer for the employee benefits it promised.

The operative language of the 1980 Commitment stated as follows: “J.G. [John Garner] is to be entitled to incentive bonus, ESOP plan, ICESOP plan, Career Executive Stock plan, and Management Security Plan (if adopted) and other benefits of executive employees-all based on his base salary or otherwise as applicable.”

The Garners’ contention is that CCNB is liable to Gamer for benefits because the 1980 Commitment stated that he was entitled to a Management Security Plan (if adopted) and other benefits of executive employees.

CCNB’s summary judgment motion attacked the contract claim on three grounds. First, it argued that the 1980 Commitment was an unambiguous document which did not entitle Gamer to the MSP benefits unless adopted by CCNB.

In construing a written contract, the primary concern of the court is to ascertain the parties’ trae intentions as expressed therein. Reilly v. Rangers Management, Inc., 727 S.W.2d 527, 529 (Tex.1987); Coker v. Coker, 650 S.W.2d 391, 393 (Tex.1983); Cambridge Oil Co. v. Huggins, 765 S.W.2d [475]*475540, 543 (Tex.App.

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944 S.W.2d 469, 1997 Tex. App. LEXIS 2772, 1997 WL 167397, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garner-v-corpus-christi-national-bank-texapp-1997.