Georgian Oil Corp. v. Chemical Process Co.

151 S.W.2d 280, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 365
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 2, 1941
DocketNo. 2222.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 151 S.W.2d 280 (Georgian Oil Corp. v. Chemical Process Co.) 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
Georgian Oil Corp. v. Chemical Process Co., 151 S.W.2d 280, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 365 (Tex. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

LESLIE, Chief Justice.

This is an original proceeding in this court seeking to have this court enjoin the issuance of an execution on a judgment on the merits of a cause in which a judgment by default was taken March 17, 1941. An appeal from said judgment is being prosecuted to this court as is also an appeal from an order of February 12, 1941, overruling a plea of privilege in said cause.

In this proceeding, the Georgian Oil Corporation is referred to as appellant, and the Chemical Process Company as appellee. They will be so referred to in this opinion. The Chemical Process Company filed suit against Georgian Oil Corporation in Stephens County and the defendant filed its plea of privilege to be sued in Upshur County. The plea was controverted and after a hearing, the court entered a judgment February 12, 1941, overruling the same, and the defendant appealed. That appeal is being prosecuted in due order and time, and separate from an appeal that is being prosecuted from a judgment taken March 17, 1941, on the merits of the main case.

On February 12, 1941, when the trial court heard and overruled the plea of privilege he also set the main cause for trial on its merits March 17, 1941. March 14, 1941, the attorney for the Georgian Oil Corporation wrote the trial judge that it would “be necessary for this case to be continued arid not tried on its merits until this appeal [from order overruling plea of privilege] is determined by the appellate court.” After so writing the trial judge the attorney departed for Washington, D. C., on business.

The trial judge disregarded the suggestions of the above letter, and on. March 17, 1941, called the main case, according to its previous setting, and a judgment by default was rendered and entered in favor of the Chemical Process Company against Georgian Oil Corporation. On the attorney’s return from Washington he learned,. on March 22, 1941, that the judgment had been taken against his client on the 17. March 24, 1941, the oil corporation filed its motion to vacate the judgment on the merits and for a new trial. The court heard this motion April 1, 1941, and overruled it. The oil corporation excepted to that order and gave notice of appeal. As stated, that appeal is being prosecuted to this court for review of the judgment on the merits.

In this proceeding the oil corporation (appellant) alleges that it “is preparing to remove such judgment to this court for revision and correction and * * * intends to file and have approved a super-sedeas bond.” That “appellee is threatening to have an execution issued at once, and appellant believes that it will have execution issued before this appellant can have time to prepare a petition of Writ of Error and have approved and filed a super-sedeas bond. Wherefore, appellant prays that appellee be temporarily restrained and enjoined from having an execution issued on said judgment until this appeal from said order ovérruling its plea of privilege may be heard and determined and the question *282 of venue definitely settled”, etc. Appellant alleges that if such relief is not granted “the venue statute will be abrogated and set at naught” and appellant will suffer irreparable injury, for which there is no adequate remady at law, etc.

It is urged by the appellant that the trial court in overruling the motion to vacate said judgment- on the merits and to grant a new trial “refuses to follow the decision rendered by the Supreme Court of Texas March 17, 1941, in Newlin v. Smith, 150 S.W.2d 233.”

In the letter of appellant’s attorney to the district judge, it was stated that, it was “necessary for this case to be continued and not tried on its merits until this appeal is determined by the appellate court.” He supports that contention with the opinion in Newlin v. Smith. As noted, the plea of privilege was heard and determined February 12, 1941, and at the same time and in the same order the main cause was set for trial on its merits March 17, 1941. The appellant understood the setting was so made. Being of the opinion that a legal trial of the main cause could not be had since an appeal was being prosecuted from the judgment overruling the plea of privilege, he addressed the above letter to the judge and left the matter at that, relying on the authority cited.

In said opinion it is recited, “Newlin pleaded a motion for a separate trial on his plea of privilege. The trial court overruled this motion, and the hearing on the plea of privilege was had at the same time ds the trial on the merits." (Italics ours) The italicized words reflect the error in the action of the trial court and is the sole question determined by that decision. Compelling trial of the issues of the plea of privilege “at the same time as the trial on the merits” is the trial court ruling condemned by the Newlin opinion.

In Newlin v. Smith, the trial court had as authority for its ruling Gilmer v. Graham, Tex.Com.App., 52 S.W.2d 263, 264, wherein it was held “whether a hearing will be granted on a plea of privilege separate from the trial on the merits rests within the sound discretion of the trial court.” On this point the opinion in the Newlin case overruled the Gilmer case, but we do not understand that the opinion in the New-lin case is authority for the appellant’s broad proposition that the main case cannot legally be tried on its merits after the plea of privilege is overruled and before the issues therein are ultimately determined by a pending appeal.

We do not interpret the opinion in Newlin v. Smith; A. H. Belo Corp. v. Blanton, 133 Tex. 391, 129 S.W.2d 619; Meredith v. McClendon, 130 Tex. 527, 111 S.W.2d 1062, or Compton v. Elliott, 126 Tex. 232, 88 S.W.2d 91, as undertaking to extend or alter the well defined construction of that part of Art. 2008, R.S.1925, reading as follows : “Either party may appeal from the judgment sustaining or over-ruling the plea of privilege, and if the judgment is one sustaining the plea of privilege and an appeal is taken, such appeal shall suspend the transfer of the venue and a trial of the cause pending the final determination of such appeal.”

Properly interpreted, that statute authorizes a trial of the main cause on its merits when the plea of privilege is heard and overruled, as definitely as it suspends the transfer of the venue and a trial of the cause when the judgment is one sustaining the plea of privilege and an appeal is taken. The well recognized rule that “the expression of one thing is the exclusion of another” is applicable. Of this rule, it has been said, “The maxim is sensible and useful in logic and law.” Clearly, the barring of the trial of the cause on its merits under certain specified conditions does not bar such trial under different conditions.

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Bluebook (online)
151 S.W.2d 280, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 365, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/georgian-oil-corp-v-chemical-process-co-texapp-1941.