Guernsey Community Federal Credit Union v. Gonzalez

539 S.W.2d 896, 1976 Tex. App. LEXIS 2903
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 16, 1976
Docket6495
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 539 S.W.2d 896 (Guernsey Community Federal Credit Union v. Gonzalez) 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
Guernsey Community Federal Credit Union v. Gonzalez, 539 S.W.2d 896, 1976 Tex. App. LEXIS 2903 (Tex. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinions

OPINION

OSBORN, Justice.

This is a malicious prosecution case in which the trial Court awarded damages based upon jury findings. We affirm.

Ramon J. Gonzalez, Appellee, while a resident of Wyoming, purchased a 1966 Chevrolet automobile, which he financed through Guernsey Community Federal Credit Union, Appellant. The loan papers were signed on September 5, 1969. On February 21, 1970, Appellee went to the Appellant’s office to advise the Credit Union of his intention to move back to Texas and to seek permission to take the mortgaged automobile. He testified permission was obtained and he left an El Paso address at the Credit Union office. The employee of the Credit Union from whom he sought permission testified very emphatically that she had no authority to grant permission to remove mortgaged property, that she gave Appellee the names of the members of the Credit Union Board, and that both she and Mr. Green, a Board member, denied Appel-lee’s request. At the time, Appellee had paid one month in advance on his note.

On February 26,1970, the Manager of the Credit Union wrote to Appellee in El Paso advising that it was “ * * * a felony upon conviction, to remove mortgaged property from the state without permission from the lem holder.” Demand was made in the letter for the balance on the loan or return of the collateral. Appellee wrote to the Credit Union on two occasions and received a reply dated April 3, 1970, advising that he had committed a felony and demanding payment in full or return of the collateral to Guernsey, Wyoming, by April 15,1970. On April 13,1970, Appellee delivered possession of the car, keys and inspection certificate to the White Sands Federal [898]*898Credit Union, near El Paso, which he testified was in keeping with a telephone conversation he had with the Guernsey Credit Union Manager.

Prior to the time that Appellee delivered the car to White Sands, Mr. Glenn Gorman, President of the Credit Union, had contacted the office of the County Attorney in Wyoming concerning this matter, and once it was determined that the car definitely had been taken out of the State, a complaint was prepared and signed by Mr. Gor-man on April 15, 1970. A warrant was issued and Appellee was arrested at work on July 12, 1970. Shortly thereafter, he was released on bond, but was rearrested on July 14, 1970, and extradited to Wyoming on August 16, 1970, following a habeas corpus proceeding in the district court in El Paso in which a writ was denied. Following a preliminary hearing before a justice of the peace on August 24, 1970, Appellee was bound over to the district court for trial and then released on a cash bond. On February 7, 1974, the charges were dismissed on the motion of the County Attorney, who acted at the direction of the District Judge, because of the delay in prosecuting the complaint. See Strunk v. United States, 412 U.S. 434, 93 S.Ct. 2260, 37 L.Ed.2d 56 (1973).

In the trial of this case, the jury (1) failed to find that Mr. Gorman filed the complaint upon the advice of the Assistant County Attorney after a full and fair statement of all facts known to him; (2) found Mr. Gor-man acted without probable cause in filing the criminal complaint; (3) found Mr. Gor-man acted with malice; (4) found Ramon Gonzalez sustained actual damages as a direct and proximate result of having been named in the complaint; (5) found actual damages of $15,000.00; and (6) failed to find that exemplary damages should be assessed.

The Appellant presents six points of error. Point One contends that the trial Court erred in failing to grant its motion for instructed verdict. The Appellant did not file a motion for new trial and the grounds asserted in the motion for instructed verdict have not been preserved for appellate review. Rules 324 and 325, Tex.R. Civ.P.; J. Weingarten, Inc. v. Razey, 426 S.W.2d 538 (Tex.1968); O’Connor, Appealing Jury Findings, 12 Hous.L.Rev. 65, 71 (1974). Point One is overruled.

Point Two asserts that there is no evidence to support the jury finding to special issue number one. The answer to the issue was “No,” a negative finding on an issue where the Appellant had the burden of proof. The “no evidence” point does not raise an issue for review. The negative answer means Appellant failed to convince the jury by a preponderance of the evidence as to the affirmative of the issue. Since evidence is not required to support a negative answer, the fact that there is “no evidence” is immaterial. Prunty v. Post Oak Bank, 493 S.W.2d 645 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1973, writ ref’d n. r. e.); Smith v. Safeway Stores, Inc., 433 S.W.2d 217 (Tex.Civ.App.—Tyler 1968, writ ref’d n. r. e.); 12 Hous.L.Rev., supra, at 78.

In addition, it should be noted that the issue as submitted was defective because it did not inquire whether or not Mr. Gorman in “good faith” sought the advice of the Assistant County Attorney. See Annot., 10 A.L.R.2d 1215, 1244 (1950). In Sebastian v. Cheney, 86 Tex. 497, 25 S.W. 691 (1894), the Court noted that it was essential that one seeking the advice of a county attorney must do so in good faith. In Stein v. Greenebaum, 203 S.W. 809 (Tex.Civ.App.—Galveston 1918, no writ), the Court said “ * * * and the issue of ap-pellee’s good faith, under all the facts, should have gone to the jury.” This Court reiterated the rule in Igoe v. Peinado, 54 S.W.2d 556 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1932, no writ) when the Court said “ * * * that an adequate defense is shown where one in good faith first made a full, fair, and complete statement to the county attorney * * It is difficult to believe that the jury could have found for the Appellant on the issue of good faith in view of its finding [899]*899of malice and a lack of probable cause, but since the issue was omitted and the trial Court entered judgment for Appellee, we must presume that any omitted issues were found in favor of the judgment which the trial Court entered. Strauss v. LaMark, 366 S.W.2d 555 (Tex.1963); Grand Leader Dry Goods Company v. Caveness, 424 S.W.2d 270 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1968, no writ). Point of error number two is overruled.

Point Three asserts that there is no evidence to support the jury finding that Glenn Gorman acted without probable cause in filing the criminal complaint. Under the “no evidence” point, we consider only the evidence and inferences tending to support the finding and disregard all evidence and inferences to the contrary. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821 (Tex.1965).

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Guernsey Community Federal Credit Union v. Gonzalez
539 S.W.2d 896 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1976)

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539 S.W.2d 896, 1976 Tex. App. LEXIS 2903, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guernsey-community-federal-credit-union-v-gonzalez-texapp-1976.