In the Interest of R.R.

189 S.W.3d 915, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 3240, 2006 WL 1074909
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 25, 2006
DocketNo. 05-05-00918-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 189 S.W.3d 915 (In the Interest of R.R.) 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
In the Interest of R.R., 189 S.W.3d 915, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 3240, 2006 WL 1074909 (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice WHITTINGTON.

Ambrea Rodgers raises four issues on appeal, challenging the trial court’s default judgment terminating her parental rights. First, Rodgers claims the trial judge erred in denying her motion for new trial because she met the three Craddock requirements. See Craddock v. Sunshine Bus Lines, Inc., 134 Tex. 388, 393, 133 S.W.2d 124, 126 (1939). In her second issue, Rodgers complains that, to the extent civil procedure rule 245 allows for the setting of uncontested cases, rule 245 violates her right to due process under the United States Constitution. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 245. In her third and fourth issues, Rodgers contends family code section 107.013 violates her right to equal protection and due process under the United States Constitution. See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 107.013 (Vernon Supp.2005). We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Initially, we note that, Rodgers does not allege in her brief that the default judgment is void or the trial court lacked jurisdiction. She does not argue the default was improperly taken. Nor does she contend the evidence was legally or factually insufficient to support the termination of her parental rights or that the default judgment was otherwise erroneous. See Stoner v. Thompson, 578 S.W.2d 679, 684-85 (Tex.1979) (default judgment erroneous only if (i) petition or other pleading of non-defaulting party seeking affirmative relief does not attempt to state cause of action within court’s jurisdiction, (ii) petition or pleading for affirmative relief does not give defendant fair notice of claim asserted, or (iii) petition affirmatively discloses invalidity of such claim). Because she does not attack the default judgment on any of these grounds, we limit our review of.Rodgers’s four issues to whether the [917]*917trial judge abused her discretion in denying Rodgers’s motion for new trial.

In her brief, Rodgers argues there is “some authority that when a defendant establishes that she did not receive notice of a trial setting, she need not satisfy the other Craddock requirements.” Relying on this authority, Rodgers argues that, because she did not receive notice of the trial setting that resulted in the termination of her parental rights, she need not establish any of the Craddock requirements. The cases Rodgers cites are post-answer default judgment eases-i.e., cases in which the defendant filed an answer but was not given notice of a hearing date or trial setting. When a defendant files an answer, she is entitled to notice of hearings or trial settings. LBL Oil Co. v. Int’l Power Servs., Inc., 777 S.W.2d 390, 390-91 (Tex.1989) (holding that once defendant made appearance in cause, he is entitled to notice of trial setting as matter of due process under Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution); see also Lopez v. Lopez, 757 S.W.2d 721, 723 (Tex.1988) (holding trial court and appellate court erred in requiring defendant to show he had meritorious defense when record established that defendant had filed answer but had no actual or constructive notice of trial setting). In contrast, in cases in which a defendant has been served properly with the citation and petition but nevertheless does not answer or otherwise appear, the plaintiff is not required to notify the defendant before taking a default judgment. In re J.A.G., 172 S.W.3d 155, 159 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 2005, no pet.); Wilson v. Wilson, 132 S.W.3d 533, 536 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2004, pet. denied); Brooks v. Assoc. Fin. Servs. Corp., 892 S.W.2d 91, 94 (Tex.App.Houston [14th Dist.] 1994, no writ); see also In re S.A.P., 169 S.W.3d 685, 694 (Tex.App.-Waco 2005, no pet.) (in discussion of collateral attack on default judgment, entered against mother who was served with citation and amended petition that sought termination but failed to file answer, court concluded judgment was not void). Because Rodgers was properly served but did not answer, we conclude the cases she cites for the proposition that she was entitled to notice of hearings or trial settings are distinguishable and do not apply to this case.

We review a trial judge’s decision denying a motion for new trial under an abuse of discretion standard of review. Dir., State Employees Workers’ Comp. Div. v. Evans, 889 S.W.2d 266, 268 (Tex.1994); Novosad v. Cunningham, 38 S.W.3d 767, 770 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2001, no pet.). Absent a showing of an abuse of discretion, we will not disturb a trial judge’s ruling. Evans, 889 S.W.2d at 268; Comanche Nation v. Fox, 128 S.W.3d 745, 749 (Tex.App.-Austin 2004, no pet.). An abuse of discretion occurs when the trial judge fails to correctly analyze or apply the law. Comanche Nation, 128 S.W.3d at 749.

A default judgment should be set aside and new trial ordered in any case in which

the failure of the defendant to answer before judgment was not intentional, or the result of conscious indifference on his part, but was due to a mistake or an accident; provided the motion for a new trial sets up a meritorious defense and is filed at a time when the granting thereof will occasion no delay or otherwise work an injury to the plaintiff.

Craddock, 134 Tex. at 393, 133 S.W.2d at 126. Thus, in a motion for new trial, a defendant must (i) show her failure to answer was not intentional, (ii) set forth a meritorious defense, and (iii) establish that the motion for new trial was filed at a time when granting it would not harm the plaintiff. See Lopez, 757 S.W.2d at 723; Novosad, 38 S.W.3d at 770. When applying the [918]*918Craddock test, the judge should look to “the knowledge and acts of the defendant” contained in the record. Holt Atherton Indus., Inc. v. Heine, 835 S.W.2d 80, 82 (Tex.1992). Moreover,

[w]here factual allegations in a movant’s affidavits are uncontroverted, it is sufficient that the motion for new trial and accompanying affidavits set forth facts which, if true, would satisfy the Crad-dock test. However, conclusory allegations are insufficient.

Holt Atherton, 835 S.W.2d at 82 (internal citations omitted).

Conscious indifference has been defined as failing to take some action which “would seem indicated to a person of reasonable sensibilities under the same circumstances,” Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Ybarra,

Related

Bruce B. McLeod, III v. Alfred Gyr
439 S.W.3d 639 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014)
In the Interest of R.R. & S.J.S.
209 S.W.3d 112 (Texas Supreme Court, 2006)
In Re RR
209 S.W.3d 112 (Texas Supreme Court, 2006)
In the Interest of J.P.
196 S.W.3d 434 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)
In Re JP
196 S.W.3d 434 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)

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Bluebook (online)
189 S.W.3d 915, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 3240, 2006 WL 1074909, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-rr-texapp-2006.