Kent Kohler v. Claudia Chiquillo

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 2, 2015·No. 03-14-00503-CV·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

03-14-00503-CV

3641199

THIRD COURT OF APPEALS

AUSTIN, TEXAS

1/2/2015 10:27:53 PM

JEFFREY D. KYLE

CLERK

Cause No. 03-14-00503-CV

FILED IN

3rd COURT OF APPEALS

AUSTIN, TEXAS

1/2/2015 10:27:53 PM

IN THE

JEFFREY D. KYLE

Clerk

THIRD COURT OF APPEALS

AT AUSTIN

Kohler v. Chiquillo

Original Proceeding From the Hays County Court at Law No. 1

Appellant's Brief on the Merits

Kent Kohler

7500 Shadowridge Run, #64 Austin, Texas 78749

(512) 663-5458

Kent kohler@praxair.com

Pro Se Appellant

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL Appellant. Party, Kent Kohler.

Prose Appellant. 7500 Shadowridge Run #64, Austin, Texas 78749, Telephone: (512) 663-5458, Email: kent kohler@praxair.com.

Appellee. Party, Claudia Chiquillo.

Appellee. 120 Victoria Court, Austin, Texas 78747. Telephone: (512) 497- 9098. Email: cayachilO@gmail.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL ............................................... .i TABLE OF CONTENTS ........... .. ............... .................. ............. ...... ............... . . .ii

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ...................................... .. ......... ... ... .. ................ .... .. .iv

STATEMENT OF THE CASE .............................................. .. ............. l ISSUES PRESEN1'ED . ......... .. ..... ...................... . .. .. ...... ............... ...... 2 STATEMENT OF FACTS ... ......... ....... ... .... ............. ......... .......... . .. ......3 SlJMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT.......................................................6 ARGUMENT STANDARD OF REVIEW ..........................................................7

I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT AGAINST MR. KENT KOHLER .................................?

A. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment because it refused to hear Appellant's arguments against summary judgment.. .......................?

B. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment because Appellee's own evidence provides a presumption of bad faith, thereby raising a fact issue as to whether Appellee was entitled to recover any damages whatsoever ..........................................................................9 C. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment because the pleadings and proof provided by Appellee did not determine as a matter of law that Mr. Kohler was not due a partial or full refund of his security deposit. ........... .... ........ ... ....... .... .. ... . .... ............................. 12 D. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment because it determined as a matter of law that Appellee was entitled to summary judgment based on the affirmative defense of Contributory Negligence in a breach of contract action ... . ... .. ..... ... ........ .. .......................... .12 E. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment because it determined as a matter of law that Appellee was entitled to summary

ii

judgment based on the affirmative defense of Estoppel when the pleadings and evidence do not support such a claim............................... 13

CONCLUSION .......... .............. .................................... .. ................ 14 CERTIFICATE OF SERVIC£ ............................................................ 16 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ............... ............ ....... ... ............... .17 PRAYER ................... .. ... ..... ... ... .. ..... .............. .. ............. ... .......... . l8 APPENDIX .................................................................... .. ........ .. .. 19 Order Granting Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment .................20

iii

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

CASES PAGE(S) Coleman v. Woolf, 129 S.W.3d 744 (2004) .. .............................................. 9 Goforth v. Bradshaw, 296 S.W.3d 849 (2009) ... .. .... .... .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... ...........8 Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546 (Tex. 1985) .. .. .. .. .......7 STATUTES Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code Chapter 33 ....... ... .... ...... . . .... ... 12, 13 Texas Property Code Section 92 ...................................................3, 10, 11 Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Section 21a .. ..... . ... ... . ... ......... ....... ........8, 15 Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Section 166a... .. ..... .... .. .. ....... ..... . ....... .......9

iv

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

This case arose from a dispute over the security deposit Appellant, tenant, paid upon moving into the property of Appellee, landlord. Appellant initiated a claim against Appellee for return of the deposit in the Justice Court, Precinct 1, Place 1, in Hays County, Texas. Appellee did not appear for the hearing, so Appellant was granted a default judgment for the full amount of his deposit, $1,950. Appellee appealed the default judgment, thereby invoking the appellate jurisdiction of County Court at Law Number 1 in Hays County, Texas, wherein the presiding judge granted a traditional summary judgment in favor of Appellee. Appellant has appealed to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, Texas.

ISSUES PRESENTED

Whether the court erred when it refused to hear Appellant's arguments against summary judgment in his response to Appellee's motion for summary judgment, because Appellant failed to include a Certificate of Service in the response, even though Appellee acknowledged actual service of the response eight days before the hearing.

Whether the court erred in granting Appellee's motion for summary judgment on Appellee's counterclaim for breach of contract when there was a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Appellee was entitled to deduct any amount, let alone the entire amount, from Appellant's security deposit when there was a presumption of bad faith on the part of Appellee, per Texas Property Code, for not providing either an itemized list of deductions, or a refund of the deposit, within 30 days of receiving Appellant's written notice and change of address.

Whether the court erred in granting Appellee's motion for summary judgment since Appellee failed to disprove an element of Appellant's claim for breach of contract by failing to prove, as a matter of law, that Appellant was not entitled to a return of his security deposit.

Whether the court erred in granting Appellee's motion for sunnary judgment on Appellee's affirmative defense of Contributory Negligence against an action for breach of contract.

Whether the court erred in granting Appellee's motion for summary judgment on Appellee's affirmative defense ofEstoppel

STATEMENT OF FACTS

In August 2010, Appellant entered into a lease agreement with Appellee, for her property at 120 Victoria Court, Austin, Texas 78737. (C.R. 123). Appellant paid a security deposit in the amount of$1,950.00. (C.R. 133). Appellant moved out on May 5, 2013, leaving the home in excellent condition. In a text message from Appellant to Appellee, Mr. Kohler offered to have several neighbors verify to Ms. Chiquillo that the home was in excellent shape when he moved out, with the exception of some damage to the wood floors. In this text message, dated May 11, 2013, Appellant provided Appellee with his new address and requested the remainder of his security deposit. (C.R. 180).

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Kent Kohler v. Claudia Chiquillo, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

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Related

Coleman v. Woolf
129 S.W.3d 744 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co.
690 S.W.2d 546 (Texas Supreme Court, 1985)
Goforth v. Bradshaw
296 S.W.3d 849 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)