Klorer v. Block

717 S.W.2d 754
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 24, 1986
Docket04-85-00186-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 717 S.W.2d 754 (Klorer v. Block) 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
Klorer v. Block, 717 S.W.2d 754 (Tex. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

OPINION

ESQUIVEL, Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment rendered in favor of appellant Mary Catherine Klorer (Klorer) and against appellee Frank B. Block, individually and d/b/a FOR LADIES ONLY (Block). Klorer sued Block for injuries received when she slipped and fell from a floor riser at a retail clothing store. The jury found each party fifty percent (50%) negligent and, from a preponderance of the evidence awarded Klorer TEN THOUSAND AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($10,000.00) in total damages. Block moved for a judgment on the verdict which the trial court granted by rendering a final judgment for Klorer in the sum of one-half of the total damages or FIVE THOUSAND AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($5,000.00). The trial court also assessed interest on the judgment at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum from the date of judgment plus court costs. Klorer filed a motion for new trial and Block filed a response. The trial court denied the motion for new trial.

Klorer alleges three points of error on appeal:

POINT OF ERROR NO. ONE

The District Court erred in refusing to admit the unsigned deposition of eyewitness Kay Schillings.

POINT OF ERROR NO. TWO

The District Court erred in suppressing the deposition testimony of Kay Schillings since prior acts are admissible to show knowledge and reckless disregard for the person and property of others.

*756 POINT OF ERROR NO. THREE

The District Court erred in excluding the deposition testimony of Kay Schillings since it was offered to impeach defendant’s testimony that there were no previous incidents of a similar nature.

Block also alleges a single crosspoint: Should this court hold that the trial court’s exclusion of the unsigned deposition was in error, we should nonetheless affirm the trial court’s judgment because Klorer has not demonstrated that such exclusion was harmful error.

We will consider these points in order.

The pertinent unsigned deposition relates to the testimony of Block’s store employee Kay Schillings (Schillings). Schillings is allegedly the only eyewitness to Klorer's fall from a floor riser at the For Ladies Only store. The court reporter present at Schillings’ deposition testified she mailed the deposition to Schillings for her signature. Evidence in the form of a certified mail receipt acknowledging the delivery of the original deposition to the witness on December 24, 1984 is also in the record. The record is devoid of any evidence regarding an agreement or waiver of Schillings’ signature.

The cause was tried on January 7, 1985. Unable to locate Schillings, Klorer attempted to use her unsigned deposition. Block objected to the admission of the unsigned deposition relying on the requirements of TEX.R.CIV.P. 205 (hereafter Rule 205). Block stated that not only was the deposition unsigned, but the alternative use of a court reporter’s affidavit of non-signature was not triggered since twenty days had not expired as required by Rule 205. The trial court denied the admission of Schillings’ unsigned deposition and allowed Klorer to perfect her Bill of Exceptions. In the preparation of her bill, Klorer called the court reporter who prepared Schillings’ deposition. The court reporter testified to her correct and accurate transcription of the disputed deposition, to her inability to contact Schillings to locate the original deposition, and to her lack of any knowledge that would question the reliability of Schillings’ deposition.

In response to Klorer’s first point of error, Block urges this court to hold Schillings’ deposition inadmissible for four basic reasons:

1) Klorer was simply not in compliance with Rule 205 because the deposition of Schillings was unsigned and twenty days had not passed allowing the use of a court reporter’s affidavit of non-signature.

2) Block had no control or relationship with the deponent and therefore there is no lack of diligence on Block’s part from which he seeks to benefit.

3) Klorer failed to elicit testimony as to the efforts she undertook to locate Schillings. Absent such evidence, a question as to the reliability of Schillings’ deposition arises.

4) The trial court maintains discretion under Rule 205 to determine whether the reasons presented to it for the non-signature of the contested deposition are reliable.

Klorer alleges this court should reverse the trial court and remand this cause for a new trial because:

1) the reliability of Schillings’ deposition is unchanged by the mere lack of her signature. Klorer also contends that Block failed to file a written motion to suppress pursuant to TEX.R.CIV.P. 207. According to Klorer, any objections by Block to the deposition are addressed to the lack of a signature and not to its questionable reliability.

2) Klorer urges that the practice regarding depositions is one of substantial compliance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. As such, Klorer maintains there must be a refusal to sign the deposition in order for the alternative use of a court reporter’s affidavit of non-signature to be used.

3) Klorer also urges that the evidence contained in the testimony of Schillings is not cumulative and would show certain matters not precisely covered by testimony in the record.

*757 4) Klorer finally contends that the probable result of omitting Schillings deposition from the jury’s consideration is the rendition of an improper judgment.

The true issue is whether an unsigned deposition of a non-party witness loses its reliability by virtue of its non-signature and the lack of a court reporter’s affidavit assuring its verity. We hold that such a deposition may be admissible:

Rule 205 states:

When the testimony is fully transcribed, the deposition officer shall submit the deposition to the witness or if the witness is a party with an attorney of record, to the attorney of record, for examination and signature, unless such examination and signature are waived by the witness and by the parties.
Any changes in form or substance which the witness desires to make shall be entered upon the deposition by the officer with statement of the reasons given by the witness for making such changes. The deposition shall then be signed by the witness, unless the parties by stipulation waive the signing or the witness is ill or cannot be found or refuses to sign. If the witness does not sign and return the deposition within twenty days of its submission to him or his counsel of record, the officer shall sign it and state on the record the fact of the waiver of examination and signature or of the illness or absence of the witness or the fact of the refusal to sign together with the reason, if any, given therefor; and the deposition may then be used as fully as though signed; unless on motion to suppress, made as provided in Rule 207, the Court holds that the reasons given for the refusal to sign require rejection of the deposition in whole or in part.

It is settled law that the absence of the signature alone is not grounds for suppressing a deposition. Hill v. Rich,

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Bluebook (online)
717 S.W.2d 754, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/klorer-v-block-texapp-1986.