Lagow v. Hamon ex rel. Roach

384 S.W.3d 411, 2012 WL 3636893, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 7157
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 24, 2012
DocketNo. 05-10-01499-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 384 S.W.3d 411 (Lagow v. Hamon ex rel. Roach) 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
Lagow v. Hamon ex rel. Roach, 384 S.W.3d 411, 2012 WL 3636893, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 7157 (Tex. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion By

Justice LANG.

In this case generally involving promissory notes and a usury claim, R. Michael Lagow and Brenda S. Lagow appeal the trial court’s final judgment in favor of Nancy B. Hamon, by and through her Agent and Attorney-in-Fact, John L. Roach, finding Michael and Brenda Lagow jointly and severally liable for damages in the amount of $467,701.37 and Michael La-gow severally liable for damages in the amount of $1,459,640.95. The Lagows raise four issues on appeal that argue the trial court erred when it: (1) granted Ha-mon’s plea in abatement pursuant to Texas Finance Code section 305.006(b)-(d), which [414]*414allowed Hamon to correct the usury violation alleged in Brenda Lagow’s counterclaim; (2) granted Hamon’s motions for traditional and no-evidence summary judgment on her claims, and Brenda Lagow’s affirmative defenses and counterclaim for usury; (3) denied Brenda Lagow’s motion for traditional summary judgment on her counterclaim for usury; and (4) ordered the attorney’s fees awarded to Brenda La-gow based on Hamon’s correction of the alleged usury counterclaim was to be offset against the amount she owed in damages.

We conclude the trial court did not err when it granted Hamon’s plea in abatement. Also, we conclude the trial court did not err when it granted Hamon’s motions for summary judgment and denied Brenda Lagow’s motion for traditional summary judgment on Brenda Lagow’s counterclaim for usury. Finally, we conclude the trial court did not err when it ordered the attorney’s fees awarded to Brenda Lagow based on Hamon’s correction of the alleged usury counterclaim was to be offset against the amount she owed in damages. The trial court’s final judgment is affirmed.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Hamon sued Michael and Brenda Lagow alleging claims for payment of promissory notes, breach of contract, money had and received, unjust enrichment, and restitution. In addition, Hamon sought a declaratory judgment, an accounting, punitive and exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees. Michael and Brenda Lagow answered the lawsuit and generally denied the claims. In addition, Brenda Lagow asserted the affirmative defenses of failure of consideration and usury, and asserted a counterclaim for usury and attorney’s fees. Brenda Lagow’s affirmative defense of usury claimed the promissory notes were unenforceable or, in the alternative, Ha-mon was required to “forfeit all principal and interest charged.” Her counterclaim for usury sought the penalty of three times the amount of the excess interest charged and forfeiture of the principal of the note, and all interest and other amounts charged and received by Hamon.

Hamon answered Brenda Lagow’s counterclaim, generally denying the allegation, and requested an abatement that would allow her to correct any alleged usury violation as permitted by section 305.006 of the Texas Finance Code. Tex. Fin. Code Ann. § 305.006 (West 2006). On the same day, Hamon filed two motions for summary judgment. Hamon sought partial, traditional summary judgment on her claims on the notes, breach of contract, and attorney’s fees. She also sought traditional and no-evidence summary judgment on Brenda Lagow’s affirmative defenses and counterclaim. Michael and Brenda Lagow responded to Hamon’s motions for summary judgment, and Brenda Lagow sought traditional summary judgment on her counterclaim for usury.

While the motions for summary judgment were pending, the trial court granted Hamon’s plea in abatement. During the abatement, Hamon sent Brenda Lagow a usury correction letter, a partial release, and offered to pay her reasonable attorney’s fees in accordance with section 305.006 of the Texas Finance Code. Ha-mon filed a copy of that letter with the trial court. In addition, Hamon filed supplemental motions for traditional and no-evidence summary judgment and a supplemental response to Brenda Lagow’s motion for traditional summary judgment on her counterclaim for usury, asserting Ha-mon had corrected or cured any alleged violation.

The trial court granted Hamon’s motions for partial, traditional summary judg[415]*415ment and no-evidence summary judgment, and denied Brenda Lagow’s motion for traditional summary judgment on her counterclaim for usury. Hamon filed a notice of nonsuit for her remaining claims and the trial court signed an order of nonsuit. Then, the trial court signed a final judgment, which incorporated its rulings on the motions for summary judgment, awarded Hamon damages against Michael and Brenda Lagow, jointly and severally, in the amount of $467,701.37 and in “several liability” against Michael La-gow in the amount of $1,459,640.95. The trial court also awarded Hamon $10,000 in attorney’s fees. Finally, the trial court awarded Brenda Lagow $14,700 in attorney’s fees respecting the correction or cure of the usury counterclaim pursuant to section 305.006(d) of the Texas Finance Code, which the trial court ordered “shall be” offset against the damages for which Brenda Lagow was found liable to Hamon.

II. ABATEMENT

In issue one, Brenda Lagow1 argues the trial court erred when it granted Hamon’s plea in abatement pursuant to Texas Finance Code section 305.006(b)-(d), which allowed Hamon to correct the usury violation alleged in Brenda Lagow’s counterclaim. She argues Hamon waived her right to correct the alleged usury by failing to exercise that right in a timely fashion. Also, she contends that Hamon’s motion for continuance and the granting of that motion constituted a de facto abatement because it occurred after Brenda La-gow filed her counterclaim for usury and before Hamon filed her plea in abatement. Further, Brenda Lagow claims that “[b]y filing and prosecuting traditional and no-evidence motions for summary judgment— acts inconsistent with abatement — Hamon waived any right to abate th[e] case to purge the transaction of usury.” Hamon responds that her plea in abatement was timely and filing her motions for summary judgment was not an act inconsistent with her plea in abatement.

A. Standard of Review

An appellate court reviews a trial court’s action in granting or denying a plea in abatement using an abuse of discretion standard. See Wyatt v. Shaw Plumbing Co., 760 S.W.2d 245, 248 (Tex.1988); Lee v. GST Tramp. Sys, L.P., 334 S.W.3d 16, 18 (Tex.App.-Dallas 2008, pet. denied). The trial court abuses its discretion when it acts in an unreasonable and arbitrary manner, or without reference to any guiding rules or principles. See Downer v. Aquamarine Operators, Inc., 701 S.W.2d 238, 241-42 (Tex.1985); Lee, 334 S.W.3d at 18.

B. Applicable Law

Section 305.006(d) of the Texas Finance Code provides that when a debtor files a counterclaim alleging usurious interest in an original action by the creditor, the debt- or shall provide notice at the time of filing the counterclaim and, on application of the creditor to the trial court, the action is subject to abatement for a period of sixty days. Tex. Fin. Code Ann. § 305.006(d) (West 2006).

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Bluebook (online)
384 S.W.3d 411, 2012 WL 3636893, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 7157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lagow-v-hamon-ex-rel-roach-texapp-2012.