LDF Construction, Inc. v. Texas Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, Inc. D/B/A Chabad Lubavitch Center of Houston

459 S.W.3d 720, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 2111, 2015 WL 1020766
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 5, 2015
DocketNO. 14-14-00113-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 459 S.W.3d 720 (LDF Construction, Inc. v. Texas Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, Inc. D/B/A Chabad Lubavitch Center of Houston) 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
LDF Construction, Inc. v. Texas Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, Inc. D/B/A Chabad Lubavitch Center of Houston, 459 S.W.3d 720, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 2111, 2015 WL 1020766 (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION

John Donovan, Justice

Appellant, LDF Construction, Inc. (“LDF”), appeals an order denying LDF’s motion to compel arbitration and abate proceedings in a construction-defect suit brought by appellee, Texas Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, Inc. d/b/a Chabad Lu-bavitch Center of Houston (“Chabad”). We reverse and remand with instructions for the trial court to compel arbitration and abate the suit.

I. BACKGROUND

Pursuant to a contract executed in 2006, LDF remodeled and performed repairs to Chabad’s facility for the price of $3,185,245. Chabad claims that certain aspects of the construction were deficient or otherwise non-compliant with the contract and applicable building codes. In 2013, Chabad sued LDF for breach of contract, breach of warranty, negligence, and negligent representation.

LDF filed a “Motion to Compel Binding Arbitration and Abate Proceedings” under the Texas General Arbitration Act (“the Act”). See generally Tex. Civ. Prac. & RermCode Ann. §§ 171.001-.098 (West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.). Chabad filed a response in opposition. After a hearing, the trial court signed an order denying the motion. LDF filed this interlocutory appeal. See id. § 171.098(a)(1) (authorizing interlocutory appeal from order denying motion to compel arbitration under the Act).

II. Preliminary Jurisdictional Issue

As a preliminary issue, Chabad presents a cross-point contending we lack jurisdiction over LDF’s appeal because its notice of appeal was untimely.

The trial court signed the order denying the motion to compel arbitration on De- *724 eeraber 11, 2013. LDF did not, within twenty days thereafter, file a notice of appeal as required under the appellate rules. See Tex.R.App. P. 26.1(b). However, on January 31, 2014, LDF filed (1) a “Motion to Advance Appellate Timetable,” asserting January 16, 2014 was the date it first received notice or acquired actual knowledge that the order had been signed; and (2) a notice of appeal. The trial court granted the motion, thereby ruling the appellate timetable began January 16, 2014 and rendering timely the notice of appeal filed within twenty days thereafter. See id,

A party affected by an appeal-able order may obtain an extension of the period for filing an appeal if it did not receive notice by first-class mail from the district clerk, or acquire actual knowledge, of the order within twenty days after it was signed. See Tex.R.App. P. 4.2(a)(1); see also Tex.R. Civ. P. 306a(3). In that situation, the period begins on the earlier of the date that the party received notice from the clerk or acquired actual knowledge of the signing, but the period may not begin more than ninety days after the order was signed. See Tex.R.App. P. 4.2(a)(1). To establish application of this rule, the party must prove in the trial court, on sworn motion and notice, the date it first received notice from the clerk or acquired actual knowledge of the signing, and the trial court must sign an order specifying such date. See id. 4.2(b), (c); Tex.R. Civ. P. 306a(5); see also Pilot Travel Ctrs., LLC v. McCray, 416 S.W.3d 168, 175-76 (Tex.App. — Dallas 2013, no pet.) (applying this rule to extend time for filing appeal from order denying motion to compel arbitration).

When granting LDF’s motion to advance the appellate timetable, the trial court found LDF first received notice or acquired actual knowledge of the order at issue on January 16, 2014. We review that finding for legal and factual sufficiency. See Tran v. Hong Kong Dev. Corp., No. 01-13-00613-CV, 2014 WL 4219470, at *4 (Tex.App. — Houston [1st Dist.] Aug. 26, 2014, pet. denied) (mem.op.). When examining a legal-sufficiency challenge, we review the evidence in the light most favorable to the challenged finding and indulge every reasonable inference that would support it. City of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d • 802, 822 (Tex.2005). When, as here, a party challenges legal sufficiency relative to an adverse finding on which it did not bear the burden of proof, it must show that no evidence supports the finding. See Exxon Corp. v. Emerald Oil & Gas Co., L.C., 348 S.W.3d 194, 215 (Tex.2011). When a party challenges factual sufficiency relative to an adverse finding on which it did not bear the burden of proof, we consider all the evidence and will set aside the finding only if the evidence supporting it is so weak or so against the overwhelming weight of the evidence that the finding is clearly wrong and unjust. Mar. Overseas Corp. v. Ellis, 971 S.W.2d 402, 406-07 (Tex.1998); Cain v. Bain, 709 S.W.2d 175, 176 (Tex.1986) (per curiam). As the factfinder on a motion to extend the appellate timetable, the trial court weighs the evidence, judges witness credibility, and enjoys “great latitude” to resolve relevant fact issues. See Tran, 2014 WL 4219470, at *4.

To support its motion, LDF attached the affidavit of its counsel who averred as follows. The motion to compel arbitration was submitted on September 16, 2013. Thereafter, counsel periodically checked the district clerk’s website for a signed order and called the trial court’s clerk. On December 11, 2013, the court clerk informed counsel that the court had “reached a decision” and was preparing its own order and counsel would be notified of *725 the ruling by postal mail. Counsel then ceased checking the district clerk’s website and calling the court clerk and waited to receive notice by mail. Neither counsel nor anyone else in her law firm, to her knowledge, ever received such notice. On January 16, 2014, Chabad’s attorney mentioned the denial of the order in a voice mail to LDF’s counsel. On the same day, LDF’s counsel retrieved a copy of the order from the district clerk’s website and learned it had been signed December 11, 2013. On January 30, 2014, counsel contacted the court clerk and inquired how notice of the order was sent. She received a copy of the Judicial Information Management System (“JIMS”) entry showing the notice was mailed to the “18th floor” of her firm’s street address when the correct location was the 8th floor. Counsel concluded by averring she first acquired actual knowledge of the signed order on January 16, 2014. LDF attached a copy of the JIMS entry showing the notice was mailed to the incorrect floor.

Chabad does not dispute the averment that LDF’s counsel never received the clerk’s notice or that it was mailed to the wrong address. In addition, Chabad did not present any controverting evidence. Rather, Chabad argues the affidavit negates that LDF first acquired actual knowledge on January 16, 2014 for two reasons.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Red Bluff, LLC v. Nicole Tarpley
Texas Supreme Court, 2025
in Re Terry and Kim Scott
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2021
Estate of Hilda M. Brooks
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2020
in Re: Freightquote.com
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2019

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
459 S.W.3d 720, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 2111, 2015 WL 1020766, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ldf-construction-inc-v-texas-friends-of-chabad-lubavitch-inc-dba-texapp-2015.