LSREF2 Cobalt (TX), LLC v. 410 Centre, LLC, and John B. Urbahns

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 14, 2015
Docket04-15-00633-CV
StatusPublished

This text of LSREF2 Cobalt (TX), LLC v. 410 Centre, LLC, and John B. Urbahns (LSREF2 Cobalt (TX), LLC v. 410 Centre, LLC, and John B. Urbahns) 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
LSREF2 Cobalt (TX), LLC v. 410 Centre, LLC, and John B. Urbahns, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ACCEPTED 04-15-00633-CV FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 12/14/2015 5:36:21 PM Oral Argument Requested KEITH HOTTLE CLERK

No. 04-15-00633-CV _________________________________________________________________ FILED IN 4th COURT OF APPEALS In the Fourth Court of Appeals SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 12/14/2015 5:36:21 PM San Antonio, Texas KEITH E. HOTTLE Clerk _________________________________________________________________

LSREF2 COBALT (TX), LLC, a Foreign Limited Liability Company, Appellant

v.

410 CENTRE LLC, a Foreign Limited Liability Company, and JOHN B. URBAHNS, an Individual Appellees _________________________________________________________________

On Appeal from the 408th District Court Bexar County, Texas; Cause No. 2013-CI-20922 _________________________________________________________________

APPELLANT’S BRIEF _________________________________________________________________

Catherine M. Stone Mike Hatchell cstone@langleybanack.com Texas Bar No. 09219000 Texas Bar No. 19286000 LOCKE LORD LLP LANGLEY & BANACK, INC. 600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2200 745 E. Mulberry Avenue, Suite 900 Austin, Texas 78701-2748 San Antonio, Texas 78212 (512) 305-4700 (210) 736-6600; (210) 735-6889 Fax David L. Swanson Cliff A. Wade Texas Bar No. 019554625 Texas Bar No. 24013699 Thomas F. Loose CLIFF WADE LAW Texas Bar No. 12561500 3131 McKinney Avenue, Suite 600 LOCKE LORD LLP Dallas, Texas 75204 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2200 (214) 800-2090 Dallas, Texas 75201-6776 (214) 740-8000; (214) 740-8800 Fax IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL APPELLANT: APPELLANT’S COUNSEL:

LSREF2 Cobalt (TX), LLC, a Foreign Catherine M. Stone Limited Liability Company cstone@langleybanack.com Texas Bar No. 19286000 LANGLEY & BANACK, INC. 745 E. Mulberry Avenue, Suite 900 San Antonio, Texas 78212 (210) 736-6600; (210) 735-6889 Fax

Mike Hatchell mhatchell@lockelord.com Texas Bar No. 09219000 LOCKE LORD LLP 600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2200 Austin, Texas 78701-2748 (512) 305-4700

David L. Swanson dswanson@lockelord.com Texas Bar No. 019554625 Thomas F. Loose tloose@lockelord.com Texas Bar No. 12561500 LOCKE LORD LLP 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201-6776 (214) 740-8000; (214) 740-8800 Fax

Cliff A. Wade cliff@cliffwadelaw.com Texas Bar No. 24013699 CLIFF WADE LAW 3131 McKinney Avenue, Suite 600 Dallas, Texas 75204 (214) 800-2090

i APPELLEES: APPELLEES’ COUNSEL:

410 Centre, LLC, a Foreign Limited Peter M. Kelly Liability Company and John B. Urbahns pkelly@texasappeals.com State Bar No. 00791011 KELLY, DURHAM & PITTARD, L.L.P. 1005 Heights Boulevard Houston, Texas 77008 Telephone: 713.529.0048 Facsimile: 713.529.2498

Randall A. Pulman rpulman@pulmanlaw.com Thomas Rice trice@pulmanlaw.com PULMAN, CAPPUCCIO, PULLEN, BENSON & JONES LLP 2161 NW Military Highway, Suite 400 San Antonio, Texas 78213 (210) 222-9404; (210) 892-1610 Fax

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

TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................... iii

STATEMENT OF THE CASE..................................................................................1

ISSUES PRESENTED...............................................................................................3

STATEMENT OF FACTS ........................................................................................4

A. 410 Centre Borrows $5,100,000 and Urbahns Guarantees Payment and Performance of the Loan...........................................................................4

B. 410 Centre and Urbhans Agree to Pay All Monies Owing Without Offset from Valuation and Appraisement Laws..............................................5

C. The Maturity Date on the Loan is Extended Twice. .......................................6

D. The Parties Enter Into a Pre-Negotiation Agreement to Facilitate Settlement Discussions When 410 Centre Defaults Again. ............................8

E. Cobalt Purchases the Property With a Credit Bid at a Properly Conducted Foreclosure Sale. ...........................................................................9

F. A Deficiency Remains Due and Owing Under the Note and Guaranty..........9

G. The Trial Court Renders a Take-Nothing Judgment. ....................................10

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ......................................................................10

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES......................................................................13

A. The PNA Did Not Alter the Parties’ Rights Under the Loan Documents. ....................................................................................................13

1. Offset rights under § 51.003 can be waived and unequivocally were waived by the Loan Documents....................................................15

2. When construed as a whole in light of the circumstances surrounding its execution, as it must be, the PNA has no legal effect on the § 51.003 waiver.................................................................17

iii (a) Defendants’ cabined view renders other portions of the PNA meaningless. ...................................................................................18

(b) The circumstances surrounding the execution of the PNA also disprove Defendants’ construction. ........................................20

(c) Defendants’ construction of Paragraph 3’s language is wrong..............................................................................................22

3. Cobalt did not have to plead the written waiver of § 51.003, but it did so. .....................................................................................................23

(a) Because Cobalt’s pleadings sought judgment on the note and guaranty, which both contained the waiver, no further pleading was required. ...................................................................23

(b) Cobalt pleaded waiver....................................................................24

B. Cobalt Conclusively Proved All Elements of its Claims to Recover the Deficiency Plus Attorneys’ Fees. ..................................................................26

1. The existence and validity of the Loan Documents is not in question. .................................................................................................27

2. Cobalt proved it owned the note and guaranty. .....................................27

3. Prerequisites to foreclosure were all satisfied, and the amount of the deficiency was a simple mathematical calculation that was proved conclusively. ..............................................................................30

4. Cobalt conclusively proved its claim for attorneys’ fees. .....................32

CONCLUSION AND PRAYER .............................................................................33

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.......................................................................36

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................37

APPENDIX Tab

Trial Court’s Judgment (CR:2035) ..........................................................................A

Note (6RR:PX2).......................................................................................................B

iv Guaranty (6RR:PX4)................................................................................................C

Forbearance Agreement (6RR:PX7)........................................................................D

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LSREF2 Cobalt (TX), LLC v. 410 Centre, LLC, and John B. Urbahns, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lsref2-cobalt-tx-llc-v-410-centre-llc-and-john-b-urbahns-texapp-2015.