Major Investments, Inc. v. De Castillo

673 S.W.2d 276, 1984 Tex. App. LEXIS 5509
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 10, 1984
Docket13-83-328-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 673 S.W.2d 276 (Major Investments, Inc. v. De Castillo) 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
Major Investments, Inc. v. De Castillo, 673 S.W.2d 276, 1984 Tex. App. LEXIS 5509 (Tex. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

NYE, Chief Justice.

This is a summary judgment case. Ap-pellee, Maria Elena Solalinde de Castillo, brought suit against appellant, Major Investments, Inc., seeking the return of money paid by her on a contract for the purchase of a condominium. She contended that the contract was void and unenforceable or, alternatively, that Major Investments, Inc., breached the contract. The trial court granted plaintiff Castillo’s motion for summary judgment. Major Investments, Inc., brings this appeal. We reverse the judgment of the trial court.

On September 5, 1981, appellee entered into an earnest money contract with Major Investments, Inc., for the purchase of a condominium which was to be built in Dun-lyn Acres in McAllen, Texas. Appellee testified in her deposition that she signed the contract without her husband’s knowledge. She further testified that her husband did not like the contract for reasons which she did not specify. Appellee claims that she attempted to obtain financing but was unable to do so. She notified appellant and requested the return of the earnest money. Appellant refused to return her money, whereupon she filed suit against Major Investments and obtained a summary judgment.

Appellant brings forward the sole point of error that the trial court erred in granting the appellee’s motion for summary judgment. A similar general point of error has been accepted by the Texas Supreme Court in Malooly Bros., Inc. v. Napier, 461 S.W.2d 119 (Tex.1970). Appellant, in responding to the motion for summary judgment, urges for reversal the contention that issues of fact exist, specifically: whether appellee ever made payments; whether the appellee used good faith in obtaining financing; and whether there was a breach of contract by either party.

We will first address the appellant’s claim that a fact issue exists with regard to whether appellee, in good faith, attempted to obtain financing. The contract in question called for a purchase price of $74,-950.00. The down payment on the contract was $14,990.00, which was paid in installments by Mrs. Solalinde de Castillo and her husband.

The contract included the following financing conditions:

4. FINANCING CONDITIONS: This contract is subject to approval for Buyer of a Conventional or Conventional private mortgage insured third party loan (the loan) of not less than the amount of the Note, amortizable monthly for not less than SO years, with interest not to exceed to be determined before completion of unit percent per annum and approval of any third party Second Note. Buyer shall apply for all financing within 45 days and shall make every reasonable effort to obtain approval. If all financing cannot be approved by closing, this contract shall terminate and Earnest *279 Money shall be refunded to Buyer without delay. 1

Appellee claims she attempted in good faith to obtain financing. Appellant on the other hand contends that an issue of fact exists as to whether appellee attempted in good faith to obtain financing, and whether she made “every reasonable effort to obtain approval.” We agree that a fact issue exists. In her affidavit, appellee states on May 26, 1982 she applied to Jefferson Savings and Loan Association in McAllen for a loan to finance the balance of the purchase price on the condominium. She claims that she was rejected because she had insufficient assets and income. She asserts that she is certain that she would not qualify at any other conventional lending institution. The affidavit of R.L. Knudsen, an Assistant Vice-President of the Jefferson Savings and Loan Association, was included as summary judgment proof. He testified that, at the time of the application, appellee did not evidence sufficient income from employment or assets to qualify for a loan. Therefore, it was necessary to reject her loan application. Appellee’s deposition revealed that the Jefferson Savings & Loan Association was the only bank to which appellee applied for a loan.

The movant in a summary judgment proceeding has the burden of showing that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Town North Nat. Bank v. Broaddus, 569 S.W.2d 489 (Tex.1978). All doubts concerning the existence of a material fact question are to be resolved against the party moving for summary judgment and the evidence viewed in a light most favorable to the non-movant. Wilcox v. St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, 531 S.W.2d 589 (Tex.1975).

A summary judgment may be based on the affidavit of an interested witness. However, the affidavit must be clear, positive and direct, otherwise credible and free from contradictions and could have been readily controverted. TEX.R. CIV.P. 166-A; Bankers Commercial Life Insurance Co. v. Scott, 631 S.W.2d 228 (Tex.App.—Tyler 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.); A & S Electrical Contractors, Inc. v. Fischer, 622 S.W.2d 601 (Tex.App.—Tyler 1981, no writ). Appellee’s affidavit does not meet this test. She claims that she attempted to obtain financing in good faith. Her affidavit, however, is a self-serving statement of her intentions and beliefs. Issues of good faith and whether appellee made every reasonable effort are not susceptible to being readily controverted. They are best left to the fact finder for determination.

While the affidavits of appellee and Knudsen may be some evidence that appel-lee attempted in good faith to obtain financing, they do not establish this issue as a matter of law. Appellant’s first point of error is sustained.

Appellant also asserts there is a fact issue with regard to whether there were payments made on the contract. The record reflects that $14,990.00 worth of escrow deposit checks were paid. One check for $4,500.00 was signed by Mrs. Solalinde de Castillo on September 5, 1981. Two checks were signed by appellee’s husband, one for $2,995.00 on September 25, 1981, and the other for $7,495.00, signed on January 16, 1982.

Appellee asserts that it is irrelevant whether payments were made by her personally or by another in her behalf. The record shows that some of the escrow deposit checks were signed by appellee’s husband. Appellant filed a plea in abatement and an Amended Response to the Motion for Summary Judgment, claiming that the appellee’s husband was an “indispensable” party to the suit. Privity of contract is an essential element of recovery on an action based upon a contract. Graham v. Turcotte, 628 S.W.2d 182 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1982, no writ); Republic National Bank v. National Bankers Life Insurance Co.,

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673 S.W.2d 276, 1984 Tex. App. LEXIS 5509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/major-investments-inc-v-de-castillo-texapp-1984.