Miga v. Jensen

214 S.W.3d 81, 2006 WL 3438231
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 11, 2007·No. 2-05-277-CV·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinions

OPINION

DIXON W. HOLMAN, Justice.

Appellant Dennis L. Miga appeals the trial court’s granting of summary judgment in favor of Appellee Ronald L. Jensen. Jensen filed this lawsuit against Miga, seeking the recovery of an approximately $28,400,000 payment that he tendered to Miga toward the satisfaction of a judgment in order to stop the running of postjudgment interest on the judgment pending cross-appeals.

Following the initial lawsuit, the Texas Supreme Court reversed the trial court’s judgment, directed the entry of a judgment for $1,034,400, and directed that Miga receive ten percent postjudgment interest, compounded annually. See Miga v. Jensen, 96 S.W.3d 207, 217-18 (Tex.2002) (Miga I). Jensen then brought this lawsuit to recover the overpayment, and both parties moved for summary judgment. The trial court granted Jensen’s motion for summary judgment and denied Miga’s motion for summary judgment. In five issues, Miga asserts that the trial court erred by granting Jensen’s motion for summary judgment because he is not required to repay the money that Jensen voluntarily agreed to unconditionally tender and because there are genuine issues of material fact. We affirm.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

This case has its origins in a prior lawsuit filed by Miga against Jensen. In that case, the jury found for Miga on his theories of breach of contract, common law fraud, and fraud in a stock transaction. Miga filed a motion for judgment on the verdict, and Jensen filed a motion for judg[84] ment notwithstanding the verdict. The trial court disregarded the jury’s findings of common law and statutory fraud and the jury’s award of punitive damages and entered judgment for Miga for $18,810,086 on his claim for breach of contract. The trial court also awarded Miga prejudgment interest on the amount of actual damages awarded amounting to $4,486,385.86.

Both parties appealed to this court, and we affirmed the trial court’s judgment notwithstanding the verdict, which disregarded the jury’s fraud and punitive damages claim. Miga v. Jensen, 25 S.W.3d 370, 381 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 2000), aff'd in part, rev’d in part, 96 S.W.3d 207 (Tex.2002) (Miga I). After holding that the trial court’s judgment on Miga’s contract claim provided for a double recovery, we rendered judgment awarding Miga damages for $17,775,686. Id. at 381.

To suspend execution of the judgment pending appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, Jensen filed a supersedeas bond in the amount of $25,496,623.39, which subsequent riders increased to $29,500,000. Shortly after this court’s decision in Miga I, the parties entered into an Agreed Order, which the trial court signed, under which Jensen made “an unconditional tender [to Miga] ... of the sum of $23,439,532.78 ... toward satisfaction of the Judgment in order to terminate the accrual of post-judgment interest on that sum.”

After this court’s opinion in Miga I, both parties filed petitions for review in the Texas Supreme Court, which were granted. The supreme court held that the proper measure of damages for the breach of a stock option contract was the amount the jury had awarded for the value of the stock at the time of the breach, which amounted to $1,034,400, and directed that the case be remanded to the trial court for rendition of a judgment for Miga in that amount, along with prejudgment and post-judgment interest. Id. at 215-17. In that opinion, the supreme court considered and rejected Miga’s assertion that Jensen’s $23,439,532.78 payment to Miga mooted his right to appeal. See id. at 211-12. Miga filed a motion for rehearing, seeking clarification regarding whether he was entitled to keep the payment, but the supreme court denied the motion for rehearing without opinion.

On remand, Miga moved for entry of a modified judgment in accordance with the supreme court’s opinion, judgment, and mandate. Jensen filed a cross-motion for restitution, requesting that the trial court render judgment against Miga for over $27 million, representing the approximately $23,400,000 unconditional payment, less the approximately $1.8 million awarded to Miga under the supreme court’s ruling, plus interest. The trial court rendered judgment for Miga for $1,879,382.11, including contract damages, attorney’s fees, court costs, principal, and interest. The trial court addressed only the issues specifically directed by the supreme court’s mandate and expressly declined to address Jensen’s cross-motion for restitution.

Jensen subsequently filed this lawsuit, seeking recovery of $21,560,150.67, plus interest, under theories of restitution, money had and received, and unjust enrichment. Miga filed a combined no-evidence and traditional motion for summary judgment, and Jensen filed a response and cross-motion for traditional summary judgment. The parties continued to file supplemental and renewed motions for summary judgment. The trial court signed an order granting Jensen’s renewed motion for summary judgment1 and denying Miga’s [85] renewed motion for summary judgment. The trial court also signed a judgment awarding Jensen $21,560,150.67, together with prejudgment and postjudgment interest against Miga and his wife. Following the parties’ stipulation dismissing Miga’s wife, the trial court signed a modified judgment assessing the judgment against Miga alone. This appeal followed.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

In a summary judgment case, the issue on appeal is whether the movant met the summary judgment burden by establishing that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Sw. Elec. Power Co. v. Grant, 73 S.W.3d 211, 215 (Tex.2002); City of Houston v. Clear Creek Basin Auth., 589 S.W.2d 671, 678 (Tex.1979). The burden of proof is on the movant, and all doubts about the existence of a genuine issue of material fact are resolved against the movant. Sw. Elec. Power Co., 73 S.W.3d at 215.

When reviewing a summary judgment, we take as true all evidence favorable to the nonmovant, and we indulge every reasonable inference and resolve any doubts in the nonmovant’s favor. Valence Operating Co. v. Dorsett, 164 S.W.3d 656, 661 (Tex.2005). Evidence that favors the mov-ant’s position will not be considered unless it is uncontroverted. Great Am. Reserve Ins. Co. v. San Antonio Plumbing Supply Co., 391 S.W.2d 41, 47 (Tex.1965).

The summary judgment will be affirmed only if the record establishes that the mov-ant has conclusively proved all essential elements of the movant’s cause of action or defense as a matter of law. Clear Creek Basin, 589 S.W.2d at 678.

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Miga v. Jensen, 214 S.W.3d 81, 2006 WL 3438231 (Tex. Ct. App. 2007).

214 S.W.3d 81 (Miga v. Jensen) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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