Motors Ins. Corporation v. Freeman

304 S.W.2d 580, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1995
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 21, 1957
Docket15308
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 304 S.W.2d 580 (Motors Ins. Corporation v. Freeman) 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
Motors Ins. Corporation v. Freeman, 304 S.W.2d 580, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1995 (Tex. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

DIXON, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from an order overruling a plea of privilege, whereby appellant sought to have a cause transferred for trial from Van Zandt County, Texas, to Dallas County, Texas.

Appellee O. H. Freeman, plaintiff in the trial court, was the owner of an automobile which was totally destroyed in a collision. Appellant Motors Insurance Corporation was the insurance carrier.

Appellee, in his brief on appeal, contends that his suit is a suit on the insurance contract, hence under Art. 1995, subd. 28, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St., venue properly lies in Van Zandt County, where he resides and where the automobile in question was situated.

We are unable to agree with appel-lee that his suit is a suit on the insurance contract. We must look to his petition, not to his controverting affidavit or his brief, to determine the nature of the action. Hammonds v. Hammonds, Tex.Civ.App., 278 S.W.2d 380, at page 382, reversed on other grounds, Sup., 285 S.W.2d 362; Austin v. Grissom-Robertson Stores, Tex.Civ.App., 32 S.W.2d 205, at page 206 ; 43-B Tex.Jur. 368; and when we do so we find that appellee filed a suit seeking reformation of a written settlement agreement between the parties, which settlement agreement was alleged to have been executed in Van Zandt County.

That such is the nature of appellee’s cause of action is evident from the material parts of his petition, which we here quote: “II. On or about December 7, 1954 the defendant, its agents, servants and employees came to Ben Wheeler in Van Zandt County, Texas and contacted the plaintiff at said time and place for the purpose of effecting an agreed settlement for the damage done to said car. That at said time and place the agent, servant and employee of the defendant presented to the plaintiff an agreed settlement to sign. The plaintiff was advised that it would be necessary for him to sign this agreement in order that the plaintiff could get his money for the loss of said car. The agent, servant and employee of the defendant at said time and place told the plaitiff that if he would sign said agreement that the note against the car which was held by *582 GMAC would be paid off and that in addition to paying off the note the defendant Insurance Company would pay the plaintiff $500.00 for his equity in the car. III. That at the time of the signing of said agreement by the plaintiff no amount of loss was shown on the agreement. That later said agreement was filled in by the defendant, its agent, servant and employee to show that the plaintiff would settle the loss for $1,950.00 and that the loan company would be paid out of that. That said amount of $1,950.00 was not sufficient to pay of the loss and pay the plaintiff his $500.00 which he was to get. That said amount was actually only $15.94 more than the loan company held against the car. That under said agreement the plaintiff actually got $484.06 less than said adjuster promised him. IV. If plaintiff be mistaken in his allegations that said agreement did not contain a statement that he would take $1,950.00 for his loss, then he • alleges in the alternative that at the time he signed said agreement in Van Zandt County, Texas he was advised that the amount shown on the loss would be sufficient to pay off the loss and pay him $500.00 and that in signing said statement he was led to believe that he would actually get the $500.00 to his part and that relying on said promise he did not check the amount, if any, that was shown to see if it showed enough to pay the loss and pay him $500.00. * * * Wherefore plaintiff prays that * * * he have judgment reforming the agreement signed by him to the extent that he may be allowed the amount promised him which was $500.00 less the $15.94 he has been paid. * * * ”

• Appellant in its plea of privilege alleged that appellant had its principal office in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas at 820 North Harwood Street; that it did not maintain án agency or representative in Van Zandt County; that the nearest county in which appellant maintained an agency or representative is Dallas County, Texas; and that neither appellee’s alleged cause of action nor any part thereof arose in Van Zandt County, Texas.

Appellant grounds its appeal on two alleged points of error: (1) Appellee failed to prove essential venue facts; and (2) appellee’s original petition sought simply to reform a written contract and his controverting affidavit attempted to change his cause of action to one of fraud.

At the hearing only two witnesses testified. Appellee testified in his own behalf. An employee of appellant testified for appellant. Their testimony was conflicting in some respects. So it becomes necessary for us to determine whether there is sufficient evidence in the record to sustain the trial court’s judgment overruling appellant’s plea of privilege.

The only written settlement agreement shown in the record was introduced by appellant without objection. It is dated December 7, 1954 and is shown by the acknowledgment signed by the notary public and by the testimony of appellee himself to have been executed in Wood County, Texas, not in Van Zandt County, Texas as alleged by appellee in his petition. This instrument, signed by appellee in Wood County, expressly provides “ * * * that the total loss or damage * * * for which claim is made * * * is cash $1,950.00 and from this amount I direct my balance with GMAC be paid with the remainder to me.”

In his controverting affidavit appellee takes the position that his petition alleges a fraud committed in Van Zandt County, Texas, and that appellant is a corporation, so under Art. 1995, subds. 7 and 23, V.A.C.S., venue properly lies in Van Zandt County, Texas.

In connection with this contention by appellee we think it is appropriate to quote material parts of appellee’s testimony as follows:

“Q. So your petition was wrong when it was filed — if they owe you any money, it *583 wasn’t $500.00 was it, when you filed your petition you sued for $500.00? A. Yes.
“Q. And you admit that $225.00 has been paid to you? A. Yes, sir. * * *
“Q. N'ow a minute ago you testified that when you talked with the insurance adjuster for the Motors Insurance Corporation — do you remember his name? -A. Irving.
“Q. Could it be Ivan Cunningham? A. Yes.
“Q. He told you that he could replace the car? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And he did not replace the car? A. He said he was trying to find one and couldn’t find one. * * *
“Q. That is your signature? A. Yes sir. * * *
“Q. Did you sign this thing over there at Mineóla, Texas? A. I don’t know whether that was the paper I signed or not.
“Q. Was there something else you signed over there? A. No, he said “You will have to sign this to get your money’ and we did and then left. * * *
“Q. You signed a paper and this could be it ? A. It could be.

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Bluebook (online)
304 S.W.2d 580, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1995, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/motors-ins-corporation-v-freeman-texapp-1957.