National Bugmobiles, Inc. v. Jobi Properties

773 S.W.2d 616, 1989 WL 55385
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 25, 1989
Docket13-88-215-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 773 S.W.2d 616 (National Bugmobiles, Inc. v. Jobi Properties) 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
National Bugmobiles, Inc. v. Jobi Properties, 773 S.W.2d 616, 1989 WL 55385 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinions

OPINION

BENAVIDES, Justice.

Jobi Properties, appellee, brought suit against National Bugmobiles, Inc., appellant, alleging breach of warranty, deceptive trade practices, and negligence for failing to treat appellee’s home for termites free of charge as provided in a written warranty issued by appellant. The trial was before the court and, without stating the basis of its judgment, the trial court found in favor of the appellee and awarded actual damages with pre-judgment interest in the amount of $1,302.01.

On appeal, appellant asserts six points of error for review and appellee presents twelve cross-points. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

Appellant asserts by its first point of error that the judgment should be reversed because the trial court failed to make findings of fact and conclusions of law. Appellee contends that appellant did not preserve this point because appellant never timely or properly presented its requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law to the trial judge for a ruling. Tex. R.Civ.P. 296 provides that:

In any case tried in the district or county court without a jury, the judge shall, at the request of either party state in writing his findings of fact and conclusions of law. Such request shall be filed within ten days after the final judgment is signed (emphasis ours).

Additionally, Tex.R.Civ.P. 297 requires that:

When demand is made therefor, the court shall prepare its findings of fact and conclusions of law and file same within thirty days after the judgment is signed_ If the trial judge shall fail so to file them, the party so demanding, in order to complain of the failure, shall, in writing, within five days after such date, call the omission to the attention of the judge, whereupon the period for preparation and filing shall be automatically extended for five days after such notification (emphasis ours).

In the case now before us, the judgment was signed on February 1, 1988. On February 11, 1988, appellant filed with the court a written request for findings of fact and conclusions of law. After the trial judge failed to make the requested findings and conclusions, appellant timely filed its notification, or reminder, with the District Clerk of Victoria County regarding its request for findings of fact and conclusions of law. The record before us, however, does not indicate that appellant presented its initial request or subsequent reminder to the trial judge. Likewise, the record does not contain any findings of fact or conclusions of law.

Appellee, relying on Lassiter v. Bliss, 559 S.W.2d 353 (Tex.1977), argues that the initial request for findings of fact and conclusions of law, as well as the subsequent complaint for the court’s failure to file such, must be presented to the judge him[618]*618self.1 It further argues that since the appellant never properly presented its request and reminder to the trial judge, it waived its right to complain on appeal about the court’s failure to make such findings.

The Texas Supreme Court recently overruled Lassiter and all other cases, which required that the initial request for findings and conclusions be both filed and presented to the trial judge within ten days after the signing of the final judgment. Cherne Industries, Inc. v. Magallanes, 763 S.W.2d 768 (Tex.1989). The court noted that the plain language of Rule 296 does not require that the initial request be presented to the judge himself; rather it requires only that it “be filed within ten days after the final judgment is signed.” Id. at 770.

The court, however, did not overrule its holding in Lassiter which requires the presentment of the subsequent reminder to the trial judge.2 The plain language of Rule 297, as compared to Rule 296, requires that the party requesting the findings and conclusions call to the attention of the trial judge that he has failed to make such findings. The Supreme Court in Las-siter explained that the purpose of Rule 297 is to ensure that the judge is fully apprised of the initial request. Id. at 771.

In the instant case, appellant timely filed its initial request for findings of fact and conclusions of law thereby satisfying the requirements of Rule 296. However, after the court failed to file the requested findings and conclusions, appellant did not call the omission to the attention of the trial judge as required by Rule 297. Simply filing the subsequent reminder with the clerk does not satisfy the Rule 297 requirement that the demanding party call the omission to the attention of the judge. Therefore, we hold that since appellant did not properly remind the court of its failure to make the requested findings and conclusions, it cannot now complain of such failure. Appellant’s first point of error is overruled.

By its fifth point of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred in excluding defendant’s exhibit number one, a business record. Appellee had successfully complained that a proper predicate had not been laid. We have reviewed the record and find no abuse of discretion in excluding the exhibit because appellant failed to establish that the document was in fact an admissible business record pursuant to Rule 803(6).

Moreover, appellant does not show this Court how it was harmed by the exclusion of such evidence. To the contrary, appellant argues in its brief that the document merely “confirms” other testimony which was admitted. Thus, the excluded document was merely cumulative of other evidence. A case will not be reversed for the exclusion of evidence which is merely cumulative of other testimony admitted. Houston Lighting and Power Co. v. Sue, 644 S.W.2d 835, 839 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1982, writ ref'd n.r.e.). Appellant’s fifth point of error is overruled.

Next, both appellant and appellee challenge the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence. In determining the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence, we will follow the well established test as provided in Pool v. Ford Motor Co., 715 S.W.2d 629, 635 (Tex.1986.)

The record reflects that appellee is a partnership, owned by John and Billie Scheumack, engaged in the real estate business. In May of 1981, the Komfuehrer estate (hereinafter referred to as the estate) owned a house located at 409 South Williams Street in Victoria, Texas. The Scheumacks were interested in purchasing the Williams Street property on behalf of [619]*619appellee. At trial, Billie testified that when they entered into the contract to purchase the home, one of the conditions of sale was that a termite inspection be conducted. The record reflects that the representative of the estate contacted appellant and requested it inspect the house for termites.

Joseph Bassano, Jr., appellant’s vice-president and chief executive officer, testified at trial that he and another employee inspected the house on Williams Street. According to Bassano, the house was empty when it was inspected.

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773 S.W.2d 616, 1989 WL 55385, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-bugmobiles-inc-v-jobi-properties-texapp-1989.