Nueces Trust Co. v. White

564 S.W.2d 798
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 28, 1978
Docket1255
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 564 S.W.2d 798 (Nueces Trust Co. v. White) 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
Nueces Trust Co. v. White, 564 S.W.2d 798 (Tex. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

OPINION

BISSETT, Justice.

This is a suit to recover damages, both actual and punitive, caused by the alleged wrongful withholding of possession of a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin of a 1975 Cadillac automobile, the wrongful withholding of a Certificate of Title to the automobile, and the wrongful assertion of a lien against the same. Suit was instituted by Carlos T. (Buddy) White, “d/b/a E-Z Motor Mobile Home Sales & Service”, against Nueces Trust Company in the District Court of Nueces County, Texas, on May 13,1976. Nueces Trust filed a general denial in the action brought against it by White; it filed a cross action against White to recover the balance ($6,336.36) alleged to be due it on a note executed in its favor by Gary Hardee, who was alleged to have been a partner in E — Z Motor Company on the date the note was signed; it further filed a third party action against Gary Hardee. Trial was to the court sitting without a jury.

Judgment was signed on May 6, 1977. Under the terms of the judgment, Nueces Trust was directed to deliver the Certificate of Title to the Cadillac automobile in question to White “with all liens or security interest shown in favor of said Nueces Trust Company properly released by an authorized officer of said defendant”; it was further provided in the judgment that “damages shall accrue at the rate of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per day from date of judgment so long as the above mentioned Certificate of Title is withheld from the plaintiff”; in addition, White was awarded $2,000.00 as actual damages incurred to date of judgment, and $2,000.00 as punitive damages. The judgment further denied Nueces Trust all relief sought by it against White on its cross action and awarded Nueces Trust a recovery of $6,000.34 against Gary Hardee. Nueces Trust still withholds the Certificate of Title from plaintiff White.

*800 Nueces Trust appeals only from that portion of the judgment which awarded damages to White. It does not bring forward a point of error which challenges that portion of the judgment which directed it (Nueces Trust) to deliver the Certificate of Title to the Cadillac to White with all liens shown thereon in favor of Nueces Trust released, nor does it complain by a point of error relating to the denial of the relief sought by its cross action against White. Hardee did not appeal from that portion of the judgment which was adverse to him.

Where a statement of facts has been filed but neither findings of fact nor conclusions have been requested nor filed, as is the case here, the appellate court may affirm the judgment of the trial court on any legal theory supported by the evidence. We apply that rule to this appeal.

Formal demand for the return of the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin of the Cadillac was made on Nueces Trust by White on October 17, 1975. Nueces Trust refused to return the same. Formal demand was made on White by Nueces Trust on December 31, 1975 for the payment of the net balance, “including sales tax and license expense paid”, due on the note which was executed by Hardee on February 21, 1975. White refused to pay such balance.

In its first point of error, Nueces Trust asserts that the trial court erred in failing to grant said motion since the partnership between Hardee and White was “admitted as a matter of law”. We do not agree.

White alleged that he was the owner of the Cadillac automobile here involved at all times material to this lawsuit; that he was informed that Nueces Trust had loaned money to Gary Hardee who purported to be a partner in E-Z Motor Company, the name in which the title to the Cadillac had been issued by the dealer; that Nueces Trust claimed a lien on the automobile because of the loan to Hardee; that he advised Nueces Trust that Hardee did not have any authority to create a lien on the automobile, and that Nueces Trust’s possession of the original Statement of Origin of Title was unlawful and that such possession deprived him (White) of the right to sell or trade the automobile at its most advantageous market price. White demanded a return of the original Statement of Origin of Title, which was refused by Nueces Trust.

In a verified cross petition and third party petition, Nueces Trust alleged that White and Hardee were partners doing business under the name of E-Z Motor Company; that on or about February 21, 1975, Hardee, acting as a partner for E-Z Motor Company, executed and delivered to Nueces Trust a promissory note in the original sum of $6,336.36, which was secured by a security agreement or mortgage on the automobile in question; that Hardee made certain payments on the note in the total amount of $528.04, but failed to pay any of the installments which became due after July 1, 1975, whereupon Nueces Trust declared the balance on the note to be due and payable. Nueces Trust prayed for a recovery of the balance ($5,808.32) due on the note, for foreclosure of its mortgage on the automobile, for costs, and for reasonable attorney’s fees.

White, in his answer to Nueces Trust’s cross petition, which was not verified but was sworn to on October 27, 1976 and filed the next day, denied that Hardee was ever a partner with him in any business, particularly in E-Z Motor Company. He further denied that he authorized Hardee to execute the note and security agreement described in the cross petition. Hardee did not file an answer to the third party petition. He did not testify in person at the trial, but portions of his deposition and answer to interrogatories were introduced into evidence over White’s objections.

Trial commenced on March 11, 1977. After several witnesses called by both White and Nueces Trust testified, the trial was recessed until March 30, 1977, when it was resumed. At that time, which was before either party had rested or closed, Nueces Trust moved, by a written motion, that the court decree as a matter of law that a partnership existed between White and Hardee. In support thereof, Nueces Trust *801 asserted: 1) It (Nueces Trust) “by sworn pleadings, duly verified, and offered as evidence in this case, alleged the existence of a partnership between the cross-defendants, Carlos T. (Buddy) White and Gary Hardee”; 2) the existence of such a partnership was admitted by Gary Hardee in his deposition and in his answers to “Requests for Admissions”; and 3) “the existence of a partnership having been raised by the cross-plaintiff under oath and not having been denied by verified pleadings by the cross-defendant Carlos T. (Buddy) White”, then under Rule 93(b) T.R.C.P., “the partnership must be deemed admitted as a matter of law”.

The trial court, over objection by Nueces Trust, then permitted White to file a document, entitled “Amended Affidavit to Plaintiff’s Answer to Defendant’s Cross-Petition”, which reads, as follows:

“My name is Carlos T Buddy White I am the plaintiff in cause # 76-1382-B Carlos T. White VS Nueces Trust Company and Cross Defendant. I have personal knowledge of the matter contained in Plaintiff’s Answer to Defendant Amended Cross-Petition and state under oath that the allegations in such cross petition were verified by me under oath on the 27th day of October 1976 and state under oath today that the allegations contained in such pleading are true and correct.

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Bluebook (online)
564 S.W.2d 798, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nueces-trust-co-v-white-texapp-1978.