Pamela SCHEEL and Gary M. Poenisch, Appellants v. Brian ALFARO and Primera Energy Partners, L.L.C., Appellees

406 S.W.3d 216, 2013 WL 2015103, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 5942
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 15, 2013
Docket04-11-00443-CV, 04-11-00649-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 406 S.W.3d 216 (Pamela SCHEEL and Gary M. Poenisch, Appellants v. Brian ALFARO and Primera Energy Partners, L.L.C., Appellees) 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
Pamela SCHEEL and Gary M. Poenisch, Appellants v. Brian ALFARO and Primera Energy Partners, L.L.C., Appellees, 406 S.W.3d 216, 2013 WL 2015103, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 5942 (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by:

SANDEE BRYAN MARION, Justice.

In these consolidated appeals, Pamela Scheel challenges the trial court’s order setting aside a courthouse-steps sale conducted by a receiver pursuant to two turnover orders and the trial court’s setting aside of those turnover orders. Gary Poenisch, who was Scheel’s trial counsel, appeals from a sanctions order entered against him. We reverse a portion of the *220 sanctions against Poenisch, but affirm in all other respects.

BACKGROUND

In an underlying lawsuit, Pamela Scheel sued Brian Alfaro, Johnny Day, and Prim-era Energy Partners, L.L.C. (“PEP”). On July 15, 2010, a final judgment was rendered in favor of Scheel awarding her actual damages in the amount of $1,688.67, plus attorney’s fees, costs, and interest for a total of $34,553.67. Alfaro and PEP (collectively, “appellees”) timely filed a motion for new trial on August 16, 2010.

On September 10, 2010, while the new trial motion was still pending and the parties were in settlement negotiations, Scheel sought and obtained two identical ex parte turnover orders, one as to Alfaro and the other as to PEP. In both orders, the trial court appointed Jesse White as receiver with authority to take possession of and sell the non-exempt property that was the subject of each order. On September 16, 2010, Scheel’s attorney, Gary Poenisch, sent a letter to Elizabeth McLaughlin, appellees’ trial counsel, that discussed three separate lawsuits: the “Selva case,” the “Martinez case,” and the “Scheel case.” The two-page, single-spaced letter begins with a paragraph regarding the Selva case and references a designation of the record and an enclosed copy of a June 25, 2010 order, discusses other matters, and ends with asking whether Alfaro would consider a settlement. The next paragraph regards the Martinez ease and references two other enclosed orders. The third paragraph regards the Scheel case and begins with the sentence: “With respect to Ms. Scheel’s case against Alfaro and [PEP], a final judgment exists.” The paragraph then references an enclosed request for production of documents; states Poenisch has reviewed defendants’ motion for new trial and explains why he believes it lacks merit; discusses the costs of an appeal should Alfaro decide to appeal; encourages appel-lees to pay the judgment; states, “With respect to [Alfaro and PEP], orders were signed on September 2010 enforcing the judgment by turnover.”', and ends with a request that if appellees desire to settle, payment of the entire judgment amount should be made to Poenisch and Scheel and delivered to his office. [Emphasis added.] This single sentence is the only notice provided to appellees that the two ex parte turnover orders had been obtained and signed. Copies of the turnover orders were not provided. McLaughlin acknowledged she received and read the letter on September 16. She said she did not take any action on the two turnover orders, she did not ask Poenisch for copies of the orders, and she did not seek to obtain copies of the orders from the court because she believed she and Poenisch “were engaged in a good faith effort to negotiate a settlement agreement on this matter [the Scheel case].... [And she] responded to his settlement offer with a counter offer.”

On September 21, 2010, again while the motion for new trial was pending and the parties were in settlement negotiations, the court-appointed receiver, Jesse White, conducted a courthouse-steps sale without notice to appellees or their counsel. The sale yielded a total of $4,020.00, $2,010.00 for each defendant. Scheel was the purchaser. In consideration for the $4,020.00, White conveyed to Scheel virtually all of appellees’ assets. On September 28, 2010, the trial court granted appellees’ motion for new trial.

At some point in January 2011, the parties settled the underlying suit. An order signed by the trial court on February 3, 2011, states as follows:

*221 On the 13th day of January, 2011, came on for hearing the Motion for Clarification filed by [Scheel], ... [T]he parties entered stipulations on the record that provided that the Order Granting Motion for New Trial and Motion for Re-mittitur, signed on September 28, 2010 and corrected by nunc pro tunc on December 1, 2010, is vacated, and the Final Judgment signed on July 15, 2010 is a final subsisting judgment; the Plaintiff [Scheel] will remit the sum of $16,250.00, the Court is of the opinion that the parties are in agreement and that the following order should be entered....

On January 25, 2011, Poenisch filed a Satisfaction of Judgment, which stated the July 15, 2010, judgment “is paid in full, and the Defendants and sole judgment debtors, [Alfaro and PEP], are hereby released and discharged from” the final judgment.

On April 1, 2011, Poenisch filed a motion to approve the receiver’s report. On April 14, 2011, Poenisch sent two letters, one to appellees’ counsel and one to Alfaro, notifying them of the motion and, for the first time, that a receiver’s sale had been conducted on September 21, 2010, and a bill of sale had been conveyed to Scheel “conveying, among other things, all of [Alfaro’s] interest in any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or trust, as well as all automobiles, bank accounts, mineral interests, and other personal property more particularly described in the attached Bill of Sale.” The letter to appellees’ counsel terminated their services as attorneys for PEP and as attorneys for six other entities that were not parties to the underlying suit. The letter to Alfaro terminated his services as officer, manager, broker, agent, and employee of PEP and of six other entities that were not parties to the underlying suit. Alfaro was instructed to relinquish the keys to his offices and vehicles and he was informed his “continued presence on the Property [was] strictly prohibited.”

On April 14, 2011, appellees took action, and filed an application for a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction, which was granted. The TRO was extended to May 9, 2011. On May 6 and 11, 2011, appellees filed objections to the approval of the receiver’s report and motions to set aside the receiver’s sale, remove the receiver, and for sanctions alleging the turnover and receiver’s sale all occurred without their knowledge, while the motion for new trial was pending, and in the midst of settlement negotiations. Following a May 12, 2011 hearing, Judge Nellermoe signed a June 23, 2011 order denying confirmation of the receiver’s report, vacating and setting aside the receiver’s sale, removing the receiver, and issuing monetary sanctions against Poenisch. Both Scheel and Poenisch appeal from that order in cause number 04-11-00443-CV. On June 24, 2011, appellees moved to set aside the turnover orders arguing the orders were void due to the subsequent settlement and release of judgment and because the trial court did not have authority to enter turnover orders that divested property while a timely-filed motion for new trial was pending. The motion was granted, and Judge Stryker signed the order on August 5, 2011. Scheel appeals from this order in cause number 04-11-00649-CV.

RECEIVER’S SALE

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406 S.W.3d 216, 2013 WL 2015103, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 5942, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pamela-scheel-and-gary-m-poenisch-appellants-v-brian-alfaro-and-primera-texapp-2013.