Panizo v. YOUNG MEN'S ASS'N

938 S.W.2d 163
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 30, 1996
Docket01-95-01349-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 938 S.W.2d 163 (Panizo v. YOUNG MEN'S ASS'N) 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
Panizo v. YOUNG MEN'S ASS'N, 938 S.W.2d 163 (Tex. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

938 S.W.2d 163 (1996)

Patricia PANIZO, Appellant and Cross-Appellee,
v.
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA D/B/A The Post Oak Young Men's Christian Association, Appellee and Cross-Appellant.

No. 01-95-01349-CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston (1st Dist.).

December 30, 1996.

*165 Craig R. Keener, Houston, for appellant and cross-appellee.

L. Keith Slade, Houston, for appellee and cross-appellant.

Before HUTSON-DUNN, O'CONNOR and TAFT, JJ.

OPINION

HUTSON-DUNN, Justice.

This is a breach of contract case. The plaintiff appeals and asserts in two points of error the trial court erred in refusing to award attorney's fees. The defendant also appeals and asserts in one point of error the trial court erred in submitting a damage issue to the jury because the plaintiff did not present any evidence to raise the issue. We affirm the portion of the judgment that awards damages derived from the issue the defendant contends the trial court should not *166 have submitted. We reverse the portion of the judgment that denies the plaintiff attorney's fees and remand the cause for further proceedings on the issue of attorney's fees.

A.

Summary of Facts

The plaintiff in the trial court, Patricia Panizo, sued the defendant, the Post Oak Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), after a YMCA lifeguard sexually assaulted Panizo's daughter. Panizo sued individually and on behalf of her daughter. The daughter's case settled. Panizo's case in her individual capacity was submitted to a jury on breach of contract and fraud theories. The jury returned a take-nothing verdict on the fraud claim, but awarded $1,000 on the contract claim for past medical and psychiatric expenses that Panizo had incurred for treatment of her daughter. The parties agreed the trial court would decide the issue of attorney's fees. The court held a hearing and heard evidence on attorney's fees.

In its judgment, the court awarded Panizo $1,000 based on the jury's verdict, plus $600 in prejudgment interest. However, the court did not award Panizo attorney's fees. Both parties have perfected an appeal of the judgment.

B.

The YMCA's Appeal

In its sole point of error, the YMCA contends the trial court erred when it submitted to the jury the issue of past medical and psychiatric expenses that Panizo incurred on behalf of her daughter. Specifically, the YMCA contends there was no evidence to support the submission of this issue because the evidence does not show the expenses were reasonably necessary as a result of the injuries that the lifeguard inflicted on Panizo's daughter. The YMCA preserved this error by timely objecting to the submission of this issue on the same basis and obtaining a ruling from the trial court. See TEX. R.CIV.P. 272, 274; Steves Sash & Door Co. v. Ceco Corp., 751 S.W.2d 473, 477 (Tex.1988) (objection to submission of jury question preserves "no evidence" point of error); M.D. Anderson Hosp. v. Felter, 837 S.W.2d 245, 247 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1992, no writ).

Panizo responds to the YMCA's point of error by asserting: (1) there was sufficient evidence that the expenses were incurred as a result of the sexual assault; (2) the YMCA has waived its point of error by not supplying a complete record; (3) the YMCA's limited appeal is improper and should be stricken; and (4) the YMCA's appeal is frivolous, entitling Panizo to additional damages. See TEX. R.APP.P. 84 (appeal sanctions rule).

We first consider whether the YMCA's limited appeal is improper and should be stricken. Panizo contends the YMCA's limited appeal is improper under TEX.R.APP.P. 40(a)(4) because the YMCA is attempting to appeal a portion of the judgment that is not severable. The purpose of rule 40(a)(4) is to allow the appellant to limit its appeal and prevent the appellee from raising cross-points without perfecting an independent appeal. See Warren v. Triland Inv. Group, 779 S.W.2d 808, 809 (Tex.1989). Without deciding whether the YMCA complied with rule 40(a)(4), we note that each party in this case perfected its own appeal rather than raising cross-points of error in its opponent's appeal. Therefore, we conclude rule 40(a)(4) does not support overruling the YMCA's point of error on this ground.

We next consider whether the YMCA waived its point of error by not supplying a complete record. The YMCA attempted to limit the record in its appeal by filing a partial statement of facts and designating its sole point of error. See TEX.R.APP.P. 53(d).[1] The YMCA requested the court reporter to transcribe and include in the statement of facts the following parts of the record: (1) the transcription of testimony by Dr. Stephen *167 Kramer at the jury trial on liability; (2) all objections to the charge; (3) the evidence from the first non-jury hearing on attorney's fees, February 17, 1995; and (4) the evidence from the second non-jury hearing on attorney's fees, July 28, 1995. In response to the YMCA's request, Panizo requested that additional parts of the record be included in the statement of facts. See TEX.R.APP.P. 53(b). However, even adding the parts requested by Panizo, we still do not have a complete statement of facts from the trial on liability.

Under its sole point of error, the YMCA challenges the evidence to support the submission of a jury issue on past medical and psychiatric expenses that Panizo incurred on behalf of her daughter. We hold the YMCA waived its point of error by not providing a complete statement of facts.

The YMCA has raised a no evidence point of error. When an appellant raises a no evidence or insufficient evidence point of error, it has the burden to provide a complete statement of facts on appeal. Schafer v. Conner, 813 S.W.2d 154, 155 (Tex. 1991); City of Baytown v. C.L. Winter, Inc., 886 S.W.2d 515, 520 n. 1 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1994, writ denied). Rule 53(d) does not apply to points of error challenging the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence. Schafer, 813 S.W.2d at 155; C.L. Winter, Inc., 886 S.W.2d at 520 n. 1. Without rule 53(d), a partial statement of facts creates the presumption that the omitted evidence supports the trial court's judgment. Schafer, 813 S.W.2d at 155; Christiansen v. Prezelski, 782 S.W.2d 842, 843 (Tex.1990).[2]

We overrule the YMCA's sole point of error. However, we decline to assess sanctions against the YMCA for a frivolous appeal.

C.

Panizo's Appeal

We now consider Panizo's appeal. Like the YMCA, Panizo attempted to limit the record in her appeal by filing a partial statement of facts and designating two points of error to support her contention that the trial court erred in refusing to award her attorney's fees on her contract claim. See TEX. R.APP.P. 53(d).[3] First, Panizo contends the trial court erred when it ruled no presentment was made in this case, thereby precluding attorney's fees under Tex.Civ.Prac.

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