Patrick Olajide Akinwamide v. Transportation Insurance Company, CNA Insurance Company and Automatic Data Processing Inc.

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided March 10, 2015·No. 01-15-00066-CV·Published

Opinion

HIED/N 'STCOURTOFAPPEAR HOUSTON, TEXAS CAUSE NO 01-15-00066-CV MAR 10 2015 IN THE "WOPHPRK CHRISTOF PR,NE

FIRST COURT OF APPEALS

HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS

PATRICK OLAJIDE AKINWAMIDE

APPELLANT

V

TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE COMPANY

CNA INSURANCE COMPANY AND

AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC.

APPELLEES

FROM THE 80th DISTRICT COURT OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS

MOTION FOR AN ORDER TO INCLUDE THE APPEAL FROM THE TRIAL

COURT'S ORDER OF OCTOBER 3,2014 IN APPELLATE CASE NO 01-15-00066 CV

PATRICK OLAJIDE AKINWAMIDE, PROSE 2151 SOUTH KIRKWOOD ROAD, #295 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77077

(832) 620-9345 TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF SAID COURT:

The Appellant, Patrick Olajide Akinwamide files his motion to the Court for an order to include the appeal from the Trial Court's order of October 3,2014 in Appellate Case No. 01-15-00066-CV. On January 15,2015 a letter of assignment from the 80th District Court Trial Court Clerk and a copy of the notice of appeal filed by the Appellant, Patrick Olajide Akinwamide in the Trial Court was received by the First Court ofAppeals and docketed as Cause No. 01-15-00066-CV.

Appellant's notice of appeals filed with the District Clerk on November 25, 2014 includes appeals from the orders of October 3,2014 and November 4,2014. See attachment 'A' and hereby incorporated by reference. According to the First Court ofAppeals order on motions dated March 3,2015, the Appellant's appeal from the Trial Court's order of October 3,2014 was not included in the Appellant's appeals, pursuant to the Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 11.101,11.102 and the mandate ofthe Court issued on May 13,2013.

First, there was no notice filed by any party with the clerk and served on Plaintiff, Patrick Olajide Akinwamide and other parties in Cause No. 97-48526 stating that the Plaintiff I a vexatious litigant required to obtain permission under CPRC §11.102. See CPRC %\ 1.1035(a).

Second, Appellant, Patrick Olajide Akinwamide obtained an order from the appropriate local Administrative Judge described by CPRC §11.102(a) permitting the filing of appeals from the orders ofOctober 3,2014 and November 4,2014. See CPRC§11.1035(b); See also, attachment 'B' hereby incorporatedby reference.

Third, the Trial Court, and the Trial Court's Clerk (District Clerk) do not have the authority to withhold an appeal from being forwarded to the Court ofAppeals once the notice of appeal is filed and stamped. See CPRC §11.1035. Also, the Trial Court and the Trial Court's Clerk (District Clerk) do not have the authority to remove any part of the notice of appeal. The second page to the Appellant's notice of appeal, which is the signature page, was removed from the notice of appeals. See attachment 'C' hereby incorporated by reference.

Fourth, appellant filed with the Trial Court Clerk (District Clerk) requests and supplemental request to include the complete notice of appeals filed November 25, 2014 and the "Plaintiffs Motion to Correct the Omission of Automatic Data

Processing Inc. and CNA Insurance Company from the style of Cause No. 97*48526 in the Court's Order of October 3,2014 without success. The First Court ofAppeals should take judicial notice in the record ofthis appeal.

Fifth, the Trial Court's order of October 3,2014 and the Plaintiffs motion to correct the order filed October 9,2014 preceded the order declaring Plaintiff a vexatious litigant. As such, CPRC §§11.101,11.102 would not bar Appellant's appeal from the Trial courts order of October 3,2014. See attachment 'D' and hereby incorporated by reference.

Sixth, the First Court ofAppeals should consider the Appellant's appeal from the Trial Court's order of October 3,2014 because Appellant challenges the Trial Court's jurisdictional power under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act over the claim for compensation in Cause No. 97-48526. Jurisdiction, once challenged, cannot be assumed and must be decided. See Main v Thiboutot 100 S. CT. 2502 (1980). A Court cannot confer jurisdiction where none existed and cannot make a void judgment valid See Old Wayne Mut. L. Ass 'nv McDonough, 204 U.S. 8, 27, S. CT. 236 (1907).

The Trial Court lacked the jurisdictional power under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act over the claim for compensation when the final judgment was 3 signed August9,2000 in CauseNo. 97-48526. The Appellee's employer, Automatic Data Processing Inc. failed to provide proofofits Workers' Compensation Insurance Policy to establish itself a a subscriber under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act at the time of Appellant's work-related injuries. See attachment 'D', andhereby incorporated byreference. This attachment 'D' is offered as exhibit 'A' to the "Plaintiffs Motion to Correct the Omission ofAutomatic DataProcessing Inc in the Court's Order ofOctober 3, 2014" andalsopart ofevidence admitted in the show cause hearing.

TheTexas Workers' Compensation Actrequires the proofof the employer's Workers' Compensation InsurancePolicy to establishthe employeras a subscriber under the Texas Workers' CompensationAct at time ofemployee's work-related injuries, before the Act can take effect or be appliedto a claim for compensation. See Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. Arts. 8306-8309, 8306, §4, 8308 §§19, 20, 8309, §1; See Middleton v Texas Power & Light Co., 249 US. 152, 153-54, 39 S. CT. 227, 63 L. Ed 527 (1919); Paradissis v Royal Indemnity Co., 507 S. W. 2d 526, 529 (Tex. 1974); Guerrero v StandardAlloys Mfg. Co., 598 S.W. 2d 656, 657 (Civ. App.-Beaumont 1980, refdnr.e.); Johnston Testers vRangel, 435 S.W. 2d 927, 930, 931 (Tex. Civ. App. San Antonio 1968 ref n.r.e.); Aerospatiate Helicopter v Universal Health 778 S W. 2d 492 (Tex. App.-Dallas 1989, writdenied)

The Appellee-employer, automatic Data Processing Inc. did not provide any proof of its Workers' Compensation Insurance policy at the time ofAppellant's work- related injuries to establish itself as a subscriber under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act. See exhibit 'A'there is no proof or evidence in Cause No. 97- 48526 that the employer, or any ofthe defendants provided proof ofAutomatic Data Processing Inc's Workers' Compensation Insurance Policy at the time ofPlaintiffs work-related injuries. 4 Because the legislature did not authorize the Trial courtto grantreliefsought in theAppellant's claim for compensation, the Trial Court lacked jurisdictional power over the claimfor compensation. See Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann Art. 8306§4; Metro Transit Auth. v Jackson, 212 S.W. 3d 797, 801 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, Pet denied).

The lack of subject matter jurisdiction is fundamental error. See Saudi v Brieven 16S. W. 3d 108, 110 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2004, no Pet). Thetest for subject matter jurisdiction is whether the courthas power to enterthejudgment upon an inquiry and not whetherits conclusion is correct. See Dioceses ofGalveston- Houston vStone, 892 S. W. 2d169, 174 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist] 1994, Org proceeding). Thejury finding and verdict upon which the Trial court's final judgment was based is immaterial withoutproof ofthe employer, automatic Data Processing Inc.'s Workers' Compensation Insurance policy at the time of Appellant's work- related injuries. See Guerrero v StandardAlloys Mfg. Co., 598 S. W. 2d 656, 657 (Civ. App.-Beaumont 1980, Refd n.r.e.); Johnston Testers v Rangel, 435 S.W. 2d 927, 930, 931 (Tex. Civ. App.-San Antonio 1968refd n.r.e.); Aerospatiate Heleicopterv Universal Health 778S.W. 2d 492 (Tex. App. Dallas 1989, writ denied).

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Patrick Olajide Akinwamide v. Transportation Insurance Company, CNA Insurance Company and Automatic Data Processing Inc., (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Patrick Olajide Akinwamide v. Transportation Insurance Company, CNA Insurance Company and Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Patrick Olajide Akinwamide v. Transportation Insurance Company, CNA Insurance Company and Automatic Data Processing Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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