R.C. Small & Associates, Inc. v. Southern Mechanical, Inc.

730 S.W.2d 100, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7272
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 10, 1987
Docket05-86-00720-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 730 S.W.2d 100 (R.C. Small & Associates, Inc. v. Southern Mechanical, Inc.) 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
R.C. Small & Associates, Inc. v. Southern Mechanical, Inc., 730 S.W.2d 100, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7272 (Tex. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

BAKER, Justice.

R.C. Small & Associates, Inc. (Small) and Gulf Insurance Company (Gulf) appeal from an adverse judgment in favor of Southern Mechanical, Inc. (Southern). Small and Gulf assert ten points of error, complaining of the trial court’s failure to grant them a “directed verdict” on the ground there was no evidence to support a judgment in favor of Southern or insufficient evidence to support a judgment in favor of Southern, and further complaining of Southern’s failure to comply with conditions precedent to the contract and that the trial court erred in entering judgment in favor of Southern. We overrule all of the points and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

The suit was originally brought by Southern against Small and its bonding company, Gulf, to recover the balance of unpaid sums due under a written subcontract between Southern and Small. Southern, as a subcontractor to Small, was to install all plumbing, heating and air conditioning on a new police and courts building for the City of Addison, Texas. The total amount of the contract including four change orders was $147,742. Southern undertook the work required by the subcontract with Small and received regular partial payments on a timely basis from Small. Payment request number fifteen was the final request made by Southern to Small and was for $14,774.20. This unpaid sum represented the ten percent retainage required by the subcontract between Southern and Small. Small did not pay this final request and subsequently Southern perfected its bond claim against Gulf, the surety on Small’s payment bond. Small then lodged certain allegations of breach by Southern and declined to pay the balance demanded. Southern then instituted suit on the contract for the unpaid balance of the retainage, interest, attorney’s fees, and costs. Small and Gulf answered, denying that Southern had completed the con *102 tract and asserting a cross-action for damages for cost of repairs asserted to have been made by Small.

The case was tried to the court. At the conclusion of Southern’s evidentiary part of the case, Small and Gulf moved for a “directed verdict.” Small and Gulf at this point in the trial initially indicated that if the court saw fit to grant their motion for directed verdict, they would withdraw their counterclaim. After a brief recess and the stipulation of attorney’s fees by the parties, no further evidence was adduced by any party to the proceeding. The parties submitted the matter for determination by the court, and subsequently on June 5, 1986, the trial court signed a judgment awarding Southern all the relief it prayed for, and ordered that all other relief not expressly granted in the judgment was denied.

Small and Gulf appeal on ten points of error. Points one, three, five and seven all contend that the trial court erred in overruling the motion for directed verdict and in rendering judgment for Southern because there was no evidence demonstrating that Southern had completed all obligations and duties required of Southern under the subcontract with Small.

A defendant is entitled to a “directed verdict” only when reasonable minds could reach but one conclusion under the available evidence. That is, there must be no evidence to raise a fact issue regarding the failure of Southern to complete the contract as contended by Small. In our review, we must consider all of the evidence in the light most favorable to Southern, disregarding all contrary evidence and inferences. International Armament Corp. v. King, 686 S.W.2d 595, 597 (Tex.1985); Vance v. My Apartment Steak House of San Antonio, Inc., 677 S.W.2d 480, 483 (Tex.1984). If there is any evidence of probative value to support the trial court’s judgment, we must affirm. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821 (Tex.1965).

The record reflects that Earl Wayne Shelton, an individual employed by Southern as project manager and estimator, and familiar with the project in question, testified that Southern performed the contract in a timely and proper manner, and that Southern was paid its periodic draws by Small on a timely basis, and that the contract work by Southern was completed shortly prior to April 15, 1984. Shelton further testified that the fifteenth and final draw was for unpaid retainage in the sum of 10% of the full contract balance and represented “earned money” since Southern had completed the contract. Shelton further testified that Southern was not paid in response to the final draw request and that the notification it received from Small as to why it was not paid was that the owners had not paid Small.

Southern then called Robert C. Small, president of Small, as an adverse witness. In response to interrogation by Southern’s attorney, Small conceded that the sum sued for by Southern was correct and that the charge was the unpaid balance on the contract. Small also testified that his company had problems with the warranty work of Southern but that he did not have any complaints with Southern prior to the stage of warranty work. Southern’s counsel then asked Small the following question: “So they [Southern] completed that contract. Your complaint is warranty problems, is that right?” To this question Small answered, “Yes.” Later, when cross-examined by Small’s counsel, Mr. Small then testified that work not performed was with respect to completion of the contract, not warranty work. We find that this record contains more than some evidence of probative value that Southern completed the contract. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d at 823. Appellants’ points of error one, three, five and seven are overruled.

In point two, Small and Gulf contend that the trial court erred in overruling their motion for “directed verdict” because of the insufficiency of the evidence. We do not agree. A trial court may not grant a judgment on a motion for directed verdict based upon the insufficiency of the evidence. Such motion may be granted and judgment rendered only if there is no evi *103 dence of probative evidence to support the jury’s findings. Wilfin, Inc. v. Williams, 615 S.W.2d 242, 243 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1981, writ ref’d n.r.e.). Appellants’ point of error number two is overruled.

Appellants’ points of error numbered four, six and eight complain of the trial court’s error in rendering judgment for Southern because there was insufficient evidence to support the court’s finding that Southern fully performed its contract or that there was insufficient evidence demonstrating that Southern complied with the condition precedent to fully complete and perform the work in accordance with the contract documents. In determining a challenge to findings by “insufficient evidence” points, this Court must consider and weigh all of the evidence, including any evidence contrary to the trial court’s judgment. Burnett v. Motyka, 610 S.W.2d 735, 736 (Tex.1980); In re King’s Estate, 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660 (1952).

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730 S.W.2d 100, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 7272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rc-small-associates-inc-v-southern-mechanical-inc-texapp-1987.