Reveille Trucking, Inc. v. Loera Customs Brokerage, Inc.

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 29, 2010
Docket13-08-00127-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Reveille Trucking, Inc. v. Loera Customs Brokerage, Inc. (Reveille Trucking, Inc. v. Loera Customs Brokerage, 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
Reveille Trucking, Inc. v. Loera Customs Brokerage, Inc., (Tex. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

NUMBER 13-08-00127-CVCOURT OF APPEALS

THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

CORPUS CHRISTI - EDINBURG

REVEILLE TRUCKING, INC., Appellant,



v.



LOERA CUSTOMS BROKERAGE, INC., Appellee.



On appeal from the 197th District Court

of Cameron County, Texas.

MEMORANDUM OPINION



Before Chief Justice Valdez and Justices Yañez and Wittig (1)

Memorandum Opinion by Justice Don Wittig



This is a bailment case that addresses the application of proportionate responsibility and attorney's fees to a bailment contract. Appellant, Reveille Trucking, Inc. ("Reveille"), presents four issues. It claims the trial court erred by amending the judgment, applying the doctrine of proportionate responsibility, and that damages and attorney's fees are recoverable under bailment for breach of contract. We affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.

I. Background

Reveille had a long-term business relationship with Loera Customs Brokerage, Inc. ("Loera"), appellee. Reveille delivered loaded trailers to Loera, who would perform customs services. Loera then would facilitate delivery of the loaded trailers to Mexico, and the empty trailers were then returned to Loera's facility. Four of Reveille's trailers were discovered missing after Reveille had delivered them to Loera. Three of the trailers had definitely been returned to Loera after their initial trip into Mexico. Loera allowed Olson International, a different entity, to reuse these trailers without permission of Reveille. Apparently, these trailers were not re-delivered to Loera, but were, in any event, missing. The proof concerning the fourth trailer indicated it was initially delivered to Loera by Reveille, but whether or not it was ever re-delivered to Loera after its use was in question.

Reveille brought suit against Loera under a bailment theory, including both negligence and contract theories. The jury found in favor of Reveille and against Loera on the issues. Under the court's charge, bailment was defined as follows:

"Bailment" means: (1) the delivery of personal property from one person to another for a specific purpose; (2) acceptance by transferee of the delivery; (3) an agreement that the purpose will be fulfilled; and (4) an understanding that the property will be returned to transferor.



(Emphasis in original). Question one of the court's charge asked: "Did a bailment exist between Reveille and Loera which required Loera to be responsible for the safekeeping of the returned empty trailers until they were to be picked up by Reveille?" The jury answered: "Yes." (2) Question two inquired whether the bailment was for the sole benefit of Reveille. The jury answered: "No." Question three inquired whether Loera failed to comply with the bailment agreement. The jury answered "Yes."

Question four, conditioned upon a "Yes" answer to question three (that Loera failed to comply with the bailment agreement), asked whose negligence proximately caused the occurrence in question. The jury answered "yes" to Reveille, Loera, and Olson, and in the next question apportioned the negligence 20 percent to Reveille, 40 percent to Loera and 40 percent to Olson. In the final question submitted to the jury, the jury found $36,000 in damages. On appeal, Reveille theorizes that the fourth trailer, with a value of $8,000, was subtracted from the damages it sought of $42,000. This is consistent with the proof that three trailers were initially returned to Loera from Mexico, but the fourth trailer may not have been returned. The parties stipulated to the amount of attorney's fees of $29,890.52. Judgment was first entered in favor of Reveille and against Loera for $36,000, plus the stipulated amount of attorney's fees.

Loera subsequently filed a motion to modify, correct, or reform the judgment. This motion was based solely upon the "doctrine of proportionate responsibility." In the motion, Loera argued to the trial court that Olson was designated as a responsible third party and accordingly, the damages should be reduced by the negligence of both Olson and Reveille. This was error, according to Reveille, because Reveille elected to recover under contract, which was correctly reflected in the original judgment signed by the trial court and which also provided for attorney's fees. As we indicated, the original judgment awarded damages of $36,000, plus the stipulated attorney's fees.

II. Bailment

In its first three issues, Reveille argues that the bailment case was submitted under both a contract and negligence claim. Accordingly, the trial court erred by granting Loera's motion to amend and by not allowing recovery for breach of the bailment contract. Loera provided not only custom brokerage services on the freight, but also loading, unloading, and warehousing services. According to Loera, "this is what happened." Other brokers do not have a warehouse and yard, and therefore do not provide these additional services.

Reveille was transporting products for New Process Steel for ultimate delivery to Olson at its maquiladora in Mexico. Reveille had done business with Loera for many years, since approximately 1997 or 1998. Reveille had no contract with Olson. Reveille claimed an oral agreement, an implied agreement, and a longstanding working relationship with Loera. Loera claimed its only contract was with Olson.

Reveille delivered its trailers with products to Loera, who would sign Reveille's bill of lading. Both the trailers and products were left with Loera. Loera would then complete the customs paperwork and Olson would pick up the trailers, transport the cargo to Mexico, and return the empty trailers to Loera. One side of Loera's lot had loaded trailers for pickup and the other side, separated by a fence, housed the returned empty trailers. Reveille dropped off and picked up two to four trailers each day. The empty trailers were then returned to Reveille's lot in Harlingen. This process continued for many years.

Reveille employee, Juan Leal, testified that Reveille had an agreement (oral) to drop the trailers in Loera's yard. Loera accepted the delivery of the trailers by signing the applicable bills of lading. Loera performed its services both for customs brokerage and to facilitate the transportation of the cargo to Mexico. Juan Leal further testified:

Q: Were the trailers supposed to be returned to Loera's place of business?

A: Yes sir.

Q: And were they to remain parked there until Reveille could go and retrieve their trailer?

Q: Yes, sir.

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Reveille Trucking, Inc. v. Loera Customs Brokerage, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reveille-trucking-inc-v-loera-customs-brokerage-inc-texapp-2010.