Security State Bank and Trust v. Craighead

440 S.W.2d 701, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2136
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 12, 1969
Docket14722
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 440 S.W.2d 701 (Security State Bank and Trust v. Craighead) 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
Security State Bank and Trust v. Craighead, 440 S.W.2d 701, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2136 (Tex. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

BARROW, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal by Security State Bank & Trust, hereinafter referred to as Bank, from a judgment in favor of appellee, Charles D. Craighead, on a partial jury *703 verdict 1 in appellee’s suit to recover damages for Bank’s wrongful attachment of personal property. Bank asserts twenty-seven assignments of error, many of which contain several sub-points.

The case was vigorously contested during the trial which extended over two weeks and the evidence was sharply conflicting on many issues. Twenty-seven special issues were submitted to the jury, and a question is raised at the outset as to whether the partial verdict was unanimously agreed to by such jury. The jury deliberated during two days before reporting to the court that they were hopelessly deadlocked and could not agree on the answers to Issues Nos. 7, 9, 25-27. They had previously written notes to this effect, and as a partial result of the deadlock Issues Nos. 11-15 were withdrawn by the court. The jury was brought into the courtroom and the foreman advised the judge of such hopeless deadlock. Apparently, the trial judge had not considered the possibility of receiving a partial verdict and planned to discharge the jury. Before the jury was discharged, the attorney for appellee, hereinafter referred to as plaintiff, requested the judge to ascertain if the jury had agreed on any answers. The jury was polled by the judge and all expressed agreement to the thirteen answers which had been written in the appropriate places provided in the charge. Thereupon the judge requested the foreman to sign the charge. Following such signing, the jury was discharged on March 10, 1967. Neither party requested the judge to declare a mistrial and he did not declare same. In fact the attorney for plaintiff stated at said time that he would subsequently move for a judgment on the verdict, and he anticipated the attorney for Bank would do so also. Bank subsequently filed a motion for mistrial wherein it asserted that the partial verdict had not been agreed to by all jurors.

*704 After several hearings on plaintiff’s motion for judgment, and Bank’s motions for mistrial and for judgment non obstante veredicto, on August 31, 1967, the court advised the attorneys that it was going to grant plaintiff’s motion for judgment. The judgment, which was signed on September 26, 1967, recites in part that “the said verdict of the Jury was in due, proper and legal form and order, the said answers of the Jury was by the Court accepted in open Court on the 10th day of March, A. D., 1967, and ordered by the Court filed on said date as the verdict of the jury in said cause * *

Bank does not question the rule that the trial court not only has the right, but the duty to receive a partial verdict which will sustain a judgment. Stalder v. Bowen, 373 S.W.2d 824 (Tex.Civ.App.— Dallas 1964, writ ref’d n. r. e.); McDonald, Texas Civil Practice, § 15.03(A). It urges, however, that this verdict was not received by the trial court before May 19, 1967, and prior thereto at least one of the jurors had expressed disagreement with one or more of the answered issues. A difficulty in this question is presented by the statement of the trial court at a hearing on May 19, 1967, that “the Court did not formally receive it as a verdict.” Such statement made in reference to the acceptance of the partial verdict is verified by the civil docket sheet of this case and by an approved bill of exception.

It has been held that a verdict does not become an official act and effective in law until it is received and accepted by the trial court, and before that time, and up to the time of tender and acceptance, any juror may dissent therefrom. Robertson Tank Lines, Inc. v. Sawyer, 416 S.W.2d 886 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1967, no writ); State v. Finch, 349 S.W.2d 780 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1961, no writ); Lee v. Galbreath, 234 S.W.2d 91 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1950, no writ). It is seen that none of these cases or the cases cited therein discuss the question of what constitutes “receipt and acceptance” of the verdict. Rules 293-295, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, set forth the requirements for receiving a verdict of the jury. There is no requirement that a judge do or say anything to formally indicate his receipt and acceptance of the verdict. Certainly better practice would require that the judge state at such time either that the verdict is received for entry of such judgment as might be appropriate or that a mistrial is expressly declared.

Here neither party requested a mistrial when the verdict was returned and the record is clear that the trial court did not declare a mistrial. Cf. Wheeler v. Oxford, 321 S.W.2d 188 (Tex.Civ.App.—East-land 1959, no writ). The partial verdict was examined by the trial court, and after the jury was polled by reading each of the issues answered, and after all the jurors acknowledged agreement to each of same, the judge requested the foreman to sign the verdict. Neither party requested further poll of the jury. Under these facts we hold that the partial verdict was received and accepted by the trial court as required to form the basis of a final judgment. Barker v. Weingarten Riverside Co., 232 S.W.2d 692 (Tex.Civ.App.—Beaumont 1950, writ ref’d n. r. e.).

On October 18, 1963, plaintiff executed a note in the principal sum of $2,000, payable to Bank and said sum was deposited in a checking account plaintiff opened with the Bank. Although both parties understood the note was to be payable in six months, the note was actually payable upon demand. Said note was not paid on demand made after six months, and on July 2, 1964, Bank filed suit against plaintiff in the District Court of Gillespie County seeking judgment for the sum of $2,200, being unpaid principal and stipulated attorney’s fee with interest on said sum. At the same time, application was made for issuance of a writ of attachment based on the affidavit of the assistant cashier of Bank that the debt was due “for property *705 obtained under false pretenses.” 2 A writ was issued to the Sheriff of Kerr County commanding him to attach so much of the property of plaintiff as shall he of value sufficient to satisfy the sum of $2,200 and costs of suit. Accordingly, on July 7, 1964, a deputy sheriff, at the direction of Arthur Stehling, Esq., President of Bank, attached the following property on the hog farm in Kerr County which was operated by plaintiff: 1 water tank; 3 grain bins; a Crimp-O-Matic feed mill; 4 grain augers with electric motors attached, and approximately 460 head of pigs. The pigs, 429 by actual count, were sold by order of court at public sale on July 27, 1964, for the sum of $3,643.20.

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Bluebook (online)
440 S.W.2d 701, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2136, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/security-state-bank-and-trust-v-craighead-texapp-1969.