Shearer v. Mitchell

418 S.W.2d 850, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2115
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 31, 1967
DocketNo. 260
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 418 S.W.2d 850 (Shearer v. Mitchell) 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
Shearer v. Mitchell, 418 S.W.2d 850, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2115 (Tex. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinions

OPINION

SHARPE, Justice.

This appeal is from a summary judgment rendered in favor of appellee Mitchell, plaintiff below, against appellant Shearer, defendant below.

Appellant by two points asserts in substance that the trial court erred in rendering summary judgment (1) without first passing upon his dilatory pleas, and (2) because material issues of fact were presented. Appellee by two counterpoints asserts that the summary judgment was proper because: (1) appellant failed to file a sworn affidavit controverting plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, and (2) there were no questions or issues of fact which would preclude summary judgment. These points and counterpoints present the usual summary judgment questions as to whether the movant, appellee here, has established “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Rule 166-A, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

We have concluded that the summary judgment should not have been granted for the reasons hereinafter stated.

The transcript in this case, which includes the summary judgment evidence, reflects the following:

On February 21, 1966, appellee filed his original petition in which he sought recovery against appellant on a promissory note payable to First Victoria National Bank, Victoria, Texas, a copy of which was attached to the petition. The note was signed by (1) Frank’s Credit Clothiers, Inc., by T. M. Shearer, President, (2) by T. M. Shearer, individually (appellant here), and (3) by J. C. Mitchell, individually (appellee here). Aside from the commencement, allegations concerning attorney’s fees and the prayer, Mitchell’s petition reads as follows:

“I
“That on or about January 14, 1964, FRANK’S CREDIT CLOTHIERS, INC., a corporation of which T. M. SHEARER, SR. was President, executed to the First Victoria National Bank, Victoria, Texas, a certain promissory note in the principal sum of Eleven Thousand Six Hundred Eighty-Six and ll/100th Dollars ($11,686.11) payable in installments of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) each, weekly, including interest, beginning January 28, 1964. Said T. M. SHEARER, SR. individually signed said note and J. C. MITCHELL endorsed said note.
“II
“That on February 3, 1966, J. C. MITCHELL was forced to pay Nine Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety Eight and 13/100ths Dollars ($9,798.13) unpaid balance, including interest, on said note, and said note was assigned to J. C. MITCHELL without recourse on the First Victoria National Bank, Victoria, Texas, and that said J. C. MITCHELL is now the owner and holder of said note and prays ten percent (10%) interest on all delinquent payments, a thermofax copy of said note being attached hereto, marked Exhibit ‘A’ and made a part of this Petition.”

On March 22, 1966, Shearer filed an original answer, consisting of a general denial.

On April 14, 1966, Mitchell filed motion for summary judgment, which was solely based upon the ground that Shearer’s original answer was insufficient as a matter of law and failed to assert any defense to Mitchell’s cause of action. The motion reasserted that Mitchell was an “endorser” of the note.

On April 19, 1966, Shearer filed an amended answer which contained various pleas, including a number of dilatory pleas [853]*853as well as pleas in bar. The dilatory pleas included pleas in abatement, of mis-joinder and nonjoinder of parties, and special exceptions. The pleas in bar included general denial and a sworn denial of various matters, including Paragraph V., reading as follows:

“Further, but subject in all things to the foregoing Pleas and exceptions and still relying thereon this defendant shows that the subject matter of Plaintiff’s Suit and especially the so-called Note in Plaintiff’s Exhibit ‘A’ is involved in long and complicated series of transactions, contracts and agreements between Plaintiff and this Defendant. Defendant shows that he, the defendant, has paid more than $4400.00 toward the liquidation of the so called Note and that the balance due thereon in a somewhat excess of $5000.00 plaintiff was obligated to pay and should have paid. However the said plaintiff was not forced to pay the balance due on said note, but voluntarily paid the same, in the manuever used to make plausible a claim against this defendant. This defendant denies that he is liable for any amount on the said alleged Note, Plaintiff alleges Plaintiff was forced to pay.”

On April 28, 1966 (the day before the hearing on the motion for summary judgment) Mitchell filed his affidavit, a copy of which was received by counsel for Shearer on the same day. Omitting formal portions, the said affidavit reads as follows:

“My name is J. C. MITCHELL. I am Plaintiff in the above entitled and numbered cause. I am over the age of twenty-one years, and have never been convicted of a felony and am competent to testify to the matters stated herein.
“On or about January 14, 1964, I endorsed a note for $11,686.11 payable to the order of FIRST VICTORIA NATIONAL BANK, VICTORIA, TEXAS, for FRANK’S CREDIT CLOTHIERS, INC., and T. M. SHEARER, SR. This note bears interest at 6Yi% from date and at 10% interest after maturity and provides for 10% attorney’s fees.
“T. M. SHEARER, SR., received the money or consideration for the loan of $11,686.11. This note was paid down to $9,798.13 as of February 1, 1966, and on February 3, 1966, as endorser, I had to pay the note off and received an assignment from the FIRST VICTORIA NATIONAL BANK, VICTORIA, TEXAS, of the note and I am now the owner and holder of said note.
“The original note and credits are attached hereto and made a part of this affidavit.
“I am asking judgment against T. M. SHEARER, SR. for $9,798.13 as FRANK’S CREDIT CLOTHIERS, INC. has made an assignment for the benefit of creditors and is insolvent.
“Said note provides for 10% attorney’s fees, which I feel is reasonable and is customary and provides for 10% interest after maturity.”

On April 28, 1966, Shearer filed a separate reply to Mitchell’s motion for summary judgment which contained an affidavit made on the basis of personal knowledge. A part of such reply to the motion for summary judgment was Shearer’s amended answer, which was fully set out therein, and was referred to and included in the affidavit of Shearer. Shearer’s reply, and all of the matters contained therein, thus became a counter-affidavit in opposition to the granting of a summary judgment for Mitchell.

On April 29, 1966, the trial court rendered summary judgment for Mitchell as prayed for by him; the written judgment being signed for entry on May 2, 1966.

Our examination of the transcript herein has disclosed that it probably does not completely show all of the note attached to the affidavit of J. C. Mitchell filed in the trial court on April 28, 1966, hence we ordered that the original note and its attachments be [854]*854sent to us for inspection under Rule 379, T.R.C.P. The same is now before us as a part of the record and the following appears therefrom. The note is printed on the front side of an envelope. The back side contains a list of credits, apparently of interest.

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Bluebook (online)
418 S.W.2d 850, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2115, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shearer-v-mitchell-texapp-1967.