Simeon Green v. Velocity Investments, LLC, Assinee of Lending Club Corporation

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 25, 2022
Docket05-20-00795-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Simeon Green v. Velocity Investments, LLC, Assinee of Lending Club Corporation (Simeon Green v. Velocity Investments, LLC, Assinee of Lending Club Corporation) 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.

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Simeon Green v. Velocity Investments, LLC, Assinee of Lending Club Corporation, (Tex. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Affirmed and Opinion Filed August 25, 2022

S In The Court of Appeals Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-20-00795-CV

SIMEON GREEN, Appellant V. VELOCITY INVESTMENTS, LLC, ASSIGNEE OF LENDINGCLUB CORPORATION, Appellee

On Appeal from the 192nd Judicial District Court Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. DC-19-04336

MEMORANDUM OPINION Before Justices Schenck, Osborne, and Partida-Kipness Opinion by Justice Partida-Kipness Appellant Simeon Green appeals the trial court’s denial of his motion to

compel arbitration. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

On March 15, 2016, Green entered a contract for the extension of credit (the

credit agreement) with LendingClub Corporation. The credit agreement had a sixty-

month term. Green defaulted, and LendingClub charged off the account on

December 29, 2016. LendingClub sold Green’s account to appellee Velocity

Investments, LLC (Velocity) by Bill of Sale a month later, on January 31, 2017. On March 26, 2019, Velocity filed suit against Green, seeking to enforce the

credit agreement and to recover damages for the unpaid balance. Velocity asserted

the total balance due when Velocity filed suit was $36,120.80 plus interest. Velocity

served initial discovery requests with its petition, including its Request for

Disclosure, Request for Production, Request for Admissions, and First Set of

Interrogatories. Green filed a general denial on August 12, 2019. Green did not

answer Velocity’s discovery requests.

The trial court set the case for a bench trial to begin on April 27, 2020. A week

before the trial date, Velocity filed a motion for continuance to give the parties

additional time to complete settlement negotiations. The trial court heard the motion

for continuance during a 1:15 p.m. hearing on April 27, 2020. Velocity withdrew the

motion during the hearing, and the court reset the case for trial to begin at 10:30 a.m.

on April 29, 2020.

After the hearing on Velocity’s motion for continuance, Green filed a motion

to dismiss, or in the alternative, to stay the proceedings pending arbitration and to

compel arbitration. The trial court heard the motion on the day of trial before the

parties began presenting their cases. Velocity conceded the credit agreement

included an arbitration clause but argued Green waived any right to compel

arbitration by waiting to file his motion until right before trial and after the parties

conferred with the court about continuing the case just two days prior. Velocity

maintained it was “just far too late” for Green to move to compel arbitration and for

–2– the trial court to abate the case in favor of arbitration. The trial court agreed, stated

the motion was “untimely,” and denied the motion. The case was then tried to the

bench.

On June 2, 2020, the trial court signed a final judgment awarding Velocity

$36,000. Green timely requested findings of fact and conclusions of law on June 19,

2020. He filed a notice of past-due findings on July 17, 2020. After receiving each

of those filings, the trial court “invite[d]” Green to submit proposed findings of fact

and conclusions of law. Green did not file proposed findings and conclusions, and

none were signed by the trial court. On August 31, 2020, Green filed a notice of

appeal of the June 2, 2020 final judgment. On appeal, Green challenges only the trial

court’s denial of his motion to compel arbitration. Green contends the trial court

erroneously refused to compel arbitration because Velocity failed to prove Green

substantially invoked the judicial process and prejudiced Velocity by doing so.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review the denial of a motion to compel arbitration for an abuse of

discretion, deferring to the trial court on factual determinations that are supported by

the evidence and reviewing legal determinations de novo. Henry v. Cash Biz, LP,

551 S.W.3d 111, 115 (Tex. 2018); Perry Homes v. Cull, 258 S.W.3d 580, 598 (Tex.

2008); Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, LLP v. J.A. Green Dev. Corp., 327 S.W.3d

859, 863 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2010, no pet.). Whether a party waived its right to

arbitrate is a question of law, which we review de novo. Henry, 551 S.W.3d at 115.

–3– The trial court did not issue findings of fact or conclusions of law to explain its denial

of the motion to compel arbitration. We must, therefore, uphold the trial court’s

decision on any appropriate legal theory urged below. Bonded Builders Home

Warranty Ass’n of Tex. v. Rockoff, 509 S.W.3d 523, 531–32 (Tex. App.—El Paso

2016, no pet.). Because the trial court would err if it denied a motion to compel

arbitration on a ground not raised by the resisting party, we may affirm the trial

court’s refusal to compel arbitration only if one of the grounds presented by the

resisting party is valid. APC Home Health Servs., Inc. v. Martinez, 600 S.W.3d 381,

389 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2019, no pet.).

APPLICABLE LAW

A party waives the right to compel arbitration if (1) the party substantially

invokes the judicial process and (2) the opposing party suffers detriment or prejudice

as a result. Perry Homes, 258 S.W.3d at 589–90; Holmes, Woods & Diggs v. Gentry,

333 S.W.3d 650, 654 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2009, no pet.). There is a strong

presumption against waiver of arbitration. Perry Homes, 258 S.W.3d at 590; see also

RSL Funding, LLC v. Pippins, 499 S.W.3d 423, 430 (Tex. 2016) (per curiam) (party

asserting waiver “bears a heavy burden of proof”).

The substantial-invocation element requires the court to consider the totality

of the circumstances. Perry Homes, 258 S.W.3d at 591. Relevant factors include:

 whether the party seeking to compel arbitration is a plaintiff or a defendant in the lawsuit;

 when the party knew of the arbitration clause; –4–  how long the party waited before seeking arbitration and any reasons for the delay;

 how much discovery has been conducted, who initiated it, whether it related to the merits rather than arbitration or standing, and how much of it would be unavailable or useful in arbitration;

 whether the party sought judgment on the merits;

 whether the party asserted affirmative claims for relief in court;

 the amount of time and expense the parties have expended on litigation;

 whether the discovery conducted would be unavailable or useful in arbitration;

 whether judicial activity would be duplicated in arbitration; and

 when the case was to be tried.

RSL Funding, 499 S.W.3d at 430; G.T. Leach Builders, LLC v. Sapphire V.P., LP,

458 S.W.3d 502, 512 (Tex. 2015); Perry Homes, 258 S.W.3d at 591. Generally, no

single factor is dispositive. RSL Funding, 499 S.W.3d at 430. Although substantial

invocation must be decided on a case-by-case basis, the Perry Homes court

suggested the element would be satisfied if the movant conducted full discovery,

filed motions going to the merits, and sought arbitration only on the eve of trial. 258

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