SSP Partners v. Gladstrong Investments (USA) Corp.

169 S.W.3d 27, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 5653, 2005 WL 774505
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 21, 2005
Docket13-02-671-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 169 S.W.3d 27 (SSP Partners v. Gladstrong Investments (USA) Corp.) 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
SSP Partners v. Gladstrong Investments (USA) Corp., 169 S.W.3d 27, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 5653, 2005 WL 774505 (Tex. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinions

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice CASTILLO.

This is an indemnity case. The trial court granted appellee Gladstrong Investments’ no-evidence summary-judgment motions against appellants SSP Partners and Metro Novelties. Asserting numerous issues, SSP and Metro appeal the judgments. SSP also appeals an award of guardian ad litem fees. We reverse and remand.

I. History of the Case

On January 9, 2001, a fire caused by an allegedly defective fighter killed Joshua Castillo. Joshua’s two brothers, Matthew [31]*31and Christopher, were also injured in the fire. The children’s parents, Oscar and Arissa Castillo, claimed that Oscar’s sister, Sally, bought the offending lighter at a Circle K store. Oscar and Arissa Castillo brought a products liability action against SSP Partners, Inc.1 and Gladstrong Investments (USA) Corporation (“Glad-strong USA”).2 SSP then sued Metro Novelties, as supplier of the lighters, for indemnity. Additionally, SSP and Metro both sued Gladstrong USA for indemnity.

Gladstrong USA filed no-evidence motions for summary judgment against SSP and Metro on their indemnity claims, alleging there was no evidence that it was the manufacturer or supplier of the cigarette lighter.3 The trial court granted Gladstrong’s no-evidence motions for summary judgment against both SSP and Metro.

SSP and Metro also sued Tianjin Sico Lighters, Co., Ltd. (“Tianjin”), the alleged manufacturer of a component of the lighter. SSP and Metro also sought but failed to secure leave of court to sue the parent company of Gladstrong USA, Gladstrong Investments, Ltd. (“Gladstrong Hong Kong”).4 Claims against Tianjin were severed.

On October 24, 2002, Gladstrong USA settled with the Castillos. On the same date, the trial court granted the no-evidence summary-judgment motions. On October 28, 2002, the Castillos, SSP, and Metro proceeded to trial. The jury returned a verdict favorable to the Castillos. The trial court judgment memorialized: (1)the no-evidence summary judgments; and (2) the jury verdict. SSP, on appeal, seeks reversal of the summary judgment adverse to it and remand of its indemnity claim for trial on the merits. SSP presents the following issues for review:

(1) Whether the trial court erred in granting a no-evidence summary-judgment motion denying: (a) statutory indemnity to SSP on its claim that Gladstrong USA was either the manufacturer or the supplier of the lighter; and (b) common law indemnity.
(2) Whether the guardian ad litem fees were reasonable.

On appeal, Metro seeks reversal of the summary judgment adverse to it, and presents the following issues for review:

(1) Whether the trial court erred in granting a no-evidence summary-judgment motion that Metro take nothing on its indemnity claims against Gladstrong USA;
(2) Whether, under traditional summary-judgment motion standards, Glad-strong USA’s evidence proved Glad-strong USA was neither a manufacturer nor a supplier of the lighter;
(3) Whether Metro’s proof showed that it was entitled to indemnity under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code [32]*32§ 82.002 against Gladstrong USA because Gladstrong USA is: (a) a “manufacturer” under § 81.001(4); (b) jointly liable with Gladstrong Hong Kong under the “single business enterprise” theory of liability; and (c) deemed to be a manufacturer under 15 U.S.C. § 2052(a)(4);
(4) Whether Metro’s proof showed it was entitled to common law indemnity because Gladstrong USA was a supplier, a manufacturer, or an apparent manufacturer; and
(5) Whether Gladstrong USA waived objections to Metro’s summary-judgment evidence.

II. The Summary Judgments

On October 24, 2002, the same day SSP filed its response to Gladstrong USA’s no-evidence summary-judgment motion, Glad-strong USA filed a reply objecting to SSP’s evidence.5 After a hearing on the same date, the trial court granted Glad-strong USA’s motion. On October 28, 2002, Gladstrong USA filed a virtually identical no-evidence motion for summary judgment as to Metro. Metro filed its response, which was virtually identical to SSP’s response and included the same evidence, on December 12, 2002. Gladstrong USA replied to Metro’s response on February 6, 2003. That reply mirrored the arguments raised in opposition to SSP’s claim for indemnity. To the reply, Glad-strong USA attached deposition excerpts. On February 12, 2003, Gladstrong USA filed objections to Metro’s evidence which echoed the objections made to SSP’s evidence. The trial court held the hearing on the motion for summary judgment on February 13, 2003 and granted the motion. Both the summary judgments against SSP and against Metro were memorialized in the court’s final judgment dated February 13, 2003.

In each motion, Gladstrong USA asserted that there was no evidence as a matter of law that Gladstrong USA was a manufacturer or supplier of the fighter: (1) to Metro, or (2) in the marketing chain. To its motion against SSP, Gladstrong USA attached a copy of SSP’s live amended answer, including its cross-claim, and SSP’s third-party petition against Tianjin.6 To its motion against Metro, Gladstrong USA attached a copy of Metro’s five cross-claims against Gladstrong USA and Metro’s five cross-claim against third-party defendant Tianjin.

The fact the answers and petitions were attached to the no-evidence motions for summary judgment is of no consequence. Pleadings do not constitute summary judgment proof. Houston v. Clear Creek Basin Auth., 589 S.W.2d 671, 678 (Tex.1979) (citing Hidalgo v. Sur. Sav. & Loan Ass’n., 462 S.W.2d 540, 543 (Tex. 1971)). In addition, the Texas Supreme Court has stated that it disapproves of decisions that hold or imply that, if a party attaches evidence to a motion for summary judgment, any request for summary judgment under Rule 166a(i) will be disregarded. Binur v. Jacobo, 135 S.W.3d 646, 650-51 n. 11 (Tex.2004).

Each motion specifically pointed to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a(i) for its basis. Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(i). Each motion states “there is no evidence as a matter of law that Defendant Gladstrong was the manufacturer of the cigarette fighter made the basis of this lawsuit, nor is there evi[33]*33dence that Gladstrong was a supplier of the lighter in question to Circle K

We conclude that the two referenced summary-judgment motions constituted no-evidence motions and not traditional motions for summary judgment.

A.No-Evidence Summary-Judgment Standard of Review

The standard of review for the grant of a motion for summary judgment is determined by whether the motion was brought on no-evidence or traditional grounds. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(i), (c); see also Ortega v. City Nat’l Bank,

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Bluebook (online)
169 S.W.3d 27, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 5653, 2005 WL 774505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ssp-partners-v-gladstrong-investments-usa-corp-texapp-2005.