Superior Stationers Corp. v. Berol Corporation

483 S.W.2d 857, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2125
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 29, 1972
Docket15925
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 483 S.W.2d 857 (Superior Stationers Corp. v. Berol 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.

Bluebook
Superior Stationers Corp. v. Berol Corporation, 483 S.W.2d 857, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2125 (Tex. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

PEDEN, Justice.

Defendant appeals from the granting of a summary judgment in favor of plaintiff in a suit on a sworn account.

Defendant’s first point of error is that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because the plaintiff’s proof regarding attorney’s fees was insufficient to support a summary judgment.

We sustain this point of error in part.

Plaintiff’s suit was brought on a sworn account to recover $2,863.49 plus interest and reasonable attorney’s fees. Its petition was in due form, and attached to it was an itemized, sworn account of the goods allegedly sold and delivered. The affidavit accompanying the petition and account complies with the provisions of Rule 185, Tex *859 as Rules of Civil Procedure, so as to make the account prima facie evidence of the claim.

The plaintiff attached to its motion for summary judgment an affidavit containing the following:

“BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, on this day, personally appeared the undersigned Affiant, who, being first duly sworn, did depose and say as follows :
“I, the Affiant, am the attorney for the Plaintiff in the above numbered and captioned cause now pending in said Court. I am duly licensed to practice law in the Courts of the State of Texas and am familiar with the fees customarily charged by the practicing attorneys in Houston, Harris County, Texas. The sum of $900.00 is a reasonable and customary fee for investigating the above captioned cause, attempting to secure collection of the indebtedness forming the basis thereof by amicable means, preparing and filing the petition in said cause, filing a Motion for Summary Judgment therein and appearing in Court to argue the same, and further work that will reasonably be expected to be performed in order to effectuate the collection of this judgment.”

In granting the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, the trial court awarded the plaintiff, as a reasonable attorney’s fee, the $900 specified in its affidavit.

None of the answers or affidavits filed by the defendant directly refers to the matter of attorney’s fees.

Plaintiff relies on the amendment to Art. 2226, Vernon’s Civil Statutes, effective May 17, 1971, which provides: “ . The amount prescribed in the current State Bar Minimum Fee Schedule shall be prima facie evidence of reasonable attorney’s fees. The court, in non-jury cases, may take judicial knowledge of such schedule and of the contents of the case file in determining the amount of attorney’s fees without the necessity of hearing further evidence.”

Prior to the 1971 amendment of Art. 2226, the evidence that the attorney’s fee was reasonable, as set out in the plaintiff’s affidavit, was only opinion evidence, and even though it was not controverted, it would not have established the fact as a matter of law, so it would not have supported summary judgment. Gibbs v. General Motor Corp., 450 S.W.2d 827 (Tex.1970).

What is the effect of the “prima facie evidence” provision in the 1971 amendment to Article 2226 as applied to summary judgment proceedings? Prima facie evidence suffices for proof of a particular fact until contradicted and overcome by other evidence. Simonds v. Stanolind Oil & Gas Co., 134 Tex. 332, 136 S.W.2d 207 (1940).

“When a motion for summary judgment is supported by affidavits, depositions, stipulations or other extrinsic evidence sufficient on its face to establish facts, which, if proven at the trial, would entitle the movant to an instructed verdict, the opponent must show opposing evidentiary data which will raise an issue as to a material fact, or must justify his inability to do so and seek appropriate relief under subdivision (f) of Rule 166-A.” Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. McBride, 159 Tex. 442, 322 S.W.2d 492, 500 (1958).

We hold that under the record in our case the trial judge was entitled to conclude that the prima facie evidence of reasonable attorney’s fees presented by the plaintiff-appellee was, in the absence of opposing evidentiary data (and the fact that the defendant did not seek relief under subdivision (f) of Rule 166-A), sufficient to entitle the plaintiff to a summary judgment as to attorney’s fees. The amendment to Art. 2226, like the “prima *860 facie evidence” provision in Rule 185, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, is not a substantive rule, but is one of procedure with regard to evidence necessary to establish a prima facie right of recovery.

As to the amount of the fee awarded by the trial court, the appellee has shown that the current State Bar Minimum Fee schedule provides with respect to commercial collections:

“Contingent Fee based on the amount collected or realized:
With or without the filing of a suit and irrespective of whether there is a trial . . . Minimum 33Yz%
If an appeal is perfected from the judgment of the trial court . . . Minimum 40%
“Non-Contingent Fee based on the amount involved:
With or without the filing of a suit and irrespective of whether there is a trial . . . Minimum 16⅜%
If an appeal is perfected from the judgment of the trial court . . . Minimum 20%”

The fee of $900 fixed by the trial court is large enough to protect the prevailing party now that there has been an appeal. The trial judge may choose to allow a fee large enough to cover the possibility of an appeal. International Security Life Insurance Co. v. Spray, 468 S.W.2d 347 (Tex.1971). However, it exceeds 20% of the amount involved, so it does not conform to the Minimum Fee Schedule unless the attorney’s representation was undertaken on a contingent basis, and the record is silent as to this necessary item of proof. Audiomedia, Inc. v. Rollins Outdoor Advertising, Inc., 477 S.W.2d 370 (Tex.Civ.App.1972, no writ).

We hold that under the record in our case the plaintiff only showed that it was entitled to 20% of the amount involved, or $572.70, and that the trial court’s award was excessive by $327.30, so that amount of the judgment should be remitted.

The affidavit filed by appellee’s attorney stating that $900 is a reasonable fee for the services involved includes as its last item: “further work that will reasonably be expected to be performed in order to effectuate the collection of this judgment.” Art. 2226 does not provide for a fee for collection of a judgment, and this court lacks jurisdiction to determine what part, if any, of the trial court’s award of $900.

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483 S.W.2d 857, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/superior-stationers-corp-v-berol-corporation-texapp-1972.