Texas Department of Transportation v. Shaw

847 S.W.2d 618, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 3284, 1992 WL 442735
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 30, 1992
DocketNo. 04-92-00263-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 847 S.W.2d 618 (Texas Department of Transportation v. Shaw) 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
Texas Department of Transportation v. Shaw, 847 S.W.2d 618, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 3284, 1992 WL 442735 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

BIERY, Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment. Appellant Texas Department of Transportation (hereinafter referred to as “the state”) filed suit against appellees Ben B. Shaw (hereinafter referred to as “Shaw” or “Mr. Shaw”) and National Surety Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “surety”), among others, to impose liability for the alleged failure to forward to the state certain motor vehicle registration fees.1 Mr. Shaw and surety moved for summary judgment. The state responded to the motions for summary judgment, but did not file a counter motion for summary judgment. The trial court granted Shaw’s and surety’s summary judgment motions. The state appeals, raising three points of error. We reverse and remand.

Mr. Shaw was the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector from January 1, 1977, until December 31,1984. During that period, he was insured by surety on a bond in the amount of $50,000. The bond, as required by state law, was made out to the Governor of Texas, and was payable in the event Mr. Shaw did not “faithfully perform all the duties of his office.”

As part of his official duties, Shaw was charged with accepting applications from the public for motor vehicle license registrations and collecting the lawful fees therefor on behalf of the state. Prior to Shaw’s term, Bexar County authorized Handy Andy, Inc., a supermarket corporation, as a substation to collect the motor vehicle registration fees. Under this arrangement, customers made their payments to Handy Andy, Inc. As Tax Collector, Mr. Shaw’s office was responsible for collecting the funds from Handy Andy, Inc. and transmitting them to the state.

In September of 1981, Handy Andy, Inc. sold license tags and collected $509,094.62 in public funds. With these funds on hand, the corporation declared bankruptcy and the license fee receipts were included in the bankruptcy estate. The state sought recovery through the bankruptcy court, and a series of payments were made over a six year period. The bankruptcy proceeding was finally concluded in 1987; however, $327,115.71 remained due and unpaid. It is this sum that the state seeks to recover from Mr. Shaw and the surety on his bond.

It is well established that a defendant moving for a summary judgment assumes the burden of showing as a matter of law that the plaintiff has no cause of action against him. Citizens First Nat’l Bank v. Cinco Exploration Co., 540 S.W.2d 292, 294 (Tex.1976). To meet its burden, the defendant/movant must establish, as a matter of law, that there is no genuine issue of material fact as to one or more of the essential elements of the plaintiff’s cause of action. Id. In other words, a defendant/movant is entitled to summary judgment only if the defendant conclusively establishes that “at least one element of plaintiff’s cause of action does not exist.” Mayhew v. Town of Sunnyvale, 714 S.W.2d 284, 287 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1989, writ denied), cert, denied, — U.S. -, 111 S.Ct. 963, 112 L.Ed.2d 1049 (1991); see also State v. Seventeen Thousand and No/100 Dollars U.S. Currency, 809 S.W.2d 637, 639 (Tex.App. — Corpus Christi 1991, no writ). A matter is conclusively established if ordinary minds cannot differ as to the conclusion to be drawn from the evidence. Harris v. Varo, Inc., 814 S.W.2d 520, 522 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1991, no writ).

To establish that the plaintiff cannot prevail, the defendant/movant must either directly attack the plaintiff’s cause of action or move for summary judgment on the basis of an affirmative defense. When directly attacking the plaintiff’s cause of action, it is not necessary for the defendant/movant to disprove all elements of the plaintiff’s case. Compton v. Calabria, 811 S.W.2d 945, 949 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1991, no writ). Rather, if the defendant can disprove any one of the essential elements, then the court must render summary judgment for that defendant. Id. [620]*620Conversely, when moving for summary judgment on the basis of an affirmative defense, the defendant/movant must expressly present and conclusively prove each essential element of the affirmative defense. Swilley v. Hughes, 488 S.W.2d 64, 67 (Tex.1972); Deer Creek Ltd. v. North Am. Mortgage Co., 792 S.W.2d 198, 200 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1990, no writ). In sum, the defendant/movant may obtain summary judgment by (1) disproving at least one of the elements of each of the plaintiffs causes of action; or (2) conclusively proving all the elements of an affirmative defense. See American Medical Electronics, Inc. v. Korn, 819 S.W.2d 573, 576 (Tex. App. — Dallas 1991, writ denied); International Union United Auto. Aerospace & Agrie. Implement Workers Local 119 v. Johnson Controls, Inc., 813 S.W.2d 558, 563 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1991, writ denied); Lesbrookton, Inc. v. Jackson, 796 S.W.2d 276, 280 (Tex.App. — Amarillo 1990, writ denied). Essentially, the defendant/movant is required to meet the plaintiffs causes of action, as pled, and to demonstrate that the plaintiff cannot prevail. See Rogers v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 761 S.W.2d 788, 795 (Tex.App. — Beaumont 1988, writ denied); see also Rose v. Odiorne, 795 S.W.2d 210, 213 (Tex.App. — Austin 1990, writ denied) (defendant not entitled to summary judgment unless he proves that “plaintiff could not succeed upon any theory pleaded”).

In this case, among other things, the state’s pleadings allege Mr. Shaw is liable on the bond and statutorily liable for the motor vehicle registration fees pursuant to Tex.Rev.Stat.Ann. art. 6675a-10 (Vernon 1977).2 To support its allegation, the state filed a supporting affidavit concerning the deficiency and alleging a statutory violation.3 During the time period pertinent to this case, article 6675a-10 required each County Tax Collector to apportion the funds collected “on Monday of each week.” Id. Specifically, by statute, Mr. Shaw was required to deposit certain portions of the monies collected in the accounts of Bexar County and, after making such deposits, to transmit the balance of these funds to the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles every Monday; or alternatively, to deposit the monies in a daily interest-bearing account of Bexar County each Monday, and thereafter to remit the same to plaintiff/state within thirty-four days. Article 6675a-10 stated, in relevant part:

Apportionment of funds
On Monday of each week each County Tax Collector shall

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847 S.W.2d 618, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 3284, 1992 WL 442735, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-department-of-transportation-v-shaw-texapp-1992.