Tukua Investments, LLC v. Spenst

413 S.W.3d 786, 2013 WL 4106670, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 10183
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 14, 2013
DocketNo. 08-11-00014-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 413 S.W.3d 786 (Tukua Investments, LLC v. Spenst) 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
Tukua Investments, LLC v. Spenst, 413 S.W.3d 786, 2013 WL 4106670, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 10183 (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

GUADALUPE RIVERA, Justice.

Appellants, Tukua Investments, LLC and Romelia Mondragon, were sued by [792]*792Appellees for statutory fraud and negligent misrepresentation in connection with a proposed sale of commercial property. The trial court entered judgment in favor of Appellees based upon a favorable jury verdict on their claims. Appellants challenge the trial court’s final judgment, and urge that this Court reverse the judgment and render a take-nothing judgment in their favor or in the alternative, that we grant a new trial and remand to a different county for retrial. Appellants raise nine issues on appeal. For the following, reasons, we reverse and render judgment that Appellees take nothing on their claims for statutory fraud and negligent misrepresentation.

BACKGROUND

Appellant, Romelia Mondragon is the president of Appellant, Tukua Investments, LLC. On May 21, 2007, Tukua entered into a commercial listing agreement with Century 21 Charlotte Banks Realty, to sell Tukua’s commercial property located at 3039 Megan Street in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas. Randall Banks, Tukua’s real estate agent, advertised the property on the Internet as a commercial property with a triple-net lease with lease payments to begin with the facility being licensed as a nursing and rehabilitation center.1 The sales price for the property was listed at $2.75 million.

On August .12, 2007, Dorine Hubbard, working on behalf of Appellees, requested more information on the Megan Street property as Appellees were looking for a 1031 exchange property.2 On August 13, 2007, Mr. Banks emailed Ms. Hubbard a copy of the commercial lease and informed her that Appellants estimated that the facility would be licensed as a nursing home within thirty days. On August 14, 2007, Appellees made an offer to buy on the condition that the close date be consecutive with the commencement of lease payments by Signature Healthcare. At trial, Ms. Hubbard testified that Appellees made an offer of $2.5 million, but the offer was rejected. She testified that according to Mr. Banks’ explanation the offer was rejected because the sellers wanted to reap the benefits on the development and sale of the commercial property while the buyers would reap the benefits of the lease. The parties ultimately agreed on a sales price of $2.6 million. On August 16, 2007, Ms. Hubbard forwarded a sales contract to Mr. Banks. The contract was signed and initialed by John Zaiger on behalf of “John Zaiger, et. al.” Mr. Zaiger visited the Megan Street property on August 28, 2007, where he observed Signature Healthcare’s furniture and equipment in the building and thought the place looked outstanding and ready to go at that time.

Because Appellees had recently sold other real estate in California, they needed to identify a 1031 exchange property by October 1, 2007, and close on the sale by February 13, 2008, in order for the capital tax to be deferred under the 1031 exchange. However, the signing of the contract by Appellants was delayed, and in response to Ms. Hubbard’s inquiries on behalf of her clients who wondered if they [793]*793needed to pursue other properties to designate for the 1031 exchange, Mr. Banks informed her that Appellants had no problems with the terms of the contract, but did not feel comfortable signing until after September 1 due to accounting and tax issues, which were being addressed by Appellants’ attorney. When the contract was not signed by September 1, in response to Ms. Hubbard’s questioning, . Mr. Banks informed her that Appellants had learned that the facility on the property had some issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Appellees agreed to defer signing, as they believed these to be solvable issues. Ms. Hubbard testified that Appellees entered into the contract knowing that Signature Healthcare was not paying on the triple-net lease at the time because of licensing, construction, and ADA issues. Appellants executed the sales contract on September 12, 2007.

Ms. Hubbard testified that she first learned of a problem with Signature Healthcare and the lease on October 12, 2007. On that day, Mr. Banks informed her that his clients told him that Signature Healthcare was not going to fulfill the lease. As the 1031 exchange designation deadline had already passed, Ms. Hubbard submitted a commercial contract amendment in order to protect Appellees. The amendment extended Appellees’ right to terminate the contract to February 10, 2008, and provided time for Appellants to find a replacement tenant. When the Ap-pellees inadvertently received a copy of a demand letter sent to Signature Healthcare referring to an August 8, 2007, eviction notice, Appellees became aware that a lease dispute between the two entities existed prior to Appellees making an offer to buy the commercial property. At this time, Appellees withdrew from the contract, knowing they would not be able to designate and purchase a 1031 exchange property and were required to pay over $240,000 in taxes on the sale of their California property.

Appellees filed suit against Appellants in Tarrant County, alleging statutory fraud pursuant to Chapter 27 of the Texas Business Code and the tort of negligent misrepresentation. See Tex. Bus. & Com.Code Ann. § 27.01 (West 2009). After trial, a jury found for Appellees on both causes of action. The trial court entered a final judgment on the jury’s verdict, awarding over $1.3 million to Appellees. Appellants filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV), a motion to disregard the jury’s findings, and a motion for new trial. The trial court denied the motions by written orders. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

STANDING

In Issue One, Appellants complain that Appellees, Virginia Zaiger and Skip and Sandra Spenst (“the Spensts”), lack standing to file suit in this matter. Appellants also argue that the claims for statutory fraud and negligent misrepresentation do not survive the death of Mr. Zaiger and as such, suit cannot be brought on-behalf of his estate. -

On appeal, we review the issue of standing de novo. Tex. Dep’t of Transp. v. City of Sunset Valley, 146 S.W.3d 637, 646 (Tex.2004). Standing is a constitutional prerequisite to maintaining suit. Id.; see Tex. Ass’n of Bus. v. Texas Air Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d 440, 444 (Tex.1993). Standing is never presumed, nor can it be waived. Texas Air Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d at 443-44. To have standing, a plaintiff must be personally aggrieved and the alleged injury suffered must be concrete and particularized, actual or imminent, not hypothetical. DaimlerChrysler [794]*794Corp. v. Inman, 252 S.W.3d 299, 304-05 (Tex.2008). The general test for standing requires that there be a real controversy between the parties that can be determined by the judicial declaration sought. Texas Air Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d at 446. In determining whether a plaintiff has standing, we construe the petition in favor of the plaintiff, and if necessary, review the entire record to determine if any evidence supports standing. Id.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Sugg v. Midwestern University
105 F.4th 345 (Fifth Circuit, 2024)
Eli Sasson v. William Lipsky and Sharon Lipsky
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2023
Nicolas Fibela v. Karen M. Wood
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
CBH Equity, LLC v. Murphy Oil United States, Inc.
333 F. Supp. 3d 664 (S.D. Texas, 2018)
Phap v. Nguyen, Andy Ngo and Dung T. Vu v. Manh Hoang and Dung Le
507 S.W.3d 360 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016)
Lake v. Cravens
488 S.W.3d 867 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016)
Approximately $31,421.00 v. State
485 S.W.3d 73 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015)
FirstLight Federal Credit Union v. Martha Loya
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2015

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
413 S.W.3d 786, 2013 WL 4106670, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 10183, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tukua-investments-llc-v-spenst-texapp-2013.