Uslife Title Insurance Co. of Dallas v. Rossco, Inc.

550 S.W.2d 419, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 2932
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 28, 1977
DocketNo. 4998
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 550 S.W.2d 419 (Uslife Title Insurance Co. of Dallas v. Rossco, Inc.) 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
Uslife Title Insurance Co. of Dallas v. Rossco, Inc., 550 S.W.2d 419, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 2932 (Tex. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

McCLOUD, Chief Justice.

Plaintiff, Rossco, Inc. sued defendants, USLIFE Title Insurance Company of Dallas and USLIFE Title Company of Houston, for conversion of funds received by US-LIFE Houston allegedly belonging to Ros-sco. Plaintiff asserted that USLIFE Houston was a trustee of certain escrow funds which it agreed to hold and distribute as escrow agent in connection with the closing of a real estate transaction involving a sale by plaintiff to John Lester, E. Mitchell Smith and other related entities and individuals of two real estate developments, Place One Apartments in Houston, Texas, and Tall Timbers Apartments in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rossco alleged that contrary to its fiduciary duties as a trustee, USLIFE Houston refused to forward to plaintiff $105,666.66 which was received by the escrow agent after the closing, and the escrow agent willfully and maliciously breached its fiduciary obligation by sending the money to its alter ego company, defendant, USLIFE Dallas. Defendants contend USLIFE Dallas loaned Lester and Smith $121,500 at the time of the closing in order that the real estate transaction could be completed and the $105,666.66 was properly sent to USLIFE Dallas as part payment of that loan.

The jury found that the $105,666.66 was from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments; USLIFE Houston converted the $105,666.66 to its own use and benefit or the use and benefit of USLIFE Dallas; either or both USLIFE Houston or US-LIFE Dallas participated in the conversion with malice or in wanton or conscious disregard for the rights of plaintiff; USLIFE Houston breached its fiduciary duties to plaintiff with malice or in wanton or conscious disregard for the rights of plaintiff; USLIFE Houston became the alter ego of USLIFE Dallas; $60,000 should be assessed against USLIFE Houston as exemplary damages; and, $30,000 should be assessed against USLIFE Dallas as exemplary damages. Based upon the jury’s findings judgment was entered against the defendants, jointly and severally, for $105,666.66 actual damages plus prejudgment interest of $13,-084.18, plus exemplary damages of $60,000, for a total of $178,750.84. The judgment additionally provided for recovery of $30,-000 exemplary damages against USLIFE Dallas. Defendants have appealed. We reverse and remand.

On January 31, 1974, instruments designated as “Closing Agreement” and “Escrow Instructions” were executed by Rossco, Smith and Lester as “Developers” and A. R. Kadell, an employee of USLIFE Houston, as “Escrow Agent.” The Closing Agreement provides in part:

“2. Developers agree that all additional proceeds from the sale or other disposition of partnership interests in Place One Apartments, Ltd., a Texas limited part[421]*421nership, of which E. Mitchell Smith, Jr. and John R. Lester are general partners, shall be paid immediately as and when and in whatever amounts received by Developers or any of them to Rossco and shall be credited against payment of the Note B until Note B shall be fully paid.
3. Developers agree that all of the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of partnership interests in Tall Timbers Apartments II, Ltd., a partnership in commendam of which E. Mitchell Smith, Jr., John R. Lester and S. Louis Hutche-son are general partners, shall be paid immediately as and when and in whatever amounts received by Developers or any of them to Escrow Agent for the benefit of Rossco (pursuant to the Escrow Instructions).”

The Escrow Instructions provide in part:

“E. Upon receipt from Developers of funds from the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of partnership interests in Place One Apartments, Ltd., from Developers, if Rossco elects to have such funds channeled through Escrow Agent, Escrow Agent shall record the amount of such proceeds received by him and shall immediately disburse such amounts, as received by him, to Rossco in accordance with instructions given by Rossco.
F. Upon receipt by Escrow Agent of proceeds from the sale or other disposition of partnership interests in Tall Timbers Apartments II, Ltd., pursuant to paragraph 8 of the Closing Instructions, Escrow Agent shall record the amounts of such proceeds as received, and shall place such proceeds in a special escrow account from which they shall be disbursed in accordance with the terms hereof.”

Plaintiff contends the above quoted paragraphs 2 and E entitled it to the $105,666.66 which was deposited in an escrow account at the office of USLIFE Houston and later transferred to USLIFE Dallas.

The trial was brief. The only witnesses who testified were Ervin Beal, Treasurer and Secretary of USLIFE Houston and US-LIFE Dallas, and A. R. Kadell, Senior Vice-President of USLIFE Houston, who were called by plaintiff as adverse witnesses.

In Special Issue 1, the jury found that the $105,666.66 was from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments. Defendants argue there is no evidence to support the finding. We agree.

Following the real estate closing on January 31, 1974, six checks totaling $105,666.66 were deposited in the “Rossco, Inc.-Lester” escrow account. Plaintiff first argues that Kadell admitted these checks were from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments. We disagree. Kadell testified, when called as an adverse witness, that he had no first hand knowledge regarding the checks, and he only surmised or assumed the checks were from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments. Plaintiff relies upon a statement in Kadell’s deposition as an admission and some evidence the funds came from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments. The statement of facts reflects the following questions and answers:

“Q . Now, let me refer you to the reverse side of Plaintiff’s Exhibit 5, under the date of 2-15-74. There are six checks shown there, are there not?
A Yes.
Q Totaling $105,666.66?
A That’s right.
Q Those checks came from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments, did they not, Mr. Kadell?
A Here again we get back to our same question that we had difficulty with a moment ago.
Q Well, just answer my question. You knew they came from the sale of interest in Place One Apartments, didn’t you?
A I can’t be sure, counsel.
Q Well, didn’t you tell me that back on March 20, 1975 when you gave your deposition?
A I think the phrasing was ‘we can assume that’.
Q Well, I think you testified, did you not, that you guessed that I could [422]*422say that you knew that, is where they came from.
A Well, I am not trying to be difficult. It is just a play on words.
Q Well, did you know it or didn’t you?
A I wasn’t given any specific instructions. That was not a factor at that time.
Q Didn’t you testify back on March 20 though that you knew that the funds came from Place One Apartments? And I am referring to the funds that came in between January 31 and February 15, 1974.

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

Related

Colley v. Carleton
571 S.W.2d 572 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1978)
Republic National Life Insurance Co. v. Heyward
568 S.W.2d 879 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
550 S.W.2d 419, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 2932, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/uslife-title-insurance-co-of-dallas-v-rossco-inc-texapp-1977.