Vaughn v. Drennon

372 S.W.3d 726, 2012 WL 2833847, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 5488
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 11, 2012
DocketNo. 12-09-00064-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 372 S.W.3d 726 (Vaughn v. Drennon) 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
Vaughn v. Drennon, 372 S.W.3d 726, 2012 WL 2833847, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 5488 (Tex. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION ON REMAND

JAMES T. WORTHEN, Chief Justice.

This appeal involves an ongoing dispute between neighboring property owners in Sabine County. In this segment, Millard and Barbara Vaughn sued Paul and Mary Drennon for trespass, violation of the water code, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED). Additionally, the Drennons sued the Vaughns for IIED. The two cases were consolidated and tried before a jury. Only the Vaughns appeal, asserting in eight issues that the Dren-nons’ IIED claim fails as a matter of law, the evidence is legally insufficient to support the jury’s findings regarding the Drennons’ IIED claim, and the trial court erred in disregarding the jury’s findings on their statutory violation claim, in excluding certain evidence, and in rendering judgment against them on their trespass claim. We reverse and render in part and affirm in part.

Background

The Drennons purchased a one-half acre lot in Sabine County in 1972, began building their house in 1975, and made it their permanent residence in 1982. That property shares a boundary with property purchased by the Vaughns in 1995. Beginning in 2004, the Drennons experienced problems with significant amounts of water draining from the Vaughns’ property to the Drennons’ property. The Drennons filed suit, which resulted in a permanent injunction against the Vaughns and an award of actual and punitive damages, rendered in April 2005. The Vaughns appealed. This court rendered a take nothing judgment in favor of Barbara Vaughn and deleted certain injunctions. We held that the trial court did not err by ordering Millard Vaughn to alter the slope of his property to alleviate the drainage problems, but remanded the cause for clarification of the corrective measures he was required to implement. Vaughn v. Drennon, 202 S.W.3d 308 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2006, no pet.). In response to our opinion and judgment, the trial court held a hearing, heard additional evidence, granted a permanent injunction against Vaughn, and ordered him to correct the drainage problem. Vaughn appealed the trial court’s judgment. This court deleted one injunction and one descriptive phrase in the court’s order to correct the drainage problem, but otherwise affirmed the trial court’s judgment. Vaughn v. Drennon, No. 12-07-00222-CV, 2008 WL 4757016, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 8478 (Tex.App.-Tyler Oct. 31, 2008, pet. denied) (mem. op.).

[731]*731After the trial court’s hearing on remand in February 2007, but before our October 31, 2008 opinion and judgment reviewing that injunction, the current phase of the dispute was tried before a jury, on September 22, 2008. The jury found that the Drennons diverted the natural flow of surface water in a manner that damaged the property of the Vaughns, and $4,000.00 would fairly compensate them for that damage; the Drennons trespassed on the Vaughns’ property but found $0.00 damages for trespass; Paul Drennon intentionally inflicted severe emotional distress on Millard Vaughn for which Vaughn should be compensated $25,000.00; Paul Drennon did not inflict severe emotional distress on Barbara Vaughn; Millard Vaughn intentionally inflicted severe emotional distress on Paul Drennon for which he should be compensated $25,000.00; and Millard Vaughn intentionally inflicted severe emotional distress on Mary Drennon for which she should be compensated $25,000.00.

The trial court determined that the evidence was legally and factually insufficient to support the jury’s findings that the Drennons diverted the natural flow of surface water in a manner that damaged the Vaughns’ property, that the Vaughns were thereby damaged in the amount of $4,000.00, and that the Drennons trespassed on the Vaughns’ property. Accordingly, the court disregarded the jury’s answers to those questions. The court also ordered that Mary Drennon recover $25,000.00 from Millard Vaughn. The court further found that the damage awards that Paul Drennon and Millard Vaughn were entitled to recover from each other for IIED offset each other and specifically made no award to either of them for their respective IIED claims. Finally, the court ordered that the Vaughns take nothing from the Drennons and that Paul Drennon take nothing from the Vaughns. The Vaughns appealed the trial court’s judgment.1

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

In their first, fourth, and fifth issues, the Vaughns contend the evidence is legally insufficient to support the jury’s findings that Millard Vaughn intentionally inflicted severe emotional distress on Paul or Mary Drennon. In their second and third issues, the Vaughns assert that the Dren-nons’ IIED claim fails as a matter of law because IIED is a gap-filler tort, created for the limited purpose of allowing recovery when a defendant intentionally inflicts severe emotional distress in a manner so unusual that the victim has no other recognized theory of redress. Thus, they argue, the tort of IIED has no application when the actor intends to invade some other legally protected interest or his conduct poses a risk of some harm other than emotional distress.

Standard of Review

Where the appellant is attacking the legal sufficiency of the evidence supporting an adverse finding on an issue for which he did not have the burden of proof, he must show that no evidence supports the jury’s adverse finding. Exxon Corp. v. Emerald Oil & Gas Co., 348 S.W.3d 194, 215 (Tex.2011). Evidence is legally sufficient if it “would enable reasonable and fair-minded people to reach the verdict under review.” City of Keller v. Wilson, [732]*732168 S.W.3d 802, 827 (Tex.2005). We “credit favorable evidence if reasonable jurors could, and disregard contrary evidence unless reasonable jurors could not.” Id.

Applicable Law

To recover for intentional infliction of emotional distress, a plaintiff must show that (1) the defendant acted intentionally or recklessly, (2) the defendant’s conduct was extreme and outrageous, (3) the defendant’s actions caused the plaintiff emotional distress, and (4) the resulting emotional distress was severe. Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. v. Zeltwanger, 144 S.W.3d 438, 445 (Tex.2004). Liability for this cause of action shall arise only where the conduct has been so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and to be regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community. Twyman v. Twyman, 855 S.W.2d 619, 621 (Tex.1993). Additionally, the plaintiff must prove by direct evidence the nature, duration, and severity of his anguish with evidence of a high degree of mental pain and distress that is more than mere worry, anxiety, vexation, embarrassment, or anger. Parkway Co. v. Woodruff, 901 S.W.2d 434, 444 (Tex.1995). Generally, the plaintiff must establish a substantial disruption in his daily routine. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
372 S.W.3d 726, 2012 WL 2833847, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 5488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vaughn-v-drennon-texapp-2012.