No. 05-11-01296-CV ACCEPTED 225EFJ016883677 FIFTH COURT OF APPEALS DALLAS, TEXAS 12 May 16 P5:59 Lisa Matz CLERK IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS at Dallas Amy Self Appellant, v. Tina King and Elizabeth Tucker Appellees. Appealed from the County Court at Law Number 1 of Collin County, Texas APPELLANT S BRIEF Respectfully submitted, /s/ Andrew C. Powell Andrew C. Powell Texas Bar No. 24079155 9017 Green Oaks Cir Dallas, TX 75243 Tel. 214-641-8958 Fax.214-261-2232 Email: apowell@attorney-email.com FOR APPELLANT 1
No. 05-11-01296-CV Amy Self Appellant, v. Tina King and Elizabeth Tucker, Appellees. IDENTITY OF PARTIES & COUNSEL Appellant: Amy Self Counsel: Andrew C. Powell Gary N. Schepps 9017 Green Oaks Cir Drawer 670804 Dallas, TX 75243 Dallas, TX 75367 Tel. (214) 641-8958 Tel. (214) 200-0000 Fax.(214) 261-2232 Fax.(972) 200-4155 Appellees: Tina King and Elizabeth Tucker Counsel: John W. Stilwell Scott A. Whitcomb 15455 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 600 1201 Elm Street, Suite 4950 Addison, TX 75001 Dallas, TX 75270 Tel. (972) 764-3344 Tel. (214) 659-4325 Fax.(972) 764-3345 Fax.(214) 659-4390 2
IDENTITY OF PARTIES & COUNSEL...2 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES...4 STATEMENT OF THE CASE...5 ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW...6 STATEMENT OF THE FACTS...7 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT...8 ARGUMENT...9 Issue 1: The trial court had jurisdiction to determine whether a motion for reinstatement is timely filed.... 9 Issue 2: Constitutional Due Process pursuant to Amendments V and XIV of the United State Constitution requires that a party receive notice of a trial setting in order for the party to be penalized for not appearing at that setting.... 11 Issue 3: The presumption of notice arising from the fact that the clerk s records indicate notice was mailed is rebutted by uncontroverted evidence that the notice was not received.... 12 PRAYER...14 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE...15 APPELLANT S APPENDIX...16 3
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES Federal Cases Peralta v. Heights Medical Center, Inc., 485 U.S. 80, 84 (1988)...11 State Cases Cliff v. Huggins, 724 S.W.2d 778, 780 (Tex. 1987)...12 Delgado v. Hernandez, 951 S.W.2d 97, 99 (Tex.App.- Corpus Christi 1997)...12 Mosser v. Plano Three Venture, 893 S.W.2d 8, 12 (Tex.App.- Dallas 1994)...11 Strackbein v. Prewitt, 671 S.W.2d 37, 38-9 (Tex. 1984)...13 Thomas v. Ray, 889 S.W.2d 237, 238 (Tex.1994)...12 Valdez v. Robertson, 352 S.W.3d 832, 834 (Tex.App.- San Antonio 2011)...11 Villarereal v. San Antonio Truck & Equip., 994 S.W.2d 628, 630 (Tex. 1999)...11 4
STATEMENT OF THE CASE Nature of the case. This is a suit to recover damages suffered from a head-on collision caused by the Defendant King s drunken joy ride down the wrong side of the highway at high speed. CR 1:15-6. The case also involves a secondary claim for negligent entrustment, against Defendant Tucker who lent her car to King, despite her intentions. Id. Course of proceedings. An agreed pretrial order was entered, and the case was subsequently set for trial. CR 1: 42, 97. A few days before the trial the Defendants counsel requested the Plaintiff s agreement to continue the trial setting, on the grounds that the defendants were changing trial counsel. CR 1: 114. At the new defense counsel s request, Plaintiff s counsel agreed to submit a motion for continuance, in return for the agreement that if a DWOP was entered in the case, then the Defendants would agree to a reinstatement. CR 1: 198. The agreement was made via text SMS with electronic ID signatures. Id. The motion for continuance was granted. CR 1:119. The trial court ordered that a new scheduling order and discovery plan be submitted. CR 1: 121. The trial court moved the case to the dismissal docket for want of prosecution when it found that the new discovery control plan was not signed by the Plaintiff s counsel. CR 1: 154. An order of dismissal was issued after the Plaintiff did not appear at the dismissal hearing. CR 1:58. Plaintiff s counsel received notice of the judgment more than 30 days after it was signed, and filed a verified motion as required by Tex.R.Civ.P. 306a(4).. CR 1: 159. 5
Trial court disposition. The trial court ruled against the motion to reinstate on grounds that it no longer had jurisdiction to do so, since more than 30 days passed between the signing of the judgment and the Plaintiff s motion. RR 1: 11. ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW Issue 1: Does the trial court have jurisdiction to determine the date that notice of the trial court s judgment was received even after 30 days have passed since the judgment was signed? Issue 2: Does Constitutional Due Process pursuant to Amendments V and XIV of the United States Constitution require that a party receive notice of a trial setting in order for the party to be penalized for not appearing at that setting? Issue 3: Is the presumption of notice, arising from the fact that the clerk s records indicate notice was mailed, rebutted by uncontroverted evidence that the notice was not received? 6
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS After the case was continued, the trial court requested an updated scheduling order. CR 1: 121. The Plaintiff s counsel did not receive notice of the request. CR 1: 159. The Defendants counsel telephoned the Plaintiff s counsel to conference, did not reach the Plaintiff s counsel, and did not leave a message requesting the agreed order. CR 1:139. The Defendants counsel did not send an e-mail nor text (via SMS) the Plaintiff s counsel, as had been the standard and regular form of communication between the two counsel up to that point. CR 1: 139, 198. According to the court records a notice of a DWOP hearing was mailed out to counsel of record. CR 1: 154-155. It was not received by Plaintiff s counsel. CR 1: 159; RR 1: 5, 7. Knowing that the Plaintiff s counsel did not receive the trial court s notice, the Defendants counsel came to the hearing with an order already prepared. RR 1: 5, 6. Although the Plaintiff s counsel had not received any notice, the case was ordered dismissed for want of prosecution. CR 1: 158. The Plaintiff first received notice of the dismissal more than 30 days after the order was signed. CR 1: 159. A timely, sworn motion conforming to the requirements of 306a(4) was filed requesting reinstatement. CR 1: 159. The trial court erroneously believed that because the motion was filed more than 30 days after the judgment was signed, that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. RR 1: 11. This appeal followed. 7
SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT The requirement of Constitutional Due Process requires that parties be afforded notice of dispositive court settings. A notation in the record that a notice was mailed raises a rebuttable presumption that the notice was received. As a matter of binding precedent, uncontroverted evidence that the letter was not received negates the presumptions of notice. In the case at bar it is uncontroverted that the Plaintiff s counsel did not receive the notice which the trial court s records notate was placed in the mail. Accordingly, it is unjust and a violation of due process to dismiss the Plaintiff s claims. The Plaintiff timely filed a sworn motion conforming to the requirements of TRCP 306a(4) and 306a(5). The trial court erred in believing that it lacked jurisdiction because the motion to reinstate was filed within 30 days of Plaintiff s receipt of notice of judgment, instead of within 30 days of the signing of the judgment. The trial court s dismissal for want of prosecution for failing to appear at a hearing for which the Plaintiff had no notice should be reversed, and the case remanded for trial on the merits so that justice may be done. 8
ARGUMENT Issue 1: The trial court had jurisdiction to determine whether a motion for reinstatement is timely filed. Argument & Authorities The trial court asserts that it did not have plenary power to rule on the Plaintiff s motion to reinstate. RR 1: 10-13. A motion for reinstatement following a dismissal for want of prosecution shall be filed within 30 days after the dismissal is signed, or alternatively within the period set forth by Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 306a if applicable. Tex. R. Civ. P. 165a(3). If the party first received notice between the 21st and 90th day after the signing of the order, the 30 day deadline in which to timely file begins when notice was first received. Tex. R. Civ. P. 306a(4), (5). The date at which notice was first received must be proven to the trial court on sworn motion. Tex. R. Civ. P. 306a(5). It follows that a trial court does have power to determine the date that the notice of the dismissal order was first received, which depending on its finding may extend the plenary power of the court to rule on the motion to reinstate. Here, the order of dismissal was signed on April 21st, 2011. CR 1: 158. The record indicates that the clerk mailed notice of the order of dismissal on April 26th, 2011. CR 1: 9. The Plaintiff s verified motion for reinstatement asserts that the Plaintiff and Plaintiff s counsel did not receive the notice in the mail from the clerk, but rather first received notice of the dismissal hearing and dismissal order on June 18th, 2011. CR 1: 159. The Plaintiff filed this motion to reinstate on July 15th, 2011. Id. It is uncontroverted on the record that the Plaintiff first received notice of the dismissal 9
order on the 59 th day after the signing of the order. Id. An application of Rule 306a(4) sets the new deadline as the 89 th day after the signing of the judgment, if it is proven to the trial court that notice was first received between the 20 th and 90 th days after the signing of the judgment pursuant to rule Rule 306a(5). The Plaintiff filed its motion on the 27 th day after having received notice of the order, which was the 86 th day after the signing of the judgment. CR 1: 158, 159. It follows that the trial court definitely had jurisdiction to determine what date the Plaintiff first received notice so it could determine whether the motion was filed timely pursuant to Rule 306a(5). Furthermore, it follows that if the trial court were to find that notice was in fact first received on June 18 th, 2011, as the Plaintiff has asserted by way of verified motion, then the motion to reinstate was indeed timely filed in context of the late notice. 10
Issue 2: Constitutional Due Process pursuant to Amendments V and XIV of the United State Constitution requires that a party receive notice of a trial setting in order for the party to be penalized for not appearing at that setting. Argument & Authorities Notice is an elementary and fundamental requirement of due process in any proceeding that is to be accorded finality. Mosser v. Plano Three Venture, 893 S.W.2d 8, 12 (Tex.App. Dallas 1994) ( We do not believe that a party who, through no fault of its own, does not receive notice of a hearing can (1) be accused of intentional failure to appear or conscious indifference, or (2) have its due process rights overcome ). The right to notice is the most rudimentary demands of due process of law. Peralta v. Heights Medical Center, Inc., 485 U.S. 80, 84 (1988); and see, e.g., Valdez v. Robertson, 352 S.W.3d 832, 834 (Tex.App. San Antonio 2011) (the failure to give sufficient notice deprives a party of his due process rights and warrants reversal). Accordingly, as a matter of binding precedent, a dismissal absent notice violates the due process rights of a party and therefore must be reversed. Villarereal v. San Antonio Truck & Equip., 994 S.W.2d 628, 630 (Tex. 1999). An application of the above principles makes it clear that notice and an opportunity to be heard prior to dismissal for want of prosecution is required in the case at hand. Uncontroverted evidence established that Plaintiff s counsel s failure to comply with the court s directives was the result of not having received notice from the Court. CR 1: 159. Furthermore, there is no evidence on the record to suggest Plaintiff s counsel was in any way complicit in the failure of the post office to deliver the notice. It follows that the trial court s decision warrants reversal. 11
Issue 3: The presumption of notice arising from the fact that the clerk s records indicate notice was mailed is rebutted by uncontroverted evidence that the notice was not received. Argument & Authorities At the hearing to decide on the motion for reinstatement, trial court averred that it did not have jurisdiction to rule. RR 1:11, 12. The trial court judge erroneously believed that notice is irrebuttably presumed to be received if the court records reflect the notice was mailed. RR 1: 12. There is a presumption that when the notice is properly addressed, postage paid, and mailed that the notice was received by the addressee. Tex. R. Civ. P 21a. However, that presumption is rebuttable and the mailing of a notice merely creates a rebuttable presumption that the notice was received. Thomas v. Ray, 889 S.W.2d 237, 238 (Tex.1994). In the case at bar, the Plaintiff filed a verified motion providing sworn testimony that the notice was not received. CR 1: 159. As such, the presumption was rebutted as a matter of law. Delgado v. Hernandez, 951 S.W.2d 97, 99 (Tex.App. Corpus Christi 1997). The affidavit of non-receipt negates the presumption of notice as a matter of binding precedent. Cliff v. Huggins, 724 S.W.2d 778, 780 (Tex. 1987). As a matter of established law, The presumption, however, is not evidence and it vanishes when opposing evidence is introduced that the letter was not received. Id. The Plaintiff property established her entitlement to the granting of her motion to reinstate. A case shall be reinstated where the failure of the party or his attorney was not intentional or the result of conscious indifference. Tex. R. Civ. P. 165a(3). It is 12
sufficient that the movant s motion and affidavits set forth facts which, if true, would negate intentional or consciously indifferent conduct. Strackbein v. Prewitt, 671 S.W.2d 37, 38-9 (Tex. 1984). Application of these rules clearly warrants reinstatement, given the facts of this case. 13
PRAYER The trial court clearly had jurisdiction to determine whether the Plaintiff received notice of the dismissal in order to determine whether its plenary power was extended pursuant to Rule 306a(4) and 306a(5). As the Plaintiff s verified motion that no notice was ever received is express, specific, and uncontroverted, the weight of any evidence yielded from a presumption of receipt upon having placed it in the mail vanishes. It is thus the case that the Plaintiff showed that any failure that would have justified dismissal for want of prosecution was not intentional or the result of conscious indifference. Having met all the requirements Rule 165a(3), the case should have been reinstated in accordance. WHEREFORE, Appellant prays that this Court reverse the dismissal ordered by the trial court and remand the case for trial on the merits so that justice may be done. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Andrew C. Powell Andrew C. Powell Texas Bar No. 24079155 9017 Green Oaks Cir Dallas, TX 75243 Tel. 214-641-8958 Fax.214-261-2232 Email: apowell@attorney-email.com ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT, AMY SELF 14
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that a copy of APPELLANT S BRIEF was served on appellees, Tina King and Elizabeth Tucker, through counsel of record, John Stilwell, 15455 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 600, Addison, TX 75001, (972) 764-3344, by fax to (972)764-3345 on 5/16/2012. /s/ Andrew C. Powell ANDREW C. POWELL 15
No. 05-11-01296-CV AMY SELF, Appellant, V. TINA KING and ELIZABETH TUCKER Appellees. APPELLANT S APPENDIX LIST OF DOCUMENTS 1. ORDER OF DISMISSAL dated 4/21/2011 CR 1: 158...Tab A 2. TRCP 165a, 306a... Tab B 3. RULE 11 AGREEMENT CR 1: 196-198... Tab C 4. MOTION TO REINSTATE AND VACATE DISMISSAL CR 1: 159-161...Tab D 16
RULE 165a. DISMISSAL FOR WAT OF PROSECUTIO 1. Failure to Appear. A case may be dismissed for want of prosecution on failure of any party seeking affirmative relief to appear for any hearing or trial of which the party had notice. Notice of the court's intention to dismiss and the date and place of the dismissal hearing shall be sent by the clerk to each attorney of record, and to each party not represented by an attorney and whose address is shown on the docket or in the papers on file, by posting same in the United States Postal Service. At the dismissal hearing, the court shall dismiss for want of prosecution unless there is good cause for the case to be maintained on the docket. If the court determines to maintain the case on the docket, it shall render a pretrial order assigning a trial date for the case and setting deadlines for the joining of new parties, all discovery, filing of all pleadings, the making of a response or supplemental responses to discovery and other pretrial matters. The case may be continued thereafter only for valid and compelling reasons specifically determined by court order. Notice of the signing of the order of dismissal shall be given as provided in Rule 306a. Failure to mail notices as required by this rule shall not affect any of the periods mentioned in Rule 306a except as provided in that rule. 2. on-compliance With Time Standards. Any case not disposed of within time standards promulgated by the Supreme Court under its Administrative Rules may be placed on a dismissal docket. 3. Reinstatement. A motion to reinstate shall set forth the grounds therefor and be verified by the movant or his attorney. It shall be filed with the clerk within 30 days after the order of dismissal is signed or within the period provided by Rule 306a. A copy of the motion to reinstate shall be served on each attorney of record and each party not represented by an attorney whose address is shown on the docket or { in the papers on file. The clerk shall deliver a copy of the motion to the judge, who shall set a hearing on the motion as soon as practicable. The court shall notify all parties or their attorneys of record of the date, time and place of the hearing. The court shall reinstate the case upon finding after a hearing that the failure of the party or his attorney was not intentional or the result of conscious indifference but was due to an accident or mistake or that the failure has been otherwise reasonably explained. In the event for any reason a motion for reinstatement is not decided by signed written order within seventy-five days after the judgment is signed, or, within such other time as may be allowed by Rule 306a, the motion shall be deemed overruled by operation of law. If a motion to reinstate is timely filed by any party, the trial court, regardless of whether an appeal has been perfected, has plenary power to reinstate the case until 30 days after all such timely filed motions are overruled, either by a written and signed order or by operation of law, whichever occurs first. 4. Cumulative Remedies. This dismissal and reinstatement procedure shall be cumulative of the rules and laws governing any other procedures available to the parties in such cases. The same reinstatement procedures and timetable are applicable to all dismissals for want of prosecution including cases which are dismissed pursuant to the court's inherent power, whether or not a motion to dismiss has been filed.
RULE 306a. PERIODS TO RU FROM SIGIG OF JUDGMET 1. Beginning of Periods. The date of judgment or order is signed as shown of record shall determine the beginning of the periods prescribed by these rules for the court's plenary power to grant a new trial or to vacate, modify, correct or reform a judgment or order and for filing in the trial court the various documents that these rules authorize a party to file within such periods including, but not limited to, motions for new trial, motions to modify judgment, motions to reinstate a case dismissed for want of prosecution, motions to vacate judgment and requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law; but this rule shall not determine what constitutes rendition of a judgment or order for any other purpose. 2. Date to Be Shown. Judges, attorneys and clerks are directed to use their best efforts to cause all judgments, decisions and orders of any kind to be reduced to writing and signed by the trial judge with the date of signing stated therein. If the date of signing is not recited in the judgment or order, it may be shown in the record by a certificate of the judge or otherwise; provided, however, that the absence of a showing of the date in the record shall not invalidate any judgment or order. 3. otice of Judgment. When the final judgment or other appealable order is signed, the clerk of the court shall immediately give notice to the parties or their attorneys of record by firstclass mail advising that the judgment or order was signed. Failure to comply with the provisions of this rule shall not affect the periods mentioned in paragraph (1) of this rule, except as provided in paragraph (4). 4. o otice of Judgment. If within twenty days after the judgment or other appealable order is signed, a party adversely affected by it or his attorney has neither received the notice required by paragraph (3) of this rule nor acquired actual knowledge of the order, then with respect to that party all the periods mentioned in paragraph (1) shall begin on the date that such party or his attorney received such notice or acquired actual knowledge of the signing, whichever occurred first, but in no event shall such periods begin more than ninety days after the original judgment or other appealable order was signed. 5. Motion, otice and Hearing. In order to establish the application of paragraph (4) of this rule, the party adversely affected is required to prove in the trial court, on sworn motion and notice, the date on which the party or his attorney first either received a notice of the judgment or acquired actual knowledge of the signing and that this date was more than twenty days after the judgment was signed. 6. unc Pro Tunc Order. When a corrected judgment has been signed after expiration of the court's plenary power pursuant to Rule 316, the periods mentioned in paragraph (1) of this rule shall run from the date of signing the corrected judgment with repsect of any complaint that would not be applicable to the original document. 7. When Process Served by Publication. With respect to a motion for new trial filed more than thirty days after the judgment was signed pursuant to Rule 329 when process has been served by publication, the periods provided by paragraph (1) shall be computed as if the judgment were signed on the date of filing the motion.