1 ... S eeT EX . R. A PP . P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICTOFTEXAS FORT WORTH
NO. 2 - 0 7 - 1 6 1 - CV
FR AN K CO RNI SH, I V A ND APPE L L AN TS ALLOC CU PANTS V . W ELL S FA RG O BA N K ( TEX A S ) , N A A PPELL EE

----- ----- -- FR O M CO UN TY CO URT AT LAW NO . 1 OF TARRA NT CO UN TY

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### M E M ORANDU M OP I NI ON 1

----- ----- -- I . I nt r oduc t i on I n tw o p o i n ts, A p p e l l a n ts F ran kC o rnish , I V an d A l l O c c u p a n ts ( col l ect i vel y, “t he C or ni shes”) assertt hatt he t r i al cour t( 1) di d not have subj ect
m a t t e rju r is d ic t io n o v e rt h is la w s u ita n d (2 ) e r r e d in g r a n t i n g A p p e lle e W e lls2

Far go Ban k ( Texa s) , N A ( “W el l s Far go” ) a w r i tofpo s s es si on w i t hout
e sta b l i sh i n g a s u p e ri o r r i g h t t o i m m e d i a te p o ss e ss i o n o f t h e p rem i se s. B o th p o in t s s t e m f r o m a n a lle g e d w r o n g f u l f o r e c lo s u r e p r e v io u s lya d d r e s s e d b yt h is
c o u rt. See Cor

ni shv. W ashi ngton Mut. Bank , No. 02- 06- 00400

- CV , 2007 W L 2 2 8 5 4 7 8 , a t* 1 ( T e x . A p p . — F o r tWo r t h A u g . 9 , 2 0 0 7 , p e t . d e n i e d ) ( me m. o p .). I I . Fa ct ualan d Pr oce dur alBac kgr ound A . Pr evi ousLi t i gat i on T h e C o rn i s h e s h a v e b i tte n a t th i s a p p l e b e fo re , b u t trya g a i n . S e ei d. On A u g u s t9 , 2 0 0 7 , t h is c o u r ta f f ir m e d a s u m m a r y j u d g m e n tin f a v o ro fW e lls Fa r go a nd W a s hi ng t on M ut ua l Ban k i n t r i a l c ou r tc a us e n o. 017- 21247 7- 05. Id . at*5 . I n t hatcase, t he C or n is h e s com pl ai ned abo utt he ci r cum st ances sur r oun di ng t he f o re c lo s ur e oft hei rhom e, 30 5 S hef f i el d D r i ve, So ut hl ake, T e x a s (“t h e H o m e ” ). Id . at*1. T h e b a c k g ro u n d s etf or t h i n ourpr evi ous opi ni on i s ger m ane t o t he pr oceedi ngs bef or e us t oday b ecause t hi s case al so i nvol ves t he H om e. I n 1 9 9 3 , t h e Co r n i s h e s p u r c h a s e d t h e Ho me wi t h a p u r c h a s e m oney
m or t gage l oan, w hi ch i ncl uded a deed oft r ust , f r om Bl uebo nnet S avi ngs B ank, F S B . Id . Bl ueb onne tco nve yed i t s i nt er es tas be nef i ci ar y un derth e d e e d of t r ustt o N or w estBan k Texas S outh Cen t r al , w hi ch l at erconveyed t hatsam e2 ... Th e C or ni shes al so sought pr ot ect i on un dert he U ni t ed S t at es

B a n k ru p tc yC o d e th re e ti m e s : i n 2 0 0 1 , 2 0 0 4 , a n d 2 0 0 5 . C o rn i s h, 2 0 0 7 WL 2 2 8 5 4 7 8 , a t* 1 . T h e i rl a s tb a n k r u p t c yf i l i n g wa s d i s mi s s e d a s h a v i n g b een fi l e d i n b a d fa i th . Id . 3 i n te re s t to W a s h i n g to n M u tu a l . Id . The C or ni sh es f el l be hi nd i n t hei rm or t gag e obl i gat i ons and t he H om e w ent i nt o f or ecl osur e. We l l s F a r g o b o u g h tt h e H o me 2
a t a fo re c l o s u re s a l e i n 2 0 0 4 . In 2 0 0 5 , t h e C o r n is h e s b r o u g h ts u ita g a in s tW a s h in g t o n M u t u a l a n d W e lls F a rg o fo r w ro n g fu l fo re c l o s u re a n d to tryti tl e . C or ni sh , 2 007 W L2285 478,
a t * 1

– 2 . T h e yall e g e d tha t t h e fore c l o su re h a d b e e n w ro n g f u l b e c a u se o f a l ack of noti ce of def aul t and a l ack ofpow erby t he t r ust ee t o cond uctt he sal e, a n d b e c a u s e o f th e H o m e ’s s ta tu s a s a h o m e s te a d . Id . I n 2006, W el l s Far go a n d W a sh i n g to n M u tu a l fi l e d a m o ti o n fo r su m m a ry j u d g m e n t an d a m o ti o n to
s tri k e th e C o rn i s h e s ’ se c o n d re s p o n s e to th e i r m o ti o n . Id. at*2. Bot h oft he b a n k s ’ m o ti o n s w e re s u c c e s s fu l . Id . a t*3. A m ong o t heri ss ues pr es ent ed to t hi s cou r ti n t he pr i orap pea l , t he C o rn i s h e s a rg u e d th a t n o ti c e s s e n t to t h e m re g a rd i n g th e i r d e fa u l t w e re i n a d e q u a te a n d i m p ro p e r. Id . a t *4. W e h el d t hatt he su m m ar y j udgm ent
e v i d e n c e s h o w e d th a t th e C o rn i s h e s re c e i v e d a d e q u a te n o ti c e . Id .4

B. Thi s Li t i gat i on Thi s pr es entap pea l ar os e f r om a l aw su i ti ni t i at e d w hen W el l s Far go com m enc ed a f or ci bl e d et ai nerac t i on i n Jus t i ce C ourt , Pr ec i nct 3, Pl ac e 2, of Tar r antCount y, Texa s, s t yl ed Wel l s Far go Ban k ( Tex as), N

A v. Frank C or

ni sh I V and al l occupan ts of

30 5 Sh e ff

ie ld D r ive, So uthl

ake, Texas , Cause N o. F2545 . Af t era t r i al , t he Jus t i ce Courti ss ued j udgm entf orW el l s Far go on M a r c h 29, 2007 . Th e C or ni shes appeal ed, and t he case w as f i l ed w i t h C oun t y C our tatLaw N o . 1 o f T a r r a n t C o u n t y , T e x a s , a s c a u s e n u m b e r2 0 0 7 -0 5 1 7 1 0 -1 . O n A p r il 2 5 , 2 0 0 7 , th e tri a l j u d g e h e l d th e tri a l d e n o v o o f th i s m a tte r. A t th a t tri a l , a c o p yo f th e n o ti c e to v a c a te a n d c e rti fi e d c o p i e s o f t h e s u b s ti tu te tru s te e ’s de e d a nd t he d e e d oft r us tw e r e a dm i t t e d a s Tr i a l E xh i bi t s 1, 2, a nd 3,
r es pec t i vel y, w i t houtobj ec t i on. The t r i al co ur tf ound th e C or ni sh es gui l t y of f o rc i bl e d et ai neran d or der ed t hata w r i tofpos se ss i on s houl d i ss ue. The C o rn i s h e s th e n a p p e a l e d to th i s c o u rt. I I I . Ju r i sd i ct i on I n t hei rf i r stpoi nt , t he C or ni sh es as se r t t hat t he t r i al co ur tdi d notha ve j ur i sdi ct i on “because t hi s case i nvol ves a t i t l e di sput e bet w een t he M or t gagee, M o r t g a g e S e r v ic e ra n d t h e A p p e lla n t s ” a n d c i t e t w o c a s e s t o s u p p o r tt h e ir p ro p o s i ti o n , Ricev. Pen n , 5 1 S .W .3 d 7 0 5 (T e x . A p p .— D a l l a s 2 0 0 1 , n o p e t.),3 ... S e e Pres le y v. M c Grath , 02- 04- 004 03- C V , 2005 W L 147549 5 ( Tex.

A pp. — FortW or t h Ju ne 23, 2005 , pe t . di sm ’ d w . o. j . ) ( m em . o p .); Brown v. Kul a-A m os , N o . 0 2 -0 4 -0 0 0 3 2 -C V , 2 0 0 5 W L6 7 5 5 6 3 ( T e x . A p p .— F o rtW o rt h M a rc h 2 4 , 2 0 0 5 , n o p e t.) (m e m . o p .). 5 and Mitc h el

l v. A rm s tro ngCap ita l C o rp . , 911 S. W . 2d 169 ( Tex. A pp. — H ous t on [1 s t D i s t.] 1 9 9 5 , p e t. d e n i e d ). H ow ever , notonl y does Ri cen o ts u p p o r tt h e C o r n is h e s ’ p o s it io n , b u tt h is
cour thas t w i ce f ol l ow ed w hatt he Ri ceco ur tac t ual l y he l d. 3 The Ri ce s con t end t hati f i t bec om es app ar entt hata gen ui ne i ss ue r ega r di ng t i t l e e xi st s i n a f or ci bl e d et ai ners ui t , t he j u s ti c e a nd coun t y cour t s do nothave j ur i sdi ct i on o v e r th e m at t er . A s w e st at ed ea r l i er , how eve r , a j us t i ce cou r torco unt y c ourtatl aw i s not depr ived of j

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sp u te .” T h i s l i n g u i s ti c d i s ti n c ti o n i s s u b s ta n ti v e , n o t m e re l ys e m a n ti c a l . A j usti ce courtand, on tr

i al de novo , a coun t y court have been given excl usive j ur i sd i cti on to de ci

de the i ss ue of i m m edi ate p os sessi

on . T h a t j u ri s d i c ti o n c a n n o t b e i n fri n g e d u p o n a s l o n g a s th e c o u rt m er el y det er m i nes pos se ss i on. Thus , i t i s onl y w hen t he j us t i ce or c o u n ty c o u rt m ustde t er m i ne t i t l e i ss ues t hati ti s w i t hout j u ri s d i c ti o n to a d j u d i c a te a fo rc i b l e d e ta i n e r c a s e . Rice , 5 1 S .W .3 d a t7 1 3 (e m p h a s is s u p p lie d ) ( c it a t io n s o m it t e d ). Itis p o s s e s s i o n , n o t ti tl e , th a t w a s d e c i d e d i n th e c o u rts b e l o w . F u rth e r, Mitch ell i s i nap pos i t e b ec aus e, unl i ke t hi s ca se , i ti nvol ved pe ndi ng t i t l e l i t i gat i on i n t he di st r i ctcourt a t t he sam e t i m e t hatt he Just i ce oft he Peace l aw sui tw as
u n d e rw a y . S ee9 1 1 S .W .2 d a t 1 7 0

– 7 1 .6

T h e C o r n is h e s a g a in c o m p la in t h a tt h e yd id n o tre c e iv e n o t ic e in
c o n n e c t io n w it h t h e f o r e c lo s u r e p r o c e e d in g s . A s r e c o u n t e d e a r lie rin t h is opi ni on, w e addr essed t hese cont ent i ons i n ourpr i oropi ni on and hel d agai nst th e C o rn i s h e s o n th i s q u e s ti o n . S ee C or ni sh , 200 7 W L 228 547 8, at *4. The C or ni sh es ’ f i r stpoi nti s ove r r ul ed. I V . Ri ghtofPos se ss i on I n the i r se c o n d p o i n t, the C o rnish e s a ss e rtth a t W e l l s F a rgo fai l e d to
e s t a b lis h a s u p e r io rrig h tt o im m e d ia t e p o s s e s s io n o f t h e p r e m is e s . T h e ya g a in
com pl ai n ofnot i ce and i l l egal f or ecl osur e. Th i s poi nthas al so been addres sed i n o u r p ri o r o p i n i o n , a n d i s s u m m a ri l yo v e rru l e d . See i d. V . Concl us i on H a v i n g o v e rru l e d th e C o rn i s h e s ’ tw o p o i n ts , w e a f f i r m t h e tri a l c o u rt’s j u d g m e n t.

P E R CU R I AM PA N EL F: M C C O Y, J. ; CA YC E, C. J. ; an d W A LKER, J. W A LKER, J. co ncu r s w i t houtopi ni on. DEL I VERE D: M a y 29, 2008