No. 01-15-00301- CV

______________________________________________________________________________

IN THE

COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE

FIRST SUPREME JUDICIAL DISTRICT

OF

TEXAS

AT HOUSTON, TEXAS

______________________________________________________________________________

DAVID M. DIGGS,

Appellant,

vs.

VSM FINANCIAL, L.L.C.,

Appellee.

______________________________________________________________________________

Appeal from the County Civil Court At Law No. 1

of Harris County, Texas

______________________________________________________________________________

BRIEF OF APPELLANT

______________________________________________________________________________

WILLIE & ASSOCIATES, P.C.

Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 490

Houston, Texas 77027

(713) 659-7330

(713) 599-1659 (FAX)

SBOT# 21633500

attyjrwii@wisamlawyers.com

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT

DAVID M. DIGGS

ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED

______________________________________________________________________________ ACCEPTED

01-15-00301-CV

FIRST COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

6/30/2015 4:58:13 PM

CHRISTOPHER PRINE

CLERKii IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

The following is a complete list of all parties to the trial court’s final judgment, as well as

the names and addresses of all trial and appellate counsel.

PARTIES COUNSEL

Appellant:

David M. Diggs Willie & Associates, P.C.

Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 490

Houston, Texas 77027

Trial and Appellate Counsel for Appellant

Appellee:

VSM Financial, L.L.C. Jenkins, Wagnon & Young, P.C.

Dan G. Young, Esquire

P.O. Box 420

Lubbock, Texas 79408

Trial Counsel for Appelleeiii TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

ISSUE PRESENTED

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

STATEMENT OF FACTS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

I. The trial court erred by not awarding the Defendant his costs of

court as the prevailing party

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PRAYER

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

APPENDIX

Appendix 1

– Final Summary Judgment of the trial court signed on

February 25, 2015.iv INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

Page(s)

CASES :

Furr’s Supermarkets, Inc. v. Bethune,

53 S.W.3d 375 (Tex. 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3

Imperial Lofts, Ltd. v. Imperial Woodworks, Inc.,

245 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.

-- Waco

2007, pet. denied) . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Roberts v. Williamson,

111 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. 2003) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3

RULES AND STATUTES :

T EX

. R. A PP . P. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

T EX

. R. C IV . P. 131 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. 2, 3

T EX

. R. C IV . P. 141 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3v STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Nature of the Case: This is a breach of contract cause of

action brought by VSM Financial,

L.L.C.

Trial Court: The Honorable Debra I. Mayfield,

County Civil Court At Law No. 1,

Harris County, Texas.

Parties in Trial Court: VSM Financial, L.L.C.

– Plaintiff;

David M. Di ggs

– Defendant.

Trial Court Disposition: Final Summary Judgment rendered

in favor of the Defendant.

ISSUE PRESENTED

The trial court erred by not awarding the Defendant his costs of court as the prevailing

party.

### STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

On April 14, 2014, the Plaintiff filed its Original Petition alleging a breach

of contract by the Defendant. (C.R. 4

- 6.) On July 24, 2014, the Defendant filed his

Original Answer which alleged a general denial and the affirmative defense s of the

statute of limitations and laches. (C.R. 7

- 9.)

On September 29, 2014, the Plaintiff filed its Motion for Summary

Judgment. (C.R. 9

- 71.) On October 2, 2014, the Defendant filed his Response and

Cross

- Motion for Summary Judgment. (C.R. 72

- 78.) On October 10, 2014,

Plaintiff filed its Response to Defendant’s Cross

- Motion for Summary Judgment.

(C.R. 80

- 86.)

On February 25, 2015, the trial court granted the Defendant’s Cross

- Motion

for Summary Judgment and denied the Plaintiff’s Mot ion for Summary Judgment

,

however, the trial court failed to award the Defendant his costs of court as the

prevailing party. (C.R. 88.)

On March 27, 2015, the Defendant filed his Notice of Limitation of Appeal

to perfect his appeal to the Court of Appeals for the First Supreme Judicial District

of Texas. (C.R. 91

- 92.)2 

### SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

A successful party to a lawsuit shall recover its costs of court. Additionally,

in order for a trial court to adjudge costs differently , there must be good cause and

the good cause must be stated on the record. The trial court ’s actions in not

awarding the D efendant his costs of court run counter to the applicable case law

and rules of procedure. See Furr’s Supremarkets, Inc. v. Bethune, 53 S.W.3d 375

(Tex. 2001); Roberts v. Williamson, 111 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. 2003); T EX



### . R. C IV



### . P

.

131; T EX



### . R. C IV



### . P. 141.

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES

I. The trial court erred by not awarding the Defendant his costs of court

as the prevailing party.

The Plaintiff clearly pled that he be awarded his costs of court if it was

adjudged that he was the prevailing party in the action below. (C.R. 8.) On

February 25, 2015, trial court entered its Final Summary Judgment which granted

Defendant’s Cross

- Motion for Summary Judgment and denied Plaintiff’s Motion

for Summary Judgment. However, the trial court failed to award the Defendant his

costs of court as the prevailing party. (C.R. 88.)3 

### It is well

- settled law that a prevailing party is entitled to recover hi s costs of

court. See Furr’s Supremarkets, Inc. v. Bethune, 53 S.W.3d 375, 376 (Tex. 2001);

Imperial Lofts, Ltd. v. Imperial Woodworks, Inc., 245 S.W.3d 1, 8 (Tex. App.

--

Waco 2007, pet. denied); T EX



### . R. C IV 

### . P. 131. It is very plain from this appellate

record that the Defendant was not awarded his costs of court.

A trial court may either not award and/or otherwise adjudge costs, however,

there must be good cause and the good cause must be stated in the record. See

Roberts v. Williamson, 111 S.W.3d 113, 124 (Tex. 2003); Furr’s at 53 S.W.3d at

376

- 377; T EX



### . R. C IV 

### . P. 141. The trial court did not state any good cause for not

awarding the Defendant his costs of court in its Final Summary Judgment. The trial

court’s Final Summary Judgment should be modified to award the Defendant his

costs of court and the remainder of the trial court’s Final Summary Judgment

should be affirmed.

PRAYER

For the foregoing reasons, Appellant, David M. Diggs, requests that the trial

court’s Final Summary Judgment be modified to award the Appellant his costs of

court and that the remainder of the trial court’s Final Summary Judgment be

affirmed.4 

### Respectfully submitted,

WILLIE & ASSOCIATES, P.C.

By: /s/ Joseph R . Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 490

Houston, Texas 77027

(713) 659

- 7330

(713) 599

- 1659 (FAX)

SBOT# 21633500

attyjrwii@wisamlawyers.com

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT

DAVID M. DIGGS

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document was

served via e

- service to Dan G. Young, P.O. Box 420, Lubbock, Texas 79408, on

the 30 th 

### day of June , 2015.

/s/ Josep h R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D

.



### CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

I certify that the Brief of Appellant submitted complies with T EX



### . R. A PP



### . P.

9 and the word count of this document is 560 . The word processing software used

to prepare the document and to calculate the word count is Windows 7.

/s/ Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

Joseph R. Willie, II, D.D.S., J.D.

# APPENDIX

# Appendix 12



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VSM FINANCIAL, L.L.C. § IN THE COUNTY CIVIL

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. § COURT AT LAW NO. I

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DAVID M. DIGGS § HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS

FINAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Came on to be heard Defendant's Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment. The

Court, after being fully informed and after hearing the argument of counsel, is of the

opinion that the**cross~motion** is, in all things:



# 1('5

# ~**~ED~~**

IT ISs THFJUivQR.S;**QIU)~R£D** that the Plaintiffs cause of action is**hereby~**

d:l:sed because It Is 

# b::':: l>:::::tute

oflimitations. IT

# I~ FURTHER ORDERED 

# ®

t t e Defendant reeov

. ...**~,,~~** .. 'f..!.'_Dllrt and 'hat tRI J!lalRuffis 

## tueu With ail costs

- ,

ofeoutt It)] wlticlt let axeCIJtjOD issue. All other relief not hereby granted is DfNlg9.

# S:~NED on thas day of

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In

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."**~** PRESIDING JUDGE

RECORDER'S MEMORANDUM:

At the time of recordation, thIs In,trument wei

bind to be Ine: d e'luate for tM D6st photographic

reproduction beceuBo of lIIeg 1 bJUty, carbon or photo copy

, d l scolorod P'!Pf:r

, etc, All bloc:koutl.

addlUon, and c ha n- jes WtltD present.t ttw tImI

the In_truman! "" !lS i\1od 3nd f'OO/'df)d

,



# 88