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

## COURT OF APPEALS

SECOND DISTRICTOFTEXAS FORT WORTH NO. 2 - 0 7 - 2 6 8 - CV DA VI D H . ARRI NG TON APPE L L AN TS O IL& G A S , I N C . V . M A C A . CO A LSO N , APPELLEES GR E G T . CO AL S ON A ND H A R D E N R A N C H , I N C .

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FR O M THE 43RD DI STRI CT CO URT O F PARKER 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 one i ssue, A ppel l ant D avi d H . A r r i ngton O i l and G as, I nc. ( “A r r i ngton”) app ea l s t he def aul t j u d gm entgr ant ed i n f avo rofA ppe l l ee s M ac A . Coal so n,T h e re i s no evi dence i n t he r ecor d t hat“C . W i l son” i s an aut hor i zed 2 age ntofA r r i ngt on. 2 G re g T . C o a l s o n , a n d H a rd e n R a n c h , I n c . (c o l l e c ti v e l y“ H a rd e n R a n c h ” ). W e re v e rs e a n d re m a n d . II . F a c tu a la n d P ro c e d u ra lH i s to ry O n J a n u a ry 2 5 , 2 0 0 7 , H a rd e n R a n c h fi l e d a p e ti ti o n s e e k i n g a d e c l a ra to ry j udgm entt hatt hei roi l an d ga s l ea se w i t h Ar r i ngt on ha d t er m i nat ed unde rt he te rm s o f th e l e a s e . O n J a n u a ry2 6 , 2 0 0 7 , th e P a rk e r C o u n t y D i s t ri c t C l e rk i ss ued a ci t at i on di r ec t ed t o “ D avi d H. A r r i ngt on Oi l & G as , In c. , by se r vi ng D avi d H. A r r i ngt on, Pr es i den t . ” The D i s tri c t C l er k a t t em pt ed t o s er ve A rri n g to n ’s p re s i d e n t o r re g i s te re d a g e n t v i a U n i te d S ta te s c e rti fi e d m a i l , re tu rn r ec ei ptr equ es t ed. O n F e b ru a ry5 , 2 0 0 7 , th e re tu rn r e c e i p t w a s s i g n e d b y“ C . W i l s o n .” 2 U pon r ec ei vi ng t he r et ur n r ec ei pt , t he D i st r i ct C l er k at t ac hed t he r et ur n r ec ei pt t o t h e ret ur n ofci t at i on f or m . As s how n i n t he or i gi nal cl er k’ s r ec or d, t he c l e rk ’s s i g n a t u r e l i n e s o n th e re tu rn o f s e rv i c e p o rti o n o f th e c i ta ti o n a re obs cur ed by t he ce rt i f i ed m ai l r ec ei ptat t ac hed t o i t . Ther ef or e, t o de t er m i ne i ft he r et ur n of c itat i on f or m w as pr oper l y com pl et ed orsi gned by t he cl er k, A rri n g to n re q u e s te d a s u p p l e m e n ta l c l e rk ’s re c o rd . T h e s u p p l e m e n ta l c l e rk ’s r ec or d s how ed t hat t he D i st r i ct C l er k m ade no r et ur n of se r vi ce oft he ci t at i on3

a n d d i d n o t o ffi c i a l l ysi g n the retu rn; the retu rn re c e i p t w a s s i m p l yatta c h e d to t h e i n c o mp l e t e f o r m. Har de n Ra nc h f i l e d a m ot i on f or de f a ul t j ud gm e nt on Fe br ua r y 27, 2007
w h e n A rri ngton f ai l ed t o appearoransw er . O n Febr uar y 28 , 20 07 , t he t r i al cou rtgr ant ed th e d e fa u l t j udgm ent . O n M ay 1, 2007 , H ar den Ranc h f i l ed a m ot i on f orpa rt i al nons ui t . O n t he sa m e d ay, t he t r i al cou rtgr ant ed t he m ot i on f orpa rt i al nons ui t , t her ebym ak i ng t he j u d g m e ntf i nal . Ar r i ngt on di d not part i ci pat e, i n pe r so n ort hr ough cou ns el , i n e i t herhe ar i n g . A ddi t i ona l l y, A r r i n g t o n d i d n o t t i me l y f i l e a p o s tj u d g me n t mo t i o n , a r e q u e s t f o r f i n d i ngs of fa c t a n d c o n c l u s i o n s o f l a w , o r a n o ti c e o f a p p e a l . O n A u g u s t2 , 2 0 0 7 , w it h in s ix m o n t h s o ft h e ju d g m e n tb e c o m in g f in a l, A r r in g t o n f ile d t h is re s t r ic t e d a p p e a l. I I I . Standar d ofRev i ew A di r ec tat t ac k o n a j udgm ent by r es t r i ct ed app ea l m us t : ( 1) be br ought
w i t hi n s i x m ont hs af t ert he t r i al co urts i gns t he j udgm ent ; ( 2) by a part y t o t he su i t ; ( 3) w ho di d notpa rt i ci pat e i n t he hea r i ng t hatr es ul t ed i n t he j udgm ent , or f i l e a t i m el y po stj udgm entm ot i on, r equ es tf orf i ndi ngs off ac tan d c onc l us i ons ofl aw , ornot i ce ofap pea l ; an d ( 4) r ai se er r ort hati s app ar enton t he f ac e o f t he r ec or d. T EX . R. A PP . P. 2 6 .1 (c ), 3 0 ; G MRG ym na sti cs Sales, I

nc . v. W

al z, 117 S. W . 3d 57, 58- 59 ( Tex. A pp. — FortW ort h 2003, pe t . de n i ed) ( ci t i ng4

Q ua es to r In vs ., In c . v. S ta te o f Ch i ap a s, 9 9 7 S .W .2 d 2 2 6 , 2 2 7 (T e x . 1 9 9 9 )). A r r i ngt on ha s m ett he f i r stt hr ee cr i ter i a; t hus , t he onl y r em ai ni ng que st i on i s w het herhe r ai se d a n er r ort hati s app ar enton t he f ac e o ft he rec o rd. A rr i n g to n clai m s th e d e fec ti v e se rvi c e sa ti sfi e s th e fo u rt h req u i rem e n t. I V . W het hert her e w asan er r orap par enton t he f ac e o ft he r ec or d? In A r r in g t o n ’s s o le is s u e , h e c o n t e n d s t h a t H a r d e n R a n c h f a ile d t o s t r ic t ly com pl y w i t h t he r equ i r em ent s ofpr ope rs er vi ce , an er r ort hati s app ar enton t he f ac e o ft he r ec or d. Speci f i ca l l y, A r r i ngt on ar gue s t hat t he D i st r i ct C l er k d i d not com pl et e t he r et ur n ofs er vi ce f or m orof f i ci al l y s i gn t he r et ur n. The r ul e h as be en f i r m l y e st abl i sh ed i n t hi s st at e t hata def aul tj udgm ent ca nnotw i t hs t and di r ec tat t ac k b y a def end ant w ho com pl ai ns t hat he w as not s e rv e d i n s tri c t c o m p l i a n c e w i th a p p l i c a b l e re q u i re m e n ts . W i l s o n v. D un n, 800 S .W .2 d 8 3 3 , 8 3 6 (T e x . 1 9 9 0 ); S w . S e c . S erv., In c ., v. Ga m b o a, 172 S . W . 3d 90, 92 ( Tex. A pp. — El Pas o 2005 , n o p e t.). L i ke w i se , t her e a r e n o pr es um pt i ons i n f avo rofva l i d i ss uan ce , s er vi ce , an d re t ur n ofci t at i on i n t he fa c e o f a d i re c t a tta c ko n a d e fa u l t j u d g m e n t. U va lde C o un tr yClub v. Ma rtin L i n en S upp lyCo ., 6 9 0 S .W .2 d 8 8 4 , 8 8 5 (T e x . 1 9 8 5 ); Ga m b o a, 172 S . W . 3d a t 9 2 . La ckofco m pl i anc e w i t h t he Texa s Rul es of C i vi l Pr oce dur e r end er s t he a tte m p te d s e rv i c e o f p ro c e s s i n v a l i d a n d o f n o e ffe c t. W i l s o n, 80 0 S . W . 2d at 836- 37; Ga m b o a, 1 7 2 S .W .3 d a t 9 2 .5

T h e i s s u e i s w h e th e r a p o s ta l re t u r n r e c e i p t c a n b e s u b s ti tu te d fo r a com pl et ed of f i ce r ’ s r et ur n. UnderRul e 107, w hen a ci t a ti o n i s se r ved by r egi st er ed orcert i f i ed m ai l as aut hor i zed by R ul e 10 6, t he r et ur n by t he of f i cer o r a u th o ri z e d p e rs o n m u s t a l s o c o n ta i n th e re tu rn re c e i p t w i th th e a d d re s s e e ’s s i g n a tu re . See T EX . R. C IV . P. 106, 107; G a m b o a, 172 S. W . 3d at92. The of f i ce r ’ s r et ur n at t he bot t om of t he ci t at i on m us tbe f i l l ed outan d c om pl et ed; a p o s ta l re tu rn re c e i p t c a rd a l o n e w i l l n o t s u p p o rt a d e fa u l t j u d g m e n t. SeeT EX . R. C IV . P. 107; Ga m b o a, 1 7 2 S .W .3 d a t 9 2 . Chas e Manh attan Mort. Cor p. v. W i n ds o r, N o . 2 -0 5 -4 2 7 -C V , 2 0 0 6 W L 1 1 7 4 2 0 9 , a t * 1 (T e x . A p p .— F o rtW o rt h M a y4 , 2 0 0 6 , n o p e t.). I n t hi s ca se , t he D i st r i ctCl er k a t t ac hed t he pos t al r et ur n r ec ei pt i n l i eu of c o m p le t in g t h e re t u r n , a n d t h e r e f o r e , t h e s e r v ic e o fc it a t io n f a ile d t o s t r ic t ly c o m p l yw i th R u l e 1 0 7 . Ch a s eMa n h a tta n, 2 0 0 6 W L1 1 7 4 2 0 9 , a t * 1 ; see al so e. g. L a i

d l a w W a s te S ys ., In c . v. Wa l l a c e, 944 S. W . 2d 72, 75 ( Tex. A pp. — W ac o 1997, w r i tde ni ed) . Al t hough i ti s t he D i st r i ctC l e rk ’s r es pons i bi l i t y t o pr ope r l y c om pl et e t he r et ur n, i ti s st i l l t he r es pons i bi l i t y oft he o n e re q u e s ti n g s e rv i c e to s e e th a t s e rv i c e i s p ro p e rl ya c c o m p l i s h e d . Laidlaw W a s te, 944 S. W . 2d at74 ( ci t i ng Pri m a teCo n s tr., I

n c . v. Si

lver, 884 S . W . 2d 1 5 1 , 1 5 2 (T e x . 1 9 9 4 )) . T h is re s p o n s ib ilit ye x t e n d s t o a s s u r in g t h a ts e r v ic e is p ro p e rl yre fl e c te d i n th e re c o rd . Id.6

I n c onc l us i on, be ca us e t he r ec or d af f i r m at i vel y sh ow s t hat t he se r vi ce of c it a t io n o n A r r in g t o n f a ile d t o s t r ic t ly c o m p ly w it h R u le 1 0 7 , w e h o ld t h a tt h is i s an er r ort hati s app ar enton t he f ac e o ft he re c or d a nd w i l l nots upportt he d e fa u l t j u d g m e n t. S e eGa m b o a, 1 7 2 S .W .3 d a t 9 2 . A c c o r d in g ly , w e s u s t a in A rri n g to n ’s o n l yi s s u e . V . Concl us i on H avi ng s us t ai ned A r r i ngt on’ s so l e i ss ue, w e r eve r se t he j udgm entoft he t r ia l c o u rt , a n d r e m a n d t h e c a s e t o t h e t r ia l c o u rtf o rf u rt h e rp r o c e e d in g s in c o n fo rm a n c e w i th o u r d e c i s i o n . S e eid . P E R CU R I AM PA N EL F: M C C O Y, J. ; CA YC E, C. J. ; an d L I V I N G STO N , J. DEL I VERE D: M a r c h 13, 2008