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NO. 01 – 14 – 00891 – CV

_______________________________________________________ 

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT 

HOUSTON, TEXAS 

_______________________________________________________ 

R & G TRANSPORTATION, INC. A/K/A and D/B/A R & G TRANSPORTATION 

Appellant, 

v. 

FLEETMATICS 

Appellee. 

_______________________________________________________ 

On appeal from the Civil County Court at Law No. 3 for Harris County, Texas 

The Honorable Linda Story, Judge Presiding 

_______________________________________________________ 

APPELLANT’S BRIEF

_______________________________________________________ 

 Derek H. Deyon – Counsel For Appellant 

 The Deyon Law Group, P.L.L.C. 

 2211 Norfolk, Suite 600 

 Houston, Texas 77098 

(713) 481 – 7420 (Phone) 

 (713) 714 – 8670 (Fax) 

 ddeyon@deyonlawgroup.com 

 State Bar No. 24075862 

 

 

NO ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED 

ACCEPTED

01-14-00891-CV

FIRST COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

7/14/2015 3:20:39 PM

CHRISTOPHER PRINE

CLERK

 FILED IN 1st COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS 7/14/2015 3:20:39 PM CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE Clerk
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IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Appellant certifies that the following is a list of all the parties and attorneys to the 

trial court’s order appealed from: 

1. Appellant: 

R & G Transportation, Inc. a/k/a and d/b/a R & G Transportation. 

2. Appellants’ Trial Counsel:

Derek H. Deyon, The Deyon Law Group, PLLC, 2211 Norfolk, Suite 600, 

Houston, Texas 77098. 

3. Appellant’s Appellate Counsel: 

Derek H. Deyon, The Deyon Law Group, PLLC, 2211 Norfolk, Suite 600, 

Houston, TX 77098.

4. Appellee: 

Fleetmatics. 

5. Appellee’s Trial Counsel: 

John D. Totz, Totz Ellison & Totz, P.C., 2211 Norfolk, Suite 510, Houston, 

Texas 77098. 

6. Appellee’s Appellant Counsel:

John D. Totz, Totz Ellison & Totz, P.C., 2211 Norfolk, Suite 510, Houston, 

Texas 77098. 

7. Trial Court:

The Honorable Judge Linda Story presiding over the Civil County Court at 

Law No. 3 for Harris County, Texas. 

s/Derek H. Deyon

__________________________

DEREK H. DEYON

Attorney for Appellants
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Identity of Parties and Counsel...............................................................

Table of Contents...............................................................................

Index of Authorities........................................................................... 

Statement of the Case...............................................................................

Statement Regarding Oral Argument....................................................... 

Issue Presented................................................................................ 

Statement of Facts..............................................................................

Summary of the Argument..........................................................................

Argument..............................................................................................

I. The Trial Court Erred In Overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial............. 

Prayer.............................................................................................

Attorney Signature.............................................................................

Certificate of Service...........................................................................

Certificate of Word Count....................................................................

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INDEX OF AUTHORITIES 

CASES 

Craddock v. Sunshine Bus Lines, Inc., 133 S.W.2d 124, 126 (Tex. 1939)................. 

Dolgencorp of Tex., Inc. v. Lerma, 288 S.W.3d 922, 925-27 (Tex. 2009)................. 

Estate of Pollack v. McMurrey, 858 S.W.2d 388, 391 (Tex. 1993)......................... 

In re R.R., 209 S.W.3d 112, 114 (Tex. 2006)................................................... 

Ivy v. Carrell, 407 S.W.2d 212, 214 (Tex. 1966).............................................. 

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TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE FIRST COURT OF APPEALS: 

COMES NOW, R & G Transportation, Inc. a/k/a and d/b/a R & G Transportation

as Appellant, and submits this brief in support of its request to reverse the Civil County 

Court at Law No. 3 for Harris County, Texas’ (“trial court”) grant of Fleetmatics’ 

(“Appellee”) Final Judgment in Trial Cause No. 1042703. 

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On April 11, 2014, Appellee filed its First Amended Petition against Appellant for 

breach of contract. Clerk’s Record p. 4 (cited hereafter as “CR at p.). On April 29, 2014, 

Appellee served Appellant with citation through the Secretary of the State. CR at p. 17. 

The Secretary of State was unable to forward the process to Appellant. CR at p. 18. On 

July 17, 2014, Appellee secured a Final Default Judgment against Appellant for 

$16.468.00 in un – liquidated damages and $5,490.00 in reasonable and necessary 

attorney’s fees. CR at pp. 20 – 22. On August 18, 2014, Appellant filed a Motion for 

New Trial. CR at p. 23. On November 3, 2014, the court overruled Appellant’s Motion 

for New Trial by operation of law. On October 30, 2014, Appellant filed a Notice of 

Appeal. CR at p. 27. 

STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT

No oral argument is requested because this court’s decisional process can be 

accomplished on the briefs alone. 

ISSUE PRESENTED

I. Whether the court err in overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial.? Yes. 
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STATEMENT OF FACTS

On April 11, 2014, Appellee filed its First Amended Petition against Appellant for 

breach of contract. Clerk’s Record p. 4 (cited hereafter as “CR at p.). On April 29, 2014, 

Appellee served Appellant with citation through the Secretary of the State. CR at p. 17. 

On July 17, 2014, Appellee secured a Final Default Judgment against Appellant for 

$16.468.00 in un – liquidated damages and $5,490.00 in reasonable and necessary 

attorney’s fees. CR at pp. 20 – 22. On August 18, 2014, Appellant filed a Motion for 

New Trial mainly on the ground that it never received notice of the suit. CR at p. 23. On 

November 3, 2014, the court overruled Appellant’s Motion for New Trial by operation of 

law. On October 30, 2014, Appellant filed a Notice of Appeal. CR at p. 27. 

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

The trial court erred in overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial because 

Appellant never received notice of suit and because the State of Massachusetts served as 

the proper jurisdiction for Appellee’s breach of contract claim per the agreement. 

ARGUMENT

I. The Trial Court Erred In Overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial. 

A court should set aside the default judgment and grant a new trial when a 

defendant does not file an answer because of a mistake or an accident and the defendant 

can meet the requirements of Craddock v. Sunshine Bus Lines, Inc., 133 S.W.2d 124, 

126 (Tex. 1939). Craddock requires the defendant to show: a) that the failure to file an 

answer was not intentional or the result of conscious indifference, but was a mistake or 

an accident, b) that defendant has a meritorious defense to plaintiff’s cause of action, 
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and c) that granting a new trial will not cause delay or otherwise injure the plaintiff. 

Dolgencorp of Tex., Inc. v. Lerma, 288 S.W.3d 922, 925-27 (Tex. 2009); In re R.R., 

209 S.W.3d 112, 114 (Tex. 2006); Estate of Pollack v. McMurrey, 858 S.W.2d 388, 

391 (Tex. 1993); Craddock, 133 S.W.2d at 126; Ivy v. Carrell, 407 S.W.2d 212, 214 

(Tex. 1966). 

Here, Appellant failed to file an answer as a result of an accident or mistake 

because Appellant never received notice of the suit from The Secretary of State. CR at 

p. 18, 24 (stating that the process was returned to The Secretary of State on May 27, 

2014). Appellant has a meritorious defense to Appellee’s breach of contract claim 

because Massachusetts served as the proper jurisdiction for any breach of contract

claims pursuant to the agreement. CR at p. 10. Appellant’s Motion for New Trial 

would not have caused any delay or otherwise injured Appellee because Appellant was 

ready for trial. CR at p. 24. In addition, Appellee failed to file a Non – Military 

Affidavit before moving for final default judgment. See 50 U.S.C. app. section 

521(b)(1). For these reasons, Appellant requests that this honorable court grant 

Appellant’s appeal.

WHEREFORE, Appellant respectfully requests that this honorable court reverse 

the trial court’s grant of Appellee’s Final Judgment in Trial Cause No. 1042703. 
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RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

/s/Derek H. Deyon

__________________________

DEREK H. DEYON

The Deyon Law Group, P.L.L.C.

2211 Norfolk, Suite 600

Houston, Texas 77098

(713) 481 – 7320 Phone

(713) 714 – 8670 Fax

TBN 24075862

Attorney for Appellant

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I certify that a copy of the forgoing document was served on: 

John D. Totz

Totz Ellison & Totz, P.C.

2211 Norfolk, Suite 510

Houston, Texas 77098

Via fax to fax number 713 – 275 – 0304 and/or Pro Doc 2 E – Serve after 5:00 p.m. on July 

12, 2015. 

/s/Derek H. Deyon

__________________________

DEREK H. DEYON 

CERTIFICATE OF WORD COUNT

I hereby certify that the foregoing Appellant’s Brief consists of 741 words. 

/s/Derek H. Deyon

__________________________

DEREK H. DEYON
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