LINDA MASON, DIANA MASTERS, JACOB AND
DANIELLE MATHEWS, GEORGE AND MARGARET MATHEWS,
THOMAS J. MCCORMICK, PAUL AND MARIA MCCORRY, RAYMOND
AND YOLANDA MEDINA, PATRICIA ANN MILLS, MARY MIXON, B.
MOODY, BARBARA MOONEY, LARRY AND MICHELLE MOORE,
CARLTON MORGAN, FREDDIE MORGAN, DEWEY AND SHIRLEY
MORRIS, JANET LEE MORRIS, MT. OLIVET BAPTIST CHURCH, D. R.
MURPHREE FAMILY TRUST, ESTELLE MURPHY, JAMES RUSSELL
NALEPA, JESSE AND IRENE NAVARRO, ESTELLE MURPHY O'NEAL,
MARGARET OSBORN, RICHARD AND KIMBERLEY OLMOS, WILL
THOMAS PALMER, DAVID AND ANNA PAYNE, JERRI PENDLETON,
CHRISTINE PETERSON, DOYLE PETERSON, BILL AND ROWENA
PORTER, JUAN AND WILMA PRADO, DEBRA AND JOHNNY LEE
PRAYLOR, EDNA PRAYLOR, WALTER AND PAMELA PRESLEY,
JOYCE PRICE, WILLIAM H. PRICE, SR., KATHY AND MICHAEL
PROTHRO, JACQUELIN PRUDEN, SERGIO AND GISELLE QUINTERO,
TED E. AND NORMA J. RAMIREZ, TASHONDA RANDLE, JESSE AND
DENICE RENDON, JOHN REISTINO, KAREN REMMERT,
CHARLOTTE RHODES, JANETH RHODES, JAMES AND CAMILLE
RHONE, CRUZ RIVERA, JAMES N. ROACH, WILBERT AND ROSIE
ROBINSON, GARY DWAYNE RODGERS, MANUEL AND ESTHER
RODRIGUEZ, GERTRUDE ROLLINS, ALAN AND SHARON ROWSEY,
FRANCISCO R. RUIZ AND ROSA E., DAVID SACK, BARTON C.
SCHINDLER AS LEGAL REPESENTATIVE FOR MAURICE S.
SCHINDLER, PATRICIA A. SCHWALENBERG, JACK AND DIANE
SCHWARTZ, LISA SEGOVIA, PREM K. AND NITINA SEHGAL, ELNITA
SIMMONS, CHARLES AND GWENDOLYN SIMMONS, SR., LURA
SKEEL, MARGARET SLATER, DARREN W. SMITH, SHIRLEY AND
CARL SMITH, JEFF SMYERS, SHARON SPATES, KATHY D. SPELLS,
ST. JAMES A.M.E. CHURCH, JODY STARR, HAROLD AND VIRGINIA
STEPHENSON, ANTOINETTE AND OLIVER STEWART, JOHNNY AND
SHARON STOUT, WAYNE AND PATRICIA STRELSKY, ELLIOT W.
AND BRENDA STURMAN, MARLA SURFACE, JANE SURMAN, GRACE
TALAS, GERALD E. TAYLOR III, MICHAEL AND SUSAN TAYLOR,
ROBERT D. AND DIANA A. TAYLOR, JANET THOMPSON, ARTHUR
AND VIRGINIA TIJERINA, TONY TRAINER, GIL AND CARROLL
VALDEZ, EDWARD AND GLINDA VAN MALDEN, DONALD AND JULIE
VAUGHAN, TERRY AND CINDY VAUGHN, BARBARA WALKER, ETTA
WARNER, JUANITA WARREN, LEON AND NELVA WASHINGTON,
MICHAEL AND RHONDA WATKINS, ALICIA AND MILTON WADE
WHITE, BABE WHITE, JR., CHRISTINA WHITLOCK, ALSACE L.
WILLIAMS, BENNIE WILLIAMS, DAISY WILLIAMS, DAVID AND
MIRIAM WILLIAMS, LILLIE WILLIAMS, LUCINDA WILLIAMS,
WILLIE AND CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS, WINSTON AND ERNESTINE
WILLIAMS, SHARYN WILLIS, GISELE WILSON, PATRICIA WILSON,
MARGARET WITHERSPOON, ELNORA WOODS, ROSEMARY YOUNG,
WILLIE MAE YOUNG, Appellees
On Appeal from the 212th District Court
Galveston County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 01CV1068
MEMORANDUM OPINION
In this interlocutory appeal,
appellants, the cities of Friendswood, League City
and Dickinson, Texas (collectively "the Cities"), contend that the trial court erred in
denying their plea to the jurisdiction because the Cities are immune from the
negligence/gross negligence, nuisance, and constructive fraud claims. We reverse the
order of the trial court and render judgment that plaintiffs' causes of action against
the Cities are dismissed. Tex. R. App. P. 43.2.
Factual and Procedural Background
The Cities issued permits to EOG Resources, Inc. to conduct seismic testing
for oil and gas within their city limits. Pursuant to the permits, EOG began
conducting a 3-D seismic survey with the use of energy sources such as vibroseis
(creating vibrations with the use of specially designed trucks)