Source: https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/866-s-w-2d-630301794
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 23:00:34+00:00

Document:
866 S.W.2d 740 (Tex.App. - Houston [14 Dist.] 1993), C14-93-00207, Bayou Bend Towers Council of Co-Owners v. Manhattan Const. Co.
Party Name: BAYOU BEND TOWERS COUNCIL OF CO-OWNERS, Appellant, v. MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, Chamberlin Waterproofing & Roofing Systems, Inc., PPG Industries, Inc. and Featherlite Building Products Corporation, Appellees.
Rehearing Denied Dec. 16, 1993.
Damon R. Capps, Houston, for appellant.
Shelly Rogers, Lauren Beck, Richard A. Sheehy, M. Karinne McCullough, Charles W. Lyman, Houston, Kyle W. Gooch, Dallas, Robert L. Asams, A.M. Landry, III, Houston, for appellees.
Before ROBERTSON and CANNON, JJ., and ROBERT E. MORSE, Jr., J., sitting by designation.
Appellant, Bayou Bend Towers Council of Co-Owners ("Bayou Bend"), a condominium owners association, brought suit for construction defects in the condominium building and garage. The trial court granted summary judgment based on limitations in favor of appellees, who were contractors for the project. Bayou Bend now appeals, raising three points of error concerning application of the discovery rule and the doctrine of fraudulent concealment. We affirm.
siding. Chamberlin Waterproofing & Roofing Systems, Inc. ("Chamberlin") was responsible for caulking around the windows and the precast panels, and the placement of the garage roof. The construction of the condominium was substantially completed in 1981. The building sustained damage from Hurricane Alicia in 1983. Both before and after the hurricane, it suffered from water leaks in the roof, windows and around the precast concrete walls.
Bayou Bend's suit alleged negligence, breach of implied warranties and violation of the Texas Deceptive Practices--Consumer Protection Act ("DTPA"). See TEX.BUS. & COM.CODE ANN. § 17.41-.63 (Vernon 1987 & Supp.1993). Negligence and DTPA have two year limitations periods, and breach of warranty is governed by the four year statute. See TEX.CIV.PRAC. & REM.CODE ANN. §§ 16.003(a); 16.004(a) and 16.051 (Vernon 1986); TEX.BUS. & COM.CODE ANN. § 17.565 (Vernon 1987). All appellees filed motions for summary judgment raising limitations as grounds. On August 24, 1992, the trial court granted each of these motions. On November 2, 1992, the court severed this interlocutory summary judgment from the original cause, resulting in a final summary judgment, and Bayou Bend now appeals.
Bayou Bend brings three points of error claiming that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because: (1) a fact issue exists as to whether it had a reasonable opportunity to discover the cause of its injury; (2) a fact issue exists on its cause of action against Featherlite only as to whether the latent defect in the precast concrete panels could have reasonably been discovered before January 1, 1990; and (3) appellees were estopped by fraud from relying on limitations.
We must indulge every reasonable inference in favor of the non-movant and resolve any doubts in its favor.
Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548-49 (Tex.1985).
A defendant is entitled to summary judgment based on an affirmative defense if it proves as a matter of law all the elements of the affirmative defense. Montgomery v. Kennedy, 669 S.W.2d 309, 310-11 (Tex.1984). When a defendant seeks summary judgment based on the statute of limitations, it must prove when the cause of action accrued and must negate the applicability of the discovery rule if pled by the non-movant. Burns v. Thomas, 786 S.W.2d 266, 267 (Tex.1990).
In its first point of error, Bayou Bend contends that a material fact issue exists as to whether it was afforded a reasonable opportunity to discover the cause of its injury under the discovery rule. Bayou Bend contends that latent construction defects were the cause of the leakage in Bayou Bend Towers. It alleges that although it was aware of the leaks in the complex, it was unable to discover that construction defects were the cause of those leaks.

References: v. 
 v. 
 § 17
 § 17
 v. 
 v. 
 v.