Opinion ID: 1754908
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Necessity of predicating fraud and fiduciary duty questions on bill of review

Text: Glenn asserts that because this was a bill of review proceeding, the questions attacking the underlying judgment [9] had to be predicated upon a finding that Helen was entitled to bill of review relief. He asserts, The manner in which these questions were presented had the effect of providing Helen a remedy in addition to bill of review and, at the very least, if even proper, should have been predicated upon a finding supporting bill of review relief. Helen could not have brought a bill of review if these actions could have been brought independently. To present these issues independently, without predicate, was error. We understand Glenn's argument on appeal to be twofold: (1) the complained-of questions should have been predicated upon a finding that Helen was entitled to bill of review relief, and (2) Helen was not entitled to bill of review relief if she was entitled to bring an independent action for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. Glenn has not pointed to any place in the record where this latter complaint was raised before the trial court. Any argument is therefore waived. Additionally, Glenn has not provided any authority for the proposition that the complained-of questions had to be predicated on a finding that Helen was entitled to bill of review relief. Finally, although the complained-of questions were not predicated on a finding that Helen was entitled to bill of review relief, a bill of review question was submitted to the jury; the jury found that the division of marital property was the result of extrinsic fraud on Glenn's part, unmixed with any negligence on Helen's part. Thus, any error would be harmless. See TEX.R.APP. P. 44.1.