Opinion ID: 1754048
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: adequacy of the motion for rehearing

Text: After the decisions of the Court of Civil Appeals, the three plaintiffs (appellees) filed motions for rehearing under a single cover. The instrument sets out separately the number and style of each case and stated that each of the appellees prayed for a motion for rehearing on the same grounds set out in the motion. The motion concludes, Appellees each respectfully pray that the motion be granted and that the judgments of the trial court be affirmed. Separate copies were filed with the clerk for each appellee. The Court of Civil Appeals, in three identical opinions on motions for rehearing, held that the joint motion for rehearing filed by three appellees amounted to no motion for any of the three; and it dismissed such motion or motions for want of jurisdiction. Alternatively, it overruled the motion or motions. We advert again to the fact that the three suits are for the construction of the same printed contract or charter; the facts are agreed upon by a common stipulation; and the same single law question is involved. We hold that the joint motions for rehearing were sufficient to give the Court of Civil Appeals jurisdiction thereof, and to give this court jurisdiction of the applications for writ of error. Rule 458 [1] makes simple requirements for the motion for rehearing, and in no way precludes the filing of motions in the form which was used here. Furthermore, Rule 1 expressly provides for a liberal construction of all rules in order to obtain a just, fair, equitable and impartial adjudication of the rights of litigants under established principles of substantive law. We hold that the motion for rehearing meets the requirements of Rule 458. Bay v. Mecom, 393 S.W.2d 819 (Tex.Sup.1965); Metropolitan Trust Co. v. Farmers' & Merchants' National Bank, 89 Tex. 329, 34 S. W. 736 (1896).