Opinion ID: 1775774
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the bank's application

Text: Heights State Bank contends that the court of appeals erred in holding that the jury's negative finding on the bank's liability issue was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. Briefly, the facts which pertain to the bank are as follows. Mike deposited profit-sharing funds in the bank, some of which were placed into an account styled R.E., R.G., R.L., and R.M. Ames, with Mike indicated as trustee. A check in the amount of $254,000 was then drawn against this account by Mike and transferred to Interfirst. Then, $157,895.02 was transferred from the Interfirst account back to Heights State Bank. This sum, plus additional money borrowed by Threaded Steel was used to purchase a CD in the amount of $254,000. The CD was pledged as collateral to Heights State Bank for loans made to Threaded Steel. When the company failed to repay the loans, the bank offset the CD against the overdue notes. R.E. and R.G. sued Mike as well as Heights State Bank for conversion of the profit-sharing funds. Based on the jury verdict, the trial court rendered a take-nothing judgment in favor of the bank. Specifically, the jury answered no to the following question: Question No. 8 Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Heights State Bank Certificate No. 28793 contains profit sharing plan monies belonging to R.G. Ames and R.E. Ames? The court of appeals held that the jury's negative finding of this issue inquiring about the offset CD was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. Further, the court of appeals held that the bank's officer knew or should have known that the funds on deposit in the CD were profit-sharing trust funds. The issue regarding the bank's knowledge was unanswered as it was predicated on an affirmative finding of Question No. 8. Heights State Bank claims that the court of appeals failed to recognize the demarcation between the function of the jury and appellate courts, and in so doing it usurped the function of the jury. The court of appeals had the task of determining whether the jury's negative answer to Question No. 8 was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. In its determination, the bank claims the court of appeals utilized an incorrect test. A court of appeals may reverse and remand a case for new trial if it concludes that the jury's failure to find is against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. Cropper v. Caterpillar Tractor Co., 754 S.W.2d 646, 651 (Tex.1988). The Texas Constitution provides that the decisions of appellate courts shall be conclusive on all questions of fact brought before them on appeal or error. Tex.Const.art. V, § 6. This constitutional provision not only grants authority to the courts of appeals but limits the judicial authority of this court. Cropper, 754 S.W.2d at 648. Therefore, in our review of the court of appeals' holding that the jury's answer is against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence, we do not have jurisdiction to weigh the evidence. We do, however, have jurisdiction to determine whether or not the court of appeals applied the correct standard in reaching its decision. In Pool v. Ford Motor Co., 715 S.W.2d 629, 635 (Tex.1986) the court set out a requirement which courts of appeals must follow in reversing on factual insufficiency or great weight grounds. The court stated that the courts of appeals should in their opinions, detail the evidence relevant to the issue in consideration and clearly state why the jury's finding is factually insufficient or so against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly unjust.... Further, those courts, in their opinions, should state in what regard the contrary evidence greatly outweighs the evidence in support of the verdict. Id. In this context, the court of appeals in the instant case went to great lengths in its attempt to follow Pool . It set out in detail and by actual quotes from the record the contrary evidence that it determined so greatly outweighed the evidence in support of the verdict. The court of appeals therefore performed its function in reviewing the evidence. Heights State Bank has offered another rendition of the facts in an attempt to convince us that the court of appeals' factual determination was incorrect. As previously discussed, we have no jurisdiction to make such determination.