Court Opinion

ID: 9683753
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 13:36:16.415559+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:50.128080
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
Upon reversal of the trial court’s judgment and remand of the cause, costs were administratively taxed by the clerk against appellee Alta Evans. Tex.R.Civ.P. 448. Evans has filed her motion for rehearing limited to the contention, not heretofore advanced, that costs for the inclusion of pages in the statement of facts unnecessary to the appeal should be charged to appellant Planet Plows, Inc., even though it was successful on appeal. Tex.R.Civ.P. 377(e).
Given the power to tax the costs other than as administratively taxed for good cause, Tex.R.Civ.P. 448, we may entertain on rehearing a motion to retax the costs. Reaugh v. McCollum Exploration Co., 140 Tex. 322, 167 S.W.2d 727 (1943). In the cause before us we find, and Planet Plows concedes, that fifty-four pages of the statement of facts cover the voir dire examination of the jury panel at a pro rata cost of $72.90 and is the only portion of the appellate record not related to any point of error on appeal. Being foreign to any question relied on for reversal, the 54-page voir dire examination was, within the meaning of Tex.R.Civ.P. 370, beyond the scope of the appeal. In this sense, Planet Plows arbitrarily required the examination to be included in the statement of facts, and should be required to pay the cost thereof. Tex.R. Civ.P. 377(e).
To this extent, Evans’ motion for rehearing is granted. The costs are retaxed as follows: $72.90 of the costs is taxed to Planet Plows, Inc.; the balance of the costs is taxed to Alta Evans.
Accordingly, our judgment of reversal and remand rendered in this cause is modified to retax costs as provided herein.