Court Opinion

ID: 9683688
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 13:35:17.014236+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:49.657712
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing and Motion to Certify
Both appellant and appellees have filed motions for rehearing and in addition, ap-pellees have filed a motion to certify certain points to the Supreme Court.
Appellant cannot defeat the motion for a summary judgment merely by showing that there is a genuine issue of fact as to some phase of the case. We have held that there is shown no genuine issue of fact as to his claim for a 6% ownership interest in the business. Appellant is not en*445titled to a trial on the merits of this claim simply by showing an issue of fact with respect to his alternative claim for a 3% interest in profits. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, 166-A(d). Appellant’s motion is overruled.
In their original brief, as well as in their motion for rehearing, appellees cite the following cases in support of their contention that, “he (Small) is conclusively bound by his sworn testimony that he never had any contract or agreement to receive or accept 3% of the net profits before taxes of Wolf & Klar retail,” namely, Harlow v. Laclair, 82 N.H. 506, 136 A. 128, 130; Stearns v. Chicago R. I. & P. Ry. Co., 166 Iowa 566, 148 N.W. 128; and Sutherland v. Davis, 286 Ky. 743, 151 S.W.2d 1021. The complaint is made that we did not discuss the same. It would unnecessarily lengthen this opinion to point out why we think the same does not bear out appellees’ theory. In Harlow v. Laclair, supra, the principle is announced as follows : “the law recognizes the fact that parties, as well as other witnesses, may honestly mistake the truth, and requires juries to find the facts by weighing all the testimony, whatever may ibe its source.” It is quite beyond the province of the court in a summary judgment proceeding to make any findings of fact where such are in dispute. Avrick v. Rockmont Envelope Co., 10 Cir., 155 F.2d 568. We think it not unreasonable to say that the gist of appellant’s testimony is to the effect that according to his recollection of the terms of the written contract the same provided for a 6% interest in the ownership of the business. At least we do not think the court can find in this proceeding as a fact that such testimony is “deliberately false.” We are of the opinion that the facts in this case are not at all similar to those in the above cases cited by the appellees. The declaration of appellant to the effect that his contract provided for a 6% interest in the business rather than 3% in the profits, was not enough to support the motion for summary judgment as to the latter claim, because, the appellees admit that an agreement to pay him 3% of the profits was made and that they have in their hands some money belonging to appellant under that agreement.
As to appellant’s alternative claim for a 3% profit sharing interest, the suit, strictly speaking, is not remanded for trial, but the summary judgment denying the same is reversed, which automatically leaves the case open for such proceedings with reference to the 3% claim as would have been available to the parties had there been no summary judgment. Our opinion goes no further than to hold that there is a genuine fact issue as to the 3% profit sharing claim. We neither limit nor enlarge the issues on this point that may be made by the pleadings and the testimony in the trial on the merits. Appellees’ motion for rehearing as well as their motion to certify are overruled.