Court Opinion

ID: 4062577
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-29 20:33:25.241173+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:43:05.119901
License: Public Domain

ACCEPTED
                                                                                          01-14-00891-CV
                                                                               FIRST COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                                       HOUSTON, TEXAS
                                                                                     7/14/2015 3:20:39 PM
                                                                                    CHRISTOPHER PRINE
                                                                                                   CLERK

                           NO. 01 – 14 – 00891 – CV
          _______________________________________________________
                                                                    FILED IN
                        IN THE COURT OF APPEALS         1st COURT OF APPEALS
                                                            HOUSTON, TEXAS
                         FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT
                                                        7/14/2015 3:20:39 PM
                             HOUSTON, TEXAS
                                                        CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE
          _______________________________________________________
                                                                Clerk

    R & G TRANSPORTATION, INC. A/K/A and D/B/A R & G TRANSPORTATION

                                    Appellant,

                                        v.

                                 FLEETMATICS

                                     Appellee.

          _______________________________________________________

    On appeal from the Civil County Court at Law No. 3 for Harris County, Texas
                    The Honorable Linda Story, Judge Presiding
          _______________________________________________________

                            APPELLANT’S BRIEF
          _______________________________________________________

                                Derek H. Deyon – Counsel For Appellant
                                The Deyon Law Group, P.L.L.C.
                                2211 Norfolk, Suite 600
                                Houston, Texas 77098
                                (713) 481 – 7420 (Phone)
                                (713) 714 – 8670 (Fax)
                                ddeyon@deyonlawgroup.com
                                State Bar No. 24075862

                      NO ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED

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                      IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

       Appellant certifies that the following is a list of all the parties and attorneys to the

trial court’s order appealed from:

       1.     Appellant:
              R & G Transportation, Inc. a/k/a and d/b/a R & G Transportation.

       2.     Appellants’ Trial Counsel:
              Derek H. Deyon, The Deyon Law Group, PLLC, 2211 Norfolk, Suite 600,
              Houston, Texas 77098.

       3.     Appellant’s Appellate Counsel:
              Derek H. Deyon, The Deyon Law Group, PLLC, 2211 Norfolk, Suite 600,
              Houston, TX 77098.

       4.     Appellee:
              Fleetmatics.

       5.     Appellee’s Trial Counsel:
              John D. Totz, Totz Ellison & Totz, P.C., 2211 Norfolk, Suite 510, Houston,
              Texas 77098.

       6.     Appellee’s Appellant Counsel:
              John D. Totz, Totz Ellison & Totz, P.C., 2211 Norfolk, Suite 510, Houston,
              Texas 77098.

       7.     Trial Court:
              The Honorable Judge Linda Story presiding over the Civil County Court at
              Law No. 3 for Harris County, Texas.

                                           s/Derek H. Deyon
                                           __________________________
                                           DEREK H. DEYON
                                           Attorney for Appellants

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                            TABLE OF CONTENTS

Identity of Parties and Counsel……….……………………………………….……. 1

Table of Contents………..…………………………………..……………………… 2

Index of Authorities………………………………………………………………… 3

Statement of the Case…………………………………………………………………….
                                              4

Statement Regarding Oral Argument………………………………………………. 4

Issue Presented…………………………………………..………………………… 4

Statement of Facts…………………………………………………………………… 5

Summary of the Argument………………………………………………………………..
                                              5

                                      5–6
Argument………………………………………………………………………………….

I.   The Trial Court Erred In Overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial…………. 6

Prayer…………………………………………………………………………………6

Attorney Signature………………………………………………………………….. 7

Certificate of Service………………………………………………………………… 7

Certificate of Word Count………………………………………………………….. 7

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                          INDEX OF AUTHORITIES
CASES

Craddock v. Sunshine Bus Lines, Inc., 133 S.W.2d 124, 126 (Tex. 1939)…………….. 5, 6

Dolgencorp of Tex., Inc. v. Lerma, 288 S.W.3d 922, 925-27 (Tex. 2009)…………….. 6

Estate of Pollack v. McMurrey, 858 S.W.2d 388, 391 (Tex. 1993)………………….… 6

In re R.R., 209 S.W.3d 112, 114 (Tex. 2006)…………………………………………… 6

Ivy v. Carrell, 407 S.W.2d 212, 214 (Tex. 1966)………………………………………. 6

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TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE FIRST COURT OF APPEALS:

      COMES NOW, R & G Transportation, Inc. a/k/a and d/b/a R & G Transportation

as Appellant, and submits this brief in support of its request to reverse the Civil County

Court at Law No. 3 for Harris County, Texas’ (“trial court”) grant of Fleetmatics’

(“Appellee”) Final Judgment in Trial Cause No. 1042703.

                            STATEMENT OF THE CASE

      On April 11, 2014, Appellee filed its First Amended Petition against Appellant for

breach of contract. Clerk’s Record p. 4 (cited hereafter as “CR at p.). On April 29, 2014,

Appellee served Appellant with citation through the Secretary of the State. CR at p. 17.

The Secretary of State was unable to forward the process to Appellant. CR at p. 18. On

July 17, 2014, Appellee secured a Final Default Judgment against Appellant for

$16.468.00 in un – liquidated damages and $5,490.00 in reasonable and necessary

attorney’s fees. CR at pp. 20 – 22. On August 18, 2014, Appellant filed a Motion for

New Trial. CR at p. 23. On November 3, 2014, the court overruled Appellant’s Motion

for New Trial by operation of law. On October 30, 2014, Appellant filed a Notice of

Appeal. CR at p. 27.

                 STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT

      No oral argument is requested because this court’s decisional process can be

accomplished on the briefs alone.

                                    ISSUE PRESENTED

I.    Whether the court err in overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial.? Yes.

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                              STATEMENT OF FACTS

      On April 11, 2014, Appellee filed its First Amended Petition against Appellant for

breach of contract. Clerk’s Record p. 4 (cited hereafter as “CR at p.). On April 29, 2014,

Appellee served Appellant with citation through the Secretary of the State. CR at p. 17.

On July 17, 2014, Appellee secured a Final Default Judgment against Appellant for

$16.468.00 in un – liquidated damages and $5,490.00 in reasonable and necessary

attorney’s fees. CR at pp. 20 – 22. On August 18, 2014, Appellant filed a Motion for

New Trial mainly on the ground that it never received notice of the suit. CR at p. 23. On

November 3, 2014, the court overruled Appellant’s Motion for New Trial by operation of

law. On October 30, 2014, Appellant filed a Notice of Appeal. CR at p. 27.

                         SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

      The trial court erred in overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial because

Appellant never received notice of suit and because the State of Massachusetts served as

the proper jurisdiction for Appellee’s breach of contract claim per the agreement.

                                     ARGUMENT

I.    The Trial Court Erred In Overruling Appellant’s Motion for New Trial.

      A court should set aside the default judgment and grant a new trial when a

defendant does not file an answer because of a mistake or an accident and the defendant

can meet the requirements of Craddock v. Sunshine Bus Lines, Inc., 133 S.W.2d 124,

126 (Tex. 1939). Craddock requires the defendant to show: a) that the failure to file an

answer was not intentional or the result of conscious indifference, but was a mistake or

an accident, b) that defendant has a meritorious defense to plaintiff’s cause of action,

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and c) that granting a new trial will not cause delay or otherwise injure the plaintiff.

Dolgencorp of Tex., Inc. v. Lerma, 288 S.W.3d 922, 925-27 (Tex. 2009); In re R.R.,

209 S.W.3d 112, 114 (Tex. 2006); Estate of Pollack v. McMurrey, 858 S.W.2d 388,

391 (Tex. 1993); Craddock, 133 S.W.2d at 126; Ivy v. Carrell, 407 S.W.2d 212, 214

(Tex. 1966).

      Here, Appellant failed to file an answer as a result of an accident or mistake

because Appellant never received notice of the suit from The Secretary of State. CR at

p. 18, 24 (stating that the process was returned to The Secretary of State on May 27,

2014). Appellant has a meritorious defense to Appellee’s breach of contract claim

because Massachusetts served as the proper jurisdiction for any breach of contract

claims pursuant to the agreement. CR at p. 10. Appellant’s Motion for New Trial

would not have caused any delay or otherwise injured Appellee because Appellant was

ready for trial. CR at p. 24. In addition, Appellee failed to file a Non – Military

Affidavit before moving for final default judgment.       See 50 U.S.C. app. section

521(b)(1).     For these reasons, Appellant requests that this honorable court grant

Appellant’s appeal.

      WHEREFORE, Appellant respectfully requests that this honorable court reverse

the trial court’s grant of Appellee’s Final Judgment in Trial Cause No. 1042703.

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                                         RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

                                         /s/Derek H. Deyon
                                         __________________________
                                         DEREK H. DEYON
                                         The Deyon Law Group, P.L.L.C.
                                         2211 Norfolk, Suite 600
                                         Houston, Texas 77098
                                         (713) 481 – 7320 Phone
                                         (713) 714 – 8670 Fax
                                         TBN 24075862
                                         Attorney for Appellant

                            CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

      I certify that a copy of the forgoing document was served on:

John D. Totz
Totz Ellison & Totz, P.C.
2211 Norfolk, Suite 510
Houston, Texas 77098
Via fax to fax number 713 – 275 – 0304 and/or Pro Doc 2 E – Serve after 5:00 p.m. on July
12, 2015.

                                         /s/Derek H. Deyon
                                         __________________________
                                         DEREK H. DEYON

                        CERTIFICATE OF WORD COUNT

      I hereby certify that the foregoing Appellant’s Brief consists of 741 words.

                                         /s/Derek H. Deyon
                                         __________________________
                                         DEREK H. DEYON

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