Court Opinion

ID: 9863198
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-25 03:11:43.49026+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:47:54.289030
License: Public Domain

ON APPELLANTS’ MOTION FOR REHEARING
Appellants assert in their motion for rehearing that we failed to address their point two wherein they contend that venue was proper in Travis County as to each appellee under subdivisions 3 and 29a of Art. 1995.
Subdivision 3 provides:
If one or all of several defendants reside without the State or if their residence is unknown, suit may be brought in the county in which the plaintiff resides. Subdivision 29a provides:
Whenever there are two or more defendants in any suit brought in any county in this State and such suit is lawfully maintainable therein under the provisions of Article 1995 as to any of such defendants, then such suit may be maintained in such county against any and all necessary parties thereto.
Defendant Platte Chemical Company is a non-resident defendant, with no agent for service in Texas, and it has not appealed. Appellants contend that since they could maintain venue against Platte in Travis County, they could also maintain venue in Travis County against Nalco and Velsicol under 29a. We disagree. The rule is that a party is a necessary party under 29a only if complete relief cannot be obtained without the joinder of such party. Tex. R.Civ.P. 39; Ladner v. Reliance Corp., 156 Tex. 158,293 S.W.2d 758, 764 (1956); Union Bus Lines v. Byrd, 142 Tex. 257, 177 S.W.2d 774, 775 (1944); 1 McDonald, Texas Civil Practice, § 4.36.
Applying the above rule, Nalco and Velsicol would be necessary parties here only if appellants cannot obtain complete relief from Platte. While the pleadings of appellants against Nalco, Velsicol and Platte in their petition are not in the record, we assume from the record they were sued' as joint and several third party defendants. Joint tort-feasors are not necessary parties under 29a. Leonard v. Abbott, 366 S.W.2d 925,928-9 (Tex.1963); Moreland v. Hawley Independent School Dist., 140 Tex. 391, 168 S.W.2d 660, 662 (1943); Stanley v. Savage, 489 S.W.2d 461, 464 (Tex.Civ. App.-Corpus Christi 1972, no writ); 1 McDonald, Texas Civil Practice, § 4.36, p. 547; Guittard & Tyler, Revision of the Texas Venue Statute: A Reform Long Overdue, 32 Baylor L.Rev. 563 (1980) at 578.
Appellants’ motion for rehearing is overruled.