Court Opinion

ID: 4045233
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-28 23:48:02.985967+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:30:25.141373
License: Public Domain

ACCEPTED
                                                                              12-14-00280-CV
                                                                 TWELFTH COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                               TYLER, TEXAS
                                                                         4/30/2015 1:32:41 PM
                                                                                CATHY LUSK
                                                                                       CLERK

                        NO. 12-14-00280-CV
__________________________________________________________________
                                                         FILED IN
                                                  12th COURT OF APPEALS
  IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE TWELFTH DISTRICT,         TYLER,
                                                       TYLER,  TEXAS
                              TEXAS               4/30/2015 1:32:41 PM
__________________________________________________________________
                                                       CATHY S. LUSK
                                                           Clerk

                      TONDA HARRIS HELMS
                             Appellant,
                                v.
                    MARY FRANCES SWANSEN
                             Appellee.
__________________________________________________________________

                    On Appeal from Cause No. 62,602-A
        In the County Court at Law #2 in and for Smith County, Texas
                Honorable Randall Lee Rogers, Presiding Judge
__________________________________________________________________

                   APPELLANT’S REPLY BRIEF
__________________________________________________________________

                                Jonathan Wharton
                                SNOW E. BUSH, JR., P.C.
                                Texas State Bar No. 24075764
                                420 N. Center Street
                                Longview, TX 75601
                                Tel. (903) 753-7006
                                Fax (903) 753-7278
                                jonathanwharton1@sbcglobal.net
                                ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT
                                TONDA HARRIS HELMS

                                                     April 30, 2015
                                       TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

ARGUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

                                                          1
                                    ARGUMENT

      The Appellant’s brief is sufficient to inform this court’s decision, but one

additional note should be made. The Appellee’s brief highlights the problem of the

trial court refusing to file additional findings of fact: she is now arguing that her

breach of contract claim is based on bailment for the first time on appeal. “Bailment”

is not mentioned in her pleadings. CR 4-9. It was not mentioned in the trial or in the

parties’ written closing arguments. CR 78-79. It is not mentioned in the judgment. CR

111-13. Neither is it mentioned in the findings of fact and conclusions of law. CR

102-06. The Appellant specifically requested additional findings on these issues so

that they could be resolved in the trial court instead of on appeal, but that request was

ignored. CR 97-98. The appellate court and the parties should not have to wait until

after an appeal has been filed and briefs submitted to find out the basis of the

judgment when a timely request was made.

                                         Respectfully submitted,

                                         SNOW E. BUSH, JR., P.C.
                                         420 N. Center Street
                                         Longview, TX 75601
                                         Tel. (903) 753-7006
                                         Fax. (903) 753-7278
                                         E-mail: jonathanwharton1@sbcglobal.net
                                                /s/ Jonathan Wharton
                                         By:___________________________

                                           2
                                            JONATHAN WHARTON
                                            STATE BAR NO. 24075764
                                            ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT,
                                            TONDA HARRIS HELMS

                         CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

       I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing has
been delivered to Robert G. Hindman, counsel for appellee, on this the 30th day of
April, 2015.
                                               /s/ Jonathan Wharton

                                                JONATHAN WHARTON

                     CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

      I hereby certify that the Appellant’s Reply Brief (as measured under Tex. R.
App. P. 9.4(i)(1)) contains 7,872 words as counted by Microsoft WordPerfect on this
the 30th day of April, 2015.
                                              /s/ Jonathan Wharton

                                                JONATHAN WHARTON

                                        3