Court Opinion

ID: 9811669
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:27:10.04736+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:21:04.646802
License: Public Domain

DAVID GAULTNEY, Justice,
dissenting.
The majority points out that Ford pled an equitable cause of action below that he did not raise as a ground in his summary judgment motion; and the majority believes Exxon procedurally defaulted by not addressing this omission in its appellate briefs. Based on this asserted procedural default, recognized by the Court but not addressed by Ford on appeal, the majority renders judgment for Ford on the equitable claim. I respectfully dissent. I would hold Exxon’s challenge to the summary judgment declaring the easement invalid sufficiently raised the subsidiary issue of the redundant, if not dependant, equitable claim. See Tittizer v. Union Gas Corp., 171 S.W.3d 857, 863 (Tex.2005) (Points of error should be liberally construed to fairly and equitably adjudicate the litigants’ rights.).
I respectfully disagree with the majority’s implicit reasoning that an equitable cause of action may exist when a legal *161claim was not timely pursued. See generally Hoarel Sign Co. v. Dominion Equity Corp., 910 S.W.2d 140, 143 (Tex.App.Amarillo 1995, writ denied). The purpose of an equitable cause of action to quiet title is to remove a “cloud” on title when no other way exists to establish the invalidity of the encumbrance. Ford had a way. Ford was a party to the 1999 easement amendment and asserted a fraud claim to declare it invalid. His assertion of this claim was untimely. If a party has a claim that is not timely pursued, equity does not generally provide a remedy. See Rogers v. Daniel Oil & Royalty Co., 110 S.W.2d 891, 894, 130 Tex. 386 (Tex.1937)(“[R]ule that equitable relief will not be awarded by our courts where there is a complete and adequate remedy at law is too well imbedded in our judicial system to admit of dispute.”); Frost v. Wolf, 77 Tex. 455, 14 S.W. 440, 443 (1890) (“[EJquity aids the vigilant, and not those who slumber on their rights.”). The equitable claim asserted here is redundant, if not entirely dependent on the success of the legal claim. The majority should not affirm on the equitable claim while reversing on the legal claim.