Court Opinion

ID: 9776065
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:17:52.696577+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:33.742375
License: Public Domain

GUILLOT, Justice,
concurring.
I concur in the result but must disagree with my colleagues’ treatment of this ease as one of a default judgment. A default judgment cannot be granted when an answer is on file. Corsicana Ready Mix v. Trinity Metroplex Division, General, Portland, Inc., 559 S.W.2d 423 (Tex.Civ. App.—Dallas 1977, no writ). It is undisputed that Costello filed an answer, so to characterize the judgment as one of default is incorrect. This judgment is also neither a judgment nihil dicit because Costello’s answer placed the merits of the case in issue nor a post-answer default judgment because there was no trial on the facts which was unattended by Costello. See Stoner v. Thompson, 578 S.W.2d 679, 682-683 (Tex.1979). Thus, Strackbein v. Prewitt, 671 S.W.2d 37 (1984); Ivy v. Carrell, 407 S.W.2d 212, 213 (Tex.1966); Craddock v. Sunshine Bus Lines, Inc., 134 Tex. 388, 133 S.W.2d 124, 126 (1939); and Dallas Heating Co., Inc. v. Pardee, 561 S.W.2d 16, 19 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.), have no relevancy.