Court Opinion

ID: 9775405
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 18:57:18.442924+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:25.766297
License: Public Domain

ANDELL, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The real issue in this case is whether a summary judgment that disposes of all claims between a plaintiff and defendant also implicitly disposes of all contribution and indemnity cross-claims brought by the defendant against third-party defendants, thus making the summary judgment a final judgment. I would hold that the summary judgment was a final judgment and would dismiss *78the appeal for want of jurisdiction because the appeal was not timely perfected.
Appellant Gertrude Atchison sued appellee Weingarten Realty Management Company, and Weingarten filed cross-claims for contribution and indemnity against third-party defendants C & S Asphalt Sealing Company, Inc. and Knight’s Asphalt Paving, Inc. The trial court granted Weingarten’s motion for summary judgment against Atchison and rendered a take-nothing summary judgment against Atchison on June 13,1994. The June 13 summary judgment taxed costs against Atchison, but did not contain a “Mother Hubbard” clause. See Mafrige v. Ross, 866 S.W.2d 590, 592 (Tex.1993). Atchison filed a motion for new trial on July 8, 1994. Wein-garten filed a notice of nonsuit as to C & S Asphalt Sealing Company, Inc. and Knight’s Asphalt Paving, Inc. on August 25, 1994. Atchison filed her appeal bond on September 13.1994.
Because Atchison filed a motion for new trial, she had 90 days from the date of the signing of the trial court’s final judgment in which to file her appeal bond. Tex.R.App.P. 41(a)(1). If the June 13,1994 summary judgment was a final judgment, then Atchison’s appeal bond was due on or before September 12.1994, and Atchison has not timely perfected her appeal. I would hold that the June 13 summary judgment was a final judgment because it disposed of all issues and parties in the case, including Weingarten’s cross-claims for contribution and indemnity. See North E. Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Aldridge, 400 S.W.2d 893, 895 (Tex.1966).
Weingarten’s cross-claims for contribution and indemnity are not independent causes of action, but exist only as derivative claims of Atchison’s primary cause of action. See Amoco Chems. Corp. v. Malone Serv. Co., 712 S.W.2d 611, 613 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1986, no writ); Grove Mfg. Co. v. Cardinal Constr. Co., 534 S.W.2d 153, 156 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1976, writ ref'd n.r.e.). Weingarten’s cross-claims for contribution and indemnity were extinguished as a matter of law when the summary judgment disposed of Atchison’s primary cause of action. The summary judgment, therefore, disposed of all issues and parties in the case and as such was a final judgment.
This Court should dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction because Atchison has failed to perfect a timely appeal. Because I believe the majority has incorrectly decided the threshold jurisdictional issue, I respectfully dissent.