Court Opinion

ID: 9762403
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:22:22.119429+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:34.204803
License: Public Domain

On Second Motion for Rehearing
COLEMAN, Justice.
Robertson Tank Line, Inc., has filed its Second Motion for Rehearing complaining that this court erred in holding that a party who intervenes in a suit asserting an independent cause of action for property damage growing out of the same events forming the basis of the original suit for damages by reason of personal injury must secure service of citation, where the party against whom the cause of action is asserted fails to answer. This motion for rehearing is granted.
In this instance the driver of a truck owned by Robertson was injured in an explosion and fire which also damaged the truck. The driver sued Snap Pac alleging that his injuries were caused by the negligence of Snap Pac. The original action was filed December 23, 1964. Transport filed a petition in intervention on April 26, 1966, and gave notice of its action as required by Rule 72, T.R.C.P. The case was set for trial on May 25, 1970.
Prior to the examination of the jury panel at a hearing in chambers, Snap Pac represented to the court that Robertson was not correctly before the court, and was not a proper party to intervene in the suit. The court ruled that Robertson’s plea in intervention was “not before the court,” and refused to permit its attorney to participate in the trial. The court recited this action in its judgment, and stated that the cause of action alleged by McWilliams and the statutory subrogation claim of Transport Insurance Company “proceeded to trial.” No other judgment or order was entered disposing of Robertson’s plea in intervention.
Rule 40, T.R.C.P., provides that all persons may join in one action as plaintiffs if they assert any right to relief jointly, severally, or in the alternative in respect of or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the action. The cause of action alleged by Robertson clearly falls within this rule. Hindman v. Texas Lime Company, 157 Tex. 592, 305 S.W.2d 947 (1957). Since Robertson could have joined in filing the original suit under Rule 40, supra, certainly it was a proper party to intervene in the suit by virtue of Rule 60, T.R.C.P.
Rule 60 provides:
“Any party may intervene, subject to being stricken out by the court for sufficient cause on the motion of the opposite party; and such intervenor shall, in accordance with Rule 72, notify the opposite party or his attorney of the filing of such pleadings within five days from the filing of same.”
There is no contention that the interve-nor failed to give notice of the petition in accordance with Rule 72. It is argued that the intervenor was “not before the court” because of its failure to have a citation issued and served on the defendant. Robertson has intervened in the cause as authorized, and in the manner provided, by Rule *95060. No motion to strike was filed. No “sufficient cause” for striking the intervention is suggested. No order severing the intervention from the main cause was entered.
The trial court erred in finding that this intervenor had no standing to participate in the trial of the case, and this court was in error in holding service of citation necessary under the facts of this case. Snap Pac had answered the plaintiff’s petition before the plea in intervention was filed. Professor McDonald states the correct rule in this language:
“Citation is necessary when the inter-venor asks affirmative relief against a defendant who has not appeared or a plaintiff who does not, by any action subsequent to the intervention, appear thereon. It also is necessary as against any third party sought to be brought in by intervention. But parties before the court must take notice of the intervention when they are notified under Rule 72. As noted in § 7.56, a defendant who has answered must answer an intervention seeking affirmative relief against him without awaiting further citation.” 1 McDonald, Texas Civil Practice, § 3.50.
PEDEN, J., joins in this opinion.
BELL, C. J., dissents.