Court Opinion

ID: 9784629
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 20:49:57.430416+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:35:57.088244
License: Public Domain

GUADALUPE RIVERA, Justice,
concurring.
I concur but write separately to emphasize that the majority’s holding must be limited to the facts presented in this case. Initially, I would not place much emphasis, if any at all, on whether the Zimmerhan-zels had notice at closing that their home could flood simply because it was near a creek, it had flooded before, and the sellers assigned their flood insurance to them. Indeed, although those facts may generally be sufficient to establish notice to the ordinary buyer, the facts here also demonstrate that the Zimmerhanzels were advised by experts that their house was not located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
In general, I believe that a buyer should be entitled to rely on experts hired by the mortgage company to determine whether *727his or her house is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). See Paul v. Landsafe Flood Determination, Inc., 550 F.3d 511, 516-19 (5th Cir.2008)(determining under Mississippi law that experts retained by lender to perform a flood zone determination owe a duty to the buyer to make correct determinations as the issue is whether the experts could have reasonably foreseen that the buyer would rely on their flood determination).1 Indeed, the ordinary buyer would not know how to make such a determination as that, in my opinion, requires specialized knowledge. But therein lies the problem with this case. Linda Zimmerhanzel stated in her affidavit that it was easy for her to not only find the SFHA maps, but also to read them and to determine that her house was located within the SFHA zone. Had that evidence not been presented to the trial court, I might reach an opposite conclusion. However, once the Zimmerhanzel demonstrated how simple it was to make such a determination on their own, having also been on notice of the previous flooding in the house, there is no other option but to hold that the Zimmerhanzels, through reasonable diligence, could have discovered their claims at the time they closed on their house.
With these comments, I concur.

. SRG relies on Andler v. CBC Innovis Inc., 519 F.3d 239 (5th Cir.2008), to assert that the flood zone determination "is not to inform the borrower of the home’s flood zone status, but rather to protect the lender and the federal government from the financial risk that is posed by uninsured homes located in flood zones." Id. at 252. Thus, Audler concluded that a flood determination company retained by the lender to perform a flood zone determination on a borrower’s, property does not owe a duty to the borrower as the borrower is not a member of the limited group for whose benefit the determination was intended. Id. at 251-252. However, the Fifth Circuit, in making its determination, relied on Louisiana law. Id. at 253. I Have been unable to find any federal or state cases addressing the issue under Texas law except foe dicta in Wentwood Woodside I, LP v. GMAC Commercial Mortg. Corp., 419 F.3d 310, 323 (5th Cir.2005). Suffice it to say, I believe that Paul reaches the more appropriate result. But that issue need not be decided at this time for the reasons discussed below.