Court Opinion

ID: 9647207
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:26:35.098556+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:46.552999
License: Public Domain

NYE, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The majority relies on a no-evidence conclusion in order to reverse and render the trial court’s judgment. To this, I disagree.
For instance, the majority states that the pre-1979 TEX.BUS. & COM.CODE ANN. art. 17.50(c) test for groundless causes of action is a law question. Yet, they conclude that, since there is some factual basis that gave the plaintiff an arguable basis to bring his cause of action under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the trial judge was in error in concluding that the cause of action was groundless as a matter of law. They point to some facts that they say could arguably be an excuse for bringing the lawsuit; therefore, the trial court was in error in finding the plaintiffs’ lawsuit was groundless as a matter of law.
Here, the jury found that Baker’s Deceptive Trade Practices lawsuit against the Gamboas was brought in bad faith or for the purpose of harassment. The majority does not challenge the factual basis for the jury’s findings. But the majority does incorrectly decide that “groundless” (as a fact question) means that there was no arguable basis for the cause of action in the first place. If this is what the legislature meant when it passed art. 17.50(c), then there would never be an award for attorney’s fees under this portion of the act because there will always be an arguable basis for bringing the lawsuit.