Court Opinion

ID: 9647118
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:23:39.353093+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:45.617294
License: Public Domain

O’CONNOR, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent on point of error five only.
To support its affirmative defense, Lively was required to file affidavits that stated facts, not conclusions. General Elec. Supply Co. v. Gulf Electroquip, Inc., 857 S.W.2d 591, 598 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1993, no writ). Conclusions are not competent summary judgment evidence. Anderson v. Snider, 808 S.W.2d 54, 55 (Tex.1991).
Lively’s affidavit merely tracks the language of the statute and provides no evidence. In his affidavit he said the trust funds were used to pay “actual expenses directly related to the construction and office overhead associated with the construction projects Wayward was involved in.” That language was lifted from Property Code § 162.031(b), which provides that it is an affirmative defense if the trust funds not paid to the beneficiaries were used to pay “the trustee’s actual expenses directly related to the construction or repair of the improvement.” Lively’s affidavit is no better than the affidavit in Anderson, in which a lawyer swore that, contrary to plaintiffs pleadings, he did not commit legal malpractice, was not negligent, did not violate the DTPA, or breach the contract. Anderson, 808 S.W.2d at 55. See also Life Ins. Co. v. Gar-Dal, Inc., 570 S.W.2d 378, 382 (Tex.1978) (statement that all adjustments, offsets, and counterclaims were not deducted, could not defeat a motion for summary judgment); Hidalgo v. Surety Sav. & Loan Ass’n, 487 S.W.2d 702, 703 (Tex.1972) (statement that note was pur*877chased for valuable consideration, in good faith, -without notice of default or dishonor, could not defeat a motion for summary judgment)
I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that Lively’s affidavit created a fact issue regarding what he did with the trust funds not paid to the beneficiaries.
I would affirm.