Court Opinion

ID: 9778285
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:58:24.870555+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:06.901374
License: Public Domain

GONZALEZ, Justice,
concurring.
I join the Court’s opinion and judgment because in my opinion, an “as is” clause *165negates producing cause as a matter of law absent evidence of fraudulent inducement or concealment of information by the seller. Even if the “as is” clause is not dispositive, the result is the same because there is no evidence of producing cause in the case before us. I write separately to reiterate my view expressed in my dissenting opinion in Weitzel v. Barnes, 691 S.W.2d 598, 601 (Tex.1985), that a consumer’s reliance on a representation is a necessary aspect of producing cause. The Court in Weitzel rejected that view, but the Court today rectifies this error by necessarily recognizing reliance as an integral element of producing cause in a DTPA cause of action based on a representation.
The contract for sale in this case is similar to the contract in Weitzel. Both contracts were “as is” contracts which gave the buyer the right to inspect the property prior to closing. However, in Weitzel, the buyer (who was an attorney) chose to forgo an inspection and bought the old house even though he had actual notice that the city had condemned the property. Our Court glossed over the fact that there was no evidence that the seller’s representation was a producing cause of any damages, see id. at 603 (Gonzalez, J., dissenting), and held that an oral representation concerning the condition of the house could be the basis of an action under the DTPA. Id. at 600.
In this case, Goldman, a sophisticated real estate investor, conducted his own inspection of the property. He then purchased the building “as is.” The “as is” clause states in pertinent part:
Purchaser acknowledges that it is not relying upon any representation, statement or other assertion with respect to the Property condition, but is relying upon its examination of the Property.
There is no evidence that anyone at Prudential knew of the presence of asbestos. There is likewise no evidence that any representation made by Prudential was a producing cause of Goldman’s damages because Goldman conducted his own inspection of the building. According to the express terms of the contract, Goldman relied solely upon his inspection. Without proof that he relied upon Prudential’s representations, Goldman has failed to prove producing cause, an essential element of a DTPA cause of action.
I recognize that reliance is not an express element of a cause of action under the DTPA. However, as I stated in Weitzel, in the context of a representation, “reliance on the deceptive act or conduct is necessarily a factor of producing cause.” Id. at 602 (Gonzalez, J., dissenting). The Court today returns to reason by reinstating reliance as an essential part of producing cause in a DTPA claim premised on a representation.