Court Opinion

ID: 9764992
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:47:27.530637+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:03.115544
License: Public Domain

GRANT, Justice,
concurring.
I see no reason to get hogtied and squeamish over whether the trial court could set off mutual judgments. Texas courts have been doing this long before I was born. See Simpson v. Huston, 14 Tex. 476 (1855); Citizens Industrial Bank v. Oppenheim, 118 S.W.2d 820 (Tex.Civ.App.—Austin 1938, writ dism’d); Pierson v. Farmers’ State Guaranty Bank, 206 S.W. 730 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1918, no writ); Davidson v. Lee, 162 S.W. 414 (Tex.Civ.App.—Galveston 1913, no writ); Dutton v. Mason, 52 S.W. 651 (Tex.Civ.App.1899, no writ).
As the majority opinion states, Bonham State Bank’s “primary argument is that it wants relief from its obligation by way of an offset.” The rule is well established in Texas *164that the courts, independent of statute, have the power to set off mutual judgments. Simpson, 14 Tex. 476. There is certainly a justiciable controversy before the court as to the rights and status of the parties under the existing judgments. State courts should provide a proper forum for resolving this disputed matter.
Judicial intervention is necessary in order that there may be an adjudication of the question of the mutual liability and equitable rights involved. Harris v. Ware, 144 S.W.2d 647 (Tex.Civ.App.—Waco 1940, no writ). A judgment debtor cannot, without the intervention of a court, offset a judgment with the judgment in his or her favor against the same party. Harris, 144 S.W.2d 647. This is an equitable remedy, and the court should not retrogress to Old English law when choosing the technically right action was paramount over justice.
As I understand it, the majority opinion is telling the bank to take its case to Dallas, where the Dallas court will not be allowed to do anything. I agree with the majority that venue would be appropriate in Dallas County where Beadle obtained its judgment against Bonham State Bank, but we do not need to be telling the trial court that it does not have the power to set off mutual judgments.