Court Opinion

ID: 9777460
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:11:35.393782+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:13:00.786690
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
In its Motion for Rehearing appellant urges: “The holding of this court conflicts with the decision of the Eleventh Court of Civil Appeals in Callihan Interests, Inc. v. Duffield, 385 S.W.2d 586 (1965).” The Supreme Court refused writ of error.
In Callihan Interests, Inc. v. Duffield, supra, the original plaintiffs, Box et al., recovered from Callihan Interests, Inc., in the District Court of Callahan County the sum of $18,500.00. Contemporaneously with the entry of such judgment such sum was paid to the original plaintiffs. Such sum was paid under the judgment. In the instant case the original plaintiffs by judgment did not recover any damages in any amount from LNVA, and were not paid any amount under such judgment which adjudicated “that the plaintiffs herein, and each of them shall have and recover nothing of and from Lower Neches Valley Authority.”
In Callihan Interests, Inc. v. Duffield, supra, the judgment for $18,500.00 was for all damages incurred by original plaintiffs with Callihan Interests, Inc., recovering from and being paid by way of contribution by two of the third party defendants, namely Bridwell Oil Company and W. J. Ful-wiler, Jr., the sum of $800.00 each. This was not true in the instant case. The covenants not to sue LNVA only made by the original plaintiffs herein, Cox et al., and under which they were voluntarily paid by LNVA outside of court and prior to any judgment in no manner discharged the liability, if any, of appellees herein to original plaintiffs.
*737In Callihan Interests, Inc. v. Duffield, supra, the judgment of the District Court of Callahan County was for “$18,500.00 against Callihan and awarding Callihan judgment against Bridwell and Fulwiler each for $800.00 contribution with provision that judgment should not release the cause of action asserted by Callihan against Duf-field. * * * ” Duffield was not before that court because he had filed a plea of privilege to be sued in Taylor County* and, by agreement, the third party complaint of Callihan as to Duffield only was transferred to Taylor County. Duffield filed a motion for summary judgment in Callihan’s third party proceeding against him in the District Court of Taylor County subsequent to the judgment in Callahan County for Box et al. v. Callihan Interest, Inc., above discussed. Callihan was not permitted to pursue his action for contribution against Duffield in the District Court of Callahan County. No such situation is present in the instant case.
Further, in the instant case LNVA by its pleading makes no showing that by its voluntary settlement' it paid more than its fair share of the damages sustained by original plaintiffs, Cox et al. By the covenants not to sue executed by LNVA and the original plaintiffs LNVA expressly stated it did not admit any liability to them. In Callihan v. Duffield, supra, the judgment discharged all liability of all joint tort-feasors to the original plaintiffs, Box et al.
We find no conflict between the decision of the Eleventh Court of Civil Appeals in Callihan Interests, Inc. v. Duffield, supra, and our opinion herein. In the Callihan Interests, Inc. v. Duffield, supra, the court held: “The statute created a cause of action for the benefit of one tort-feasor who, by paying a judgment, discharged the liability of his joint tort-feasor.” In that case one tort-feasor did pay a judgment discharging the liability of his joint tort-feasors. In the present case LNVA did not pay a judgment discharging the liability of appellees.
Appellants’ Motion for Rehearing is overruled. The judgment of the trial court remains affirmed.
We have styled the case as in the heading, but it is one and the same case appealed from the District Court of Jefferson County, Texas, under the style on the Transcript as No. D-73972, Lower Neches Valley Authority et al. v. Kenneth H. Cox.