Court Opinion

ID: 9524083
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 02:49:54.992455+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:08:49.630238
License: Public Domain

SHORT, Judge,
dissenting.
I agree a live controversy exists; while the appellants contend the settlement agreement provides them with an affirmative defense to the underlying litigation, the respondents argue its only effect is to discharge the city’s liability in that suit. However, I respectfully dissent because the trial court cannot properly hear a declaratory action that raises issues which can be decided in the same parties’ underlying lawsuit. Trimble v. City of Prichard, 438 So.2d 745, 746 (Ala.1983); Turnpike Farm Ltd. Partnership v. Curran, 316 Md. 47, 557 A.2d 225, 226 (1989); Becton v. State, 506 S.W.2d 137, 139 (Tenn.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 847, 95 S.Ct. 83, 42 L.Ed.2d 76 (1974); Stop ‘N Go Markets of Texas, Inc. v. Executive Sec. Sys., Inc. of Am., 556 S.W.2d 836, 837 (Tex.Civ.App.1977). Allowing this declaratory action to go forward essentially detaches an evaluation of potential affirmative defenses from the underlying litigation, encourages piecemeal resolution of disputes, and disrupts the natural trial process by opening a back door to interlocutory appeals. See Hitchcock Properties, Inc. v. Levering, 776 S.W.2d 236, 239 (Tex.Ct.App.1989) (holding a defendant improperly attempted to make his affirmative defense the subject of a separate declaratory action), error denied (Tex. Dec. 20, 1989); Stop ‘N Go Markets, 556 S.W.2d at 837 (quoting United Servs. Life Ins. Co. v. Delaney, 396 S.W.2d 855, 858 (Tex.1965), for the proposition that declaratory actions are not a vehicle for the piecemeal litigation of claims); see also Curran, 557 A.2d at 226 (noting the plaintiff improperly filed a separate declaratory action instead of a motion in the underlying suit because it desired the opportunity for an immediate appeal of the trial court’s ruling on the issue). Therefore, I would not permit the separate declaratory action to continue, but would require the trial court to resolve the settlement agreement’s effect on the underlying lawsuit pursuant to an appropriate motion made within the context of those proceedings. Cf. Becton, 506 S.W.2d at 139 (approving the trial court’s decision to treat an improper declaratory action as an amendment to a petition in the underlying litigation).