Court Opinion

ID: 9831183
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 20:53:17.622862+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:43:32.198908
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
Appellees in their motion for rehearing argue with such evident earnestness and sincerity that we have erred in our original opinion, that, while not convinced that such is the case, we do feel impelled to state our views with reference to the contention regarding Rules 40 and 48, Téx-as Rules of Civil Procedure.
In the original opinion we made no direct reference to this contention because we felt so certain that these rules had no bearing upon the question to be decided. Appellees’ reiterated contention that they do prompts us to this further expression of our views. In our opinion, neither of said rules have any application. Long before the adoption of said rules it was determined, in effect, that the right of a plaintiff to join parties and/or causes of action in one suit was not, in itself alone, conclusive against the right of a defendant to be sued in the county of his residence. The authority for this statement is the two cases of Cobb v. Barber, 92 Tex. 309, 47 S.W. 963, and Behrens Drug Co. v. Hamilton, 92 Tex. 284, 48 S.W. 5, decided just one week apart. Under Cobb v. Barber, supra, all proper parties to all properly joined causes of action could be made defendants in one suit and the venue thereof sustained in the county where any defendant resided. Under Behrens Drug Co. v. Hamilton, supra, even though all .parties to a suit were proper parties and all causes of action therein were properly joined, the venue of such suit could not, as against a defendant claiming his privilege, be sustained in a county where none of the defendants resided, unless as to such defendant (without reference to any other defendant) some exception to the general rule of venue was applicable. Such is the law today, without reference to any changes in rules respecting the joinder of parties or causes of action, except as such law has been modified by the subsequently enacted Exception 29a. Said Rules 40 and 48 have *376no reference to any question of venue. Any intention by the rules extending the right of joinder of parties or causes of action to thereby extend the venue of actions is expressly negatived by Rule 816, declaring that the rules shall not be construed to extend or limit the venue of actions in the courts of the State of Texas.
As to other features of the case we doubt that anything of value can be added to what was said in the original opinion.
It is, therefore, our opinion that the motion for rehearing should be overruled, which is so ordered.