Court Opinion

ID: 9648402
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 14:19:16.109181+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:00.294650
License: Public Domain

RAMSEY, Chief Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. In A. L. Carter Lumber Co. v. Saide, cited in the majority opinion, the Supreme Court, in denying exemplary damages, commented that “There was no evidence of abusive use of the extraordinary process of court, or of any other tortious conduct.” Covington v. Burke, supra, summarily disposes of the exemplary damage point by citing A. L. Carter Lumber Co. v. Saide, supra. It should be noted that in each of those cases, the mortgagee had a basis for foreclosure, either for a delinquency in payment or for a breach of the mortgage covenants. In the case considered here, the question of delinquency was placed in issue which was found by the jury adversely to the Defendant, whereby Plaintiffs were current in their payments. Though we might prefer to assume that the Defendant was merely mistaken, the jury found that he was actuated by malice.
In the disposition of this appeal, the principal concern of this Court should be to determine whether or not the alleged breach is accompanied either by tortious conduct or abusive use of the extraordinary process of the courts. Plaintiffs’ pleading alleged fraud and fraudulent conduct and malicious intent of the Defendant with resulting damages. The Defendant also pled malicious and fraudulent conduct on the part of the Plaintiffs in his cross-action and prayed for damages. It thus appears that all the parties, as well as the trial Court, treated the matter as a tort action insofar as their actions for damages were concerned. Briggs v. Rodriguez, 236 S.W. 2d 510 (Tex.Civ.App., writ ref’d n. r. e.).
In attempting to classify causes of action, the lines of delineation between tort and contract actions may become somewhat obscure, particularly when contractual relief as well as damages for tortious conduct are sought. In an effort to define a tort, it has been stated that the term “tort” has never been accurately defined and from its nature, the term may be incapable of exact definition. 55 Tex.Jur.2d, Sec. 1, p. 624. in 86 C.J.S. Torts § 40, p. 954, an actionable tort is defined as any intentional invasion of, or interference with, property, property rights, personal rights, or personal liberties *765causing injury without just cause or excuse. This definition, though quite general in its terminology, has been cited in at least two opinions in this State, namely, Cooper v. Steen, 318 S.W.2d 750 (Tex.Civ.App. n. w. h.) and Marshall v. United Finance & Thrift Corporation of Dallas County, 347 S.W.2d 623 (Tex.Civ.App. n. w. h.). An action for damages based on fraud is an action sounding in tort for which exemplary damages may be recoverable. 26 Tex.Jur.2d, Sec. 136, p. 121.
For these reasons, I would affirm the judgment of the trial Court.