Court Opinion

ID: 9764462
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:23:51.93294+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:57.152952
License: Public Domain

ROSS, Justice,
dissenting.
Because the majority opinion is in conflict with the clear holding of the Texas Supreme Court in Capitol Brick, Inc. v. Fleming Mfg. Co., I respectfully dissent. In Capitol Brick, the Supreme Court held that, absent fraud or mistake, a certificate from the Secretary of State’s office is conclusive evidence that the Secretary of State received service of process and forwarded the process as required. There was no evidence of fraud or mistake in the instant case, and the Secretary of State’s certificate is conclusive evidence 1) that the Secretary received service of process in accordance with Section 17.044 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and 2) that the Secretary, in accordance with Section 17.045 of the same code, forwarded a copy of the process to Onyx TV at the address that Onyx admits is its correct home office address.1
The majority seeks to distinguish Capitol Brick from the instant case by pointing out that the court in Capitol Brick “was not dealing with the ten day requirement for the citation to be on file, but rather whether service of process had been shown.” (Majority opinion, p. 430) However, the instant case is not about the ten day requirement of Rule 107,2 but about whether or not the fifing of a certificate from the Secretary of State’s office, instead of the citation itself is sufficient to show service of process. In Capitol Brick, the Supreme Court said that, in the absence of fraud or mistake, the fifing of the certificate is sufficient. I do not believe we should depart from this clear pronouncement.
Because the certificate of the Secretary of State’s office was conclusive evidence that Onyx was served in a manner re*432quired by law, I would overrule this contention by Onyx. I would also overrule their other contentions and affirm the default judgment.

. Onyx responded to the clerk’s notice of entry of a default judgment mailed to the same address.

. It is undisputed that the Secretary of State’s certificate was on file in the instant case for more than ten days when the default judgment was entered.