Court Opinion

ID: 4074527
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-30 05:02:54.781839+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:33:06.448236
License: Public Domain

CITATION

                                  THE STATE OF TEXAS

TO:           Whitney Brewster, Executive Director
              Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
              4000 Jackson Avenue
              Austin, Texas 78731

              Larry Roche
              Through his attorney of record, James D. Pierce
              1 Sugar Creek Center, Suite 1080
              Sugar Land, Texas 77478

You are notified that appellant Keystone RV Company filed on October 8, 2015, in this Court,
under cause no. 03-15-00644-CV, styled Keystone RV Company v. Texas Department ofMotor
 Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Division, a petition for judicial review of an order of the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles, as shown on the petition, copies of which accompany this
citation. See Tex. Occ. Code Ann. § 2301.752; 43 Tex. Admin. Code § 215.207(8) (2015)
(Texas Dep't of Motor Vehicles, Contested Cases: Final Orders). You are commanded to appear
before the Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas, in Austin, Travis County, Texas, in
the manner prescribed by subchapter P, chapter 2301 of the Texas Occupations Code and the
Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.

The attorney for Keystone RV Company is:

Christopher J. Lowman
The Lowman Law Firm
One Allen Center
500 Dallas Street, Suite 3030
Houston, Texas 77002-4705
Telephone: (713) 752-0777
Facsimile: (713) 752-0778
E-mail: chris@lowmanlaw.com
                                    NOTICE TO APPELLEES

You have been sued. You may employ an attorney to represent you before this Court. The Court
is required to cause citation to be issued. If you or your attorney do not file a brief in compliance
with the rules of appellate procedure, the Court may proceed to consideration of the cause
without the party's answer or brief.

                   Date of Issuance: October 16,2015

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND THE SEAL OF THIS COURT, on this the 16th day of
October, 2015, at Austin, Travis County, Texas.

                                              Jefpey^.Kyl/
                                              Clerk of the Court of Appeals
                                              Third District of Texas
 0-C C'\"./'/V->'_'"•.
     \
                                              Price Daniel, Sr. Building
  376

S.W.2d 341, 344 (Tex. 1964) (agency has no inherent authority).

       18.    An agency may not exercise what is effectively a new power, or a

power contradictory to the statute, on the theory that the exercise of such a power

is expedient for administrative purposes. Public Utility Comm 'n of Texas v. City

Pub. Serv. Bd. of San Antonio, 53 S.W.3d 310, 316 (Tex. 2001); CenterPoint

Energy Entex v. Railroad Comm'n , 208 S.W.3d 608, 615-16 (Tex. App.—Austin

2006, pet. dism'd w.o.j.).

       20.    Here, the Legislature has provided only one circumstance in which a

disclosure statement is required:      when the DMV orders a repurchase or

replacement. The DMV lacks authority to expand the statute to add additional

circumstances. The canon of statutory construction known as expressio unius est

exclusio alterius—literally "the specific mention of one is the exclusion of the
other"—means that the Legislature's explicit mention or inclusion of one thing

signals its intention to exclude the other or alternative thing.      Tex. Bd. of

Chiropractic Examiners v. Tex. Medical Ass'n, 375 S.W.3d 464, 477-78 (Tex.

App.—Austin 2012, pet. denied).          This well-established rule of statutory

construction prevents the DMV from adding additional circumstances under which

a disclosure statement is required.

       21.    Tex. Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners, 375 S.W.3d at 481-82, is

dispositive here, and makes clear that a state agency cannot engage in

administrative rule-making which expands the scope of its statutory authority. In

that case, this Court invalidated administrative rules of the Texas Board of

Chiropractic Examiners which exceeded the statutory limits of the Texas

Occupations Code. Following the same analysis, the DMV cannot expand the

disclosure requirement beyond that which is authorized by the Legislature.

       WHEREFORE,         PREMISES CONSIDERED, Plaintiff Keystone RV

Company respectfully requests that Defendant Texas Department of Motor

Vehicles be cited to appear and answer, and that on final trial, Plaintiff have

judgment of this Court:

       a.     Reversing the decision of the agency, or remanding the case to

              agency for further proceedings; and

       b.     Awarding Plaintiff costs incurred, together with all other relief to

              which Plaintiff may be justly entitled.
Respectfully submitted,

The Lowman Law Firm

By:   U^AA^-—
      Christopher J. Lowman
      State Bar Number 12636480
One Allen Center
500 Dallas Street, Suite 3030
Houston, Texas 77002-4705
Telephone: (713) 752-0777
Facsimile: (713)752-0778
E-mail: chris@lowmanlaw.com

Attorneys for Plaintiff
Keystone RV Company
^$&* Texas Department qfMotorVehicles
        HELPING T6XAN9 QO. HaPING TEXAS GROW.

                                                      OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
                                                      4000 JACKSON AVENUE • AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731
                                                      PHONE: (512)465-5000 • FAX:(512)465-5656

     DATE:                                                                       AUGUST 13. 201S
     NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING THIS COVER SHEET:                                                  4
     REGARDING                                              ORDER NO. 6: DISMISSING CASE
     CASE NUMBER:                                              15-0100 CAF / WIPfl 817311
                                                HEARINGS EXAMINER: EDWARD SANDOVAL

     RECD7EENTS:                                                 FAX NUMBER

     JAMES D. PIERCE, ATTY.                                      CERTIFIED MAE., RRR
                                                             FIRST CLASS MAR,
                                                        AND COURTESY COPY VIA EMAIL

     CHRISTOPHER J. LOWMAN, ATTY.                                CERTIFIED MAIL, RRR
                                                                 FIRST CLASS MAIL
                                                        AND COURTESY COPY VIA EMAIL

     TxDMV. ENFORCEMENT SECTION                                  VIA EMAIL

     NOTE: IF ALL PAGES ARE NOT RECEIVED, PLEASE CONTACT OFFICE OF
     ADMINISTRATTVE HEARINGS (512) 46S-S000.
^fSr* Texas Department o/MotorVehicles
        HELPING TEXANS GO. HELPINQ TEXAS OflOW.

                                                                   OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
                                                                   4000 JACKSON AVENUE • AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731
                                                                   PHONE: (512) 465-5000 • FAX: (512) 465-5656

                                                    SERVICE LIST

     STYLE/CASE:                LARRY ROCHE, Complainant v. KEYSTONE RV COMPANY,
                                Respondent

     CASE NUMBER:               15-0100 CAF / WED U 817311

     OAHHEARINGS EXAMINER;                        EDWARD SANDOVAL

     REPRESENTATIVE / ADDRESS                                PARTIES

     James D. Pierce
     Attorney at Law
     1 SugarCreek Center, Suite 1080
     Sugar Land, Texas 77478
     (713) 650-0150 (PH)
     (713) 650-0146 (FAX)
                                                             ATTORNEY FOR COMPLAINANT

     Christopher J. Lowman
     The Lowman Law Firm
     One Allen Center
     500 Dallas Street, Suite 3030
     Houston, Texas 77002-4705
     (713)752-0777 (PH)
     (713) 752-0778 (FAX)
     chris(2).lowman law.com                                 ATTORNEY FOR KEYSTONE RV

     Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
     Enforcement Division
     4000 Jackson Avenue
     Austin, Texas 78731
     (512) 302-2328 (FAX)                                    TxDMV, ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
                          TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
                                   CASE NO. 15-0100 CAF

LARRY ROCHE,                                           §              BEFORE THE OFFICE
         Complainant                                   §
                                                       §
v.
                                                       §                           OF
                                                       §
KEYSTONE RV COMPANY,                                   §
         Respondent                                    §
                                                       §        ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

                                  ORDER NO. 6 - DISMISSING CASE

On November 18, 2014, Complainant Larry Roche filed a petition seeking relief pursuant to Texas
Occupations Code §§2301.604(LemonLaw) for alleged warrantable defects inamotorvehicle(subject
vehicle) manufactured by Respondent Keystone RC Company. On August 12,2015, Complainant
notifiedthe Texas Department ofMotor Vehicles(Department) that Respondenthas agreed to replace
the subject vehicle, and that Complainant no longer desires to pursue the petition filed with the
Department. Goodcauseexists to dismiss the complaint. Inaccordance with therequirements ofTexas
Occupations Code § 2301.610 and 43 Texas Administrative Code § 215.210,
IT IS ORDERED that:

        1.       Respondent's communications with Complainant finalizing replacement of
                 the subject vehicle shall be reduced to writing, and a copy thereof shall be
                 provided to the Department within twenty (20) days of completion of the
                 replacement;

        2.       Should replacement of the subject vehicle include a monetary refund,
                 Respondent shall remit the refund to Complainant and the licnholder as their
                 respectiveownership interests require. Ifcleartitle to the reacquired vehicle
                 is delivered to Respondent, the full refund shall be paid to Complainant;

        3.       Respondent shallobtainaTexas title forthe reacquired vehicle prior to resale
                 and issue a disclosure statement on a form provided or approved by the
                 Department;1

1Correspondence and telephone inquiries regarding disclosure labols should be addressed to: Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles, Enforcement Division-Lemon Law Section, 4000 Jackson Avenue Building 1, Austin, Texas 78731, Phone
(512)465-4076.
CASE NO. 15-0100 CAP                     ORDER NO. 6 - DISMISSING CASE                   PAGE 2

      4.     Respondent shall affix the disclosure label to the reacquired vehicle in a
             conspicuous location (e.g., hanging from the rear view mirror). Upon
             Respondent's first retail sale of the reacquired vehicle, the disclosure
             statement shall be completed and returned to the Department;

      5.     Within sixty (60) days oftransfer ofthe reacquired vehicle, Respondent shall
             provide to the Departmentwritten noticeofthe name, address and telephone
             number ofany transferee(wholesaleror equivalent),regardlessofresidence;
             and

      6.     Respondent shall repair the defect or condition that was the basis of the
             subject vehicle's reacqutsition and issue a new 12-month/12,000-milc
             warranty on the reacquiredvehicle.

Subjectto the conditionsset forth above,thiscase is herebyDISMISSED fromthe docketoftheTexas
Department of Motor Vehicles.

Signed August 13,2015.

                                           CHIEF HEARINGS EXAMINER
                                           OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
                                           TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES

                                                                                    WID# 817311