Court Opinion

ID: 9644460
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 20:57:00.738894+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:13.862531
License: Public Domain

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
SEERDEN, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent from the action overruling appellant’s motion for rehearing for the reasons stated in Justice Dorsey’s dissent to the majority’s original action in denying appellant’s motion for extension of time to file the cost bond and order dismissing the appeal for want of jurisdiction.
Justice Dorsey’s able dissent fully sets dissent fully sets forth the reasons I believe the majority’s actions in this case are incorrect. In his motion for rehearing, appellant requests that this Court overrule Home Insurance Company v. Espinoza, 644 S.W.2d 44 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.). A recent holding of the Dallas Court of Appeals is in direct conflict with Espinoza and specifically rejects its rationale. In Heritage Life Insurance Co. v. Heritage Group Holding Corp., 751 S.W.2d 229, 232 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1988, writ denied), it is stated:
*448We view the Corpus Christi Court (in Home Ins. v. Espinoza) as following the “reasonable diligence” standard. This standard was rejected by Justice Guit-tard in his dissenting opinion in Sloan v. Passman, 538 S.W.2d 1, 1 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1976) (Guittard, J., dissenting, approved in United States Fire Insurance Co. v. Stricklin, 547 S.W.2d 338 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1977, no writ)). Justice Guittard followed the “Craddock” standard of inadvertence, mistake, or mischance. This same language was used by the Texas Supreme Court in Meshwert, 549 S.W.2d at 384. Under [Meshwert ], Stricklin, and Sloan, the “reasonable explanation” required by Rule 41(a)(2) focuses on a lack of deliberate or intentional failure to comply. See Meshwert, 549 S.W.2d at 384. Anything short of deliberate or intentional noncompliance falls within the area of inadvertence, mistake, or mischance. Consequently, we decline to follow Espinoza.
I would grant appellant’s motion for rehearing, withdraw the original majority opinion, overrule Espinoza, and grant appellant’s motion for extension of time to file his cost bond.
DORSEY, J., joins in this dissenting opinion on motion for rehearing.