From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Pinnacle Gas Treating v. Read

Supreme Court of Texas
Apr 17, 2003
104 S.W.3d 544 (Tex. 2003)

Summary

holding that because appellate court judgment affirming or reversing a trial court's order affected parties' substantial rights, a live controversy existed

Summary of this case from DCP Sand Hills Pipeline, LLC v. San Miguel Elec. Coop.

Opinion

No. 02-0169.

Opinion Delivered: April 17, 2003.

On Petition for Review from the Court of Appeals for the Tenth District of Texas.

Reversed and Remanded.

Edward Robert Human, Celia C. Flowers, Flowers Davis, PLLC, William Dean Farrar, Tyler, for Petitioner.

Joe Cannon, Cannon Simmons, Groesbeck, Jack Bennett Ellison, Buffalo, Daniel P. Meanor, Karl C. Hoppess, Karl C. Hoppess Associates, P.C., Houston, for Respondent.


We deny Raymond Michael Read and Mark William Read's motion for rehearing. We withdraw our opinion of March 6, 2003, and substitute the following in its place.

In this condemnation case, Pinnacle Gas Treating, Inc. sought to obtain a permanent utility easement and a temporary construction easement on property owned by Raymond and Mark Read and mortgaged to Thomas Fetzer II (collectively "the Reads"). Pinnacle obtained a writ of possession for the easements and constructed a pipeline. About two years later, the trial court granted the Reads' motion to dismiss the condemnation proceeding, voiding the writ of possession and ordering the case to proceed to trial on the Reads' claim for damages pursuant to sections 21.019(c) and 21.044 of the Texas Property Code for Pinnacle's alleged wrongful condemnation and possession of their property. Pinnacle sought to appeal the dismissal of the condemnation proceeding, but the court of appeals dismissed the appeal for want of jurisdiction, concluding it was interlocutory. Shortly before trial on the Reads' damages claim, Pinnacle instituted a second condemnation proceeding and obtained a second writ of possession for the easements. The Reads did not contest the writ of possession in the second proceeding, which remains pending in district court because Pinnacle objected to the amount the commissioners awarded the Reads for the easements. Meanwhile, a jury trial was held in the first condemnation proceeding to determine the Reads' damages for wrongful condemnation during the period of time between when the first and second writs of possession were issued. The trial court rendered judgment on the jury verdict awarding the Reads $110,183.36 in damages, expenses, attorney's fees and interest.

Pinnacle appealed the judgment in the first condemnation proceeding, contending that the trial court erred in dismissing that proceeding and voiding its original writ of possession. The court of appeals, with one justice dissenting, declined to reach the merits of that issue on mootness and equity grounds. The court of appeals reasoned that proceeding with a second condemnation proceeding before the first one was resolved mooted the question of whether Pinnacle was entitled to possession of the easements in the first condemnation proceeding and created a "potential quagmire" of "legal difficulties" for the Reads "in attempting to collect damages for harm associated with the period of time between the two writs" such that equity weighed against resolving the issue. We disagree. Because disposition of the dismissal issue would, at a minimum, affect Pinnacle's and the Reads' respective rights and obligations under the $110,183.36 judgment, the dismissal issue is not moot, and the court of appeals should have considered it.

Subject to some exceptions, a case becomes moot when a court's actions cannot affect the rights of the parties. In this case, dismissal of the first condemnation proceeding invalidated Pinnacle's original writ of possession and gave rise to the Reads' wrongful condemnation and possession claims and an award of $110,183.36 in damages against Pinnacle. But if the trial court erred in dismissing the first condemnation proceeding, then Pinnacle was legally entitled to possession of the easements and would not owe the Reads $110,183.36 for wrongful condemnation and possession. On the other hand, if the trial court did not err, the Reads are entitled to pursue the judgment rendered in this case. Because an appellate court's action in either affirming or reversing the trial court's dismissal order would affect substantial rights of the parties involving at least $110,183.36, there is a live issue in controversy — namely, whether the trial court erred in dismissing the first condemnation proceeding.

VE Corp. v. Ernst Young, 860 S.W.2d 83, 84 (Tex. 1993).

Accordingly, without hearing oral argument, we reverse and remand this matter to the court of appeals to consider Pinnacle's claims that the trial court erred in dismissing the first condemnation proceeding.

Tex.R.App.P. 59.1.


Summaries of

Pinnacle Gas Treating v. Read

Supreme Court of Texas
Apr 17, 2003
104 S.W.3d 544 (Tex. 2003)

holding that because appellate court judgment affirming or reversing a trial court's order affected parties' substantial rights, a live controversy existed

Summary of this case from DCP Sand Hills Pipeline, LLC v. San Miguel Elec. Coop.

holding that because appellate court judgment affirming or reversing a trial court's order affected parties' substantial rights, a live controversy existed

Summary of this case from DCP Sand Hills Pipeline, LLC v. San Miguel Elec. Coop.

holding that when monetary damages are at issue, live issue remains in controversy

Summary of this case from Horton v. Smithville

holding live controversy existed in appellate court because whether trial court erred in dismissing first of two condemnation proceedings affected substantial rights of parties

Summary of this case from Commission, Law D v. Denisco

noting that a case becomes moot if a controversy ceases to exist between parties at any stage of the legal proceedings, including the appeal

Summary of this case from Marina Vill. Lakeway Partners, Ltd. v. Lakeway Marina Vill. Condo. Ass'n

noting that case is moot if court's actions cannot affect parties' rights

Summary of this case from Galveston v. Saint-Paul
Case details for

Pinnacle Gas Treating v. Read

Case Details

Full title:PINNACLE GAS TREATING, INC., Petitioner, v. RAYMOND MICHAEL READ, MARK…

Court:Supreme Court of Texas

Date published: Apr 17, 2003

Citations

104 S.W.3d 544 (Tex. 2003)

Citing Cases

Hoard Gainer Industry v. Gollin

An actual, live controversy between the parties is required for subject-matter jurisdiction. See Pinnacle Gas…

Pinnacle Gas v. Read

Pinnacle brought this appeal, asserting (1) its condemnation proceeding should not have been dismissed for…