in Re Scott Van Dyke

Petition for Writ of Mandamus Denied and Memorandum Opinion filed October 20, 2009.

 

 

In The

 

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

____________

 

NO. 14-09-00822-CV

____________

 

IN RE SCOTT VAN DYKE, Relator

 

 

 

 


ORIGINAL PROCEEDING

WRIT OF MANDAMUS

 

 

 


M E M O R A N D U M   O P I N I O N

            On September 25, 2009, relator filed a petition for writ of mandamus in this court.  See Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 22.221 (Vernon 2004); see also Tex. R. App. P. 52.  In the petition, relator asked this court to compel the Honorable Jaclanel McFarland, presiding judge of the 133rd District Court of Harris County, to set aside her ruling granting a motion to compel full and complete deposition answers. 

            Relator has not established that he is entitled to mandamus relief.  Respondent’s order granting the motion to compel deposition answers was signed September 21, 2009.  By its terms, the order required the deposition to take place no later than seven business days after the signing of the order.  Relator filed a motion to stay the deposition, which this court denied.  Because the time for taking the deposition has passed, the order from which relator seeks relief is moot.  Accordingly, we deny relator’s petition for writ of mandamus with regard to the September 21, 2009, order compelling him to answer certain deposition questions.

            On September 30, 2009, relator supplemented the petition for writ of mandamus asking this court to compel respondent to vacate a turnover order.  On September 25, 2009, respondent issued a turnover order requiring relator to pay $118,540.38 into the registry of the court.  This amount represents the remaining balance on a final judgment issued against relator. 

            Mandamus issues only to correct a clear abuse of discretion or the violation of a duty imposed by law where there is no adequate remedy by appeal.  Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 839 (Tex. 1992).  Because mandamus is an extraordinary remedy, we may not issue mandamus to vacate a trial court’s order when there is an adequate remedy at law, such as an appeal.  See Canadian Helicopters, Ltd. v. Wittig, 876 S.W.2d 304, 306 (Tex. 1994); Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 839–40. 

            A turnover order is an appealable order for which mandamus relief does not lie.  Schultz v. Fifth Judicial Dist. Ct. of Appeals, 810 S.W.2d 738, 740 (Tex. 1991), abrogated on other grounds by In re Sheshtawy, 154 S.W.3d 114 (Tex. 2004).  Accordingly, we deny relator’s petition for writ of mandamus with regard to the turnover order signed September 25, 2009.

 

                                                                        PER CURIAM

 

Panel consists of Chief Justice Hedges and Justices Seymore and Sullivan.