ACCEPTED
01-15-00124-CV
FIRST COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON, TEXAS
8/10/2015 9:34:24 PM
CHRISTOPHER PRINE
CLERK
CAUSE NO. NO. 01-15-00124-CV
IN THE FILED IN
1st COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON, TEXAS
1st COURT OF APPEALS 8/10/2015 9:34:24 PM
CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE
HOUSTON Clerk
___________________
SOUTHWEST PIPE SERVICES, INC. and JOE BRIERS
Appellant
vs.
SUNBELT RENTALS, INC.
Appellees
__________________________________
APPEALED FROM THE COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2 OF
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
_______________________________________
APPELLANT’S REPLY BRIEF
_______________________________________
Jason A. Powers
SBOT 24027745
P.O. Box 272425
Houston, Texas 77277
Tele: (832) 647-8493
Fax: (832) 415-0593
jason@jasonapowers.com
APPELLANT REQUESTS AN ORAL ARGUMENT
CAUSE NO. NO. 01-15-00124-CV
IN THE
1st COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON
___________________
SOUTHWEST PIPE SERVICES, INC. and JOE BRIERS
Appellant
vs.
SUNBELT RENTALS, INC.
Appellees
__________________________________
APPEALED FROM THE COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2 OF
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
_______________________________________
IDENTITIES OF PARTIES COUNSEL
_______________________________________
Jason A. Powers ORLANDO & ORLANDO
SBOT 24027745 Monica Schulz Orlando
P.O. Box 272425 440 Louisiana, Ste 1110
Houston, Texas 77277 Houston, Texas 77002
Tele: (832) 647-8493 Tele: (713) 521-0800
Fax: (832) 415-0593 Fax: (713) 521-0842
jason@jasonapowers.com monicaorlando@orlandollp.com
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEES
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
CAUSE NO. NO. 01-15-00124-CV
IN THE
1st COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON
___________________
SOUTHWEST PIPE SERVICES, INC. and JOE BRIERS
Appellant
vs.
SUNBELT RENTALS, INC.
Appellees
__________________________________
APPEALED FROM THE COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2 OF
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
_______________________________________
APPELLANT’S REPLY BRIEF
_______________________________________
Appellants, Southwest Pipe Services, Inc. and Joe Briers submits their brief.
Appellants will be referred to as Appellants or SWP. Appellees will be referred to as
Appellees or Sunbelt.
iii
I. ARGUMENT & AUTHORITIES
Sunbelt filed a Motion for Summary Judgment (First Motion) on July 21, 2014
and set the Motion for oral hearing on September 3, 2014. SWP responded to
Sunbelt’s First Motion, and in response, Sunbelt passed the hearing and reset the First
Motion to October 7, 2014 per correspondence dated September 3, 2014.
On September 19, 2014 Sunbelt filed an Amended Motion for Summary
Judgment (Second Motion), attempting to correct the errors complained of in SWP’s
Response. The Second Motion was set for hearing on November 12, 2014. SWP filed
a response to the Second Motion that mimicked the Response to the First Motion,
except for the objection of the lack of the business records affidavit that was made in
the response to the First Motion. Sunbelt filed no reply or objection to SWP’s
response to the First Motion or the Second Motion.
On December 12, 2014, Appellant filed a Motion for New Trial on multiple
grounds including error due to the court not considering the response filed by the
Appellant.
There is no reason that (1) the Appellant shouldn’t be granted leave to file its
response late and (2) the late response was the same response as was filed to the first
motion for summary judgment. Appellant asks this Court to either grant leave and
allow Appellant’s response to stand or in the alternative, allow the first response to be
considered as a timely response to the second motion. It is very unfair that Appellee
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had the ability to file multiple motions to correct its mistake and yet Appellants have
no recourse for a calendaring mistake. Appellees were on notice of Appellant’s claims
from the first response.
III. PRAYER
WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Southwest Pipe Service, Inc.,
Appellant, prays that this Honorable Court reverse the Trial Court’s ruling granting
summary judgment, remand this matter back to the trial court, allowing Rodney
Beshears to remain a responsible third party.
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of Appellant’s Brief was delivered to all
counsel of record on the 10th day of August, 2015 via Certified U.S. Mail, return
receipt requested and/or via electronic service in accordance with the Texas Rules of
Civil Procedure and the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. The documents were
delivered to: ORLANDO & ORLANDO, Monica Schulz Orlando, 440 Louisiana,
Ste 1110, Houston, Texas 77002; monicaorlando@orlandollp.com
________________________________
Jason A. Powers
State Bar No. 24027745
jason@jasonapowers.com
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CAUSE NO. NO. 01-15-00124-CV
IN THE
1st COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON
___________________
SOUTHWEST PIPE SERVICES, INC. and JOE BRIERS
Appellant
vs.
SUNBELT RENTALS, INC.
Appellees
__________________________________
APPEALED FROM THE COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2 OF
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
_______________________________________
SIGNATUTRE PAGE
_______________________________________
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This Brief is respectfully submitted by:
JASON A. POWERS, ATTORNEY
______________________________________
Jason A. Powers
SBOT 24027745
P.O. Box 272425
Houston, Texas 77277
Tele: (832) 647-8493
Fax: (832) 415-0593
jason@jasonapowers.com
Attorney for Appellants
THIS BRIEF CONTAINS _724_ WORDS
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Southwest Pipe Services, Inc and Joe Briers v. Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.
Combined Opinion