On May 23, 2012 a
Motion-Secondary
was filed
involving a dispute between
Urelift Gulf Coast L P,
and
Bennett, Travis,
for BREACH OF CONTRACT
in the District Court of Harris County.
Preview
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CAUSE NO. 2012-30681
URELIET GULF Coast, L.P. IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF
PLAINTIFF,
vs. HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
TRAVIS BENNETT
DEFENDANT. 295™ JUDICIAL DISTRICT
URLIFT GULF Coast, L.P.’S REPLY TO THE RESPONSE OF TRAVIS BENNETT TO MOTION TO
Mopiry, CORRECT OR REFORM THE JUDGMEN
TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID CourT:
Comes Now Urelift Gulf Coast, L.P. (“Urelift) and files this its Reply to the Response of
Travis Bennett to Urelift’s Motion to Modify, Correct or Reform the Judgment pursuant to Rule
329b(g) of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and respectfully shows:
1 The Response is a text book example of bad faith opposition. While admitting that
an unconditional award of appellate fees is error, Bennett actually argues there is no need to modify
the judgment because the court of appeals can do so.
2, The complete quote from Keith v. Keith, 221 S.W.3d 156 upon which Bennett
actually purports to rely is as follows:
A trial court may not penalize a party for taking a successful appeal [citations
omitted]. An unconditional award of appellant’s attorney’s fees is improper. [citation
omitted]. However, an unconditional award of appellate fees does not require reversal;
instead, we may modify the trial court’s judgment to make the award of appellate attorney
fees contingent upon the receiving patty’s success on appeal.
fd. at 172.
3 To make it absolutely clear that there was error in the judgment, the Keith court stated
“We sustain points of error seven, eight and nine and modify the district court’s judgment...” This
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is a rendition on the issue of appellate fees. The judgment as presently drafted is clearly crroncous.
This is exactly the type of defect that Rule 329b(g) of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure were
designed to remedy.
4 Throughout this litigation, Bennett has done nothing much beside attempt to get his
fees shifted. Now, his usual practice ongoing, he wants fees for the bad faith opposition of a request
for modification he knows must be granted. First, of course, the existing judgment does not award
fees, contingently or otherwise, for opposing a motion under Rule 329b(g). Second, an opposition
must be successful, and, in this instance, it cannot be. Urelifi, therefore, seeks an award of its fees
for the prosecution of a motion to which Bennett had an obligation to agree.
Wherefore, Premises Considered, Urelift prays that the Court’s final judgment be modified,
corrected or reformed to condition any award of attorney fees on Travis Bennett being successful on
any appeal, that Urelift be awarded its reasonable fees for the prosecution of this motion and for such
other relief as is just.
Respectfully submitted,
WILSHIRE & SCOTT, P.C.
Texas SBN 21665500
One Chasewood, Suite 310
20333 State Highway 249
Houston, Texas 77070
Telephone: (713) 651-1221
Telecopier: (713) 651-0020
ATTORNEY FOR URELIFT GULF COAST, L.P.
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
This is to certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing instrument has been served on
counsel of record as indicated below in accordance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, on this
the 2" day of October, 2013 as follows:
Via Telecopy
Craig D. Dillard
Boyer Miller
Attorneys at Law
4265 San Filipe, Suite 1200
Houston, Texas 77027
’
RA Ly
Eugene B. Wilshire
Document Filed Date
October 02, 2013
Case Filing Date
May 23, 2012
Category
BREACH OF CONTRACT
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