Fortune v. McElhenney

• Decision Date: 09 February 1983
• Docket Number: No. 13869,13869
• Citation: 645 S.W.2d 934
• Parties: James FORTUNE, et al., Appellants, v. Thomas T. McELHENNEY, et ux., Appellees.
• Court: Texas Court of Appeals

Page 934

645 S.W.2d 934

James FORTUNE, et al., Appellants, v. Thomas T. McELHENNEY, et ux., Appellees.

No. 13869.

Court of Appeals of Texas,

Austin.

Feb. 9, 1983.

Tom Long, Larry Parks, Long, Dugger, Burner & Cotten, Scott R. Kidd, Brown, Maroney, Rose, Baker & Barber, Austin, for appellants.

Douglass Hearne, Richard L. Crozier, Hearne, Knolle, Lewallen, Livington & Holcomb, Austin, for appellees.

Before SHANNON, POWERS and GAMMAGE, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Appellants James Fortune and Stan's Heating and Air Conditioning appeal from a judgment rendered against them on August 12, 1982 "jointly and severally" in the principal amount of $135,000.00 together with $75,078.00 in attorney's fees, and interest on both said sums at the rate of nine percent (9%) per annum. The judgment provides that the amount due for attorney's fees shall be reduced by $5,000.00 if this appeal "is not carried forward by Application for Writ of Error to the Supreme Court of Texas" or by $2,500.00 if such an application is filed but denied.

Appellant Fortune filed two supersedeas bonds, one in the amount of $12,000.00, and the other in the amount of $100,000.00, which recites that "American & Foreign Ins. Co." is the surety, but the bond is signed by Kirk Bradshaw as attorney-in-fact for "Royal Indemnity Co." as surety. Appellant Stan's Heating and Air Conditioning filed a supersedeas bond in the sum of $112,000.00.

Appellees Thomas R. McElhenney and Sarah Ann McElhenney have filed a motion requesting this Court to

require Appellants to each file an additional supersedeas bond in an amount which, when added to the other Supersedeas Bonds filed by said Appellant, will equal the sum of the amount of the judgment, the estimated amount of interest which will probably accrue during the appeal and costs; or alternatively, to require Appellants to file an additional Supersedeas Bond which when added to the other Supersedeas Bonds filed by Appellants will equal the sum of the amount of the judgment, the estimated amount of interest which will probably accrue during the appeal, and costs; and that the Court require Appellant JAMES FORTUNE to file a new Supersedeas Bond, properly conditioned and executed, to replace the defective $100,000.00 Supersedeas Bond filed by him on November 12, 1982. [emphasis added]

In support of their motion, appellees contend that the bonds filed by each appellant, in an amount slightly over one half of the amount of the judgment, are insufficient under Tex.R.Civ.P.Ann. 364 (1967), because they do not give appellees adequate security for the payment of...