Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, 2005

Northborough Corporate Limited Partnership, L.L.P. v. Cushman & Wakefield of Texas, Inc.

Northborough Corporate Limited Partnership, L.L.P. v. Cushman & Wakefield of Texas, Inc.
Court of Civil Appeals of Texas · Decided April 21, 2005

Northborough Corporate Limited Partnership, L.L.P. v. Cushman & Wakefield of Texas, Inc.

Opinion

Affirmed and Majority and Concurring Opinions filed April 21, 2005

Affirmed and Majority and Concurring Opinions filed April 21, 2005.

 

 

In The

 

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

_______________

 

NO. 14-04-00364-CV

_______________

 

NORTHBOROUGH CORPORATE

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, L.L.P., Appellant

 

V.

 

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD OF TEXAS, INC., Appellee

__________________________________________________________

 

On Appeal from the 151st District Court

Harris County, Texas

Trial Court Cause No. 02-34003

__________________________________________________________

 

C O N C U R R I N G   O P I N I O N

 

Because the Texas Real Estate License Act (the AAct@) provides, as a ground for revoking a real estate license, a license holder=s failure to specify a definite termination date in a contract, Northborough contends that the inclusion of such a date in a commission agreement is a statutory prerequisite to recovering a brokerage commission under the Act. Our decision in this case addresses only this specific contention and does not reach the separate issue (not asserted by Northborough) of whether a commission agreement is unenforceable as against public policy if it does not specify such a date.


In addition, preceding its revision in 1997, article 6573a, the predecessor to section 1101.652, stated as the corresponding ground for revocation, Afailing to specify in a listing contract a definite termination date which is not subject to prior notice.@  Act of Sept. 1, 1991, 72nd Leg., R.S., ch. 553, 1991 Tex. Gen. Laws 1913, repealed by Act of June 1, 2003, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 1421, ' 13, 2001 Tex. Gen. Laws 5020 (emphasis added).  In 1997, this language was expanded to Afailing to specify in a listing contract or in another contract in which the licensee agrees to perform services for which a license is required under this Act a definite termination date which is not subject to prior notice.@  Act of Sept. 1, 1997, 75th Leg., R.S., ch. 839, 1997 Tex. Gen. Laws 2705, repealed by Act of June 1, 2003, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 1421, ' 13, 2001 Tex. Gen. Laws 5020 (emphasis added).  Therefore, in 1994, when the Star lease was entered, it was not subject to the termination date requirement because it was not a listing contract.

 

/s/        Richard H. Edelman

Justice

 

Judgment rendered and Majority and Concurring Opinions filed April 21, 2005.

Panel consists of Justices Fowler, Edelman, and Frost.  (Fowler, J., majority.)

 

 

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