Hoist Liftruck Mfg, Inc. v. Carruth-Doggett, Inc.
Hoist Liftruck Mfg, Inc. v. Carruth-Doggett, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
In this accelerated interlocutory appeal, appellant Hoist Liftruck Mfg., Inc. appeals the trial court’s order granting the, temporary injunction requested by appellee Gar-ruth-Doggett, Inc., d/b/a Toyota Lift of Houston and Toyota Lift of South Houston, Texas (Toyota Lift).
BACKGROUND
Toyota Lift is a material-handling equipment dealer in Houston, Texas. It sells, services, and rents multiple brands of material-handling equipment. Toyota Lift entered into a dealer agreement with Hoist in 2006. Pursuant to that agreement, Toyota Lift was'authorized to sell ánd service Hoist products in a specified territory.
A dispute eventually erupted between Hoist and Toyota Lift over each party’s compliance with the terms of the dealer agreement. Hoist sent Toyota Lift notice that it believed Toyota Lift had breached
Following a brief hearing, the trial court granted Toyota Lift’s request for a temporary injunction. The order provides:
[T]he Court considered [Toyota' Lift’s] Second Amended Petition, Application for Temporary Restraining Order and Temporary and Permanent Injunction. Having read the verified petition and considered the arguments of counsel, the Court GRANTS [Toyota Lift’s] Application for Temporary Injunction.
It is ORDERED that [Hoist], Specialized Liftruck Services, LLC aka Hoist Lift of Texas aka Hoistlift of Texas and James Knight, are temporarily enjoined from terminating the Dealer Agreement in the following respects:
(1) [Toyota Lift] is permitted to perform warranty service;
(2) [Toyota Lift] is permitted to purchase parts at dealer pricing;
(3) [Toyota Lift] is permitted to sell to quoted customers and to quote new business.
It is further ORDERED that [Toyota Lift] post a bond in the amount of $5,000.00.
It is further order [sic] this matter is set for trial....
The Clerk shall enter this Temporary Injunction and provide a copy to all parties.
This interlocutory appeal followed.
Analysis
Hoist raises five issues in this interlocutory appeal. We need only address the fifth issue because it is dispositive. In that issue, Hoist contends the trial court’s temporary injunction must be dissolved because the order does not state the reasons for its issuance as required by Rule 683 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. We agree.
The purpose of a temporary injunction is to preserve the status quo of the litigation’s subject matter pending trial on the merits. Butnaru v. Ford Motor Co., 84 S.W.3d 198, 204 (Tex. 2002) (op. on reh’g). To obtain a temporary injunction, an applicant is not required to establish that it will prevail upon a final trial on the merits, but must plead and prove that it (1) has a cause of action against the opposing party; (2) has a probable right on final trial to the relief sought; and (3) faces probable, imminent, and irreparable injury in the interim. Sharma v. Vinmar Int’l, Ltd., 231 S.W.3d 405, 419 (Tex.App.Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, no pet.) (citing Butnaru, 84 S.W.3d at 204). Litigants generally are not entitled to temporary in-junctive relief as a matter of right. Walling v. Metcalfe, 863 S.W.2d 56, 57 (Tex. 1993) (per curiam). The decision to grant or deny such relief instead is committed to the trial court’s discretion, and we will uphold its ruling absent a clear abuse of discretion. Id. at 58.
Although the decision whether to grant or deny a request for a temporary injunction is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court, once the court decides to grant injunctive relief, the order itself must contain the reasons for its issuance. Helix Energy Sol. Grp., Inc. v. Howard, 452 S.W.3d 40, 44 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2014, no pet.) (citing Tex.R. Civ. P. 683), Rule 683 requires that the temporary injunction order specifically set forth the reasons the trial court believes irreparable injury will result absent the granting of an injunction preserving the status quo pending a trial on the
As shown above, the trial court’s temporary injunction order does not state a reason for its issuance and does not address why irreparable injury will.result absent an injunction. A trial court abuses- its discretion if it issues a temporary injunction order that does not comply with Rule 683. Helix Energy Sol. Grp., Inc., 452 S.W.3d at 44-45. Because the trial court’s order does not comply with the mandatory requirements of Rule 683, we declare the temporary injunction order void, dissolve the injunction, and remand the case to the trial court. Id. at 45.
Conclusion
We declare the trial court’s temporary injunction order void, dissolve the injunction, and remand this case to the trial court for proceedings consistent with this opinion. We further instruct the clerk of this Court to issue the mandate immediately. Id.
(Frost, C.J., concurring).
. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 51.014(a)(4) (West 2015). •
Concurring Opinion
concurring.
Under this court’s binding precedent, an appellant need not preserve error to complain on appeal of an injunction-order defect under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 683. That should change.
Strong Policy Considerations Underlying the Error-Preservation Rule
The Supreme Court of Texas has recognized the strong policy considerations supporting the preservation-of-error requirement.
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 683, which governs the form and scope of injunctions and temporary restraining orders, requires the trial court to set forth the reasons for issuance in the temporary-injunction order.
The Split of Authority in the Courts of Appeals
Of the fourteen intermediate courts of appeals, the Eleventh is the only one that has not addressed the Rule 683 error-preservation issue. Like this court,
In deciding the issue, virtually all of the courts of appeals rely on the Supreme Court of Texas’s decision in InterFirst Bank San Felipe, N.A. v. Paz Construction Company,- a per curiam opinion in which the high court held that Rule 683’s requirements must be followed strictly and that a temporary-injunction order’ that does not comply is “subject to” being declared void' and dissolved.
Notably, in neither InterFirst nór Qwest did the Supreme Court of Texas say it was addressing the issue of error preservation.
Characterization and Treatment; of Rule 683 Errors
By emphasizing that. Rule 683 defects are procedural and not jurisdictional, the high court has signaled that complaints based on Rule 683 defects—like nearly every other non-jurisdictional error—must be preserved in the trial court.
The supreme court did not say that orders not meeting Rule 683’s requirements are to be reversed or dissolved.
If the InterFirst court instead had characterized the Rule 683 defect as jurisdictional, it would make sense to read Inter-First as mandating that a party need not preserve error on the defect.
The courts of appeals that apply the no-preservation rule have not explained why they believe InterFirst mandates the conclusion that parties need not preserve error in the trial court.
Rationale for Rejecting the Injunction-Order Exception to the Error-Preservation Rule
When the Third Court of Appeals held that a party seeking to challenge a temporary-injunction order because it did not meet Rule 683’s requirements must preserve error to raise that claim on appeal, the court noted that Rule 683 errors are procedural and characterized a Rule 683 error as a defect in the form of the judgment, echoing the supreme court’s holdings in InterFirst and Qwest
Texas courts require parties to preserve error for appeal to give the trial court a chance to fix the problem first.
The logic for the error-preservation rule should apply with double force in expedited proceedings. Time constraints are more pressing, appellate resources' are often strained, and efficiency is especially important. If courts do not incentivize parties to voice their complaints in the first instance, litigants and crafty lawyers almost certainly will succumb to the temptation to sit on their objections. Instead of viewing a Rule 683 error as a defect to be fixed at the first opportunity, they will view it as appellate insurance, and treat the defect as an ace in the pocket, to be tucked away and played as a trump card on appeal. It is time to declare that game over.
Conclusion
There is no justification for the Rule 683 exception to the error-preservation requirement. The issue frequently arises in the courts of appeals,
. See Mansions in the Forest, L.P. v. Montgomery County, 365 S.W.3d 314, 317 (Tex. 2012) (per curiam),
. See id.
. See id.
. See id.
. See id.
.See id.
. Tex.R. Civ. P. 683.
. See id.
. See Higginbotham v. Clues, 730 S.W.2d 129, 129 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1987, no writ);
. But for the Higginbotham precedent, this separate writing would be a dissenting opinion.
. Though the majority does not mention that the appellant failed to preseiye error on this issue, the. majority does not dispute it.
. Higginbotham, 730 S.W.2d at 129.
. Courtland Place Historical Found. v. Doerner, 768 S.W.2d 924, 926 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1989, no writ).
. Big D Props., Inc. v. Foster, 2 S.W.3d 21, 23 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 1999, no pet.).
. Hopper v. Safeguard Bus. Sys., Inc., 787 S.W.2d 624, 626 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1990, no writ).
. Bayoud v. Bayoud, 797 S.W.2d 304, 313 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1990, writ denied).
. 360 Degree Commc’ns. Co. v. Grundman, 937 S.W.2d 574, 575 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 1996, no writ).
. Fasken v. Darby, 901 S.W.2d 591, 593 (Tex.App.-El Paso 1995, no writ).
. Int’l Bhd. of Elec. Workers Local Union 479 v. Becon Const. Co., Inc., 104 S.W.3d 239, 243 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 2003, no pet.).
. Crenshaw v. Chapman, 814 S.W.2d 400, 402 (Tex.App.-Waco 1991, no writ).
. Evans v. Woods, 34 S.W.3d 581, 583 (Tex.App.-Tyler 1999, no pet.).
. Mann v. Aguirre, No. 13-08-746-CV, 2010 WL 337161, at *2 (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi Jan. 28, 2010, no pet.) (mem.op.).
. See Emerson v. Fires Out, Inc., 735 S.W.2d 492, 493 (Tex.App.-Austin 1987, no writ).
. Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Ctr. v. Rao, 105 S.W.3d 763, 768 (Tex.App.-Amarillo 2003, pet. dism’d).
. 715 S.W.2d 640, 641 (Tex. 1986) (per cu-riam).
. Id.
. See 24 S.W.3d 334, 337 (Tex. 2000) (per curiam).
. Id.
. Id.
. See Qwest Comm. Corp., 24 S.W.3d at 337; InterFirst, 715 S.W.2d 640-41.
. See Helix Energy Sol. Grp., Inc. v. Howard, 452 S.W.3d 40, 44-45 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2014, no pet.); Mann, 2010 WL 337161, at *2; Becon, 104 S.W.3d at 243; Fasken, 901 S.W.2d at 593.
. Evans, 34 S.W.3d at 582-83; Big D Props., Inc., 2 S.W.3d at 23.
. See Higginbotham, 730 S.W.2d at 129.
. See Qwest Comm. Corp., 24 S.W.3d at 337-38.
. See Mansions in the Forest, FP. v. Montgomery County, 365 S.W.3d 314, 316—18 (Tex. 2012) (per curiam) (hplding that no exception should be made to the normal, preservation-of-error requirements for' a complaint, that a purported affiant was “no affidavit at all” because the signatory did not swear to the statements in the "affidavit”).
. See id.; InterFirst, 715 S.W.2d 640-41. See also, Roccaforte v. Jefferson Cnty., 341 S.W.3d 919, 923 (Tex. 2011); In the Interest of M.L.G.J., 14-14-00800-CV, 2015 WL 1402652, at *3 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] Mar. 24, 2015, no pet.) (mem.op) (noting errors that make a judgment voidable are subject to waiver and must be preserved).
. See Qwest Comm. Corp., 24 S.W.3d at 337-38; InterFirst, 715 S.W.2d 640-41.
. See Qwest Comm. Corp., 24 S.W.3d at 337-38; InterFirst, 715 S.W.2d 640-41.
. See Qwest Comm. Corp., 24 S.W.3d at 337-38; State ex rel. Latty v. Owens, 907 S.W.2d 484, 485 (Tex. 1995) (noting that "mere failure to follow proper procedure will not render a judgment void”).
. See City of Houston v. Rhule, 417 S.W.3d 440, 442 (Tex. 2013).
. State ex rel. Latty, 907 S.W.2d at 485; Gainous v. Gainous, 219 S.W.3d 97, 105-06 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, pet. denied).
. See Qwest Comm. Corp., 24 S.W.3d at 337-38; InterFirst, 715 S.W.2d 640-41.
. See e.g. Mann, 2010 WL 337161, at *2; Becon, 104 S.W.3d at 243; Fasken, 901 S.W.2d at 593; Evans, 34 S.W.3d at 582-83; Big D Props., Inc., 2 S.W.3d at 23.
. See Emerson, 735 S.W.2d at 493.
. See Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Ctr., 105 S.W.3d at 768.
. See id.; Emerson, 735 S.W.2d at 493.
. Burbage v. Burbage, 447 S.W.3d 249, 258 (Tex. 2014); Mansions in the Forest, L.P., 365 S.W.3d at 317.
. Burbage, 447 S.W.3d at 258.
. Emerson, 735 S.W.2d at 494,
. Id.
. See Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Ctr., 105 S.W.3d at 768.
. See Helix Energy Sol. Grp., Inc., 452 S.W.3d at 45-48 & n.10 (Frost, C.J., concurring).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.