[DOWNLOAD] "Clear Lake City Water Authority v. Clear Lake Utilities Co. Et Al." by Supreme Court of Texas * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Clear Lake City Water Authority v. Clear Lake Utilities Co. Et Al.
- Author : Supreme Court of Texas
- Release Date : January 13, 1977
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 77 KB
Description
Clear Lake Utilities Company (Utilities) initiated this litigation. Utilities sought a declaratory judgment that its contract with Clear Lake Water Authority (Authority) remains a valid and binding contract to give Utilities an exclusive right to provide water and sewer service to all landowners within a certain 100 acre tract. Utilities also sought a declaratory judgment that the property owned by Clear Lake Apartments, Inc. (Apartments), and within the 100 acre tract, could obtain water and sewer service only from Utilities by virtue of a contract between Utilities and the predecessor in title to that property, North Clear Lake Development Corporation (NCL). Authority then sought a declaratory judgment that its contract with Utilities is no longer in effect, either because it was void from the beginning or was legally terminated. Apartments contended that it is not bound by the contract between NCL and Utilities. Utilities also sought damages from Authority and the City of Pasadena (Pasadena) for conspiracy and wrongful interference with the contract between Utilities and Authority. The trial court declared both contracts to be valid and binding on Authority and Utilities and Apartments for a period of five years from the date of its judgment. Utilities was denied any recovery of damages. The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the denial of damages, but otherwise reversed the trial court judgment. As to the controversy between Utilities and Apartments, the Court of Civil Appeals held that Apartments is not bound by the exclusive service provision in the contract between Utilities and NCL. The controversy between Utilities and Authority was sent back to the trial court with instructions that it could not proceed to render a declaratory judgment without the joinder as parties of all the landowners in the 100 acre tract who have contracts with Utilities making them dependent upon Utilities for water and sewer service. 537 S.W.2d 48. We agree with the Court of Civil Appeals except that we decide the controversy between Utilities and Authority without the joinder of the other landowners.