Case Information
*0 RECEIVED IN 3rd COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 2/5/2015 4:58:39 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE Clerk *1 ACCEPTED 03-14-00737-CV 4044822 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 2/5/2015 4:58:39 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK No. 03-14-00737-CV In the Third Court of Appeals Austin, Texas __________________ CHASE CARMEN HUNTER Appellant , v.
ELEANOR KITZMAN, JULIA RATHGEBER, AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE Appellees . ______________________ On Appeal from the 250th Judicial District Court Cause No. D-1-GN-13-001957 Travis County, Texas _______________________ APPELLEES’ RESPONSE TO APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR ASSISTANCE WITH SCHEDULING REQUIRED HEARING IN THE UNDERLYING COURT _____________________ TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS:
Appellees Eleanor Kitzman, Julia Rathgeber, and the Texas Department of Insurance, file this response to Appellant Chase Carmen Hunter’s Motion for
Assistance with Scheduling Required Hearing in the Underlying Court , and would
respectfully show as follows:
APPELLANT’S MOTION IS MOOT Appellant requests this Court to order the trial court to communicate with her in writing in order to set the hearing ordered by this Court in its January 21,
2015 order. But the trial court has already set such hearing for February 18, 2015 at
2:00 p.m. See Exhibit A (Cover Letter and Order Extending Time for Hearing). 1
Thus Appellant’s Motion is moot.
RECOMMENDATION OF DISPOSITION UNDER RULE 20.1(h)(2) OR (3) Although the hearing ordered by this Court has already been set, Appellees anticipate that further litigation may ensue regarding such setting and respectfully
recommend that this Court withdraw its order setting a hearing, and instead decide
this matter under the provisions of Rule of Appellate Procedure 20.1(h)(2) or (3).
On January 30, 2015, Appellant sent a fax to the District Clerk’s office demanding that this matter be handled in a particular fashion, including giving her
ten business days to file a written response and to have the hearing set on a date
following the filing of that written response, after a coordination by fax for a date
on which she would be available to testify by telephone. See Exhibit B (Fax from
Appellant to Warren Vavra, Court Administrator, Travis County Civil District
Courts). Compliance with Appellant’s requests are not possible under the timing
provisions of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 20.1, or under Local Rule 9.1 of
Travis County, which does not permit evidentiary hearings to be conducted by
*3 telephone, other than for inmates. 2 Thus the district court will be unable to comply
with Appellant’s requests and Appellant will have to appear in person on February
18, 2015, to present evidence to meet her burden.
Appellees anticipate that Appellant will contest having to appear in person in Travis County on February 18, 2015. To expedite this matter and conserve judicial
and party resources, Appellees would respectfully suggest that this Court withdraw
its order requiring the trial court to hold an evidentiary hearing, and that this Court
instead either decide the contest based on the affidavit and other filed documents,
as provided by Rule 20.1(h)(2), or request the written submission of additional
evidence, and without conducting a hearing, decide the contest based on the
evidence, as provided for by the provisions of Rule 20.1(h)(3).
PRAYER WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Appellees pray this Honorable Court to dismiss Appellant’s motion as moot, but would recommend that the Court
withdraw the order requiring the trial court to hold an evidentiary hearing and
decide this matter without a hearing under the provisions of either Rule 20.1(h)(2)
or (3).
*4 Respectfully submitted, KEN PAXTON
Attorney General of Texas CHARLES E. ROY First Assistant Attorney General JAMES E. DAVIS Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation ROBERT O’KEEFE Division Chief
Financial Litigation, Tax, and Charitable Trusts Division
/s/ Cynthia A. Morales Cynthia A. Morales Assistant Attorney General Texas State Bar No. 14417420 Financial Litigation, Tax, and Charitable Trusts Division P.O. Box 12548 Austin, Texas 78711-2548 (512) 475-4470 Phone (512) 477-2348 Fax cynthia.morales@texasattorneygeneral.gov Counsel for Appellees, Eleanor Kitzman, Julia Rathgeber, and the Texas Department of Insurance
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on this 5th day of February, 2015, the above and foregoing Appellees’ Response to Appellant’s Motion for Assistance in Scheduling
Required Hearing in the Underlying Court was filed and served by fax and email
on:
Chase Carmen Hunter
340 S. Lemon Avenue #9039
Walnut, CA 91789
chase_hunter@yahoo.com
Fax: (703)-997-5999
/s/ Cynthia A. Morales CYNTHIA A. MORALES *6 FEE-|¡Z-2þ115 t¡?:12 Tl I5T I:[UF]T ÊDI'l] N ri-¡ rt Í,v)¿ rÀ-l -rF,l -r¡D/ ._r1¿ üJ+ lÌf+
STATË
Court AdmÍnistråtor's Office
Travis Çounty Court House
P.0. Box 1748
Austin, Texas 78767
January 30, 2015
Chase Carmen Hu¡rter Cynthia A. Morales
34o S Lemon Ave #9o3g Assistant Attorney General
Walnut, C,{ gtz8g P.0. Box rr548
Austin, TX 787rr-e548 Chase Carmen Hunter
P.O. Box 4se5z
Frederícksburg, VA er4o4
Rç: Cause No. D-l-GN" l3-01¡1957; Chase Ca¡men Hunfer vs. Eleanor Kitzman, et al; In the 25011'
District Court of Travis County, Texas
Cor¡nsel and Ms, Hunter:
Enclosed is a file stamped copy of an order settirtg a hearing on the Appellee's Contest to Appellant Çhase CarunÈn Hunter's AfTìdavít of Indigence in the nbove refercnced aausÈ.
Sincerely,
Walren Vavrn
Court ¡\dministrutor
Travis Çounty Civil District Coltrts
WV/lr
cc: Ms. Antalia Rridriguez-Mendoza, Travis Count¡, District Çlerk
FEE-EI-IEIS E5:lf Ii I5T IIUET f]tl'l1l'l F{ a ñiñl ñ tr.rarJ rì= 'lr/ -rJ-¿ c'Jq ff t+
¡,¡..,r ¡¡: r¡. .¡:¡j!:)t ¡¡.r i :,,.t4.;\.ri,tl.r," ,.i...{, t!.-..../. '.¡l l, ¡.ì','tu 1.,;'t-'r, i, i'í,rit,l,i sJE CARMEN HI.JNTER
CI-IA No. D-1 cALjilH 9s7 [1] 3-00 I -GN- U o ,q Ihi,TFIE (IOURT DIS'TRICT OF AI Di price, Velva L. Ø iili'5 ii 3 J,,rr)'J /5 Clurk I TRAVIS COUNTY. TEX.AS
VS s
ELEÄNOR KITZMAbtr. ET AL 2-íCTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT f¡ Y
SRDER EXTENDING TIME FO In accoïdânce with the.Tanuary 21,2015 Orcler of the Texns Cìourt of AppÇals,ï^hild Distriot at Austin, the Çourt hereby extends the time in which to hold a hearing to consider the
nvidence on Appellee 's Contest to Appellarrt Chase Carmen Hunter's Affrtiavit of Indigence.
It is therefore ordered that tlre Appellee 's Contest to Appellant Chase Carmen Hunter's Affidavit of incligence is hereby set for lrearing on Wednesclay, liebruary i8, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.
The Court Administrator shall set this oause for hearing on thc Travis County Civil Dístríct Conrt Central Docket a¡d sirall sencl notice by first class tnail to all pro se pailie$ ånd
attorneys of record,
,L SIGNED this Ja 41- day of ?015 JUD
TÜTf:iL F. Ef, *8 Pg l/ 2 øl/3Ø/15 5:47 pm To: Cynthia l{Orales 0 512-477-2348 From: Fax Sender
Facsimile Transmittal FÆ(
To: Gynthia Morales From: Fax Sender Company: TexasAttorneyGeneral Dste:01/30/2015 Fax Numbe¡: Pages: 2 (inoluding cowr) Re: 3rd Court of Appeals OrderTo Hold Hearing D-l-GN-l3001957 Gommentr¡:
Itr. Vnvrn:
I rtËtivtd lout voiorui]. ftttttËri rrgrr¡èi¡rÉr tåe tehrduliñg Þf t hlÊËiüg,
firrt, I hrvc not r¡cciv¡d tt¡¡ Ennpcndnntr' ohrlhngn to my rffidrvit of
indigrnoy. Perhrpl thr Encpondn¡¡t¡ nril,¡d ¡ustr r dosr¡snnt to nn rt r¡r
incos¡rct rdd¡¡¡¡. !ff' corrcct rdd¡c¡¡ IOR THIH LATÍgUItr i¡ ¡hown on tl¡¡
patltton rnd notlce of eppeal that I ltled ln thfs ¡utt'er.
$ccond, phuc, dLrcct thc Rcapondcntr üo u¡fl nrc thc chellanga tô n\f
rffld¡rvLt of fnútEuncy at chrer_huntarÊyelroo. con
llhLtd, ELva ua 10 ful1 butLna¡¡ drya ftoo ttrË dåtË Ì raccivr thn nárÞônd¡nt¡t
chrlJ-anEa to ny effl-d.evl-t of J,nt{Eantcy vla ørl-1 to rav{arc rnd to fLlc r
w¡ittan rÉËpËrfltË ü¡5 thé Hrra¡rondrntar êhtl1ËnEË to ty ¿ffid¿vit öf i¡l&igËf,êy.
I wíIL fitt lgy Etrponm ¡gittr thr Erevit Counùy Dirtri.at Cpu¡t s¡d tår Ttrird
Court of å¡çra'la,
fourth, rftns you uccrivf, rßy wsitt¡n rÕ¡pÞn¡¡ to ttrc Ennpondnntr' ehrlbngr
to nry rffidrvit of ind'ignncy, plmr¡, fl¡¡ mn rnd ttre Reopond,cnts r líst of
rvrllrbl¡ drtc¡ rnd tLn¡¡ fo¡ r hmrlng during whicÌ¡ I wlII r¡rpur by tnlephone. I wlll lrx to tho Rsapondents a notlco regardlng whLch datas I ¡nr
av¡llable. Eopefully, one of thos¡ d¡Èa¡ wlll ba convenl,ent tor tl¡e
Reepondnnt¡; a¡d Ëhc Roapond¡nt¡ ce¡r fax ¡u¡ and yôu Ë notfca ragardtng shtch d¡tr and tùna thcy hrvc cho¡cn.
Illrü,n]t yÖu,
Chaar Huntat
?03-997-5999 fp¡ *9 Pg 2/ 2 ø1/3ø/15 5:47 pn
To: Cynthia Ìlorales 0 512-4?7-2348 From: Fax Sencler
chr,se_huntrr0yrhøo . corr s¡¡¡rll
3{0 B Lq¡on Ave #9039
llelnut, C,[ E1789
ÊÊ¡ C$rthíÊ MoËü.IËts SLL-117-â3{8
[1] The order was apparently mailed to the parties on January 30, 2015. The undersigned received a copy by fax on February 2, 2015, and as a courtesy, emailed a copy to Appellant on February 4, 2015 after the filing of Appellant’s motion suggested that Appellant had not yet received a copy of the order.
[2] Appellant is not an inmate.