Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tonya Pointer
DC-16-14156
CAUSE NO. _____________
ORIGINAL PETITION
Plaintiff Matthew T. Johnson (Plaintiff), hereby files his Original Petition against JaVale
L. McGee (Defendant). In support thereof, Plaintiff respectfully shows the Court as follows:
I. Discovery
plan.
II. Parties
Los Angeles, California and may be served with process at either 1888 Century Park East, Suite
1550 Los Angeles, California 90067 or 8605 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90069.
4. This Court has jurisdiction over this lawsuit because Plaintiff is a Texas resident,
and Defendant entered into a contract with Plaintiff to be performed, in whole or in part, in Texas.
5. The amount in controversy in this lawsuit is within the jurisdictional limits of this
Court.
6. Venue is proper in Dallas County because all or a substantial part of the events or
IV. Facts
A. The Lease
7. On September 12, 2015, Defendant entered into a residential lease agreement (the
Lease) with Plaintiff to lease the property located at 4439 N. Hall Street, Dallas, TX 75219
(Perry Heights BLK J/2048 LT 10), as well as the appliances and furnishings contained therein
9. The Lease provides that Plaintiff may deduct reasonable charges from the security
deposit for, among other things, damage to the Property, including reasonable costs associated
10. The Lease further states that if deductions exceed the amount of the security
deposit, Defendant will pay Planitiff the excess amount within ten (10) days after Plaintiff makes
a written demand.
11. The Lease provides that Defendant pay Plaintiff a monthly rent in the amount of
12. Following the first month, each subsequent rent payment was due on the first day
of each month.
13. The Lease further provides that if Plaintiff did not receive the rent payment in the
full amount from Defendant by 11:59 PM on the third day of each month, Defendant would pay
Plaintiff an initial late charge of $50.00 and additional late charges of $50.00 per day thereafter
on the Property.
15. If Defendant violated the prohibition against allowing a pet on the Property, the
Lease allowed Plaintiff the right to, among other actions, charge Defendant additional rent in an
initial amount of $500.00 and additional amounts of $50.00 per day per pet thereafter for each day
16. The Lease provides that, if Defendant fails to timely pay all amounts due under the
Lease or otherwise fails to comply with the Lease, Defendant will be in default and, among other
consequences, Defendant will be liable for lost rent, repairs to the Property, costs incurred by
Plaintiff associated with the collection of amounts due under the Lease, and any other recovery to
17. During the lease term, Defendant caused significant damage to the Property,
including, but not limited to, damage to flooring, screen doors, area rugs, furniture, shelving, pots
18. Further, when Defendant vacated the Property, various items were missing from
the Property, including, but not limited to, a showerhead, a closet handle, dishes, glasses, and
towels.
19. The damage to the Property exceeds the amount of the security deposit.
20. Plaintiff made a timely demand for payment of the amount required for repair and
replacement in excess of the security deposit, but Defendant has failed to pay the amount owed to
Plaintiff.
21. Plaintiff has had to incur the costs of repair and replacement personally.
rental income during the period following the Lease term in which the Property was in an
unrentable state.
C. Unpaid Rent
23. Defendant failed to pay Plaintiff the final months prorated rent in the amount of
$3,250.00, which was due under the Lease no later than 11:59 PM on September 3, 2016.
24. Defendant requested that this final rent payment be deducted from the security
deposit.
25. Plaintiff did not agree to deduct the final rent payment from the security deposit.
26. Further, Plaintiff could not deduct the final rent payment from the secrity deposit
because the security deposit did not cover the costs incurred due to damage to the Property caused
by Defendant.
27. Defendant was obligated under the Lease to pay Plaintiff rent in the amount of
28. Under the Lease, the December 2015 rent payment was due to Plaintiff no later than
29. Defendant did not pay the full rent amount for December 2015 until December 8,
2015.
30. Defendant was obligated under the Lease to pay Plaintiff rent in the amount of
31. Under the Lease, the rent payment for the period of September 1, 2016 to
September 15, 2016 was due to Plaintiff no later than 11:59 PM on September 3, 2016.
33. Plaintiff made a demand for the late rent payment fees owed to Plaintiff under the
Lease, but Defendant has failed to pay the fees owed to Plaintiff.
34. In violation of the Lease, Defendant allowed a cat to reside on the Property during
35. The cat resided on the Property for at least 178 days during the term of the Lease.
36. Plaintiff made a demand for the additional rent and fees owed to Plaintiff under the
Lease for Defendants violation of the pet restriction, but Defendant has failed to pay the additional
V. Cause of Action
Breach of Contract
37. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference the facts set forth in Paragraphs
1-36 above. Plaintiff and Defendant entered into the Lease, which is a valid, binding contract.
Plaintiff performed according to the terms of the Lease. Defendant breached the Lease by failing
to make rent payments, making untimely rent payments, violating the pet restriction, and failing
to compensate Plaintiff for the damage caused to the Property in excess of the value of the security
deposit. Plaintiff has sustained damages as a result of Defendants breach of the Lease.
38. Due to Defendants breach of the Lease, it became necessary for Plaintiff to retain
the undersigned counsel in order to collect those sums. Plaintiff has agreed to pay his counsel
reasonable and necessary fees in undertaking that task. The above-referenced Lease is a valid,
binding contract. Plaintiff has properly presented his claims to Defendant, and Defendant has failed
Chapter 38 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Plaintiff asks that the Court award him
the reasonable and necessary attorneys fees incurred in obtaining the judgment referenced in this
Petition.
39. Plaintiff also seeks attorneys fees and costs pursuant to the Lease, which provides
that a prevailing party in any legal proceeding brought under or related to the transaction described
40. Plaintiff, in accordance with Rule 54 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, avers
41. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays that Defendant be cited to appear and answer herein,
b. award Plaintiff his attorneys fees in pursuing the foregoing claims; and
MCGUIREWOODS, LLP
By:
Kevin M. Duddlesten
Texas Bar No. 00793644
kduddlesten@mcguirewoods.com
Jacob A. Lewis
Texas Bar No. 24087924
jlewis@mcguirewoods.com
2000 McKinney Avenue, Suite 1400
Dallas, Texas 75201
Telephone: 214.932.6400
Facsimile: 214.273.6499
TO: Defendant, JaVale McGee, 1888 Century Park East, Suite 1550 Los Angeles, CA 90067;
8605 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069; bigdaddywookie@me.com.
Pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 194, Plaintiff Matthew T. Johnson requests
that you disclose, within 30 days of service of this request, the information or material described
(b) the name, address, and telephone number of any potential parties;
(c) the legal theories and, in general, the factual bases of the responding partys
claims or defenses;
(e) the name, address, and telephone number of persons having knowledge of
relevant facts, and a brief statement of each identified persons connection with
the case;
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(3) the general substance of the experts mental impressions and opinions and
a brief summary of the basis for them, or if the expert is not retained by,
(4) if the expert is retained by, employed by, or otherwise subject to the
(j) in a suit alleging physical or mental injury and damages from the occurrence that
is the subject of the case, all medical records and bills that are reasonably related
(k) in a suit alleging physical or mental injury and damages from the occurrence that
is the subject of the case, all medical records and bills obtained by the responding
(l) the name, address, and telephone number of any person who may be designated as
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Dated: November 4, 2016 Respectfully submitted,
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
This is to certify that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing has been served
in accordance with Rule 501.4 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure on November 4, 2016, as
follows:
JaVale McGee
1888 Century Park East
Suite 1550
Los Angeles, CA 90067
bigdaddywookie@me.com
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CAUSE NO. DC-16-14156
TO: Defendant, JaVale McGee, 1888 Century Park East, Suite 1550 Los Angeles, CA 90067;
8605 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069; bigdaddywookie@me.com.
Pursuant to Rule 197 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Plaintiff Matthew T. Johnson
serves these first set of requests for admission to Defendant JaVale L. McGee.
In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between the following definitions, common usage
and reference to any cited rules, statutes, or regulations should be used to provide the broadest
interpretation of the term in question.
C. Petition or Lawsuit refers to Plaintiffs petition filed in the case styled Matthew
Johnson v. JaVale L. McGee, in the District Court of Dallas County, TX, and shall include any and
all subsequent amendments or supplements thereto.
D. The term Lease means the residential lease agreement entered into between you
and Plaintiff to lease the property located at 4439 N. Hall Street, Dallas, TX 75219 and the
appliances and furnishings contained therein from September 16, 2015 to September 15, 2016.
E. The term Property means the property located at 4439 N. Hall Street, Dallas, TX
75219 and the appliances and furnishings contained therein.
F. The masculine gender as used herein includes the feminine and neuter genders.
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TIME PERIOD
G. Unless otherwise stated, each Request covers the entire time period from September
1, 2015 through the time of trial (hereinafter referred to as the Period). Each Request, whether
expressed in the present tense or otherwise, refers to the entire Period.
DUTY TO SUPPLEMENT
H. Each of the following Requests is a continuing one. If you later obtain, or become
aware of, any further information pertaining to these Requests, you are requested to serve upon
Defendant amended responses setting forth such information.
I. Defendant request that counsel for the responding party confer with counsel for all
parties affected by a discovery request and make a reasonable effort to resolve any discovery
disputes prior to filing a motion or seeking court intervention regarding any discovery request or
objection submitted.
INSTRUCTIONS
B. Each such Request shall be deemed admitted unless Plaintiff serves the undersigned
counsel with a written denial or objection thereto.
C. Each answer, if not admitted, shall specifically deny the matter or set forth in detail
the reasons why you cannot truthfully admit or deny the matter.
D. If, in good faith, you must qualify your answer or deny only a part of the matter of
which an admission is requested, you must specify so much of it as is true and qualify or deny the
remainder.
E. You may not give lack of information or knowledge as a reason for failure to admit
or deny unless you state that you have made a reasonable inquiry and that the information known
or readily obtainable by you is insufficient to enable you to admit or deny the Request or any portion
thereof.
F. You may not object to any Request solely on the grounds that you consider the
matter to present an issue for trial.
G. If you fail to admit or deny any portion of a Request on the grounds that an admission
or denial would reveal privileged information, or is otherwise excludable from discovery, please
identify the information, describe its subject matter, and specify the basis for the claimed privilege
or other grounds of exclusion.
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REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 1: Admit that the Lease attached hereto as Exhibit A is a
true and correct copy of the residential lease agreement between you and Plaintiff to lease the
Property.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 2: Admit that the Lease is a valid, binding contract.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 3: Admit that the Lease provides that Plaintiff may deduct
reasonable charges from the security deposit for, among other things, damage to the Property,
including reasonable costs associated with repair of the Property.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 4: Admit that the Lease provides that if the reasonable
charges deducted from the security deposit exceeds the amount of the security deposit, you agree
to pay Plaintiff the excess amount within 10 days after Plaintiff makes a written demand.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 5: Admit that Plaintiff made a demand for the amount of
deductions from the security deposit in excess of the amount of the security deposit by letter dated
October 13, 2016.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 6: Admit that you did not pay to Plaintiff the amount of
deductions from the security deposit in excess of the amount of the security deposit.
RESPONSE:
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REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 7: Admit that the Lease provides that, during the term of the
Lease, you will pay Plaintiff a monthly rent in the amount of $6,500.00 for each full month of the
Lease.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 8: Admit that the Lease provides that, following the first
month of the Lease, each subsequent rent payment was due on the first day of each month.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 9: Admit that the Lease provides that if Plaintiff did not
receive the rent payment in the full amount from you by 11:59 PM on the third day of each month,
you would pay Plaintiff an initial late charge of $50.00 and additional late charges of $50.00 per
day thereafter until the rent and late charges were paid in full.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 10: Admit that the Lease provides that you would not permit,
even temporarily, any pet on the Property.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 11: Admit that the Lease provides that if you violated the
prohibition against allowing a pet on the Property, Plaintiff retained the right to charge you
additional rent in an initial amount of $500.00 and additional amounts of $50.00 per day per pet
thereafter for each day that you allowed a pet on the Property.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 12: Admit that the Lease provides that, if you failed to timely
pay all amounts due under the Lease, you would be in default.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 13: Admit that the Lease provides that, in the event you
defaulted on the Lease, you would be liable for lost rent, repairs to the Property, costs incurred by
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Plaintiff associated with the collection of amounts due under the Lease, and any other recovery to
which Plaintiff may be entitled by law.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 14: Admit that, during the term of the Lease, you caused
damage to the Property.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 15: Admit that the damage you caused to the Property cost
Plaintiff at least $12,050.30 to remedy.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 16: Admit that, following the end of the Lease, the Property
was in an unrentable state due to the damage you caused to the Property.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 17: Admit that, due to the damage you caused to the
Property, Plaintiff could not rent the Property to another tenant from September 16, 2016 until
December 1, 2016.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 18: Admit that, due to the damage you caused to the
Property, Plaintiff suffered lost rental income for the period from September 16, 2016 until
December 1, 2016.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 19: Admit that you failed to pay the final months rent owed
under the Lease.
RESPONSE:
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REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 20: Admit that the final months rent owed under the Lease
was a prorated amount of $3,250.00.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 21: Admit that you instructed Plaintiff to deduct the final
months rent payment from the security deposit.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 22: Admit that Plaintiff did not agree to deduct the final
months rent payment from the security deposit.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 23: Admit that you did not pay the full rent amount owed
under the lease for December 2015 until December 8, 2015.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 24: Admit that Plaintiff made a written demand for late
rental payment fees owed to Plaintiff under the Lease.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 25: Admit that you have not paid Plaintiff the late rental
payment fees owed to Plaintiff under the Lease.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 26: Admit that you owe Plaintiff $850.00 for late rental
payment fees due to Plaintiff under the Lease.
RESPONSE:
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REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 27: Admit that you allowed a cat on the Property during the
term of the Lease.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 28: Admit that you allowed a cat on the Property for at least
178 days during the term of the Lease.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 29: Admit that Plaintiff made a written demand for the
additional rent and fees owed to Plaintiff under the Lease due to your violation of the Leases pet
restriction.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 30: Admit that you have not paid Plaintiff the additional rent
and fees owed Plaintiff under the Lease due to your violation of the Leases pet restriction.
RESPONSE:
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION NO. 31: Admit that you owe Plaintiff $9,350.00 for the additional
rent and fees due to Plaintiff under the Lease for your violation of the Leases pet restriction.
RESPONSE:
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Dated: November 4, 2016 Respectfully submitted,
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
This is to certify that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing has been served in
accordance with Rule 501.4 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure on November 4, 2016, as follows:
JaVale McGee
1888 Century Park East
Suite 1550
Los Angeles, CA 90067
bigdaddywookie@me.com