Galveston Co. judge schedules July trial date for vehicle rights lawsuit

GALVESTON - Both sides in an alleged dispute over a vehicle will get to present their arguments in July, according to recent court records.

Plaintiff Rene Lopez, of Dickinson, and defendant Amber Lyn Ronning Rodriguez, of Alvin, were slated to face off in court on June 3, but Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Barbara Roberts issued an order granting continuance on May 24 that pushes the trial date to July 22.

Lopez sued Rodriguez on Sept. 21, 2012, accusing the respondent of failing to sign a special warranty deed to a 2008 Chrysler Model 300.

According to Lopez's lawsuit, the complainant purchased a car for Rodriguez earlier this year, however, the defendant refused to transfer her rights to the property to him.

Both parties on Jan. 21, 2012, signed a contract which called for the transfer in question in exchange for the plaintiff buying the subject vehicle for $20,000 paid in cash and providing $4,672.47 as a loan.

The original petition shows Lopez gave Rodriguez the aforementioned deed to sign last August, but she “at the time refused to sign… and continues to refuse.”

Rodriguez submitted a full formal response on Feb. 28 that states her apparent consent to sell her interest in real estate in exchange for Lopez buying the car as well as reimburse him for the transaction could not be enforced as there supposedly was no written contract.

She also insists the plaintiff's claims are “(1) groundless and brought in bad faith, and (2) groundless and brought solely for the purpose of harassment.”

Meanwhile, Lopez entered motions with the intent to get the defendant to respond to discovery to no avail.

Cause No. 68,329