Aetna Finance Co. of Baton Rouge v. Perkins

448 So. 2d 121, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8270
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 28, 1984
Docket83 CA 0357
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 448 So. 2d 121 (Aetna Finance Co. of Baton Rouge v. Perkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aetna Finance Co. of Baton Rouge v. Perkins, 448 So. 2d 121, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8270 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

448 So.2d 121 (1984)

AETNA FINANCE COMPANY OF BATON ROUGE
v.
Sidney A. PERKINS and Patsy Perkins.

No. 83 CA 0357.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

February 28, 1984.

*122 Stephen R. Wilson, Keogh & Keogh, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff.

Carolyn F. Lahr, Fayard, Morrison & Kuhn, Denham Springs, for defendants.

Before SHORTESS, LANIER and CRAIN, JJ.

*123 LANIER, Judge.

This matter commenced as a suit by the Aetna Finance Company of Baton Rouge (Aetna)[1] against Sidney Perkins and Patsy Perkins on two promissory notes alleging a balance due of $2,959.48 and for the return of an overpayment by Aetna on one of the notes of $1,038.58. The Perkinses filed an answer and a reconventional demand contending that Aetna violated the disclosure requirements of the Truth in Lending Law (15 U.S.C.A. § 1601, et seq.) and failed to credit them with unearned interest when suit was filed in violation of the Louisiana Consumer Credit Law (La.R.S. 9:3510, et seq.). The Perkinses prayed that the main demand be dismissed and that they be awarded a civil penalty on the reconventional demand of $1,000 with legal interest thereon from date of judicial demand until paid and an attorney fee of $2,500. The district court (without assigning reasons) granted judgment in favor of the Perkinses on the main demand and dismissed Aetna's suit. The district court granted judgment in favor of the Perkinses against Aetna on the reconventional demand for the following amounts:

(1) $2,815.74, representing twice the amount of the finance charge on one of the promissory notes as provided by the Truth in Lending Law;
(2) $1,407.87, representing the loan finance charge on one of the notes pursuant to the authority of the Louisiana Consumer Credit Law; and
(3) $2,500.00, representing a reasonable attorney fee.

The district court cast Aetna for the costs, but did not award interest on any portion of the award. This suspensive appeal followed. The Perkinses have not appealed or answered the appeal.

FACTS

On March 13, 1980, Sidney and Patsy Perkins went to Aetna's office and applied for a $500 loan to pay for an anticipated hospital bill. In their application for this credit, they listed the following obligations:

(1)  First National Bank of Denham
       Springs                       -      $  357.08
(2)  VISA                            -         400.00
(3)  Master Charge                   -         400.00
(4)  Aetna on account number
       XXXXX-X                       -       1,561.41
(5)  Aetna on account number
       XXXXX-X                       -         103.51
                                            _________
     TOTAL                                  $2,822.00

Hopson P. Williams, the manager of the Aetna office at that time, advised the Perkinses that he would approve the loan if they agreed to consolidate their bank and Aetna obligations with the new loan into one note. The Perkinses agreed to this proposal.

The Perkinses returned to the Aetna office on March 14, 1983, to execute the loan documents. When they arrived at the Aetna office, they were advised that there were mistakes on some of the documents and they had to be redone. The Perkinses ultimately signed two separate notes. The first (large note) was for an amount financed of $2,624.13 with a finance charge of $1,407.87 for a total of $4,032 to be paid in 36 monthly payments of $112 each commencing on April 14, 1980. The second note (small note) was to finance an accident insurance policy. The amount financed on the small note was $100, the finance charge was $12.92 and it was to be paid in 12 monthly payments of $9.41 each commencing on April 14, 1980. The Perkinses were to receive $490.01 from the large note. However, Aetna gave them a check for $1,528.59, which sum represented the payoff of $1,038.58 on Aetna account number XXXXX-X and the balance due the Perkinses of $490.01. Mrs. Perkins testified at the trial that at the time of the loan closing, Williams told her that the extra money was to pay the VISA and Master Charge accounts. Apparently, Aetna sent a check to the First National Bank of Denham Springs to pay off that obligation. Aetna also apparently cancelled their account *124 number 36020-6 with a rebated balance due of $1,038.58 and account number XXXXX-X with a rebated balance due of $94.40. The Perkinses took the check for $1,528.59 and deposited it in their checking account.

On the night of March 14, 1983, Williams called Mrs. Perkins and advised her that the sum of $1,038.58 was paid to them by mistake and was an overpayment on the note and should have been applied to the cancellation of account number XXXXX-X. He demanded that this amount be returned to Aetna in cash. Williams contacted the Perkinses on several occasions after this date to resolve the dispute, however, the Perkinses did not return the money nor did they make any payment on either note. This suit was filed on May 27, 1980.

DISCLOSURE VIOLATIONS

Aetna does not contest the applicability of the Truth in Lending Law to the loan transactions with the Perkinses. Incorporated in the Aetna promissory notes is a form for making the disclosures required by the Truth in Lending Law. The large note shows that the amount financed is $2,624.13 and that the finance charge is $1,407.87. The amount financed is $1,980.07 for money paid to the Perkinses or on their behalf and $644.06 in insurance charges and official fees. The original document shows in handwriting that the following sums were paid to the Perkinses or on their behalf:

(1) $1,038.58—the balance due on Aetna account number XXXXX-X;
(2) $490.01—paid to the Perkinses;
(3) $94.40—the balance due on Aetna account number XXXXX-X; and
(4) $357.08—the balance due at the First National Bank of Denham Springs.

This original note also shows in handwriting that the loan is secured by a chattel mortgage on all of the household goods belonging to the Perkinses, but the mortgaged chattels are not individually listed or described. This original note is signed by Sidney and Patsy Perkins as makers and is witnessed by Hopson P. Williams and Estella Robinson.

Both the Truth in Lending Law and the Truth in Lending Regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 C.F.R. § 226.1, et seq.) require a creditor to disclose to the customer the amount of credit of which the customer will have the actual use or which will be paid to him or for his account or to another person on his behalf. 15 U.S.C.A. § 1639(a)(1); 12 C.F.R. § 226.8(d)(1). They also require that the creditor disclose a description of any security interest held or acquired by him in connection with the extension of credit with a clear identification of the property to which the security interest relates. 15 U.S.C.A. § 1639(a)(8); 12 C.F.R. § 226.8(b)(5). The Truth in Lending Regulations also require that when the disclosures are made the creditor shall furnish the customer with a duplicate of the instrument or a statement by which the required disclosures are made and on which the creditor is identified. 12 C.F.R.

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Bluebook (online)
448 So. 2d 121, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8270, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aetna-finance-co-of-baton-rouge-v-perkins-lactapp-1984.