Akins v. Jefferson Parish

529 So. 2d 27, 1988 La. App. LEXIS 1333, 1988 WL 60149
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 7, 1988
Docket87-C-766
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 529 So. 2d 27 (Akins v. Jefferson Parish) 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
Akins v. Jefferson Parish, 529 So. 2d 27, 1988 La. App. LEXIS 1333, 1988 WL 60149 (La. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

529 So.2d 27 (1988)

Anthony AKINS, et al.
v.
PARISH OF JEFFERSON, et al.

No. 87-C-766.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

June 7, 1988.

Joseph Tosh, Parish Atty., Louis G. Gruntz, Jr., Asst. Parish Atty., Gretna, Joseph E. LeBlanc, Jr., Milling, Benson, Woodward, Hillyer, Pierson & Miller, Charles Lanier, Sheila Walet, Phelps, Dunbar, *28 Marks, Claverie & Sims, Felicien P. Lozes, Lozes, Cooper & Cambre, Donald Hoffman, Lourdes Martinez, Carmouche, Gray & Hoffman, J. Keith Hardie, Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O'Bannon, New Orleans, James L. Donovan, Donovan & Lawler, Metairie, Sam LeBlanc, Leslie Lanusse, Adams & Reese, Gregory S. Abramson, Henri Wolbrette, Arthur H. Leith, McGlinchey, Stafford, Mintz, Cellini & Lang, Edward A. Rodrigue, Jr., Boggs, Loehn & Rodrigue, New Orleans, Cliff Enten, Stephen Pizzo, Blue, Williams & Buckley, Metairie, Rene A. Pastorek, Gretna, Daryl A. Higgins, Harvey, Aubrey B. Hirsch, Butler, Heebe & Hirsch, New Orleans, Larry C. Pieno, Marrero, for defendants-relators.

Ernest Jones, New Orleans, Joseph Naccari, Richard A. Deas, Metairie, William Quigley, Glen Cater, Jennifer Hillis, Sophia Pappas Barrett, New Orleans, for plaintiffs-respondents.

Before GAUDIN, GRISBAUM and DUFRESNE, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

The relators seek relief from the trial court's denial of their exceptions of no cause of action and prescription.

We are called upon to determine three questions:

(1) Whether the plaintiffs' petitions, alleging intentional and/or reckless actions on the part of the defendants, state a cause of action under the language of La.C.C. art. 2315 and La.R.S. 9:2798.1;

(2) Whether the plaintiffs' petitions state a cause of action against the defendants in their individual capacities; and

(3) Whether the trial court erred in denying the relators' peremptory exception of prescription.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On October 29, 1985, Hurricane Juan caused flooding in the Greater New Orleans area. More than 700 residents and homeowners of the Lincolnshire and Westminster Subdivisions in Marrero sued Jefferson Parish, the Jefferson Parish Council, the Jefferson Parish President and Councilmen in their official and individual capacities, the Board of Commissioners of the West Jefferson Levee District, the Commissioners of the West Jefferson Levee District in their official and individual capacities, the Executive Director of the West Jefferson Levee District in his official and individual capacity, the Director of the Jefferson Department of Public Utilities in his official and individual capacity, as well as various individuals, developers, contractors, corporations, and insurance companies. Colonial Lloyds Insurance Company also filed suit in subrogation to collect damages it paid to insureds under the comprehensive provisions of its automobile insurance policies. A total of five suits were filed; the suits were consolidated on October 2, 1987.

Defendants filed a peremptory exception of no cause of action, alleging that La.R.S. 9:2798.1 and the "Public Duty Doctrine" preclude the liability of a governing body and its officers and employees for discretionary acts. Defendants also filed a peremptory exception of prescription in the "Weatherspoon" and "Winesberry" cases. The "Weatherspoon" case was filed in Orleans Parish within the prescriptive period, which ended on October 29, 1986, but service of process was not effected until after that date. Defendants allege that since venue was incorrect in the "Weatherspoon" case as to political subdivisions under La.R. S. 13:5104(B) and since the aforementioned politicial subdivisions were not served within the prescriptive period, the claims had prescribed as to them, citing La.C.C. art. 3462.

Plaintiffs defended their claims by asserting that La.R.S. 9:2798.1 and the Public Duty Doctrine do not apply to causes of action arising out of alleged intentional and reckless acts. Plaintiffs also asserted that venue in Orleans Parish was proper as to some defendants who were solidarily liable with the aforementioned political subdivisions, and therefore when prescription was effectively interrupted as to the Orleans Parish defendants, it was interrupted as to all defendants bound in solido, including the political subdivisions, citing La.C.C. art. 3503.

*29 The trial court denied both exceptions, and defendants took writs to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal to challenge the trial court's denial of their exceptions.[1] After allowing plaintiffs to file written responses to defendants' writ application, this Court denied the writ application, stating, "On the presentation made and the record before us, we find no abuse of the trial court's discretion, nor any need for us to exercise our supervisory jurisdiction. Accordingly, the writ is denied." Defendants took writs to the Louisiana Supreme Court, 517 So.2d 806, which granted the writ application and transferred the case to this Court, ordering this Court to decide the case with an opinion after affording the parties an opportunity for oral and written argument. Briefs were filed, and oral arguments took place on March 9, 1988.

ANALYSIS

We first address whether the plaintiffs stated a cause of action against the political subdivisions and employees thereof, and against the individual public officials in their official capacity. Chapter 33 of the Jefferson Parish Code of Ordinances governs the Jefferson Parish Council's approval of subdivision applications. Additionally, Article 2, § 2.01(A)(9), and Article 6, § 6.01[2] of the Home Rule Charter permit the Parish Council to take responsibility for the Parish's drainage, and La.R.S. 38:1581 empowers the Jefferson Parish Council to establish drainage districts and drainage systems as may be required.

Our state statutory law limits the liability of public entities, their employees, or their officers, in the following manner:

§ 2798.1. Policy-making or discretionary acts or omissions of public entities or their officers or employees

A. As used in this Section, "public entity" means and includes the state and any of its branches, departments, offices, agencies, boards, commissions, instrumentalities, officers, officials, employees, and political subdivisions and the departments, offices, agencies, boards, commissions, instrumentalities, officers, officials, and employees of such political subdivisions.
B. Liability shall not be imposed on public entities or their officers or employees based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform their policy-making or discretionary acts when such acts are within the course and scope of their lawful powers and duties.
C. The provisions of Subsection B of this Section are not applicable:
*30 (1) To acts or omissions which are not reasonably related to the legitimate governmental objective for which the policy-making or discretionary power exists; or
(2) To acts or omissions which constitute criminal, fraudulent, malicious, intentional, willful, outrageous, reckless, or flagrant misconduct.
D. The legislature finds and states that the purpose of this Section is not to reestablish any immunity based on the status of sovereignty but rather to clarify the substantive content and parameters of application of such legislatively created codal articles and laws and also to assist in the implementation of Article II of the Constitution of Louisiana.

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Bluebook (online)
529 So. 2d 27, 1988 La. App. LEXIS 1333, 1988 WL 60149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/akins-v-jefferson-parish-lactapp-1988.