Babin v. Babin

420 So. 2d 1135, 1982 La. App. LEXIS 7113
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 7, 1982
DocketNo. 5-120
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 420 So. 2d 1135 (Babin v. Babin) 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
Babin v. Babin, 420 So. 2d 1135, 1982 La. App. LEXIS 7113 (La. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinions

BOUTALL, Judge.

This appeal is concerned with a procedural morass in which factual justice may be obscured by the very procedures adopted to insure it. Three judgments have been appealed from and the issues before us are 1) which appeals may be considered and 2) which judgments are correct.

Beryl Corceller Babin and. her husband Gerald R. Babin separated, with Beryl becoming resident in Jefferson Parish and Gerald residing in Catahoula Parish. After prior litigation was voluntarily dismissed, on October 23, 1979, Beryl Babin filed a petition for separation in the Twenty Fourth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson on the grounds of cruel treatment. After some preliminary matters were disposed of, Beryl received a judgment for alimony in the amount of $700.00 per month and, after the birth of her child, an additional sum of $100.00 per month for the support of the child over which she was awarded custody. The contest between the parties was both bitter and active, but the separation suit was set for trial on the merits on March 20,1980, at which time some contempt rules were also set. On that date the court took up several of the rules and continued the merits to May 1,1980, to be tried along with the issue of child support.

The trial date of May 1, 1980, is important because it was on that day that a conference was held between the judge and the parties and the events of that day form part of the issues before us. The case was not heard that day but was instead continued to September 8, 1980, and in turn was not tried on that date either but instead continued to December 3, 1980. In the meantime, on August 13, 1980, Gerald Ba-bin filed suit for divorce on the grounds of one year separation in the Seventh Judicial District Court for Catahoula Parish to which Beryl responded first with exceptions and then with an answer to the merits. Presumably it became apparent that the merits of the Catahoula Parish case would come to trial towards the end of October, prior to the December trial date in the Jefferson case. Beryl moved the Jefferson court on September 25 to advance the December trial date up to October 8. At this trial setting there took place most of the events which are subject to these appeals.

On October 8, 1980, at 10:48 A.M., just prior to trial, Beryl filed “INSTANTA AMENDMENT FOR FINAL DIVORCE” alleging that the parties have lived separate and apart for a period of over one year without reconciliation and prayed for a divorce with the reservation of all rights regarding alimony, child support, custody, contempt and fault and all other related matters for trial at a future date. Gerald Babin objected to the filing of the document and to being forced to trial instanter and filed a number of exceptions, excepting to the sufficiency of citation, sufficiency of service of process, lis pendens, venue and lack of notice. The court overruled all of [1137]*1137the exceptions and objections based upon an agreement which the court felt was arrived at by conference between the court and the parties on the May 1 hearing date, and proceeded to try the merits of the divorce petition. Judgment was rendered forthwith decreeing a divorce a vinculo matrimo-nii between the parties, maintaining all previous orders of child support, alimony, etc., in full force and effect and continued all of the rules presently pending, as well as the issue of fault to the hearing date that had been previously set, December 3, 1980. This judgment was signed on the ninth day of October, 1980, and is the subject of the first appeal taken.

That appeal was sought to be dismissed by Beryl on the grounds that the time for appealing had elapsed but that rule was apparently dismissed. Instead on January 27, 1981, on the motion of the Clerk of Court alleging that the appellant was notified of the costs of the appeal and granted twenty days to pay such costs but that the costs had not been paid, the judge issued an order dismissing the appeal on that date. No hearing was held on that motion, and the order of dismissal of the first appeal brought forth the second appeal on the correctness of the dismissal.

The last matter of appeal is a judgment dated March 5, 1981, after hearings in February in which the court decreed that Gerald Babin was at fault in these proceedings and that Beryl Babin was free of fault. Accordingly, the judge fixed alimony and child support, rendered a judgment for accrued alimony pendente lite and attorney’s fees and found Gerald Babin in contempt of court imposing a fine of $500.00. This is the third judgment on appeal.

It is apparent that the finding of fault, etc., in the third appeal is dependent upon the validity of the October 9 judgment of divorce, and in turn we may only inquire into the validity of that judgment if the appeal therefrom is still in existence. Accordingly, we first consider whether that appeal was properly dismissed.

The judgment of divorce was signed on the 9th day of October, 1980, and on the 14th day of November Gerald Babin filed a motion for appeal which was signed on the 18th day of November by the trial judge. By reference to Code of Civil Procedure Articles 3942 and 2087(1)(3), the appeal was timely taken, and was returnable to this court on January 18, 1981. On January 27, 1981, the Clerk of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court filed a motion to dismiss the appeal alleging that appellant’s attorney was notified of the cost of the appeal on December 19, 1980, and given twenty (20) days to pay ending on January 8,1981, but has not paid. No hearing was requested nor was one held. The court simply signed the order filed on that date ordering the appeal dismissed. Appellant in turn has appealed that order which we now consider.

The authority for dismissal of appeal for nonpayment of costs is Code of Civil Procedure Article 2126. In pertinent part, we quote:

Article 2126. “ * * * If the appellant fails to pay the estimated costs, or the difference between the estimated costs and the actual costs, within the time specified, the trial judge, upon motion by the clerk or by any party, and after hearing, may.
(1) Extend the time within which the costs may be paid, not to exceed thirty days with or without penalty upon appellant or his attorney; or
(2) Impose a fine, not to exceed one hundred dollars, upon the appellant, or his attorney, or both; or
(3) Dismiss the appeal.
If the appellant pays the costs required by this Article, the appeal may not be dismissed because of the passage of the return day without an extension being obtained or because of an untimely lodging of the record on appeal.”

Article 2126 clearly requires that the judge hold a hearing on the motion to dismiss. The words “ * * * upon motion * * * and after hearing * * * ” show that this is not an ex parte order or motion but that both motion and hearing are required. Article 2126 is consistent with the definitions of ex parte motions and contradictory motions set out in C.C.P. Article 963:

[1138]*1138Article 963. “If the order applied for by written motion is one to which mover is clearly entitled without supportive proof, the court may grant the order ex parte and without hearing the adverse party.

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Related

Babin v. Babin
511 So. 2d 835 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
Sanford v. Sanford
468 So. 2d 844 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)
Clooney v. Clooney
446 So. 2d 981 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
420 So. 2d 1135, 1982 La. App. LEXIS 7113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/babin-v-babin-lactapp-1982.