Berry v. Volunteers of America, Inc.

64 So. 3d 347, 10 La.App. 5 Cir. 832, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 487, 2011 WL 1565967
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 26, 2011
DocketNo. 10-CA-832 C/W 10-CA-833
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 64 So. 3d 347 (Berry v. Volunteers of America, Inc.) 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
Berry v. Volunteers of America, Inc., 64 So. 3d 347, 10 La.App. 5 Cir. 832, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 487, 2011 WL 1565967 (La. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

JUDE G. GRAVOIS, Judge.

| ¡^Plaintiffs, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Berry (“the Berrys”), appeal a summary judgment granted in favor of defendant, the Parish of Jefferson (“the Parish”), dismissing their claim for damages and other relief stemming from the alleged arbitrary and capricious re-zoning of their property by the Parish, as well as the imposition of a building moratorium by the Parish.

After thorough consideration of the record, for the following reasons, we reverse the trial court’s grant of summary judgment herein and remand for further proceedings.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The Berrys own two contiguous parcels of property, containing a total of 4.4 acres, known as Lot 2 of Block 15 and Lot 2 of Block 16 of Elmwood Subdivision, Section “D”, on Behrman Highway on the west bank of Jefferson Parish (“the |aBerry property”). Volunteers of America, Inc. (“the VOA”) approached the Berrys about purchasing their property for development of a high density, multi-unit housing facility for the elderly. On October 13, 2006, the Berrys and the VOA entered into a purchase agreement for the property. At the time the purchase agreement was entered into, and for many years prior thereto, the Berry property was zoned as Multiple Use Corridor District (“MUCD”), which allowed for mixed commercial use of the property. This zoning designation was consistent with the VOA’s anticipated use of the property. Pursuant to the purchase agreement, the Berrys permitted the VOA to have access to their property to initiate a number of actions with respect to its proposed development on the property. The VOA contacted the Parish Planning Department to ascertain the suitability of the land for its anticipated project. It also proceeded to prepare a site plan for the project as required by the Parish Planning Department. In October of 2006, the Parish Planning Department issued two letters to the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, which was involved with the financing of this project for the VOA, confirming that the Berry property was properly zoned (MUCD) for the VOA’s proposed development.

As the VOA proceeded with these initial actions for its proposed project, on February 7, 2007 the Parish Council adopted a resolution requesting the Parish’s legislative delegation “to introduce, support and endeavor to have enacted the appropriate legislation relative to requiring the Louisiana Housing Finance Authority to obtain approval of the local governing authority prior to the disbursement of tax credits in either the incorporated municipalities in Jefferson Parish or in the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Parish.” Further, on March 28, 2007, the Parish Council adopted a resolution calling for the implementation of a zoning and land use area study (“the study”) of “those properties generally 14bounded by Behrman Highway, Peter Street, Industry Canal and Oakwood Canal; with the intent of reclassifying the properties in these areas from their existing zoning and Future Land Use Map categories to R-1B Suburban Residential District and the most appropriate Future Land Use Map categories.” This resolution specifically ratified a similar resolution adopted by the Parish Council on January 10, 2007.

The study area encompassed 23.67 acres and included the Berry property. Pursuant to the Parish Code, a moratorium was imposed for up to one year on the issuance of building permits in the area covered by [349]*349the study, effectively halting the VOA project. The study eventually concluded with the Parish Council adopting an ordinance on December 12, 2007 changing the zoning applicable to the Berry property from MUCD to C-l (Neighborhood Commercial District) for the front portion of the Berry property along Behrman Highway, and to R-1A (Single-Family Residential) for the remaining rear portion of the Berry property. These zoning changes were in part consistent with the Parish’s 2003 Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the area encompassing the Berry property. These zoning changes were, however, inconsistent with the VOA’s planned use of the property, effectively killing the project.

The Berrys filed two separate suits concerning this matter. In their first suit (No. 641-845), filed on February 21, 2007, the Berrys sought to enforce their purchase agreement with the VOA (and its alleged assignee, Forest Towers II, Limited Partnership), and to enjoin the Parish from using the moratorium imposed in conjunction with the study to prevent the issuance of a building permit for the Berry property. After the trial court sustained an exception of prematurity filed by the Parish, this Court in an earlier appeal reversed the ruling of the trial court on the exception, thereby allowing the Berrys to proceed with their suit. (See Berry v. Volunteers of America, Inc., et al, No. 08-184 (La.App. 5 Cir. 9/16/08), 996 So.2d 299.) After the Parish re-zoned their property, as set forth above, on January 7, 2008 the Berrys filed a second suit against the Parish (No. 654-717), challenging the moratorium and re-zoning of their property as being violative of their constitutional rights under their right to contract, as amounting to a taking of their property without just compensation, and as being violative of the Louisiana Constitution’s prohibition against age discrimination. The Berrys also claimed damages resulting from the Parish’s said actions. After these suits were consolidated, the Parish filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, which the trial court granted. The Berrys have timely appealed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment against them herein.

STANDARD OF REVIEW AND APPLICABLE LAW

Summary judgments are reviewed on appeal de novo, with the appellate court using the same criteria that govern the trial court’s determination of whether summary judgment is appropriate. Smith v. Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Inc., 93-2512 (La.7/5/94), 639 So.2d 730, 750. The summary judgment procedure is designed to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action. The procedure is favored and shall be construed to accomplish these ends.

A motion for summary judgment should be granted only if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. LSA-C.C.P. art. 966(B). The initial burden of proof is with the mover to show that no genuine issue of material fact exists. If the moving party will not bear the burden of proof at trial, the moving party must only point out that there is an absence of factual support for one or | (¡more elements essential to the adverse party’s claim, action, or defense. The non-moving party must then produce factual support sufficient to establish that he will be able to satisfy his evidentiary burden of proof at trial. If the non-moving party fails to do so, there is no genuine issue of material fact and summary judgment should be granted. LSA-C.C.P. art. 966(C)(2); Callis v. Jefferson Parish Hosp. Service, Dist. [350]*350# 1, 07-680, pp. 4-5 (La.App. 5 Cir. 12/27/07), 975 So.2d 641, 648. Whether a particular fact is material can be seen only in light of the substantive law applicable to the case. Hubbard, v. Jefferson Parish Parks and Recreation, 10-24 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/25/10), 40 So.3d 1106, 1110.

Even though summary judgment procedure is favored, it is not a substitute for trial and is rarely appropriate for judicial determination of subjective facts such as motive, intent, good faith or knowledge. Penalber v.

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Moretco, Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish Council
112 So. 3d 287 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)
Alexander v. Parish of St. John Baptist
102 So. 3d 904 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)

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Bluebook (online)
64 So. 3d 347, 10 La.App. 5 Cir. 832, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 487, 2011 WL 1565967, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berry-v-volunteers-of-america-inc-lactapp-2011.