Breaux v. ASC Industries

298 F.R.D. 339, 87 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 468, 2013 WL 6728091, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179355
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedDecember 19, 2013
DocketNo. 4:12-CV-282-A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 298 F.R.D. 339 (Breaux v. ASC Industries) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Breaux v. ASC Industries, 298 F.R.D. 339, 87 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 468, 2013 WL 6728091, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179355 (N.D. Tex. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION and ORDER

JOHN McBRYDE, District Judge.

Before the court for decision is the (1) motion filed October 1, 2013, by the Estate of Rebecca Breaux to alter or amend the judgment of dismissal the court signed in this action on September 3, 2013, and (2) the motion for substitution of party under Fed. R.Civ.P. 25(a)(1) filed October 15, 2013, by Keva Nuekols Sampson, a/k/a Keva Renae Nuckols, Independent Executrix of the Estate of Rebecca Louise Breaux. After having considered such motions, related responses and replies, evidence received at the hearing conducted October 29, 2013, the entire file in the above-captioned action, and pertinent legal authorities, the court has concluded that both motions should be denied.

I.

Background and Pertinent Procedural History

This action, in which Rebecca Breaux (“Breaux”) was plaintiff and ASC Industries (“ASC”) is defendant, commenced on May 6, 2012, by the filing of Breaux’s original complaint. The attorneys signatory on the complaint were N. Jude Menes (“Menes”) and Lurlia A. Oglesby (“Oglesby”) of the Menes Law Firm. Federal question subject matter jurisdiction was alleged. Plaintiff alleged that she was discriminated against based on her age in connection with her employment by defendant, ASC. On May 15, 2013, Breaux filed an amended complaint over the signature of Oglesby.

On May 24, 2013, Oglesby filed a document titled “Statement Noting Party’s Death,” stating:

In accordance with Rule 25(a)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the undersigned counsel notes the death during the pendency of this action of Plaintiff, Rebecca Breaux.

The filing was accompanied by a certificate of service noting service of the document on counsel for defendant on May 22, 2013.

On July 2, 2013, defendant filed two documents, one titled “Defendant ASC Industries’ Motion to Exclude and/or For Sanctions and Brief in Support,” and the other titled “Defendant ASC’s Motion for Bifurcated Trial and Brief in Support.” Each was accompanied by a certificate of service showing service of copies on Menes and Oglesby. The certificate of conference accompanying each of the motions read in part: “[by] email dated June 25, 2013, Lee Oglesby advised [341]*341that a probate had not been opened for Plaintiff.” Def.’s Mot. for Bifurcated Trial at 4.

On July 9, 2013, the court signed an order in which the court noted the filing on May 24 of the notice of plaintiffs death and by which the court stayed all further proceedings in the action until a motion for substitution of parties as contemplated by Rule 25(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was filed. On August 20, 2013, Keva Nuckols Sampson addressed a letter to the Menes Law Firm informing the firm that she no longer needed the firm’s assistance.

On August 29, 2013, defendant filed a motion for leave to file a motion to dismiss, seeking dismissal pursuant to Rule 25(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It was accompanied by a certificate of conference signed by an attorney for defendant, Jill Malouf, reciting in part as follows:

Lee Oglesby, Esq. (formerly of the Menes Law Firm) informed Ms. Malouf on August 29, 2013, that she intends to file an appearance in this case on behalf of Plaintiffs estate (and that she is opposed to Defendant’s Motion).

Mot. for Leave at 2. On August 29, 2013, Oglesby informed an attorney for defendant that “I have been retained to represent the estate.” Opp’n to Mot. to Am. or Alter, App. at 6.

The motion to dismiss, which was filed August 30, 2013, was based on the mandate of Rule 25(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that reads as follows:

If a party dies and the claim is not extinguished, the court may order substitution of the proper party. A motion for substitution may be made by any party or by the decedent’s successor or representative. If the motion is not made within 90 days after service of a statement noting the death, the action by or against the decedent must be dismissed.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 25(a)(1) (emphasis added). On September 3, 2013, the court ordered dismissal of this action pursuant to the directive of Rule 25(a)(1) inasmuch as no motion for substitution of parties had been made within ninety days after service on May 22, 2013, of the statement filed May 24, 2013, noting the death of Rebecca Breaux. A final judgment of dismissal was signed September 3, 2013.

On that same date, a motion was filed by Menes Law Firm and Menes requesting permission to withdraw as attorneys of record for Estate of Rebecca Breaux. The motion recited that Menes and Oglesby were co-counsel in the representation of plaintiff, that on August 20, 2013, the Probate Court of Tarrant County appointed Keva Nuckols Sampson as the Independent Executor of Rebecca Breaux’s Estate, and that Ms. Sampson had requested the Menes Law Firm and Menes to withdraw from the case, apparently because Ms. Sampson had engaged Oglesby, who no longer worked for the Menes Law Firm. The motion recited a belief that “Ms. Sampson has engaged Ms. Oglesby to continue representing the estate” and that “Ms. Oglesby already has the entire case file on Ms. Breaux in her possession.” Mot. to Withdraw at 2.

On September 4, 2013, the court granted the motion to withdraw. In that order, the court incorrectly stated that the result of the withdrawal was that there was no attorney of record for the now-deceased plaintiff. In fact, Oglesby has been an attorney of record for plaintiff at all times since this action was filed in May 2012. So far as the court can tell, with one exception, Oglesby was the signatory on every document filed in the case on behalf of plaintiff. In a Joint Status Report filed November 9, 2012, Oglesby identified herself as lead counsel for plaintiff. In a telephone conference/hearing conducted May 14, 2013, Oglesby was the only counsel who appeared for plaintiff. On October 1, 2013, Oglesby filed her notice of appearance on behalf of Keva Nuckols Sampson, a/k/a Keva Renae Nuckols, Independent Executrix of the Estate of Rebecca Louise Breaux. On the same date, Oglesby filed on behalf of the estate of Rebecca Breaux a motion to amend or alter the September 3, 2013 order of dismissal.

On October 8, 2013, defendant filed its opposition to the motion to amend or alter judgment. On October 15, 2013, Oglesby replied to defendant’s opposition, and at the same time filed on behalf of Keva Nuckols [342]*342Sampson, a/k/a Keva Renae Nuckols, Independent Executrix of the Estate of Rebecca Louise Breaux, a motion asking that Ms. Sampson in her representative capacity be substituted as the named plaintiff in this action. The motion for substitution recited that the movant was duly appointed as independent administratrix of the Estate of Rebecca Louise Breaux on August 20, 2013.

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Related

Keva Sampson v. ASC Industries
780 F.3d 679 (Fifth Circuit, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
298 F.R.D. 339, 87 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 468, 2013 WL 6728091, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179355, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/breaux-v-asc-industries-txnd-2013.