Burt v. Burt

682 So. 2d 866, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 2596, 1996 WL 628238
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 30, 1996
DocketNo. 28840-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 682 So. 2d 866 (Burt v. Burt) 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
Burt v. Burt, 682 So. 2d 866, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 2596, 1996 WL 628238 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

hGASKINS, Judge.

The defendant, Brent E. Burt, appeals from a trial court judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Clinton Eugene Burt, finding that the defendant owed the plaintiff $34,272.49 on a promissory note, plus accrued interest and attorney fees. For the following reasons, we affirm the trial court judgment.

[867]*867FACTS

This is a suit on a promissory note between a father and son. The parties were engaged in a business known as Aim to Please Cabinet Shop, Inc. On November 1, 1988, Brent Burt executed a promissory note payable to his father, Clinton Eugene Burt, for $49,192 with 7.65 percent interest per year, payable in 155 monthly installments of $500 per month. The note was given for the purchase by Brent Burt of 26 shares of stock in the corporation. The stock was pledged as security for the note. Clinton Eugene Burt, who retained ownership of the remainder of the stock in the corporation, resigned from the board of directors and Brent Burt was given complete control of the corporation. Brent Burt was elected President-Secretary-Treasurer of the corporation. Over the years, business dealings between the father and son deteriorated. On or about December 15, 1994, the defendant withdrew from the business, taking with him most of the office equipment. The plaintiff then changed the locks on the business building. On February 24, 1995, the plaintiff filed suit against the defendant to enforce the promissory note, claiming that the defendant had not remained current on his monthly payments.

The defendant raised numerous defenses to the plaintiffs claim for repayment of the note.1 As affirmative defenses, the defendant alleged that there was a failure of cause and consideration for the obligation represented by the ^promissory note. The defendant argued that the cause and consideration of the obligation was to conduct a business with his father and that the plaintiff locked him out of the corporation business and prevented him from using corporate equipment to complete corporate jobs. Also as an affirmative defense, the defendant argued that the plaintiff was estopped by forbearance from seeking payment of the balance due under the promissory note. The defendant alleged that the plaintiff had established a habit of accepting $100 per month in payment in the note, rather than the $500 specified in the note.

The defendant also made a reconventional demand against the plaintiff, arguing that the 26 shares of stock in the Aim to Please Cabinet Shop,' Inc. constitute securities that were not registered with the Untied States Securities and Exchange Commission or the Securities Commissioner of the State of Louisiana. He argued that these securities were not exempt from registration under the Louisiana Securities Law, set forth in La. R.S. 51:701 et seq.2 Because the securities were not registered, the defendant alleged that the sale was unlawful and sought the return of the purchase price. In his reconventional demand, the defendant also asserted that the plaintiff was at fault under La. C.C. art. 2815 and sought damages.

On April 12, 1995, the plaintiff filed an exception of prescription as to the defendant’s reconventional demand regarding the registration of the securities, claiming that more than two years had passed since the sale of the securities and therefore, any claim that the defendant might assert for the return of the purchase price had prescribed under La. R.S. 51:714(C)(1).3 The plaintiff also asserted, as fean affirmative defense to the allegations raised by the defendant in his reconventional demand, that the sale of stock in Aim to Please Cabinet Shop, Inc. was exempt from registration requirements of both federal and state law. On June 29, 1995, the trial court entered judgment in favor of the plaintiff, finding that the defendant’s claim to regain the purchase price of the securities was barred by prescription. The defendant has not appealed the trial court’s judgment sustaining plaintiff’s exception of prescription.

Trial on this matter was held on November 25, 1995. On November 29, 1995, the trial court issued reasons for judgment. The court found the defendant liable on the prom[868]*868issory note, rejecting the defendant’s defenses and finding that the defendant failed to prove his claims by a preponderance of the evidence. The court ordered the defendant to pay the plaintiff $34,272.49, together with accrued interest, accruing at a rate of $7.45 per day until paid. The plaintiff was also awarded 25 percent attorney fees and the defendant was taxed with the costs of the proceedings.4

The defendant appeals the trial court judgment. At trial, the defendant admitted that he executed the promissory note in favor of his father. He argues that the trial court erred in fading to recognize that the defendant was entitled to assert the failure the register the stock at issue here as an affirmative defense to the payment of the note. The defendant also asserts that the plaintiff did not carry his burden of proving that the stock was exempt from registration requirements. We find the defendant’s arguments to be without merit.

^AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

The defendant argues that the trial court erred in failing to recognize his affirmative defense to the plaintiffs claim for payment of the note. The defendant contends that even though his claim for the return of the purchase price of unregistered securities is barred by prescription, he is still entitled to assert this argument as an affirmative defense to the plaintiffs suit for payment of the note. In support of this argument, the defendant cites La. C.C.P. art. 1005 which provides in pertinent part:

If a party has mistakenly designated an affirmative defense as an incidental demand, or an incidental demand as an affirmative defense, and if justice so requires, the court, on such terms as it may prescribe, shall treat the pleading as if there had been a proper designation.

The defendant also asserts that, under La. C.C.P. art. 424, even a prescribed claim can be asserted as an affirmative defense. That statute provides in pertinent part:

Except as otherwise provided herein, a prescribed obligation arising under Louisiana law may be used as a defense if it is incidental to, or connected with, the obligation sought to be enforced by the plaintiff.

The trial court’s reasons for judgment do not specifically state that the defendant is entitled to assert the nonregistration of the stock as an affirmative defense to the plaintiffs suit for repayment of a promissory note given for the purchase of the stock. In finding in favor of the plaintiff, the trial court did state that it rejected the defendant’s defenses and his reconventional demand. It does not appear from the record that the trial court denied the defendant the right to assert his affirmative defense. However, regardless of whether the trial court specifically ruled upon this issue, the parties are not in disagreement. In the plaintiffs brief to this court, he concedes that the defendant is entitled to assert as an affirmative defense the nonregistration of the stock, even though any claim he may have had for the return of the purchase price of the stock has prescribed. ^Therefore, we will consider the defendant’s argument regarding the nonregistration of the stock as an affirmative defense.

Unregistered Securities

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Henderson v. Geico General Ins. Co.
837 So. 2d 736 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
Picard v. Picard
708 So. 2d 1292 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
682 So. 2d 866, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 2596, 1996 WL 628238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burt-v-burt-lactapp-1996.