Caldwell v. Leche

994 So. 2d 679, 2008 WL 4330317
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 23, 2008
Docket2008 CA 0790, 2008 CA 0791, 2008 CA 0792
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 994 So. 2d 679 (Caldwell v. Leche) 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
Caldwell v. Leche, 994 So. 2d 679, 2008 WL 4330317 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

994 So.2d 679 (2008)

Brian L. CALDWELL, Albert B. Caldwell, Elaine A. Caldwell, and Kenneth R. Caldwell,
v.
Isidore Michael LECHE, Estate Of John B. Leche, II, Virginia B. Nolan, Melanie K. Homan, Mark J. Naquin, Adrienne Leache Guarisco, Charles J. Leche, II, Norman P. Leche, Jr., Patricia Leche Miller, Connie M. Leche, Deborah A. Leche, Paul J. Leche and John V. Caldwell, Jr.
Mark J. Naquin
v.
Brian Caldwell, High Grass, L.L.C., Craig Webre, In His Official Capacity As Sheriff Of The Parish Of Lafourche, State Of Louisiana.
Isidore Michael Leche, et als.
v.
Brian L. Caldwell, et als.

Nos. 2008 CA 0790, 2008 CA 0791, 2008 CA 0792.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

September 23, 2008.
Rehearing Denied November 6, 2008.

*680 Eric L. Trosclair, Christopher H. Riviere, Thibodaux, LA, for Appellees, Brian Caldwell and High Grass, L.L.C.

Johnny X. Allemand, Thibodaux, LA, for 2nd Appellants, Isidore Leche, et al.

Jude C. Bursavich, Scott N. Hensgens, Baton Rouge, LA, for 1st Appellant, Mark J. Naquin.

Misael A. Jimenez, Jr., Thibodaux, LA, for Appellee, Sheriff of Lafourche Parish, Craig Webre.

Before KUHN, GUIDRY, and GAIDRY, JJ.

KUHN, J.

This appeal of the judgment rendered in three consolidated lawsuits arises subsequent to the trial court's order, directing a partition by licitation of Leche Plantation. After the sheriffs sale, co-owners-appellants, *681 Mark J. Naquin and the Leche co-owners,[1] filed respective lawsuits, seeking to rescind the sale, naming as defendants the high bidders of the property, appellees Brian L. Caldwell, another co-owner, and High Grass, L.L.C. (High Grass), which subsequently acquired co-ownership interests in the property. The trial court dismissed the lawsuits of both Naquin and the Leche co-owners and upheld the validity of the sheriffs sale of the property to Caldwell and High Grass. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In June 2004, Caldwell and several other co-owners (at times "the Caldwell co-owners")[2] of the Leche Plantation, all represented by Nicholas Zeringue, filed a petition to partition the property by licitation. On August 11, 2005, the trial court signed a judgment, decreeing that the property was not susceptible to division in kind without great diminution in value and ordered that "the ... described property be sold at public sale by the Sheriff of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, after the expiration of all legal delays, notices and advertisements required by law to the last and highest bidder for cash to effect a partition by licitation."[3] The judgment stated that "the proceeds of the sale be referred to Nicholas J. Zeringue, in his capacity as Notary Public, to complete this partition."[4]

Pursuant to the August 11, 2005 judgment, a commission issued to Craig Webre, the Sheriff of Lafourche Parish (the Sheriff), directing him to advertise and sell the property. The language set forth in the commission tracked that of the August 11, 2005 judgment, most particularly in requiring that the property be sold to "the last and highest bidder for cash to effect a partition by licitation." On November 9, 2005, the sheriff's office conducted the sale of Leche Plantation, at which Caldwell and High Grass[5] were the high bidders with a bid of $495,000.

A representative of the sheriffs office requested payment of the sheriffs commission and costs in the amount of $18,760.89. Subsequent to payment of the commission and costs, the Sheriff issued a deed dated November 9, 2005, which was recorded on November 14th.

On November 22, 2005, Zeringue filed a motion to have $285,743.47 deposited into the court's registry, which represented *682 60% of the proceeds from the sheriffs sale less his commission and costs. The remaining portion of the proceeds, representing Caldwell and the Caldwell co-owners' 40% interest in the property, was not included in the deposit.

On February 1, 2006, Naquin filed a lawsuit to rescind the sale, naming the Sheriff in his official capacity as a defendant in addition to Caldwell and High Grass. He averred that because Caldwell and High Grass had failed to tender the full purchase price, the sale was null and void. The Leche co-owners subsequently filed a lawsuit on April 12, 2006, also naming as defendants the Sheriff as well as Caldwell and High Grass, and likewise sought to rescind the sale of the property and the sheriff's deed. Alternatively, the Leche co-owners averred that the sale and the sheriffs deed should be set aside on the grounds that Caldwell, High Grass, and the Sheriff had "engaged in manipulative conduct designed to adversely affect the fairness of the competitive bidding process." The gist of their allegations in support of the claim was that High Grass had purportedly acquired the interests of co-owners, Patricia Leche Miller, Virginia B. Nolan, Norman Leche, Jr., (the Miller co-owners), which was prohibited by law. By supplemental petition, the Leche co-owners named the Miller co-owners as defendants.

Naquin and the Leche co-owners' lawsuits were consolidated with the June 2004 partition suit. Answers were filed by all the defendants in the Naquin and Leche co-owners' lawsuits, and a trial was subsequently held on July 23, 2007. On January 10, 2008, the trial court signed a judgment, dismissing the claims of the plaintiffs in the nullifications actions. The judgment also ordered Caldwell and High Grass to deposit $190,495.64[6] into the court's registry,[7] and disbursement of the proceeds in accordance with each co-owners' respective interest in the property. Naquin and the Leche co-owners (collectively referred to as "appellants" hereinafter) have appealed.[8]

*683 On appeal, appellants contend the trial court erred in concluding that: (1) the sheriffs sale and the deed were not absolute nullities since the evidence established that Caldwell and High Grass failed to immediately pay in cash the entire bid price of $495,000; (2) the sales of the Miller co-owners' interests were not prohibited transactions; and (3) Caldwell and High Grass's actions did not chill the competitive bidding process, which constitutes an alternative basis for annulling the sale.[9]

II. COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDER OF PARTITION BY LICITATION

A. Validity of the Sheriff's Sale

i. Failure to Pay the Bid Price Immediately

Appellants assert that because Caldwell and High Grass failed to immediately pay the entirety of their bid price, the trial court erred in concluding the sheriff's sale was valid.

Sales by auction, including sheriffs' sales, are governed by the rules set forth in La. R.S. 9:3155-65. See La. R.S. 9:3154. When the highest price offered has been cried long enough to make it probable that no higher will be offered, he who has made the offer is publicly declared to be the purchaser, and the thing sold is adjudicated to him. La. R.S. 9:3157. This adjudication is the completion of the sale; the purchaser becomes the owner of the article adjudged, and the contract is, from that time, subjected to the same rules which govern the ordinary contract of sale. La. R.S. 9:3158. If the adjudication be made on condition that the price shall be paid in cash, the auctioneer may require the price immediately, before delivering possession of the thing sold. La. R.S. 9:3159.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
994 So. 2d 679, 2008 WL 4330317, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caldwell-v-leche-lactapp-2008.