Capitol House v. PERRYMAN CONSULT., INC.

725 So. 2d 523, 1998 WL 896990
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 10, 1998
Docket98 CW 1514
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 725 So. 2d 523 (Capitol House v. PERRYMAN CONSULT., 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
Capitol House v. PERRYMAN CONSULT., INC., 725 So. 2d 523, 1998 WL 896990 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

725 So.2d 523 (1998)

CAPITOL HOUSE PRESERVATION COMPANY, L.L.C.
v.
PERRYMAN CONSULTANTS, INC., et al.

No. 98 CW 1514.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

December 10, 1998.
Rehearing Denied January 25, 1999.

*524 Claude F. Reynaud, Jr., Emile C. Rolfs, III, Jeanne C. Comeaux, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Relators, Steve Urie, Mark Bradley, Paula Bradley, Ronald Johnson and Lodging Systems, Inc.

John Michael Parker, Marc S. Whitfield, John S. Campbell, III, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Relator, Jazz Enterprises, Inc.

Charles S. Lambert, Jr., Baton Rouge, Counsel for Respondent, Capitol House Preservation Company, L.L.C.

Kirk A. Bergeron, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Respondent, M. Ray Perryman, individually, and Perryman Consultants, Inc.

BEFORE: GONZALES, KUHN and WEIMER, JJ.

GONZALES, J.

In this action brought under the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (LUTPCPL), the trial court denied defendants' exceptions of prescription/peremption. This court granted the defendants' application seeking to invoke the supervisory jurisdiction of this court. The issues were briefed and argued, and, after a careful and thorough review, we affirm the denial of the exceptions.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiff, Capitol House Preservation Company (Capitol House), is the successor in interest to Lady Luck Baton Rouge Casino, *525 Inc. (Lady Luck).[1] Lady Luck was one of three applicants vying for two riverboat gaming licenses to be awarded in East Baton Rouge Parish in 1993. The other two applicants were Jazz Enterprises, Inc. and Louisiana Casino Cruises, Inc. At some point during the process, Jazz Enterprises, Inc. entered into an agreement with Argosy Gaming Company/Argosy of Louisiana, Inc. (Argosy) to submit a joint application for a license as the Catfish Queen Partnership.

Each applicant submitted an application and the required information. A hearing was held on July 7, 8, and 11, 1994, during which the three applicants were given an opportunity to make a presentation. During the hearing, Perryman Consultants, Inc., which had been hired to rank the three applicants according to which was best qualified, issued its recommendation ranking Catfish Queen Partnership/Jazz Enterprises first, Louisiana Casino Cruises, Inc. second, and Lady Luck third. On July 18, 1994, the Riverboat Gaming Enforcement Division awarded the two licenses to Catfish Queen Partnership/Jazz Enterprises, Inc. and Louisiana Casino Cruises, Inc. The Division noted in Supplemental Reasons issued July 22, 1994, that Lady Luck was `suitable," and, in the Original Reasons issued July 18, 1994, had stated that the "grounds for the denial [of a license to Lady Luck were] that all fifteen licenses authorized by [the] Louisiana Riverboat Economic Development and Gaming Control Act have been issued."

On July 10, 1995, Capitol House filed a suit in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court against Perryman Consultants, Inc. and M. Ray Perryman alleging negligence, professional negligence, and unfair trade practice violations. On July 18, 1995, Capitol House also filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against Jazz Enterprises, Inc., Steve Urie, Margaret Urie, Mark Bradley, Paula Bradley, Ronald Johnson, Marilyn Johnson, Lodging Systems, Inc., Catfish Queen Partnership in Commendam, and Argosy, alleging violations of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), the LUTPCPL, and Louisiana tort law by various of the defendants.[2]

On November 17, 1997, the federal court dismissed the federal RICO claim with prejudice and further dismissed the state law claims, declining to exercise pendent jurisdiction over them. On November 26, 1997, Capitol House amended the Perryman suit filed in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court to add as defendants Jazz Enterprises, Inc., Steve Urie, Mark Bradley, Paula Bradley, Ronald Johnson, Lodging Systems, Inc., Catfish Queen Partnership In Commendam, and Argosy, alleging violations of the LUTPCPL.[3] On November 28, 1997, Capitol House filed a motion in federal district court seeking to have the judgment dismissing the state claims amended as the court had mistakenly dismissed them "with" prejudice. On December 20, 1997, the amended judgment dismissing the state claims "without" prejudice was signed by the federal district court judge.

In response to the amendment of the state court petition adding them as defendants, Urie, Mark and Paula Bradley, Johnson, and Lodging Systems, Inc. (individual defendants) filed an exception of prescription. Likewise, Jazz Enterprises, Inc., Argosy, and Catfish Queen Partnership in Commendam also filed exceptions of no cause of action, peremption and prescription, all alleging Capitol House's claims were time barred. The trial court sustained the exception as to *526 Argosy and Catfish Queen Partnership in Commendam and denied the exception as to Jazz Enterprises, Inc. and the individual defendants.

From the denial of their exceptions, Jazz Enterprises, Inc. and the individual defendants sought the supervisory jurisdiction of this court.

EXCEPTION OF PRESCRIPTION

If a plaintiff's claims are not prescribed on the face of the petition, the burden is on the party raising the objection of prescription to prove the facts to support the objection. However, when the face of the petition reveals that prescription has run, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to show prescription has been suspended, interrupted or renounced. Paragon Development Group, Inc. v. Skeins, 96-2125 (La.App. 1 Cir. 9/19/97), 700 So.2d 1279, 1281; Tranum v. Hebert, 581 So.2d 1023, 1030 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1991), writ denied, 584 So.2d 1169 (La.1991). At a trial of a peremptory exception, evidence may be introduced to support or controvert any of the objections pleaded, when the grounds thereof do not appear from the petition. La. C.C.P. art. 931. In the absence of evidence, the objection of prescription must be decided upon the facts alleged in the petition, and all allegations thereof are accepted as true. Our Lady of the Lake Hospital v. Vanner, 95-0754 (La.App. 1 Cir. 12/15/95), 669 So.2d 463, 464.

ANALYSIS

With respect to the instant defendants, Capitol House's petition alleges violations of the LUTPCPL. Under La. R.S. 51:1409(E), such an action "shall be prescribed by one year running from the time of the transaction or act which gave rise to this right of action." Every court which has addressed the issue has held this time limitation is peremptive in nature. See Mayo v. Simon, 94-590 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/2/94), 646 So.2d 973, 976; Fox v. Dupree, 633 So.2d 612, 614 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1993), writ denied, 94-0296 (La.3/25/94), 635 So.2d 233; Kuebler v. Martin, 610 So.2d 270, 271 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1992), writ not considered, 613 So.2d 987 (La.1993); Canal Marine Supply, Inc. v. Outboard Marine Corporation of Waukegan, Illinois, 522 So.2d 1201, 1203-1204 (La.App. 4 Cir.1988); Neill v. Rusk, 745 F.Supp. 362, 364 (E.D.La.1988). Moreover, this time limitation possesses the characteristics of a peremptive statute as enunciated by the supreme court in State, Division of Administration v. McInnis Brothers Construction, 97-0742 (La.10/21/97), 701 So.2d 937, 940-942.

A peremptive period may not be renounced, interrupted, or suspended. La. C.C. art. 3461.

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

Related

Aguiluz v. Citibank N.A.
E.D. Louisiana, 2019
Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Darver, L.L.C. v. Burch
163 So. 3d 201 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2015)
Checkpoint Fluidic Systems International, Ltd. v. Guccione
888 F. Supp. 2d 780 (E.D. Louisiana, 2012)
Granger v. Christus Health Central Louisiana
97 So. 3d 604 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)
Carriere v. JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE INC.
750 F. Supp. 2d 694 (E.D. Louisiana, 2010)
Cheramie Services, Inc. v. Shell Deepwater Production, Inc.
35 So. 3d 1053 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2010)
Capitol House Preservation Co. v. Perryman Consultants, Inc.
47 So. 3d 408 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
Miller v. Conagra, Inc.
991 So. 2d 445 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2008)
State of Louisiana v. Guidry
Fifth Circuit, 2007
State of Louisiana v. Robert Guidry
489 F.3d 692 (Fifth Circuit, 2007)
Family Worship Center Church, Inc. v. Solomon
958 So. 2d 1217 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)
M & L INDUSTRIES, LLC v. Hailey
923 So. 2d 869 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
M & L Industries, LLC v. Derek Hailey
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006
In Re Rezulin Products Liability Litigation
392 F. Supp. 2d 597 (S.D. New York, 2005)
Vermilion Hosp., Inc. v. Patout
906 So. 2d 688 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)
Vermilion Hospital, Inc. v. John Patout
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
725 So. 2d 523, 1998 WL 896990, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/capitol-house-v-perryman-consult-inc-lactapp-1998.