Citicorp Acceptance Co., Inc. v. Roussell

601 So. 2d 350, 1992 WL 117264
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 22, 1992
DocketCA 91 0459
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 601 So. 2d 350 (Citicorp Acceptance Co., Inc. v. Roussell) 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
Citicorp Acceptance Co., Inc. v. Roussell, 601 So. 2d 350, 1992 WL 117264 (La. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

601 So.2d 350 (1992)

CITICORP ACCEPTANCE COMPANY, INC.
v.
Joseph C. ROUSSELL, Jr. and Rhonda L. Roussell.

No. CA 91 0459.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 22, 1992.
Rehearing Denied August 10, 1992.

Lawrence Roe Dodd, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellee.

Guy Huard, Southeast Legal Services, Hammond, for defendants-appellants.

Before SHORTESS, LANIER and CRAIN, JJ.

LANIER, Judge.

This action commenced as a suit for executory process seeking the seizure and sale of an automobile owned by the debtors. La.C.C.P. art. 2631 et seq.; La.R.S. 13:4101 et seq. The automobile was seized and sold for two-thirds of its appraised value. The *351 creditor filed a suit for a deficiency judgment. La.C.C.P. art. 2771 et seq. The debtors answered and asserted, among other things, that the executory process was a nullity because of improper service of notice to appoint an appraiser and, therefore, they were not liable for a deficiency judgment. The creditor filed a motion for a summary judgment that was granted by the trial court. The debtors took this devolutive appeal.

UNCONTESTED FACTS

On July 7, 1984, Joseph C. Roussell, Jr. and Rhonda L. Roussell (the Roussells) purchased a 1984 Toyota automobile from Adams Toyota, Inc. This sale was financed through the Citicorp Acceptance Company, Inc. (CAC). The Roussells executed a promissory note secured by a chattel mortgage on the automobile that obligated them to pay 48 installment payments of $441.56 each, commencing on August 21, 1984.

On March 18, 1985, CAC filed this suit for executory process. On March 20, 1985, the Sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish (Sheriff) issued notices of seizure and notices to appoint appraiser to the Roussells. The notices of seizure provided, in pertinent part, as follows:

TAKE NOTICE, That by virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale issued in the above entitled and numbered suit, I have seized and taken into my possession, the following described property, situated in the Parish of Tangipahoa, State of Louisiana, to-wit:
New 1984 Toyota Series 2195 2-Dr. 4 Cyl Serial JT2RA64L6E6218498
(TO BE SOLD WITH APPRAISEMENT)
NOW, therefore, unless you come forward in Three Days from the service hereof and pay the Judgment and Costs in said suit, I will proceed to advertise and sell the same, according to law, to satisfy plaintiff's demand, unless the same is immediately paid.
To satisfy the sum of EIGHTEEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO AND 25/100 ($18,332.25) DOLLARS, interest and costs.

The notices to appoint appraiser provided, in pertinent part, as follows:

You will please appoint an Appraiser to estimate the property seized in the above suit, and notify the Sheriff of appointment at least four (4) days, exclusive of holidays, prior to sale, which appraisal shall be made at least two (2) days, exclusive of holidays, prior to sale.

All of these notices were personally served on the Roussells on April 8, 1985.

On May 6, 1985, the Sheriff issued notices of sheriff's sale to the Roussells. These notices of sheriff's sale provided, in pertinent part, as follows:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, the property in the above captioned suit has been seized and is being advertised in the THE ENTERPRISE on May 8, 1985 with the sale date being WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1985 at 10:00 a.m. at the principal front door of the courthouse in Amite, Louisiana.

On May 6, 1985, Mr. Roussell was personally served with his notice of sheriff's sale, and Mrs. Roussell was domiciliarily served through Mr. Roussell with her notice. Also, on May 6, 1985, the Sheriff issued a notice to appoint appraiser and a notice of sheriff's sale to CAC.

On May 15, 1985, CAC appointed Rhonda L. Jabbour as its appraiser, and, on that same date Jabbour appraised the automobile at $7,500. The Roussells did not appoint an appraiser. On May 15, 1985, the Sheriff appointed Wallace Wells, Jr. as the appraiser to represent the Roussells, and, on May 17, 1985, Wells appraised the automobile at $7,500.

On May 22, 1985, the Sheriff sold the automobile at public auction to CAC for $5,000.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

The law on summary judgments applicable to this case is set forth in Robertson v. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, 574 So.2d 381, 383-385 (La.App. *352 1st Cir.1991), writ denied, 573 So.2d 1136 (La.1991) as follows:

LSA-C.C.P. art. 966 provides, in pertinent part:

A. The plaintiff or defendant in the principal or any incidental action, with or without supporting affidavits, may move for a summary judgment in his favor for all or part of the relief for which he has prayed....
B. ... The adverse party may serve opposing affidavits prior to the date of the hearing. The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact, and that mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

LSA-C.C.P. art. 967 provides, in pertinent part:

Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein....
When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported as provided above, an adverse party may not rest on the mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided above, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If he does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be rendered against him.
. . . . .
It is well settled that a motion for summary judgment should be granted only if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with affidavits show there is no genuine issue as to material fact and that mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.... The burden is upon the mover for summary judgment to show that no genuine issue of material fact exists, and only when reasonable minds must inevitably conclude that mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law is summary judgment warranted.... Under LSA-C.C.P. art. 967, an adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials in his pleadings when a motion for summary judgment is made and supported by affidavits....
On motion for summary judgment, it must first be determined that the supporting documents presented by the moving party are sufficient to resolve all material issues of fact; if they are not sufficient, summary judgment should be denied. It is only if they are sufficient that the burden shifts to the opposing party to present evidence that a material fact is still at issue; only at this point may the adverse party no longer rest on the allegations contained in his or her pleadings....
In certain instances, the failure of an adverse party to file counter-affidavits does not automatically entitle the moving party to summary judgment....

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
601 So. 2d 350, 1992 WL 117264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citicorp-acceptance-co-inc-v-roussell-lactapp-1992.