City Bank & Trust Co. v. New Iberia Hotel Partners

486 So. 2d 1201, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6648
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 11, 1986
DocketNo. 85-293
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 486 So. 2d 1201 (City Bank & Trust Co. v. New Iberia Hotel Partners) 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
City Bank & Trust Co. v. New Iberia Hotel Partners, 486 So. 2d 1201, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6648 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

KING, Judge.

The issue presented by this appeal is whether or not the trial court erred in [1202]*1202granting a summary judgment to one of the defendants.

City Bank & Trust Company of New Iberia, Louisiana, and American Bank & Trust Company of Lafayette, Louisiana (hereinafter referred to as plaintiffs) brought suit against New Iberia Hotel Partners (hereinafter referred to as NIHP), a Louisiana partnership in commendam, on a promissory note executed by NIHP, and also against the partners of NIHP, as guarantors of the promissory note executed by NIHP. In the alternative, plaintiffs’ suit included a demand against Executive Quarters of New Iberia (hereinafter referred to as EQNI), another Louisiana partnership in commendam, on various promissory notes executed by EQNI, and also against the partners of EQNI, as guarantors of the promissory notes executed by EQNI. The trial court granted a summary judgment, dismissing plaintiffs’ demands against EQNI and its partners with prejudice at plaintiffs’ costs. Plaintiffs appeal the trial court’s granting of summary judgment dismissing its claims against EQNI and its partners. We reverse and remand.

FACTS

EQNI, a Louisiana partnership in com-mendam, which consists of seven partners, was formed for the purpose of building and operating a hotel in Iberia Parish, Louisiana to be known as “Executive Quarters of New Iberia.” EQNI executed a series of promissory notes (hereinafter referred to as hand notes), in favor of plaintiff, City Bank & Trust Company, who was participating with the plaintiff-American Bank & Trust Company in the loan, totalling $1,766,169.27 in principal, with the proceeds from this loan to be used to pay for the construction of the hotel. As security for the payment of these hand notes, EQNI executed and pledged two collateral mortgage notes, one dated December 4, 1981, in the amount of $1,700,000.00, and the other, dated October 27, 1982, in the amount of $800,000.00. Both of these collateral mortgage notes were secured by Acts of Collateral Mortgage affecting the hotel and the land upon which the hotel was built. Additionally, each partner of EQNI executed an act of continuing guaranty to further secure EQNI’s debts.

Though the record before this Court does not make the matter perfectly clear, it appears that EQNI and the partners of EQNI were having difficulty meeting their obligations with respect to the payment of the hand notes. Consequently, it was decided that a second partnership would be formed to purchase the land and hotel from EQNI and to pay off the debt of EQNI. New Iberia Hotel Partners, a Louisiana partnership in commendam, was then formed, and consisted of the original seven partners of EQNI, and seven additional partners. On December 29, 1982 EQNI sold the land and hotel to NIHP, subject to the outstanding mortgages, liens, and encumbrances on the property, and NIHP then began operating the hotel.

On December 29, 1982, NIHP executed a promissory note, which was also a hand note, in favor of plaintiff-City Bank & Trust Company in the principal amount of $2,005,000.00. This promissory note was secured by a pledge of another collateral mortgage note executed by NIHP in the same amount, which was secured by an Act of Collateral Mortgage given by NIHP and affecting the hotel and the land upon which the hotel was built. Each of the fourteen partners of NIHP also executed an act of continuing guaranty to secure the debt of NIHP. Plaintiff-American Bank & Trust Company again also participated by purchasing an interest in the NIHP loan.

On June 4, 1984, plaintiffs filed suit against NIHP and the partners of NIHP, and in the alternative against EQNI and the partners of EQNI.1 Plaintiffs’ petition [1203]*1203requested judgment in their favor against NIHP and its partners in the amount of $2,376,195.07, plus interest, attorney’s fees and court costs, and sought recognition of the collateral mortgage executed by NIHP, and for recognition of the acts of continuing guaranty executed by the fourteen partners of NIHP. In the alternative, and only in the event that the trial court should find that the debt of NIHP was not enforceable, plaintiffs prayed for judgment in their favor against EQNI and its partners in the amount of $1,766,169.27, plus interest, attorney’s fees and court costs, and for recognition of the two collateral mortgages executed by EQNI and for recognition of the acts of continuing guaranty executed by the seven partners of EQNI.

EQNI and NIHP both filed answers and reconventional demands seeking relief against plaintiffs’ claims. NIHP contends that the note of NIHP secured by the pledge of its collateral mortgage notes and guarantee of NIHP’s partners, given to plaintiffs on December 29, 1982 is invalid and unenforceable on numerous legal grounds. EQNI contends that its debt to plaintiffs was paid on December 29, 1982 by novation when the plaintiffs took NIHP’s note in payment of EQNI’s debt. Additionally, EQNI and NIHP both filed motions for summary judgment. After conducting a hearing, the trial court denied the motion for summary judgment of NIHP and granted the motion for summary judgment of EQNI, and ordered plaintiffs’ demands against EQNI dismissed with prejudice. A judgment was signed on January 11, 1985. Plaintiffs have suspen-sively appealed and contend that the trial court erred in finding that EQNI was entitled to a summary judgment based on the evidence before the court.

LAW

Our Louisiana Supreme Court discussed summary judgments in considerable length in the case of Vermilion Corp. v. Vaughn, 397 So.2d 490 (La.1981), and stated that:

“A motion for summary judgment is properly granted only 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. La.C.C.P. art. 966. Because the mover has the burden of establishing that no material factual issue exists, inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts contained in the materials before the court must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 82 S.Ct. 993, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962); Mashburn v. Collin, 355 So.2d 879 (La.1977). To satisfy his burden the mover must meet a strict standard by a showing that is quite clear what the truth is, and that excludes any real doubt as to the existence of any genuine issue of material fact. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., supra; Sartor v. Arkansas Nat. Gas Corp., 321 U.S. 620, 64 S.Ct. 724, 88 L.Ed. 967 (1944). The papers supporting mover’s position are closely scrutinized, while the opposing papers are indulgently treated, in determining whether the mover has satisfied his burden. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., supra; 6 Moore’s Federal Practice, § 56.15[3].” Vermilion Corp. v. Vaughn, 397 So.2d 490, at page 493 (La.1981).

Also see Bonstill v. Goldsberry Operating Co., 478 So.2d 729 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1985); Richard v. Weill Const. Co., Inc., 446 So.2d 943 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1984),

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Bluebook (online)
486 So. 2d 1201, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6648, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-bank-trust-co-v-new-iberia-hotel-partners-lactapp-1986.