Crescent City Property Redevelopment Association, LLC D/B/A Crescent City Property Services and Crescent City Property Redevelopment Services, Inc. Association D/B/A Crescent City Property v. Succession of James W. Stroughter, Succession of Frances Collins A/K/A Frances Collins Stroughter, City of New Orleans, Vetter Lumber Company, Inc., Commonwealth Savings Association and/or Its Successor Capital One Financial Corporation D/B/A Capital One Bank

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 31, 2025
Docket2025-CA-0039
StatusPublished

This text of Crescent City Property Redevelopment Association, LLC D/B/A Crescent City Property Services and Crescent City Property Redevelopment Services, Inc. Association D/B/A Crescent City Property v. Succession of James W. Stroughter, Succession of Frances Collins A/K/A Frances Collins Stroughter, City of New Orleans, Vetter Lumber Company, Inc., Commonwealth Savings Association and/or Its Successor Capital One Financial Corporation D/B/A Capital One Bank (Crescent City Property Redevelopment Association, LLC D/B/A Crescent City Property Services and Crescent City Property Redevelopment Services, Inc. Association D/B/A Crescent City Property v. Succession of James W. Stroughter, Succession of Frances Collins A/K/A Frances Collins Stroughter, City of New Orleans, Vetter Lumber Company, Inc., Commonwealth Savings Association and/or Its Successor Capital One Financial Corporation D/B/A Capital One Bank) 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
Crescent City Property Redevelopment Association, LLC D/B/A Crescent City Property Services and Crescent City Property Redevelopment Services, Inc. Association D/B/A Crescent City Property v. Succession of James W. Stroughter, Succession of Frances Collins A/K/A Frances Collins Stroughter, City of New Orleans, Vetter Lumber Company, Inc., Commonwealth Savings Association and/or Its Successor Capital One Financial Corporation D/B/A Capital One Bank, (La. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

CRESCENT CITY PROPERTY * NO. 2025-CA-0039 REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, LLC D/B/A * CRESCENT CITY PROPERTY COURT OF APPEAL SERVICES AND CRESCENT * CITY PROPERTY FOURTH CIRCUIT REDEVELOPMENT * SERVICES, INC. STATE OF LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION D/B/A ******* CRESCENT CITY PROPERTY

VERSUS

SUCCESSION OF JAMES W. STROUGHTER, SUCCESSION OF FRANCES COLLINS A/K/A FRANCES COLLINS STROUGHTER, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, VETTER LUMBER COMPANY, INC., COMMONWEALTH SAVINGS ASSOCIATION AND/OR ITS SUCCESSOR CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION D/B/A CAPITAL ONE BANK, ET AL.

APPEAL FROM CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, ORLEANS PARISH NO. 2021-01406, DIVISION “D” Honorable Monique E. Barial, Judge ****** Judge Rosemary Ledet ****** (Court composed of Judge Daniel L. Dysart, Judge Rosemary Ledet, Judge Paula A. Brown)

Reid S. Uzee UZEE LAW FIRM 6218 Argonne Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70124

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

Charles L. Stern, Jr. Richard L. Traina STEEG LAW FIRM, LLC 201 St. Charles Ave., Suite 3201 New Orleans, LA 70170

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLEE

AFFIRMED July 31, 2025 RML DLD PAB This appeal arises from an ownership dispute regarding 3701-3703 Baronne

Street and 1804 Amelia Street (“Property”) as a result of two tax sales. Crescent

City Property Redevelopment Association, LLC (“CCPRA”) d/b/a Crescent City

Property Redevelopment Services, LLC (“CCPRS”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”)

purchased the Property through a 2002 tax sale and filed suit to quiet title on the

Property. Theodore Mondale, a defendant claiming good title by way of purchase

from the original owner, filed a motion for summary judgment seeking to dismiss

Plaintiffs’ claims. The trial court granted Mr. Mondale’s motion for summary

judgment in part, dismissing Plaintiffs’ claims regarding ownership via the 2002

tax sale deed and ten-year acquisitive prescription with prejudice.

Plaintiffs appeal, contending Mr. Mondale lacked standing to challenge their

ownership, that sufficient notice was provided on the 2002 tax sale, and that they

possessed “just title” to satisfy the requirements of ten-year acquisitive

prescription. We find Mr. Mondale, as a successor in title, has standing to

challenge Plaintiffs’ ownership claims. Further, we find no genuine issues of

material fact remain pertaining to Plaintiffs’ ownership claims pursuant to the 2002

1 tax sale deed (“Deed”), as notice was invalid, and via ten-year acquisitive

prescription because they were divested of just title. We affirm.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In 1971, James and Frances Stroughter purchased the Property. Mr.

Stroughter died intestate in 1995, and Mrs. Stroughter died intestate in 2004. In

2002, the City of New Orleans (“City”) issued a tax sale deed for the Property to

CCPRA, as a result of a tax auction due to unpaid taxes from 1997-2000.

CCPRA secured the Property and began renovations. In 2006, CCPRA transferred

its interest in the Property to CCPRS via quitclaim deed. Neither CCPRA nor

CCPRS paid any of the taxes on the Property. As a result, in September 2012, the

Property was adjudicated to the City for unpaid taxes.

In February 2021, Plaintiffs filed a petition to quiet title, to annul tax sale,

and to cancel prescribed encumbrances.1 Meanwhile, in 2022, after being

appointed as succession administrator,2 the Stroughters’ son, Adrian, sold the

Property to Mr. Mondale for $110,000.00. As a result, Plaintiffs amended their

petition to add Mr. Mondale; DeShontae McNeal;3 Crescent Title, LLC; and

Adrian4 as additional defendants in their quiet title action.

In March 2024, Mr. Mondale filed a motion for summary judgment and

exception of no right of action, seeking the dismissal of Plaintiffs’ claims against

him for these three reasons: (1) lack of constitutionally required notice, which

1 Plaintiffs named the following parties as defendants: both Stroughter successions; the City of

New Orleans; Vetter Lumber Company, Inc.; Commonwealth Savings Association; Advance Mortgage Company, LLC.; Bernard Dyer (unopened succession, heirs, legatees, and assigns); Dianne Blasé (unopened succession, heirs, legatees, and assigns); and Isabell Cannon (unopened succession, heirs, legatees, and assigns). These defendants are not relevant to the issues presented in this appeal. 2 Plaintiffs contest the validity of Adrian’s appointment, but this issue is not before the Court. 3 Ms. McNeal was granted the right to purchase the Property and assigned her rights to Mr.

Mondale. 4 The Plaintiffs’ first amending and supplemental petition mislabels Adrian as Amos.

2 means the 2002 tax sale is an absolute nullity; (2) lack of “just title” for ten-year

acquisitive prescription; and (3) lack of standing to challenge actions taken in the

succession case. The trial court granted Mr. Mondale’s motion for summary

judgment in part, dismissing: (1) Plaintiffs’ ownership claims regarding the July

21, 2002 tax sale deed, with prejudice, and (2) Plaintiffs’ ownership claims

regarding ten-year acquisitive prescription, with prejudice. Otherwise, Mr.

Mondale’s motion for summary judgment and exception of no right of action were

denied.5 Plaintiffs filed a motion for new trial, which was denied, and this appeal

followed.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

This Court has established the standard of review appellate courts utilize

when reviewing the grant of a motion for summary judgment as follows:

Appellate courts review the grant or denial of a motion for summary judgment de novo, using the same criteria applied by trial courts to determine whether summary judgment is appropriate. This standard of review requires the appellate court to look at the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, to determine if they show that no genuine issue as to a material fact exists, and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. A fact is material when its existence or nonexistence may be essential to the plaintiffs [sic] cause of action under the applicable theory of recovery; a fact is material if it potentially insures or precludes recovery, affects a litigant’s ultimate success, or determines the outcome of the legal dispute. A genuine issue is one as to which reasonable persons could disagree; if reasonable persons could reach only one conclusion, no need for trial on that issue exists and summary judgment is appropriate. To affirm a summary judgment, we must find reasonable minds would inevitably conclude that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of the applicable law on the facts before the court.

5 The trial court designated the judgment as final pursuant to La. C.C.P. art. 1915(B)(1).

3 Mandina, Inc. v. O’Brien, 2013-0085, pp. 8-9 (La. App. 4 Cir. 7/31/13), 156 So.3d

99, 104. (internal citations omitted).

MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

“The summary judgment procedure is designed to secure the just, speedy,

and inexpensive determination of every action, except those disallowed by Article

969.” La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(2). “The procedure is favored and shall be construed

to accomplish these ends.” Id. “A party may move for a summary judgment for

all or part of the relief for which he has prayed.” La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(1). The

plaintiff may file after the answer, but the defendant can file at any time. Id.

The trial court may grant a motion for summary judgment after there has

been time for adequate discovery “if the motion, memorandum, and supporting

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Crescent City Property Redevelopment Association, LLC D/B/A Crescent City Property Services and Crescent City Property Redevelopment Services, Inc. Association D/B/A Crescent City Property v. Succession of James W. Stroughter, Succession of Frances Collins A/K/A Frances Collins Stroughter, City of New Orleans, Vetter Lumber Company, Inc., Commonwealth Savings Association and/or Its Successor Capital One Financial Corporation D/B/A Capital One Bank, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crescent-city-property-redevelopment-association-llc-dba-crescent-city-lactapp-2025.