Deal v. Lexing-Powell

824 So. 2d 541, 2002 WL 1877166
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 16, 2002
Docket36,168-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 824 So. 2d 541 (Deal v. Lexing-Powell) 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
Deal v. Lexing-Powell, 824 So. 2d 541, 2002 WL 1877166 (La. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

824 So.2d 541 (2002)

Charles DEAL, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Carol LEXING-POWELL, as Clerk for Monroe City Court, Francis Manning, Individually, Kasey Dunean, Individually, the Monroe City Clerk of Court Office and the City of Monroe, Defendants-Appellees.

No. 36,168-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

August 16, 2002.

*543 Charles Deal, In Proper Person, Appellant.

Watson, McMillan & Harrison by W. Michael Street, Monroe, for Appellee.

Before WILLIAMS, GASKINS and KOSTELKA, JJ.

KOSTELKA, J.

Charles Deal ("Deal") appeals a summary judgment and an order sustaining a peremptory exception of no cause of action rendered by the Fourth Judicial District Court in favor of Carol Powell-Lexing ("Powell-Lexing")[1], individually, and in her capacity as Clerk of Monroe City Court, Frances Manning ("Manning"), individually, Kasey Dunean ("Dunean"), individually, and the Clerk of Monroe City Court Office (collectively, "appellees"). After a de novo review, we affirm the judgment sustaining the peremptory exception of no cause of action as to the appellees' respective individual liability, and we reverse and remand the summary judgment in favor of Powell-Lexing, in her capacity as Clerk of Monroe City Court and the Clerk of Monroe City Court Office.

Deal also appeals on behalf of CWD Investments, Inc. ("CWD"). We affirm the trial court's judgment and order as they pertain to CWD.

FACTS

Deal appears pro se in these proceedings. In late January, 1999, Citgo U-Pak-It ("Citgo") and Robert Claunch ("Claunch") filed two separate suits on open account in Monroe City Court against Deal.[2] Dunean and Manning, both deputy clerks in the Monroe City Court Clerk's Office ("Clerk's office"), assisted Claunch in the filing of said lawsuits. Each of the petitions filed by Claunch against Deal stated that Claunch "enjoy[ed] a Vendor's lien and privilege on the movable property described in the annexed documents" and sought a writ of sequestration. However, apparently, there were no such annexed documents. As a result of the lawsuits and the writs of sequestration issued by Dunean and Manning, certain equipment, records, computer systems and other property belonging to Deal and CWD, of which Deal was president, were seized.

Deal subsequently filed a Petition for Damages wherein he claimed that Dunean and Manning issued the writs of sequestration and seizure without requiring Claunch to post bond or "provide documentation of his claims." He further claimed that Powell-Lexing was negligent in failing to properly supervise Dunean and Manning, her employees, and that such negligence deprived him of his property rights. Further, he claimed that Powell-Lexing failed to properly qualify herself and her deputy clerks by obtaining a bond prior to undertaking their official duties, and, thus, they lacked official capacity to issue the writs of sequestration and seizure in this action. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the appellees (without issuing any reasons for judgment), which is the subject of this appeal. The trial court also entered an order sustaining appellees' exception of no cause of action on behalf of Powell-Lexing, *544 Manning and Dunean in their individual capacities. Further, appellees had filed various exceptions seeking to have CWD's Third Party Intervention dismissed. The trial court sustained the appellees' exception of no cause of action, dismissing CWD's claims. Said order is also the subject of this appeal by Deal.

DISCUSSION

Summary Judgment

First, Deal argues that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment dismissing his claims against the appellees.

The summary judgment procedure is designed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action, except those disallowed by law; the procedure is favored and must be construed to accomplish these ends. La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(2); Yarbrough v. Federal Land Bank of Jackson, 31,815 (La.App.2d Cir.03/31/99), 731 So.2d 482. The motion should be granted only if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with affidavits, show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. La. C.C.P. art. 966(B); Leckie v. Auger Timber Co., 30,103 (La.App.2d Cir.01/21/98), 707 So.2d 459. The burden of proof remains with the mover. La. C.C.P. art. 966(C)(2). When a motion is made and supported, as required by La. C.C.P. art. 966, an adverse party may not rest on the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but his response must set forth specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. Otherwise, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be rendered against him. La. C.C.P. art. 967.

Appellate courts review summary judgments de novo under the same criteria that govern the district court's consideration of whether summary judgment is appropriate. Kennedy v. Holder, 33,346 (La.App.2d Cir. 05/10/00), 760 So.2d 587; Yarbrough, 731 So.2d at 487; Bockman v. Caraway, 29,436 (La.App.2d Cir.04/02/97), 691 So.2d 815.

In each of the lawsuits, Citgo and Claunch claimed (in a fill-in-the-blank form petition) to have sold Deal certain movable property according to sworn statements of accounts, which were allegedly attached to the respective petitions, but, apparently, were not. Additionally, they claimed to enjoy a vendor's lien over said movable property, which, according to the respective lawsuits, was described on an annexed document, but, apparently, no such document was attached. As prayed for, the Clerk's office issued two separate writs of sequestration based on the petitions. In suit number 99CV00134, the notice of seizure by the city marshal stated that "ALL MOVABLE PROPERTY" was seized. In suit number 99CV00136, the notice of seizure by the city marshal stated that he "seized taken [sic] into my possession the following described property, to-wit: OPEN SEQUESTRATION."

In the lawsuits, Citgo and Claunch were apparently seeking to assert rights pursuant to an alleged vendor's privilege against property purchased by Deal.[3] Under Louisiana law, the sale of a movable on credit entitles the vendor to a privilege on the thing sold to the extent of the unpaid purchase price so long as the movable remains in the vendee's possession. La. C.C arts. 3217, 3227; see also, Justice v. Caballero, 393 So.2d 866 (La. *545 App. 4th Cir.1981). The vendor's privilege on movables exists against the property sold as a substantive right incident to the contract of sale. The remedy afforded by this privilege is the right to obtain a writ of sequestration and seize the property if the purchaser defaults in his payment. Id.

Louisiana C.C.P. art. 3571 states:

When one claims the ownership or right to possession of property, or a mortgage, security interest, lien, or privilege thereon, he may have the property seized under a writ of sequestration, if it is within the power of the defendant to conceal, dispose of, or waste the property... or remove the property from the parish, during the pendancy of the action.

Further, La. C.C.P. art. 3501 states:

A writ of attachment or sequestration shall issue only when the nature of the claim and the amount thereof, if any, and the grounds relied upon for the issuance of the writ clearly appear from specific facts shown by the petition verified by, or by the separate affidavit of, the petitioner, his counsel or agent.
. . .

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

Related

In re Rouge House, LLC
246 So. 3d 580 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Torregano v. Imperium Builders South, LLC
212 So. 3d 638 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
D.W. Thomas & Son, Inc. v. Gregory
210 So. 3d 825 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
Greenwood Community Center v. Calep
132 So. 3d 470 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2014)
Bankston v. Tasch, LLC & ABC Insurance
40 So. 3d 495 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010)
Deal v. Powell
862 So. 2d 398 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
Ford New Holland Credit Co. v. McManus
833 So. 2d 1130 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
824 So. 2d 541, 2002 WL 1877166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deal-v-lexing-powell-lactapp-2002.