Diaz v. Duncan

247 So. 2d 896, 1971 La. App. LEXIS 6009
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 10, 1971
DocketNo. 4352
StatusPublished

This text of 247 So. 2d 896 (Diaz v. Duncan) 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
Diaz v. Duncan, 247 So. 2d 896, 1971 La. App. LEXIS 6009 (La. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

BOUTALL, Judge.

This case comes before the court on appeal from a trial court judgment sustaining the defendant’s declinatory exception of lack of jurisdiction over the person and thus, dismissing plaintiff’s suit as to the defendant.

An examination of the trial court record reveals that initially the plaintiff, a dentist sued Philip Wogan and his divorced wife, Mrs. Amelia Duncan Wogan, for dental services performed on Mrs. Wogan, a resident or Orleans Parish, in the amount of $4,205.00. In plaintiff’s original petition it is alleged that the defendant, Philip Wogan, is domiciled in Texas and that he is a nonresident of Louisiana but that he maintains an office in Louisiana. Plaintiff thus contends that defendant Philip Wogan is transacting business in the state, as contemplated within LSA-R.S. 13:3201, and is subject to the lower court’s jurisdiction.

Accordingly, on February 16, 1970, plaintiff, through certified mail, cited the defendant, Philip Wogan, which service was effected on February 18, 1970. Defendant’s response was the filing of the declinatory exception of lack of jurisdiction in per-sonam on March 3, 1970.

On March 30, 1970, Mrs. Wogan, the co-defendant in the original petition, filed a dilatory exception of vagueness.

The plaintiff, on April 6, 1970, filed a motion to fix a trial date on these two exceptions. Trial was set for April 24, 1970; on which date, plaintiff was granted leave of court to file an amended petition to correct the vagueness alleged by the co-defendant below. Trial on the declinatory exception was had on April 24, 1970, and judgment was rendered and signed in open court on April 28, 1970, maintaining this exception. A devolutive appeal was taken by the plaintiff as to this judgment on July 9, 1970.

Subsequently, the co-defendant in the original petition, Mrs. Wogan, filed an answer to the plaintiff’s first amended petition, and a third party demand on Philip Wogan. As a result of this third party demand Philip Wogan, while in the state, was personally served at the office he maintains in Plaquemines Parish on June 3, 1970. To this third party demand, defendant filed an exception of lack'of jurisdiction in per-sonam which exception was later abandoned, and thereafter he filed other pleadings.

The plaintiff then filed a second amended petition alleging that Philip Wogan is now a resident of the State of Louisiana, and was aware of, acquiesced to, and ratified the said dental services.

In this appeal, plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in maintaining the exception of jurisdiction, and additionally he contends that, as a result of these herein-[898]*898above outlined proceedings which followed the rendition of judgment of the lower court, said judgment is now moot and should be annulled, and the case remanded for trial on the merits.

Before proceeding to a consideration of the merits of the exception, we will dispose of the plaintiff’s contention that the lower court’s judgment is now moot. The basis for this contention is LSA-C.C.P. art. 6(1) which bases personal jurisdiction on service of process; which requirement has been met, according to plaintiff, by the personal service obtained on Philip Wogan as the result of Mr?. Wogan’s third party demand on the defendant.

However, that article defines jurisdiction as the power of the court to render a personal judgment against a party. Our system of procedure requires that there be service of a copy of the petition together with citation in order to permit plaintiff to proceed to judgment. LSA-C.C.P. art. 1201. The third party demand is an entirely different matter and service of third party petition and citation thereof can be effective only for the purpose of obtaining a judgment on the third party demand. It obviously cannot provide the requirements necessary to judgment on the original demand.

Nor is the submission to jurisdiction on the third party demand a waiver of Philip Wogan’s right to except to the jurisdiction as it relates to the original demand. At that time the principal demand was already dismissed against Philip Wogan and appeal taken by plaintiff. LSA-C.C.P. art. 2088 provides that the jurisdiction of the trial court over the case, in this instance, as it relates to the declinatory exception, shall be divested, and that of the appellate court shall attach, upon the timely filing of the appeal bond in the trial court. Since the trial court was already divested of jurisdiction, it can hardly be contended that exceptor’s later appearance in the third party action could constitute an appearance in the main demand.

The same is true of the effect of the second amended petition wherein plaintiff alleges Mr. Wogan now to be domiciled in Louisiana. The enumerated provisions which relate to divestment of jurisdiction as set forth in this article in no manner encompass the submission of amended pleadings that would affect the issue presently before the appeal court once appellate jurisdiction attaches. The second amended petition then is of no moment as to the exception sustained in the lower court. We consider that the additional proceedings are not at issue in this appeal and the specific allegation that Philip Wogan is now a resident of Louisiana and domiciled in the Parish of Plaquemines is not properly an inquiry for this court to make within the bounds of this appeal.

The primary issue presented on this appeal is whether the trial judge erred in sustaining the exception filed by defendant, Philip Wogan, and dismissing the suit as to this defendant.

An examination of the trial record reveals that plaintiff alleged in paragraph IV of his original petition, the following:

' “The Defendant, Philip B. Wogan, is a resident of and a citizen of the State of Texas. His last known office mailing address is 4101 San Jacinto, Houston, Texas, 77004. His last known home mailing address is 5131 Dolliver Street, Houston, Texas. He is not domiciled or residing in the State of Louisiana, and he has not appointed an agent for service of process in the State of Louisiana; however, he maintains an office in the State of Louisiana with Products Research Service, Inc., at 701 Main Street, Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Consequently, it is necessary the [sic] the Defendant, Philip B. Wogan, be served as a nonresident under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 13:3201-07.”

Pursuant to the allegations contained in the petition, service of process and citation was effected on Philip Wogan by certified mail on February 18, 1970, in accord with the [899]*899provisions of LSA-R.S. 13:3204. Philip Wogan thereupon filed a declinatory exception alleging, lack of jurisdiction in personam.

The plaintiff cites LSA-R.S. 13:3201 (a) as the controlling statute in allowing the court to exercise personal jurisdiction over Philip Wogan, which statute states:

“§ 3201 Personal jurisdiction over nonresidents
A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident, who acts directly or by an agent, as to a cause of action arising from the nonresident’s
(a) transacting any business in this state; * *

While the rationale behind this statute is to permit the courts of this state to tap the full potential of jurisdiction in per-sonam over nonresidents permitted by International Shoe Co. v. State of Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct.

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Pennoyer v. Neff
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International Shoe Co. v. Washington
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
247 So. 2d 896, 1971 La. App. LEXIS 6009, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/diaz-v-duncan-lactapp-1971.