Ducote v. Whitney National Bank

212 So. 3d 729, 91 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1151, 16 La.App. 5 Cir. 574, 2017 WL 696072, 2017 La. App. LEXIS 324
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 22, 2017
DocketNO. 16-CA-574
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 212 So. 3d 729 (Ducote v. Whitney National 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
Ducote v. Whitney National Bank, 212 So. 3d 729, 91 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1151, 16 La.App. 5 Cir. 574, 2017 WL 696072, 2017 La. App. LEXIS 324 (La. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinions

MURPHY, J.

| ] Plaintiffs, David Ducote, Avery Interests, L.L.C., Jebaco, Inc., and Iberville Designs,1 (hereinafter collectively referred to as plaintiffs), have appealed the grant of summary judgment in favor of Whitney National Bank (hereinafter referred to as Whitney). For the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On July 25, 2014, plaintiffs filed suit against Whitney and Ducote’s former employee, Michelle Freytag,2 (hereinafter Freytag), alleging that Freytag, in her position as Dueote’s executive assistant, had obtained fraudulent credit cards from Whitney on plaintiffs’ accounts, made personal charges on the cards, and transferred funds from plaintiffs’ accounts to pay the balance on these credit cards. The petition alleged that plaintiffs were not responsible for the charges because the contract on the credit card agreements was null, or alternatively that the credit card agreements should be rescinded because of the fraud committed by Freytag. The petition further alleged that Freytag could not have accomplished this theft without the assistance of Whitney, which failed to follow established procedures and facilitated Freytag’s theft, and was liable in solido with Freytag. The plaintiffs prayed for rescission or nullification of all contracts on the credit cards and restoring the parties “to the situation that existed before the purported contract was made” including but not limited to the “return of all amounts paid” to Whitney for charges made by Freytag, including associated interest and fees, plus reasonable damages, attorney fees and judicial interest.

12Whitney denied the allegations in the petition and further alleged that plaintiffs’ claims are barred by La. R.S. 10:4 and 4A, and by the deposit account agreements between plaintiffs and Whitney. Whitney also claimed that plaintiffs’ actions and/or inactions gave Freytag express or implied authority to engage in the activities alleged in plaintiffs’ petition. Whitney filed a reconventional demand seeking payment for sums due from plaintiffs on these same credit cards.

On January 12, 2015, Whitney filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment seeking to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims of negligence, rescission, and fraud that seek recovery of funds transfers from Whitney. In this motion, Whitney argued that Chapter 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code [731]*731(UCC), which was adopted by Louisiana, preempts plaintiffs’ non-UCC claims to recover these funds. The trial court denied the motion and Whitney sought review from this Court. This Court denied the writ application because Whitney did not include evidence to demonstrate that the accounts at issue were commercial accounts, stating that if the funds transfers were “consumer” funds, then the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (hereinafter EFTA) would apply rather than Chapter 4A. Whitney v. Ducote, 15-256 (La. App. 5 Cir. 4/24/15) (unpublished writ disposition).

On December 15, 2015, Whitney filed another Motion for Summary Judgment arguing that it was entitled to summary judgment because the UCC displaces plaintiffs’ claims, the claims are barred under the terms of the deposit account agreement and La. R.S. 10:4-406 due to plaintiffs’ failure to timely report the items as unauthorized, and that the claims are barred by apparent authority. Plaintiffs opposed this motion and in addition filed their own Motion for Partial Summary Judgment alleging that plaintiffs’ claims arise from fraud and negligence in the issuance of credit cards and subsequent concealment activity on the credit card accounts. Plaintiffs argued that the transfers of funds from the plaintiffs’ | ¡¡accounts are incidental to or subsequent to the fraudulent and negligent conduct, therefore the UCC is not applicable to these claims.

At the hearing on the competing motions for summary judgment, Whitney argued that according to the deposit account agreement, any claim is barred that relates to an unauthorized transfer of funds if it is not reported within 60 days of the bank statement reflecting the transfer.3 Whitney pointed out that each transfer was reflected on each monthly bank statement provided to plaintiffs. Whitney further argued that La. R.S. 10:4-406 bars any claim against a bank for unauthorized items that are on the bank statement that the customer does not timely report to the bank. Whitney also argued that plaintiffs remedy was solely under the UCC provisions which have been adopted by Louisiana and the credit card agreements could not be rescinded under other provisions of Louisiana law.

In response, plaintiffs argued that their action is not barred by the account agreements because credit card agreements are not subject to the deposit account agreements. Plaintiffs further argued that whether or not they were reasonable in not reporting the fraudulent transactions is a “fact question,” which should not be decided on summary judgment. Plaintiffs also contend that their remedy of rescission, which is unique to Louisiana, is not inconsistent with the UCC, and as such these claims are not barred by the UCC.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial judge took the matter under advisement. On January 27, 2016, the trial court denied Whitney’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment with respect to apparent authority and granted the motion “in all other respects.” Pursuant to this Court’s order, the trial court ^amended the judgment to state that Whitney’s Motion for Summary Judgment regarding UCC dis[732]*732placing plaintiffs’ claims for rescission, negligence, and fraud against Whitney are dismissed with prejudice because plaintiffs’ claims are barred under the terms of their account agreement and La. R.S. 10:4-406. Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment was denied. On February 19, 2016, the trial court designated the judgment granting Whitney’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment as a final appeal-able judgment pursuant to La. C.C.P. Art. 1915B. This timely appeal followed.

LAW AND DISCUSSION

A motion for summary judgment shall be granted if the motion, memorandum, and supporting documents show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact that that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. La. C.C.P. Art. 966(A)(3). Under La. C.C.P. Art. 966(D)(1), the initial burden is on the mover to show that no genuine issue of material fact exists. If the moving party will not bear the burden of proof at trial, the moving party must only point out that there is an absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the adverse party’s claim, action, or defense. La. C.C.P. Art. 966(D)(1). The nonmoving party must then produce factual support to establish that he will be able to satisfy his evidentiary burden of proof at trial. If the nonmoving party fails to do so, there is no genuine issue of material fact, and summary judgment should be granted. Babino v. Jefferson Transit, 12-468 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2/21/13), 110 So.3d 1123, 1125.

Appellate courts review the ruling on a motion for summary judgment de novo applying the same criteria that govern the trial court’s determination of whether summary judgment is appropriate. Schultz v. Guoth, 10-343 (La. 1/19/11), 57 So.3d 1002, 1005.

IsThe decision as to the propriety of a grant of a motion for summary judgment must be made with reference to the substantive law applicable to the case. Muller v. Carrier Corp., 07-770 (La.App. 5 Cir. 4/15/08), 984 So.2d 883, 885.

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212 So. 3d 729, 91 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1151, 16 La.App. 5 Cir. 574, 2017 WL 696072, 2017 La. App. LEXIS 324, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ducote-v-whitney-national-bank-lactapp-2017.