Evans v. Livingston People's Gas Corp.

205 So. 2d 466, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5075
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 18, 1967
DocketNo. 7311
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 205 So. 2d 466 (Evans v. Livingston People's Gas Corp.) 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
Evans v. Livingston People's Gas Corp., 205 So. 2d 466, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5075 (La. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

SARTAIN, Judge.

This matter is before us on a motion by defendants-appellees to dismiss the appeal of plaintiff-appellant on the grounds that said appellant has failed to timely file his bond in order to properly perfect his de-volutive appeal.

The undisputed facts are as follows: Plaintiffs instituted a tort action against defendants in the 19th Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a trial on the merits judgment was rendered in favor of defendants dismissing plaintiff’s suit at his costs. This judgment was signed by the trial judge on January 31, 1967. On May 4, 1967, the ninety-third day after the aforesaid judgment was signed, plaintiff obtained from the district court an ex-parte order allowing him to prosecute a devolutive appeal in forma pauperis. On May 12, 1967, defendants filed in this court a motion to have the matter remanded to the district court for the limited purpose of affording said defendants an opportunity of traversing the oath of poverty filed by plaintiff. On May 16, 1967, we issued the following order:

“It is hereby ordered that this matter be remanded to the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, for the limited purpose of traversing the oath of poverty filed by plaintiff-appellant, and in the event of an adverse judgment, for the furnishing of a sufficient bond in accordance with LSA CCP 5124, 5125 and 5126.” (Emphasis added)

Defendants successfully traversed plaintiff’s affidavits of poverty and by order dated June 22, 1967, the 19th Judicial District Court recalled and vacated its previous order allowing plaintiff to proceed in forma pauperis and set a devolutive appeal bond in the amount of $250.00. Bond in this amount was furnished by plaintiff on July 11, 1967, nineteen calendar days or twelve legal days following the order of June 22, 1967.

Appellee urges that by virtue of the district courts revocation of its previous order permitting appellant to prosecute his appeal in forma pauperis LSA-C.C.P. Art. 2087 is applicable and controlling here. Said C.C.P. Art. 2087 provides that a devolutive appeal may be taken and security therefor furnished, only within ninety days of the expiration of the delay for applying for a new trial, if no application for a new trial has been made, as is true in this case. Accordingly, [468]*468under these provisions plaintiff had until May 4, 1967 within which to perfect his devolutive appeal by (a) obtaining an order of appeal and (b) furnishing the required security.

Appellant contends that LSA-C.C.P. Art. 2087 has been complied with for the reason that an order for a devolutive appeal was granted by the district court on the ninety-third day and that said order authorized the prosecution thereof in forma pauperis and that both the granting of an appeal and the waiver of security were timely. Appellant further cites authority for the well established rule that appeals are favored in law and should not be dismissed for technicalities. In conclusion appellant stresses that the law of Louisiana is silent with respect to delays accorded to an appellant whose previous affidavits of poverty have been successfully traversed and that “there is too much doubt lingering as to the grounds why this appeal should be dismissed for it to be dismissed * * *

As the parties herein suggest we have been unable to find any case similar to the factual issues presented herein and recognize that this matter is one of first impression. However, for reasons hereinafter stated, we are of the opinion that this matter is governed by the express provisions of LSA-C.C.P. Art. 5124.

The applicable codal provisions are LSA-C.C.P. Arts. 2087, 2088, 5124, and 5181 which read as follows:

C.C.P. Art. 2087
“Except as otherwise provided by law, an appeal which does not suspend the effect or the execution of an appealable order or judgment may be taken, and the security therefor furnished, only within ninety days of:
(1)The expiration of the delay for applying for a new trial, as provided by Article 1974, if no application has been filed timely;
(2) The court’s refusal to grant a timely application for a new trial, if the applicant is not entitled to notice of such refusal under Article 1914; or
(3) The date of the mailing of notice of the court’s refusal to grant a timely application for a new trial, if the applicant is entitled to such notice under Article 1914.” (Emphasis Added)
C.C.P. Art. 2088
“The jurisdiction of the trial court over the case shall be divested, and that of the appellate court shall attach, upon the timely filing of the appeal bond in the trial court, or if no bond is required, upon the granting of the order of appeal. Thereafter, the trial court shall have no jurisdiction over the case except: to tax the costs incurred in the trial court; to test the solvency of the surety on the appeal bond as of the date of its filing or subsequently; to consider objections to the form, substance, cmd sufficiency of the appeal bond, cmd permit the curing thereof, in accordance with Article 5124; and as provided by Articles 2125, 2131, and 2132." (Emphasis Added)
C.C.P. Art. 5124
“Within four days, exclusive of legal holidays, of the rendition of judgment holding the original bond insufficient or invalid, or at any time if no rule to test the original bond has been filed, the party furnishing it may correct any defects therein by furnishing a new or supplemental bond, with either the same surety if solvent, or a new or additional surety.
The new or supplemental bond is retroactive to the date the original bond was furnished, and maintains in effect the order, judgment, writ, mandate, or process conditioned on the furnishing of security.
The furnishing of a supplemental bond, or the furnishing of a new bond by a differ[469]*469ent surety, does not discharge or release the surety on the original bond; and the sureties on both are liable in solido to the extent of their respective obligations thereon and may be j oined in an action on the bond.”

and

C.C.P. Art. 5181
“A person who is unable to pay the costs of court, because of his poverty and lack of means, may prosecute or defend a judicial proceeding in any trial or appellate court without paying the costs in advance, or as they accrue, or furnishing security therefor.
As used in this chapter: ‘judicial proceeding’ includes a rule for contempt for failure to pay alimony or child support ordered by the court, but otherwise excludes an action for a divorce or for a separation from bed and board; and ‘person’ means an individual who is a citizen of this state, or an alien domiciled therein for more than three years. As amended Acts 1964, No. 336, § 1.”

At the outset, it should be noted that C.C.P. Art. 5181 pertains to the waiver of costs for an indigent party litigant. It has nothing to do with the delays for perfecting of an appeal. Accordingly, when the provisions of this article are invoked, it must be viewed in accordance with C.C.P. Art.

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Bluebook (online)
205 So. 2d 466, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5075, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evans-v-livingston-peoples-gas-corp-lactapp-1967.