Giron v. Housing Authority of Opelousas

385 So. 2d 1224, 1980 La. App. LEXIS 4124
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 25, 1980
DocketNo. 7592
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 385 So. 2d 1224 (Giron v. Housing Authority of Opelousas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Giron v. Housing Authority of Opelousas, 385 So. 2d 1224, 1980 La. App. LEXIS 4124 (La. 1980).

Opinion

STOKER, Judge.

This suit was originally brought as an injunction suit by an employee to prevent his employer from removing him from office as Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Opelousas, Louisiana. A temporary restraining order was issued followed by a hearing on a preliminary injunction which restrained the Authority from removing the plaintiff from his office. Thereafter, the plaintiff, Ashton Giron, decided to acquiesce and to give up his position as Executive Director for the Authority and to seek damages for breach of contract instead. As it stands this suit is for breach of contract of employment.

The principal issue in this appeal is whether plaintiff may elect to change the remedy sought from injunction to damages.

Ashton Giron, the plaintiff, was a maintenance employee of the defendant, The Housing Authority of Opelousas, Louisiana, on May 10,1976. On that day the Board of Commissioners of the Authority, by a three to one vote, resolved to engage plaintiff as Executive Director of the Authority effective July 1, 1976, for a period of five years. At a meeting held on March 21, 1977, the Board relieved Giron of his position and duties as Executive Director. At that time, the Board returned Giron to his former job as Maintenance Superintendent I for the Authority.

Giron filed suit against the Authority on March 23, 1977, seeking injunctive relief. On that day a temporary restraining order was signed restraining the Authority from relieving Giron of his post. A preliminary injunction hearing was held on April 7, 1977. The trial court granted the preliminary injunction on April 14, 1977, restraining, enjoining and prohibiting the Authority, the Board or its agents from relieving Giron of his post as Executive Director for the Authority. (Tr. 25) No appeal was taken from the granting of the preliminary injunction.

After obtaining the preliminary injunction, plaintiff decided to acquiesce in the Board of Commissioner’s action relieving him of his office as Executive Director. On June 30, 1977, Giron wrote to the Chairman of the Authority to this effect. In the letter Giron informed the Authority that he was returning to his maintenance job, which he did on July 1, 1977. He also informed the Authority that his attorneys had been instructed to amend his suit to seek damages, that is, to change the action from one for injunctive relief to one for damages for breach of contract. Giron noted among his reasons for taking this course the fact that the trial of the permanent injunction might not occur until several months in the future. On June 30, 1977, plaintiff did amend and supplement his petition to seek damages, and he eliminated his demand for injunctive relief. (Tr. 27)

Subsequent to the amendment of plaintiff’s petition to change the relief sought from injunction to damages, the defendant filed several defensive pleadings. On December 19, 1977, the Authority filed a peremptory exception, a motion to dismiss, and a dilatory exception of vagueness. The peremptory exception stated plaintiff had no right of action because he had resigned his position as Executive Director, and the amended and supplemental petition failed to state a cause of action against the defendant. (Tr. 42) The motion to dismiss plaintiff’s petition was grounded on the allegation that plaintiff voluntarily resigned his position and advised the defendant’s Board that he was returning to his maintenance job under Civil Service. (Tr. 43) On December 29, 1977, defendant filed a motion for summary judgment pitched on the same general grounds as those stated in the peremptory exceptions and the motion to dismiss. (Tr. 48) The trial court heard the motions and exceptions on January 20,1978, and denied them all, although the minute entry indicates the petition would be amended within ten days. A second amendment was filed on January 26, 1978. Defendant filed an answer on February 2, 1978.

Trial on the merits of this case took place on October 19 and 20, 1978, and reasons for judgment were assigned by the trial court on January 29, 1979. After a recitation of [1226]*1226the facts, about which there seems to be no dispute, the trial court’s reasons for judgment reflect a decision in favor of plaintiff Giron. The trial court awarded plaintiff the difference between his salary as Executive Director of the Authority and his present salary as Maintenance Superintendent I. His salary as Executive Director was $18,000 with a car allowance of $80 per month. Giron returned to his maintenance job at $985 gross per month. (Tr. 629 and 631)

Pertinent portions of the trial court’s reasons for judgment rendered January 29, 1979, read as follows:

I have considered these facts as well as the evidence, the briefs, and the arguments of counsel, and I am of the opinion that Ashton Giron was hired by the Opel-ousas Housing Authority by virtue of an official act of authorization of that Authority, and that under Article 167 of the Louisiana Civil Code, his employment for a term of five years was proper.
Mr. Giron was not dismissed for unsatisfactory service nor for violation of any of the regulations of the Authority as provided for by Section 9-B of the personnel policy of the Housing Authority of the City of Opelousas; furthermore it does not appear that he was offered a hearing prior to his dismissal as executive director. Thus his dismissal constituted an active breach of contract by the Authority, entitling him to seek damages under Article 2749 of the Louisiana Civil Code or to seek injunctive relief.
The plaintiff’s choice to amend his original petition and to seek damages rather than continue the pursuit of injunctive relief did not constitute a resignation depriving him of the right to recover damages, since the judgment granting a preliminary injunction is an interlocutory judgment and cannot be said to have acquired the authority of a thing adjudged. See, Whalen v. Brinkmann [La. App.], 258 So.2d 145, at Page 146-147.
Mr. Giron is therefore entitled to damages which are fixed as the difference between his present salary as Maintenance Superintendent I and his former salary of $18,000 per year as executive director. Although the plaintiff has also asked for damages for mental pain, anguish, and suffering resulting from the wrongful actions of the defendant, no allowance can be made therefor, since an award for such damages can be granted only if the contract breach had for its object the gratification of some intellectual enjoyment, convenience, or other legal gratification as described in 1934(3) of the Louisiana Civil Code. (In this connection, see also, Uhlich v. Medallion Realty, Inc. [La.App.], 334 So.2d 788; Greenburg v. Fourroux [La.App.], 300 So.2d 641, writ denied [La.], 303 So.2d 181).

A judgment purporting to be in conformity with the reasons for judgment of January 29, 1979, was signed on May 9, 1979. The judgment grants plaintiff a monetary judgment for $18,720 together with interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum from date of judicial demand until paid and for costs. On February 2, 1979, (prior to the signing of the judgment) the defendant Authority filed one single pleading setting forth the peremptory exceptions of res judi-cata and “no right and no cause of action”. (Tr. 572) The two paragraphs of the exceptions read as follows:

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Giron v. Housing Authority of Opelousas
392 So. 2d 666 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
385 So. 2d 1224, 1980 La. App. LEXIS 4124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/giron-v-housing-authority-of-opelousas-la-1980.