Hair v. City of Baton Rouge

297 So. 2d 451
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 20, 1974
Docket9810, 9811
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 297 So. 2d 451 (Hair v. City of Baton Rouge) 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
Hair v. City of Baton Rouge, 297 So. 2d 451 (La. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

297 So.2d 451 (1974)

B. G. HAIR, d/b/a Hair Flying Service, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
CITY OF BATON ROUGE et al., Defendant-Appellant.
BATON ROUGE AIRCRAFT, INC., Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
CITY OF BATON ROUGE et al., Defendant-Appellant.

Nos. 9810, 9811.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 28, 1974.
Rehearing Denied July 3, 1974.
Writ Refused September 20, 1974.

*452 Edward V. Fetzer, Asst. Parish Atty., and Joseph F. Keogh, Parish Atty., Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellant.

John V. Parker and Terry H. Miller, Baton Rouge, for intervenor-appellant.

Tom F. Phillips, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellee.

*453 Before SARTAIN, BAILES and VERON, JJ.

Rehearing Denied July 3, 1974 in Docket No. 9810.

VERON, Judge.

Plaintiffs, B. G. Hair, d/b/a Hair Flying Service, and Baton Rouge Aircraft, Inc., filed separate suits seeking injunctions to restrain their lessor, Parish of East Baton Rouge, and its agent, Greater Baton Rouge Airport District, from disturbing their possession of airport property that they had occupied as lessees under written leases. The City of Baton Rouge was also originally made a defendant in each of the suits, but filed exceptions of no cause of action that were maintained and is no longer a party herein. Louisiana Aircraft, Inc., and Joseph F. Rockholt intervened and became aligned with defendants.

Because the legal issues were identical, these suits were consolidated by the trial court. The matter was heard on a rule for preliminary injunction and upon stipulation of the parties that evidence taken would also be considered as having been submitted on the petition for permanent injunctive relief. After ruling on several exceptions and hearing the evidence, the trial judge, for oral reasons assigned, made the rule absolute and permanently enjoined the defendants from initiating action to let the premises under new leases. Motion for new trial was denied and this appeal ensued.

I. FACTS

In 1963, plaintiffs, pursuant to competitive bidding procedures, leased certain facilities at Ryan Airport in Baton Rouge from the Parish of East Baton Rouge through its agent, the East Baton Rouge Airport Commission (now known as the Greater Baton Rouge Airport District). Under the terms of their leases, plaintiffs were granted the right to occupy hangars and other improvements on the airport and utilize runways, taxiways, aprons, roadways, and parking areas in the conduct of their businesses for a period of ten years. The terms and conditions of the leases were identical.

Testimony on behalf of both plaintiffs was to the effect that, because of a policy of the Airport District to refrain from making capital improvements to leased airport facilities, it became necessary for plaintiffs to expend large sums themselves for improvements in order to make their facilities usable and of benefit to the public. During the ten-year term, Baton Rouge Aircraft spent a total of $29,487.59 and Hair the sum of $7,082.33 in improvements on the leased premises.

Before the end of the terms of their respective leases, plaintiffs notified the defendant in writing that they were exercising their alleged options to renew their leases for ten years pursuant to the provisions of LSA-R.S. 41:1217. Proof of the installation and costs of the improvements was furnished, and, in accordance with the requirements of the statute, the first year's rental was tendered. Defendant refused the tender and initiated advertisements, soliciting competitive bids on the property occupied by the plaintiffs. Thereafter, plaintiffs filed these suits to enjoin the Parish and the Airport District from further advertising or accepting public bids or in any other way disturbing their possession of the premises.

The leases in question each stated a term to commence on June 1, 1963, and ending on May 31, 1973. Neither written lease contained any provision for renewal. The judgment of the trial court declared the leases extended through May 31, 1983.

II. ISSUES

Procedurally, defendant objects to the rulings of the trial court in:

(1) Proceeding with the hearing after maintaining an exception of vagueness;

(2) Overruling the exception of unauthorized use of summary proceedings;

*454 (3) Issuing a preliminary injunction and a permanent injunction in the same judgment.

Substantively, the issue for decision on this appeal is whether the trial court was correct in concluding that the statutory option to renew leases of property of a governmental instrumentality provided in LSA-R.S. 41:1217 is controlling in this case.

III. EXCEPTION OF VAGUENESS

Plaintiffs herein filed an amended petition alleging denial of constitutional rights, due process of law and equal protection as an additional and separate cause of action entitling them to the relief prayed for. An exception of vagueness was filed by defendant, directed only toward the allegation added by this supplemental and amending petition. The exception of vagueness was maintained, and plaintiffs chose not to amend, but instead proceeded with their presentation of evidence on the remaining issues raised in the original petition.

Defendant contends that the trial judge erred in not dismissing the entire suit when plaintiffs failed to amend. This contention is without merit. The trial court was correct in allowing plaintiffs to proceed with the hearing on the other legal bases for their suit. La.Code Civ.P. arts. 926, 933 (1960).

IV. EXCEPTION OF UNAUTHORIZED USE OF SUMMARY PROCEEDING

The trial judge herein overruled defendant's exception of unauthorized use of summary proceedings. The substance of defendant's argument that this ruling was in error seems to be that no irreparable loss or injury can be shown by plaintiffs until after a trial by ordinary proceeding to establish their right to remain on the leased property in question. Defendant's contention ignores the fact that summary procedures for preliminary injunctions are specifically designed to prevent threatened immediate and irreparable losses and injuries as well as to remedy harms which have already occurred. In any case, we feel that plaintiffs here alleged facts sufficient to constitute irreparable harm if proved (i. e., defendant was advertising for public bids to grant a lease on the premises occupied by plaintiffs). The allegations of plaintiffs that their peaceful possession of leased premises had been disturbed by defendant's actions were sufficient to support use of summary proceedings for a preliminary injunction in this case. La.Code Civ.P. arts. 926, 3601 et seq. (1960).

V. PELIMINARY AND PERMANENT INJUNCTIONS IN SAME JUDGMENT

The judgment of the trial court granted the preliminary injunction prayed for, required posting of bond therefor, and further granted a permanent injunction against defendant. Defendant contends that the court erred in granting a preliminary injunction with the allegedly ambiguous words "until the permanent injunction issued shall become final appealable".

All parties to these suits agreed to and filed a written stipulation with the court, which reads (in pertinent part) as follows:

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