Halum v. Tedesco

101 So. 3d 964, 2011 La.App. 4 Cir. 0818, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 1446, 2011 WL 5995832
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 30, 2011
DocketNo. 2011-CA-0818
StatusPublished

This text of 101 So. 3d 964 (Halum v. Tedesco) 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
Halum v. Tedesco, 101 So. 3d 964, 2011 La.App. 4 Cir. 0818, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 1446, 2011 WL 5995832 (La. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

EDWIN A. LOMBARD, Judge.

| tThis appeal is from the judgment granting the motion for summary judgment filed by Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon) against the plaintiff and denying the plaintiffs motions for summary judgment against Exxon, Dr. Victor E. Tedes-co, III, Michael W. Tedesco, Lawrence J. Tedesco, Molly C. Tedesco, and Charlotte Tedesco Harris (“the Tedescos”). After de novo review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Relevant Facts and Procedural History

On May 14, 2007, Mohammed Halum, Damin Halum, Zuhair Adbelfattah, and 4500 Chef Menteur, L.L.C., purchased the property at 4500 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans from the Tedescos. Because there was a gas station structure on the property, non-operational since Hurricane Katrina, that remained subject to a lease agreement with Exxon at the time of purchase, the parties executed a “Letter Agreement and Addendum to the Purchase and Sale Agreement of 4500 Chef Mentaur Highway May 14, 2007.”

[966]*966The gas station structure was locked and barricades prevented access to the building, but at some point in August 2007 (prior to termination of Exxon’s lease agreement), unknown third parties gained access to the roof and removed the copper components of the air conditioning units.

|2On May 13, 2008, Mohammed Halum, Damin Halum, Zuhair Adbelfattah, and 4500 Chef Menteur, L.L.C., filed suit against the Tedescos and Exxon, alleging that the property suffered $56,000.00 in damages due to the theft of the copper coils and corresponding roof damage because of the defendants’ negligence. The defendants filed an unopposed Exception of No Right of Action which was granted on May 8, 2009, dismissing Mohammed Halum, Dam in Halum, and Zuhair Adbel-fattah and, accordingly, the only remaining plaintiff in this action is the limited liability company, 4500 Chef Menteur, L.L.C.

The plaintiff filed two motions for partial summary judgment arguing that (1) Exxon was liable for the damage because the lease remained in effect until full possession was transferred to the plaintiff and (2) the Tedescos were liable for the damage because they agreed to indemnify the plaintiff for financial remediation caused by the lessees and were therefore responsible for all damages that occurred to the property prior to the plaintiffs entry into possession of the premises. Both defendants filed oppositions to the plaintiffs motions for partial summary judgment and, in addition, Exxon filed its own motion for summary judgment asserting that as a matter of law it owed no duty to the plaintiff to protect against unforeseeable criminal acts of unknown persons and, thus, was not liable for the damages suffered by the plaintiff.

On February 18, 2011, after a hearing on all three motions, the trial court denied the plaintiffs motions for partial summary judgment and granted Exxon’s motion for summary judgment, dismissing Exxon from the action with prejudice. The plaintiff appeals, arguing that it was error for the trial court to grant Exxon’s motion and not to grant the plaintiffs motions for partial summary judgment.

\ ^Applicable Law

Motions for summary judgment are reviewed de novo on appeal “using the same criteria that govern the trial court’s consideration of whether summary judgment is appropriate, i.e., whether there is a genuine issue of material fact and whether the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Supreme Services & Specialty Co., Inc., v. Sonny Greer, Inc., 06-1827, p. 4 (La.5/22/07), 958 So.2d 634, 638. The burden of proof is with the movant on summary judgment but, where the movant will not bear the burden of proof at trial, the movant need only point out to the court that there is an absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the adverse party’s claim. La.Code Civ. Proc. art. 966(C)(2); Greenhouse v. C.F. Kenner Associates Ltd. P’ship, 98-0496, p. 4 (La.App. 4 Cir. 11/10/98), 723 So.2d 1004, 1007. Thereafter, the burden shifts to the adverse party to produce factual support sufficient to establish that a genuine issue of material facts exists such that summary judgment is not appropriate. Id.

To establish negligence, a “[pjlaintiff must prove that the conduct in question was a cause-in-faet of the resulting harm, the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff, the requisite duty was breached by the defendant and the risk of harm was within the scope of protection afforded by the duty breached.” Questions of liability for negligent acts are evaluated using a duty-risk analysis. Daye v. General Motors Corp., 97-1653 (La.9/9/98), 720 So.2d 654, 659.

[967]*967 Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment against Exxon

The plaintiff asserts that it is entitled to partial summary judgment against Exxon because the lease between the defendants was in effect at the time the damage occurred, thus making Exxon liable for the damage that occurred prior to the termination of the lease. In support of its motion, the plaintiff submits (1) the |4May 14, 2007, act of sale conveying the property “as is/where is” with a waiver of claims for redhibition signed by the Tedes-cos and Mohammed Halum, Damin Halum, and Zuhair Adbelfattah as agents for the plaintiff; (2) a copy of the original lease executed in 1967 between the Tedescos and Exxon’s predecessor, Humble Oil & Refining Company; (3) the affidavit of Mohammed Halum stating that because the lease agreement between Exxon and the Tedescos remained in effect at the time of the sale, an Addendum to the Purchase and Sale Agreement was executed to protect the plaintiff from “any damage that may result after the sale date,” and that the plaintiff was not in full possession of the property until after September 10, 2007; and (4) a copy of a fax letter sent to Jacobus Joubert from “Hammy Halum,” dated September 10, 2007, confirming a conversation wherein Mr. Joubert had advised Mr. Halum that he would coordinate with “the Broker” to give him keys and possession of the property and, in addition, Mr. Halum’s inquiry as to how Exxon would remedy the damage to the air conditioning units, the cooler compressors, and interior damage that occurred while Exxon maintained possession.

In opposition, Exxon asserts that the plaintiff is not entitled to partial summary judgment because the damages at issue were not caused by Exxon or any party who was on the property with the consent of Exxon. In support of its opposition, Exxon points to the admission in the plaintiffs Petition for Damages that the sale of the structure was “As is, Where is, with a waiver of claims of redhibition” and, therefore, not entitled to damages that existed in the structure prior to the sale. Exxon also submits the deposition of Mohammed Halum wherein Mr. Halum concedes that (1) prior to the May 14, 2007, sale, he inspected the property and noted pre-ex-isting water damage to the interior of the budding; (2) he | sdiscovered the damage to the air conditioning units on the roof of the gas station structure in August 2007; and (3) he knew that someone might want the copper in the air conditioning units but thought it unlikely because the property was located at a prominent intersection in New Orleans East, making it difficult for someone to take the copper without being seen.

Pursuant to La. Civ.Code art. 2687

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101 So. 3d 964, 2011 La.App. 4 Cir. 0818, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 1446, 2011 WL 5995832, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/halum-v-tedesco-lactapp-2011.