Herbert v. City of Kenner

501 So. 2d 901
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 12, 1987
Docket86-CA-471
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 501 So. 2d 901 (Herbert v. City of Kenner) 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
Herbert v. City of Kenner, 501 So. 2d 901 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

501 So.2d 901 (1987)

John F. HERBERT, Jr. and State Farm Fire and Casualty Company
v.
CITY OF KENNER.

No. 86-CA-471.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

January 12, 1987.

*902 Marianne S. Pensa, Blue, Williams & Buckley, Metairie, for third party plaintiffs-appellants.

Edward J. Womac, Jr., Berrigan, Danielson, Litchfield, Olsen & Schonekas, New Orleans, for third party defendant-appellee.

Before GRISBAUM, DUFRESNE and GOTHARD, JJ.

GRISBAUM, Judge.

This appeal deals with the liability of landowners whose property is used primarily for recreational purposes. The defendants-third party plaintiffs, John F. Herbert, Jr. and State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, appeal the granting of summary judgment in favor of the third party defendant, the City of Kenner. We set aside, amend, and affirm.

We are called upon to determine one principal issue:

Whether the trial court erred in (apparently) finding that our statutory law in La.R.S. 9:2795 grants immunity to landowners who have made their land available for certain recreational purposes absent willful or malicious action.

FACTS

On May 17, 1984, minors Joseph John Raffo, Corey Salathe, and John Herbert III were playing on a mud pile in the Susan Park Playground in Kenner, Louisiana. While the boys were throwing chunks of mud at one another, Joseph Raffo was hit in the eye, causing permanent injury to his sight and head. His father, Joseph G. Raffo, filed suit in the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court, alleging the object had been thrown by the Herbert child. Named as defendants were John F. Herbert, Jr. and State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, Herbert's personal liability carrier. Herbert and State Farm answered and filed a third party demand against the City of Kenner as the municipal corporation which owned and was responsible for the maintenance of the playground. Thereafter, the City of Kenner moved for summary judgment, which was granted on April 11, 1986.

ANALYSIS

Initially, we note the record does not contain any reasons for judgment; accordingly, we are not privy to the legal basis which triggered the trial court's granting the motion for summary judgment on behalf of the City of Kenner. Appreciating this adversity, we look to our statutory law in La.C.C.P. art. 966, which, in pertinent part, states:

The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact, and that mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Under Louisiana's fact-pleading rules, La.C.C.P. arts. 854 and 891, issues of fact naturally become apparent on the face of the pleadings. Starting with the petition and going through the answer to the third party demand, we find mostly general denials in the defendants' answer, as well as in the third party defendant's answer. Obviously, issues of fact exist when factual allegations are denied. A further examination of the record reveals that several depositions have been taken in connection with this litigation; however, none were submitted with the motion. The record contains no supporting depositions, affidavits, and only one set of interrogatories and answers or admissions. The answers to the interrogatories do not shed much light on those facts pleaded and denied in the petitions. Although the memoranda submitted in support of the motion recounts events which took place at the playground, it is not to be considered under La.C.C.P. art. 966 as a document to support a summary *903 judgment. Accordingly, based on the general denials made, we can only conclude that genuine issues of material fact do exist. Therefore, summary judgment is not an available remedy.

Although we determine there is a genuine issue as to material fact, we must further decide whether, as a matter of law, the trial court erred in entering summary judgment, apparently finding that La.R.S. 9:2795 granted immunity to the City of Kenner under the facts presented. La.R.S. 9:2795, which limits liability of landowners whose property is used primarily for recreational purposes, states:

A. As used in this Section:
(1) "Land" means land, roads, water, watercourses, private ways and buildings, structures, and machinery or equipment when attached to the realty.
(2) "Owner" means the possessor of a fee interest, a tenant, lessee, occupant or person in control of the premises.
(3) "Recreational purposes" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following, or any combination thereof: hunting, fishing, trapping, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, bicycle riding, motorized vehicle operation for recreation purposes, nature study, water skiing, ice skating, sledding, snow mobiling, snow skiing, summer and winter sports, and viewing or enjoying historical, archaeological, scenic, or scientific sites.
(4) "Charge" means the admission price or fee asked in return for permission to use lands.
(5) "Person" means individuals regardless of age.
B. Except for willful or malicious failure to warn against a dangerous condition, use, structure, or activity, an owner of land, except an owner of commercial recreational developments or facilities, who permits with or without charge any person to use his land for recreational purposes as herein defined does not thereby:
(1) Extend any assurance that the premises are safe for any purposes.
Note 2
(2) Constitute such person the legal status of an invitee or licensee to whom a duty of care is owed.
(3) Incur liability for any injury to person or property incurred by such person.
C. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the provisions of Subsection B shall be deemed applicable to the duties and liability of an owner of land leased for recreational purposes to the federal government or any state or political subdivision thereof or private persons.
D. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to relieve any person using the land of another for recreational purposes from any obligation which he may have in the absence of this Act to exercise care in his use of such land and in his activities thereon, or from the legal consequences of failure to employ such care. Acts 1975, No. 615, §§ 2 to 5.

Preliminarily, it is undisputed that the City of Kenner did not act willfully or maliciously and that the playground was not operated on a commercial basis. See McCain v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 592 F.Supp. 1 (W.D.La.1983). Also, jurisprudence in this state is well-settled that the term "owner" includes governmental entities, such as the City of Kenner. Rodrigue v. Firemen's Fund Ins. Co., 449 So.2d 1042 (La.App. 5th Cir.1984); Pratt v. State of La., 408 So.2d 336 (La.App. 3d Cir.1981), writ denied, 412 So.2d 1098 (La. 1982).

This Circuit, in Rodrigue v. Firemen's Fund Ins. Co., supra at 1043, quoting Pratt v. State of La., supra, stated, "`By its terms, the grant of immunity is made to any landowner who has made his land available for certain recreational purposes. The State, for purposes of this statute, stands in the same position as any other private litigant.' (Underlining supplied.)" We specifically note that in Rodrigue, supra

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