High Plains Fuel v. Carto Intern. Trading

640 So. 2d 609, 1994 WL 195644
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 20, 1994
Docket93 CA 1275
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 640 So. 2d 609 (High Plains Fuel v. Carto Intern. Trading) 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
High Plains Fuel v. Carto Intern. Trading, 640 So. 2d 609, 1994 WL 195644 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

640 So.2d 609 (1994)

HIGH PLAINS FUEL CORPORATION, et al.
v.
CARTO INTERNATIONAL TRADING, INC., et al.
LOUISIANA CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT CO., INC.
v.
CARTO INTERNATIONAL TRADING, INC., et al.

No. 93 CA 1275.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 20, 1994.
Rehearing Denied August 17, 1994.

*610 Daniel J. McGlynn, Baton Rouge, for appellees, High Plains Fuel Corp., Louisiana Chemical Equipment Corp., and Joe Maas Intern., Inc.

Keith R.J. Comeaux, Michael Lopresto, New Iberia, for appellant, Michael D. Lopresto.

*611 Before CARTER, GONZALES and WHIPPLE, JJ.

GONZALES, Judge.

In this appeal of two consolidated cases, defendant, Michael D. Lopresto, appeals a judgment granting injunctive relief in favor of plaintiffs, High Plains Fuel Corporation, Joe Maas International, Inc., and Louisiana Chemical Equipment Corporation, and against defendants, Carto International Trading, Inc., Carlos R. Toca, Jr., and Michael D. Lopresto.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In 1987, Carto International Trading, Inc. (Carto) was the owner of certain immovable property in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, known as the Smithfield Sugar Mill Plantation. On May 19, 1987, Carto (Carto), through its president, Carlos R. Toca, Jr. (Toca), entered into a contract of employment with Michael D. Lopresto (Lopresto), an attorney, whereby Lopresto was to represent Carto in pursuit of its breach of lease claim against Agrifuels, Inc. d/b/a Smithfield Fuels (Agrifuels), a lessee who had constructed an ethanol plant at the Smithfield Sugar Mill Plantation, and thereafter had defaulted in some manner under the lease. In the employment contract, Carto (1) granted to Lopresto a lien and privilege on any amount or property recovered, to secure Lopresto's fee, (2) agreed to pay Lopresto a contingent fee of 331/3% of any money or property recovered, and (3) granted to Lopresto an undivided 331/3% in any money or property recovered by Carto.[1] This employment contract was recorded in the mortgage and conveyance records of West Baton Rouge Parish on January 14, 1988.

On December 17, 1987, judgment was rendered in favor of Carto and against Agrifuels in an amount of $38,365.12, plus interest on past due monthly rentals, and $8,000.00 in attorney fees. The judgment also decreed Carto to be the owner of the constructions, buildings, improvements, and equipment located at the sugar mill site. This judgment included a property description of the sugar mill site, where the ethanol plant had been constructed, and was recorded in the mortgage and conveyance records of West Baton Rouge Parish sometime after recordation of Lopresto's employment contract.

On March 24, 1992, Carto executed an "Agreement for Sale of Personal and Chattel Property by Auction" with plaintiff, Joe Maas, International, Inc. (Maas), an auctioneer, to sell the equipment inventory of the ethanol plant. The executed contract was sent to Maas by Toca, on behalf of Carto, with a cover letter which stated that the contract was enclosed as well as a check for $10,500.00 to cover advertising fees. The letter also contained a notation that a carbon copy of the correspondence was being sent to Lopresto.

The auction of the ethanol production equipment was held on May 28, 1992. Within twenty four hours after the auction, Lopresto contacted Joe Maas, president of Maas and the person who conducted the auction, told Mr. Maas that he had a 331/3% ownership interest in the equipment that had been sold at the auction, and wanted to know how Maas "was going to deal with it." Although he knew beforehand that the auction was going to be held, this was the first time that Lopresto advised Maas of his ownership interest in the equipment.

Plaintiffs, High Plains Fuel Corporation (High Plains) and Louisiana Chemical Equipment *612 Corporation (Louisiana Chemical), both purchased items at the auction. However, these parties were apparently precluded from obtaining the property they purchased due to the protest raised by Lopresto regarding his ownership interest. On July 7, 1992, High Plains and Maas filed a "Rule for Preliminary and Permanent Injunction or, in the Alternative, for Writ of Sequestration" in the Eighteenth Judicial District Court, Parish of West Baton Rouge, against Carto, Toca, and Lopresto, seeking, among other relief, a temporary restraining order (TRO), enjoining the defendants from preventing High Plains' access to the sugar mill site in order to remove the equipment it had purchased at the auction. On October 7, 1992, a similar suit was filed by Louisiana Chemical against the same defendants and seeking the same relief sought by High Plains and Maas.

After TROs were issued in each of the suits,[2] various motions were filed by the parties, and ultimately, a hearing was held on November 10, 1992.[3] At the hearing, the trial court granted Louisiana Chemical's motion to consolidate its suit with High Plains' suit, denied a motion by plaintiffs to hold the defendants in contempt of court, and denied a motion by defendants to dissolve the TROs. Because plaintiffs had also requested preliminary and permanent injunctions against the defendants, a hearing on the preliminary injunctions was set for January 5, 1993. However, no hearing was held on January 5, 1993, as it was agreed by the parties that the issue of the preliminary injunctions would be submitted on the evidence adduced at the November 10, 1992 hearing. On January 7, 1993, the trial court rendered judgment, granting preliminary and permanent injunctions in favor of plaintiffs in the same form and substance as the TROs previously issued, and dispensing with the continued necessity of security.

Defendants thereafter filed a motion for new trial; although a hearing was set on the motion for new trial, there is no indication in the record that a hearing nor a ruling on the motion was ever made. Lopresto subsequently appealed the judgment granting the preliminary and permanent injunctions, and asserts the following assignments of error:

1. The court erred in granting a preliminary and permanent injunction when there was no hearing thereon.
2. The court erred in not granting the motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order filed by defendants.
3. The court erred in granting the injunction in the following particulars:
a. The court incorrectly classified the property in question as movable, rather than immovable;
b. The court refused to recognize the ownership interest of Lopresto;
c. In the alternative, the court refused to recognize the security interest of Lopresto.
4. The judgment granting the preliminary injunction was contrary to the law of Louisiana in that it did not provide for security.

Lack of Hearing on Preliminary and Permanent Injunctions

In his first assignment of error, Lopresto asserts that the trial court erred in issuing the preliminary and permanent injunctions without first conducting a hearing. With regard to the preliminary injunction, La.C.C.P. art. 3602 provides that "[a] preliminary injunction shall not issue unless notice is given to the adverse party and an opportunity had for a hearing." Although a hearing was set for January 5, 1993, no hearing was actually held prior to the rendition of the January 7, 1993 judgment.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
640 So. 2d 609, 1994 WL 195644, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/high-plains-fuel-v-carto-intern-trading-lactapp-1994.