Holmgard v. First Nat. Bank of Commerce

687 So. 2d 583, 1997 WL 14831
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 15, 1997
Docket96-CA-0853
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 687 So. 2d 583 (Holmgard v. First Nat. Bank of Commerce) 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
Holmgard v. First Nat. Bank of Commerce, 687 So. 2d 583, 1997 WL 14831 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

687 So.2d 583 (1997)

Poul HOLMGARD, Individually and on Behalf of Evb Eurovest Benelux,
v.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE.

No. 96-CA-0853.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

January 15, 1997.

*584 Ryan & Serou, L.C., Gordon P. Serou, John H. Ryan, New Orleans, for Plaintiff/Appellant.

Sessions & Fishman, L.L.P., Sally A. Shushan, John W. Hite, III, Brian D. Roth, New Orleans, for Defendant/Appellee.

Before BYRNES, ARMSTRONG and JONES, JJ.

JONES, Judge.

Appellants Poul Holmgard and EVB Eurovest Benelux (Holmgard) appeal a judgment of the trial court granting exceptions of no cause of action and prescription filed by Appellee, First National Bank of Commerce(FNBC).

The facts as alleged in Holmgard's petition filed in the district court are as follows: Poul Holmgard, a citizen of Denmark, instituted this action on his own behalf and on behalf of EVB Eurovest Benelux, an investor group composed of citizens of Denmark. In its petition for damages, Holmgard sought damages, interest and attorneys' fees from FNBC for losses allegedly suffered because of the handling of a bank deposit of $199,985 ($200,000 less an apparent processing fee of $15.00).

Holmgard alleged that on October 23, 1992, it issued a facsimile transmission to FNBC advising FNBC that it had instructed its bank in Denmark to transfer $200,000.00 to FNBC for placement in a custodial account for Rhodes Management, Inc. (Rhodes). Holmgard advised FNBC that the money was to be deposited to a "custodial account for Rhodes Management, Inc. as *585 specified in the appendix to this letter."[1] The appendix contained a statement informing the Bank that the funds were to be employed exclusively to capitalize a debenture trading account identified by Phoenix Trust as Trading Account No. 33.28.1060. According to Holmgard, FNBC acknowledged receipt of the transfer of funds. Holmgard further alleged that Rhodes "withdrew the funds with the cooperation of FNBC and in violation of the written contract of deposit between FNBC and plaintiffs." When Holmgard subsequently requested an accounting, and later requested the return of the "deposit with FNBC", FNBC failed to respond to the request. On October 11, 1995, Holmgard instituted the current litigation by filing a petition for damages alleging that FNBC, as a depositary bank, owed a duty to preserve and safeguard its deposit in accordance with the provisions of La. C.C. arts. 2937 et seq. Holmgard alleged that, having allegedly violated its duty by allowing Rhodes to withdraw the funds from the custodial account, FNBC was liable for Holmgard's damages.

In response to Holmgard's petition, FNBC filed peremptory exceptions of no cause of action and prescription. In its exceptions FNBC argued 1) the laws of deposit are not applicable to this transaction, 2) FNBC had no fiduciary duty to Holmgard, and 3) FNBC had no authority to restrict Rhodes' withdrawals from Rhodes's account with FNBC. For these reasons, FNBC argued that Holmgard's petition failed to state a cause of action against FNBC. Additionally FNBC argued any alleged claim arising out of the transaction was for tort, not contract, and the prescriptive period for bringing the action was one year.

Holmgard filed a motion for partial summary judgment on the issue of whether Holmgard had a contract of deposit with FNBC and was entitled to return of its deposit. The trial court granted FNBC's exceptions and dismissed all claims asserted by Holmgard with prejudice. The trial court did not rule on Holmgard's motion for summary judgment.

DISCUSSION AND LAW

On appeal, Holmgard urges three assignments of error. First, Holmgard argues the trial court erred in granting FNBC's exception of no cause of action. Next, Holmgard argues the trial court erred in granting FNBC's exception of prescription. Finally, Holmgard argues the trial court erred in failing to grant its motion for summary judgment on the issue of whether a contract existed between Holmgard and FNBC. For the reasons discussed herein, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Holmgard's argument that the trial court erred in granting FNBC's exception of no cause of action has no merit.

In determining whether the allegations of a petition are sufficient to withstand an exception of no cause of action, the Court is required to accept as true all factual allegations of the petition. However, the Court is not required to accept conclusions of law. Guaranty Corp. v. Gamble, 608 So.2d 214, 215 (La.App. 4th Cir.1992), writ denied, 614 So.2d 80 (La.1993). The documents attached to Holmgard's petition speak for themselves. Consequently, the factual allegations of this case are not in dispute. The only thing at issue in this case is the legal significance to be given to the facts.

Holmgard's argument that FNBC breached a fiduciary duty to safeguard the money deposited to Rhodes' account is based primarily upon its belief that Louisiana's laws on deposit apply to this case.

The obligations of a depositary are set forth in La. C.C. art. 2926 et seq. La. C.C. art. 2926 defines deposit as, "an act by which a person receives the property of another, binding himself to preserve it and return it in kind." La. C.C. art. 2944 provides:

The depositary ought to restore the precise object which he received.
*586 Thus a deposit of coined money must be restored in the same specie in which it was made, whether it has sustained an increase or diminution of value.

The language of these articles evidence an intent to limit a depositary's obligation to receive the item and return the identical item which was delivered for safekeeping. Generally speaking, the depositary articles have been held applicable to a custodial or safekeeping relationship and has been applied to circumstances involving missing, stolen, damaged or destroyed merchandise, deposits at dry cleaners, parking lots and garages and stolen or damaged automobiles. See Rubin, M.H., "Bailment and Deposit in Louisiana," 35 La. L.Rev. 825, 845-850 (1975).

Holmgard relies extensively upon dicta in City Nat. Bank of Baton Rouge v. Louisiana Sav. Bank & Trust Co., 216 La. 262, 43 So.2d 602 (1949) to support his contention that a deposit of money in a bank account can be considered an irregular deposit. However, see Miller v. Bank of New Orleans, 426 So.2d 1382, 1383 (La.App. 4th Cir.1983) for the view that where a deposit in a bank account does not involve the restoration of the identical object tendered, the Louisiana Civil Code Articles governing contracts of deposit are not applicable. Rather such transactions create a debtor creditor relationship. In Miller v. Bank of New Orleans and Trust Company, id. at 1383, this court stated:

It is well recognized that a bank deposit creates a creditor-debtor relationship. The articles dealing with deposits are not applicable because a bank deposit does not involve the restoration of the identical object tendered. Gumbel v. Abrams, 20 La. Ann. 568 (1868), Tenark Construction Corporation v. Great American Mortgage Investor [Investors], 431 F.Supp. 863 (W.D.La.1977).
Furthermore, an essential condition of a deposit is that the thing deposited can be identified. In Re Louisiana Savings Bank and Safe Deposit Co., 40 La.Ann. 514, 4 So. 301 (1888).

Id. at 1383.

Also, see Tenark Const. Corp. v. Great American Mortg. Investors, 431 F.Supp. 863 (W.D.La., 1977), affirmed,

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