In Re Transit Management of Southeast La.

942 So. 2d 595, 2006 WL 3349586
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 20, 2006
Docket2004-CA-0632, 2004-CA-0633
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 942 So. 2d 595 (In Re Transit Management of Southeast La.) 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
In Re Transit Management of Southeast La., 942 So. 2d 595, 2006 WL 3349586 (La. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

942 So.2d 595 (2006)

In re TRANSIT MANAGEMENT OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA, INC.
Stephen Schweitzer and Sandra Miller, Individually, and as the Natural Tutors and Custodians of the Minor Child, Shannon Schweitzer.
v.
Transit Management of Southeast Louisiana, Inc. d/b/a Regional Transit Authority and Michael J. Metoyer.

Nos. 2004-CA-0632, 2004-CA-0633.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

October 20, 2006.
Rehearing Denied November 15, 2006.

Robert G. Harvey, Sr., Law Office of Robert G. Harvey, Sr., APLC, and W. *596 Patrick Klotz, Klotz & Early, New Orleans, LA, for Intervenors.

Brent D. Burley, Burley Law Firm, L.L.C., Gonzales, LA, for Stephen Schweitzer, on Behalf of his Minor Child, Shannon Schweitzer.

Louis C. LaCour, Jr., Adams and Reese LLP, New Orleans, LA, for Appellant, Lexington Insurance Company.

Court composed of Judge CHARLES R. JONES, Judge DENNIS R. BAGNERIS SR., and Judge EDWIN A. LOMBARD.

CHARLES R. JONES, Judge.

We review a second motion to dismiss. This convoluted appeal, has seen countless writ applications and appeals post trial.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE:

Intervenors, W. Patrick Klotz and Robert G. Harvey, Sr. (hereinafter "Intervenors"), are plaintiffs' former counsel who seek the dismissal of defendant Lexington Insurance Company's (hereinafter "Lexington") appeal which is currently pending in this Court. Intervenors, who acted as plaintiffs' trial counsel, originally filed the present motion on behalf of plaintiffs on May 14, 2004. They argued that Lexington's suspensive appeal should be dismissed because this Court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the appeal. Specifically, intervenors argued that the October 13, 2003, judgment from which Lexington took its suspensive appeal had been recast as a result of: 1) this Court's granting of Lexington's writ application seeking the reversal of the trial court's denial of Lexington's motion for new trial, and 2) the rendition of a new final judgment on January 28, 2004. Intervenors further argued that because the October 13, 2003, judgment had been essentially vacated and replaced by the judgment of January 28, 2004, Lexington's motion for suspensive appeal, which was filed in response to the October 13, 2003, judgment, was no longer valid. In other words, intervenors argued that the granting of Lexington's motion for new trial set aside the original judgment and that this Court lacked jurisdiction to hear Lexington's appeal because Lexington failed to file a motion for appeal from the January 28, 2004, judgment. This Court granted the May 14, 2004, motion to dismiss filed by intervenors on behalf of plaintiffs. Therein, we stated, ". . . that the above captioned appeals Nos. 2004-CA-6332 C/W 2004-CA-6333 are hereby DISMISSED for lack of Appellate Jurisdiction". Judge Kirby's concurrence stated that:

"I concur in the majority's dismissal of Appeal No. 2004-CA-6332 C/W 2004-CA-6333 for lack of appellate jurisdiction. Pursuant to this Court's November 18, 2003 order, the trial court on December 3, 2003 granted Lexington Insurance Company's motion for new trial and recast the judgments previously rendered. The trial court subsequently rendered an amended judgment on January 28, 2004. The granting of a new trial sets aside the original judgment. Carrier Leasing Crporation[Corporation] v. Ready-Mix Companies, Inc., 372 So.2d 601 (La.App. 4 Cir.1979). Lexington's November 12, 2003 suspensive appeal is from judgments that are no longer valid."

However, Lexington sought writs of certiorari with the Louisiana Supreme Court who reversed this Court. Specifically, Chief Justice Calogero, writing for the Court, stated: "Writ granted; appeal reinstated; remanded. Because appeals are favored in law, and especially given the unique procedural facts of this case, we reverse the court of appeal's ruling dismissing the relator's appeal and remand for further proceedings." In Re Transit *597 Management of S.E. La., 04-1193 (La.10/29/04), 885 So.2d 570.

Upon remand to this Court, the parties filed briefs in response to Lexington's motion for suspensive appeal. Further, as intervenors note, plaintiffs discharged intervenors as their attorneys of record and hired their present attorney.[1] Intervenors further note that plaintiffs' new attorney removed this matter to Federal Court after placing the minor child, plaintiff Shannon Schweitzer, in bankruptcy. Intervenors assert that the Bankruptcy Court declined jurisdiction over this matter. It is possible that intervenors mean to state that the Bankruptcy Court declined jurisdiction over this appeal because plaintiffs' and Lexington's memoranda in opposition to intervenors' motion to dismiss both assert that Schweitzer is, in some capacity, before the Bankruptcy Court. Moreover, plaintiffs and Lexington also note that they have settled all outstanding claims and that they anticipate the Bankruptcy Court approval of their settlement agreement on October 10, 2006.[2] Furthermore, Lexington also notes that it has requested that this Court remove its appeal from this Court's active docket until the Bankruptcy Court approves the settlement. However, no motion has been filed in this record.

DISCUSSION:

We begin our discussion by reiterating the procedural history post jury verdict as evidenced by the record before this court:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date                                 Action
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 28, 2003     Jury verdict.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 29, 2003     Motion to make jury verdict the judgment of the Court.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 5, 2003   The trial court makes the jury verdict the judgment of the court.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 15, 2003  Lexington files its first motion for judgment notwithstanding the
                    verdict.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 16, 2003  TMSEL and Metoyer file motion for judgment notwithstanding the
                    verdict and alternative motion for new trial.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 16, 2003  RTA files motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and
                    alternative motion for new trial.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 8, 2003     Hearing wherein trial court denied TMSEL's and Metoyer's, RTA's,
                    and Lexington's motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.
                    Trial court grants TMSEL's and Metoyer's motion for new trial so
                    that amended judgment will reflect the jury's verdict. 

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Bluebook (online)
942 So. 2d 595, 2006 WL 3349586, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-transit-management-of-southeast-la-lactapp-2006.