Jeffreys v. Mixon

415 So. 2d 332, 1982 La. App. LEXIS 7327
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 10, 1982
DocketNo. 14892
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 415 So. 2d 332 (Jeffreys v. Mixon) 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
Jeffreys v. Mixon, 415 So. 2d 332, 1982 La. App. LEXIS 7327 (La. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

SEXTON, Judge.

The plaintiff in this pedestrian-automobile accident case appeals the trial court’s granting of the defendant’s (Allstate Insurance Company) motion for summary judgment. By granting the defendant’s motion, the trial court found that under the terms of the defendant insured’s policy, the owner of the offending automobile was a resident of the defendant insured’s household and therefore the automobile was not covered by the defendant insured’s policy of insurance and thus, defendant insurer is not liable under its policy. We affirm.

On November 9, 1977, the minor, Loxi Jeffreys, was walking on the sidewalk leading to the entrance of a convenience store located at 8315 Wyngate Street, Shreveport, Louisiana. Before reaching the entrance, Loxi Jeffreys was struck by an automobile that had lurched forward and jumped the curb. Loxi was knocked to the ground and severely injured. The automobile was owned by Donna Waldon and at the time of the accident was being operated with the owner’s permission by Kathryn Mixon, the minor daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Mixon. Also at the time of the accident Donna Waldon, who is Mrs. Mix-on’s daughter and Mr. Mixon’s stepdaughter, was physically living in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mixon. These facts are uncontested.

The contest at the trial level was whether Donna Waldon was a “resident” of the Mix-on “household.” The issue is significant because if Donna is found to be a resident of the Mixon household, no coverage will exist under the terms of the policy of insurance between the defendant insurance company and the defendant insured. However, if Donna is found not to be a resident of the Mixon household, the defendant insurer may be liable under its policy for the accident caused by the insured’s daughter’s operation of a “non-owned” automobile.

Pertinent excerpts from Allstate’s policy of insurance with Mr. Mixon are reproduced as follows:

Section I — Liability Protection
The following persons are insured under this Section
1. The named insured with respect to the owned or non-owned automobile provided the use of such non-owned automobile is with the permission, or reasonably believed to be with the permission, of the owner and is within the scope of such permission;
2. Any resident of the named insured’s household with respect to the owned automobile;
******
Definitions of words used under this Section
1. Persons Insured
(a) “insured” means any person or organization listed as insured in this Section;
[334]*334(b) “named insured” means the individual named in the declarations, and his spouse if a resident of the same household; and
(c) “relative” means a relative of the named insured who is a resident of the same household.
2. Automobiles Covered
(a) “automobile” means a land motor vehicle designed by use principally upon public roads;
(b) “owned automobile” means the vehicle described in the declarations, and, as defined herein, any replacement automobile, any additional automobile, any temporary substitute automobile, and any trailer owned by the named insured; however, this definition shall not apply under any coverage unless a premium is charged for the application of such coverage with respect to such vehicle;
* * ‡ ‡
(f) “non-owned automobile” means an automobile, including a trailer, not owned by, or furnished or available for the regular use of, the named insured or any resident of his household other than a temporary substitute automobile, provided the use thereof is with the permission of the owner;
3. Miscellaneous
******
(e) “residentV or “reside” means, when used with reference to the named insured’s household, bodily presence in such household and an intention to continue to dwell therein. However, the named insured’s unmarried and un-emancipated children, while away from his household attending school or in the military service, are deemed to be residents of his household.

The undisputed facts regarding Donna Waldon’s presence in the Mixon home show that Donna had separated from her second husband after four months of marriage and had moved back into her mother and stepfather’s home, bringing her clothes and belongings with her. It was further revealed that after her separation she could not afford an apartment of her own and had no residence other than with the Mixons. At the time of the accident, Donna had been physically present in the Mixon household for three weeks. Her stay ultimately lasted five months. During the time Donna was physically present in the Mixon home, she shared a bedroom with Kathryn Mixon, she took her evening meals with her mother, stepfather, and stepsister, and she contributed $20.00 per week as “rent.”

The defendant — insurer, Allstate Insurance Company, filed a motion for summary judgment and supporting deposition testimony. Plaintiff filed no opposing affidavits or other opposing evidence. Upon considering the depositions presented and the lack of dispute as to the facts surrounding Donna Waldon’s physical presence in the Mixon home, the trial court granted the defendant’s motion for summary judgment, thus dismissing the plaintiff’s claim. In its “OPINION ON MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT” the trial court stated:

“There is no question as to Donna Wal-don’s physical presence in the Mixon household. Therefore, the final question is whether she had an intention to continue to dwell therein. The court is not faced with the situation where a person has moved into a house and, during the first week of staying in the house, a decision must be made as to whether the person intends to continue to dwell therein.
The facts show that Donna Waldon remained in this house for a period of approximately five months and, coupled with the deposition testimony presented, the court rules that she did intend to continue to dwell in the Mixon household. Neither the policy nor the jurisprudence requires that a person intend to dwell in a particular household for any set period of time before meeting the definition contained in this policy. The court does not at this time establish a five month cutoff, nor does the court say that one day would be sufficient. The court simply rules that based on the facts of this case that there [335]*335was an intention to continue to dwell in the Mixon household.”

The issue on appeal involves the propriety of the use of the summary judgment in this case in which the plaintiff had requested a jury trial. LSA-C.C.P. Arts. 966 and 967, which provide the statutory basis for the application of summary judgment in Louisiana, read as follows:

Art. 966. Motion for summary judgment; procedure
The plaintiff or defendant in the principal or any incidental action, with or without supporting affidavits, may move for a summary judgment in his favor for all or part of the relief for which he has prayed.

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Related

Andrade v. Shiers
516 So. 2d 1192 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
Jeffreys v. Mixon
417 So. 2d 361 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
415 So. 2d 332, 1982 La. App. LEXIS 7327, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jeffreys-v-mixon-lactapp-1982.