Kathleen Powell, Jeremy Phillips, Brandi Phillips, Donald Dawson, Barbara Dawson, Michael Montalbano, Evelyn Montalbano, Mitchell Kimball, and Katherine Kimball v. State of Louisiana through the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, and Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

• Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
• Decided: November 29, 2021
• Docket: 2021CW0933
• Status: Unknown

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

KATHLEEN POWELL, JEREMY PHILLIPS, NO. 2021 CW 0933 BRANDI PHILLIPS, DONALD DAWSON, BARBARA DAWSON, MICHAEL MONTALBANO, EVELYN MONTALBANO, MITCHELL KIMBALL, AND KATHERINE KIMBALL

VERSUS

STATE OF LOUISIANA THROUGH THE TERREBONNE LEVEE AND CONSERVATION DISTRICT, TERREBONNE PARISH NOVEMBER 29, 2021 CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT, AND COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AUTHORITY

In Re: Kathleen Powell, Jeremy Phillips, Brandi Phillips, Donald Dawson, Barbara Dawson, Michael Montalbano, Evelyn Montalbano, Mitchell Kimball, Katherine Kimball, and Milton Constrantivitch, applying for

supervisory writs, 32nd Judicial District Court, Parish of Terrebonne, No. 190344.

BEFORE: GUIDRYI HOLDRIDGE, AND CHUTZ, JJ.

WRIT GRANTED. The district court' s July 7, 2021 judgment granting the motion to strike filed by Defendant, Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, is reversed. A court must deny a motion to strike if there is any question of fact or law. Nationstar Mortg., LLC v. Schales, 2018- 439 ( La. App. 3d Cir. 12/ 12/ 18), 261 So. 3d 912, 918, citing Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Niblo, 821 F. Supp. 441 ( N. D. Tex. 1993). Matters involving the interpretation of a statute present a question of law. See Red Stick Studio Dev., L. L. C. v. State ex rel. Dept of Econ. Dev., 2010- 0193 ( La. 1/ 19/ 11), 56 So. 3d 181, 187. A decision as to whether the class action allegations in Plaintiffs' petitions

are appropriate necessarily requires the district court to determine whether the Levee Taking Statute ( La. R. S. 38: 301, et

seq.) applies. Accordingly, the district court abused its discretion in granting Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District' s ' Motion to Strike Class Action Allegations," which is hereby denied.

JMG WRC

Holdridge, J., concurs. Under La. Code Civ. P. art. 592, a

motion for a demand certification for of a class action may be stricken only if the proponent fails to file a timely motion for certification within the delay allowed and only after a

contradictory hearing. A motion to strike is not the proper

procedural pleading in this case where the proponent has not yet answered the petition and the plaintiffs have not filed a motion to certify the class.

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DEPUTY CERK OF COURT FOR THE COURT