Katz v. Saruessen

476 So. 2d 16, 1985 La. App. LEXIS 9796
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 16, 1985
DocketNo. 84-CA-132
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 476 So. 2d 16 (Katz v. Saruessen) 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
Katz v. Saruessen, 476 So. 2d 16, 1985 La. App. LEXIS 9796 (La. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

GAUDIN, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the 24th Judicial District Court dismissing claims filed by Samuel Katz. The trial judge (1) granted a motion for summary judgment dismissing one defendant, Herman J. Salzer, and (2) maintained an exception of no right of action, dismissing another defendant, Allen Samuels, Inc.

Also, the trial judge would not permit the filing of a petition of intervention on behalf of the Succession of Julius Katz.

For the following reasons, we set aside the motion for summary judgment and the' denial of the intervention. We affirm the maintaining of the exception of no right of action, but we remand to the district court for an order allowing the filing of a supplemental and amended petition within a designated time.

The original petition in this proceeding was filed on April 28,1977 by Samuel Katz, alleging breach of a contract to sell certain real estate in Shrewsbury Subdivision, Jefferson Parish. The agreement to buy was signed by Julius Katz, Samuel’s brother. Paragraph VIII of Samuel Katz’s pleading reads:

“By Act of Assignment, Freda Dorothy Silverman Katz, wife of Julius Katz and duly appointed executrix of the Succession of Julius Katz ... has assigned to Samuel Katz all rights held by Julius Katz under the Agreement to Purchase or Sell dated December 3, 1971.”

The petition asks for specific performance or, in the alternative, for return of the $6,000.00 deposit plus an equal sum as a penalty, and for attorney fees, etc. Among the five named defendants were Mr. Salzer and Allen Samuels, Inc.

[17]*17After various delays and following the filing of numerous pleadings by the different parties, Allen Samuels, Inc. filed an exception of no right of action on February 4, 1983, alleging that Samuel Katz was “... not a party to nor legally entitled to pursue the rights of the contract ...”

On November 14, 1983, Mr. Salzer, who had previously answered the petition, filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting in a sworn affidavit attached to the motion that Julius Katz, prior to his death on March 15, 1972, had not transferred or assigned to Samuel Katz any rights he had in the subject sales contract.

Subsequent to the filing of the exception by Allen Samuels, Inc. and the motion for summary judgment by Mr. Salzer, the Succession of Julius Katz, through its executrix, filed a petition of intervention. In this pleading, the executrix stated that Julius Katz had verbally assigned his contract rights to Samuel Katz, as was a common practice between them. Alternatively, the executrix said that the Succession of Julius Katz had assigned these rights to Samuel Katz. The trial court ordered the executrix to show cause why she should be permitted to file the intervention, and this hearing was scheduled for December 16, 1983, along with the exception of Allen Samuels, Inc. and Mr. Salzer’s motion for summary judgment.

On December 22, 1983, the trial judge maintained the exception, granted the motion for summary judgment and denied the succession executrix permission to file the intervention.

On appeal, Samuel Katz raises these issues:

(1) Whether evidence permitted in the motion for summary judgment filed by Mr. Salzer is also evidence under LSA-C.C.P. art. 931 for the purposes of the exception of no right of action filed by Allen Sam-uels, Inc.,

(2) Whether the trial judge should have allowed an amended petition after maintaining the exception,

(3) Whether summary judgment was appropriate and

(4) Whether the trial judge abused his discretion in refusing to allow the succession’s intervention.

Although the trial judge did not assign reasons for the December 22, 1983 judgment, he likely agreed with the allegations of the exception and the motion for summary judgment, i.e., Julius Katz had not assigned any contract rights to Samuel Katz prior to Julius’ death in March, 1972, and prior to the filing of the instant suit on April 28, 1977, or else he (the trial judge) felt that the assignment of an incorporeal right was defective if not in writing. Although the petition, in its final paragraph, does say that the executrix of Julius Katz’s succession has assigned sales contract rights to Samuel Katz, the petition does not say that Julius Katz’s interests had been assigned to Samuel Katz before Julius’ death. The petition does state that the property in question was to be sold .. to the purchaser represented by Julius Katz ...” and that “... Julius Katz and/or his authorized representative was and continues to be prepared to take title to said property.”

The petition likewise does not say that the executrix had court approval to assign any of Julius Katz’s rights to Samuel Katz, a requirement of LSA-C.C.P. art. 3261 if any succession property is to be sold. Here, there is no indication that Julius Katz actually sold (for a consideration) any incorporeal right he had regarding the Shrewsbury Subdivision real property.

In any event, we will hereinafter discuss, in order, the motion for summary judgment of Mr. Salzer, the exception of no right of action filed by Allen Samuels, Inc. and, finally, the intervention by the succession representative.

Attached to the motion for summary judgment is an affidavit executed by Mr. Salzer. The affidavit says:

“(1) At the time that the agreement of December 3, 1971 was signed by the late Julius Katz and affiant, Herman J. Sal-zer, Julius Katz held a certificate that [18]*18authorized him to practice law within the State of Louisiana; and he was so qualified until the date of his death on March 15, 1972.
“(2) At the time that Julius Katz entered into the agreement of December 3, 1971, there was pending before this Court Suit No: 118-467 that involved the title to the real estate that is the subject of the agreement of December 3, 1971 and the said suit was not terminated until May 1, 1972.
“(3) Prior to the death of Julius Katz on March 15, 1972, he did not transfer or assign to Samuel I. Katz the said agreement of December 3, 1971 or any rights or interest that he may have had therein.
“(4) Following the death of Julius Katz on March 15, 1972, there was no transfer or assignment, in writing, of the agreement of December 3, 1971 or of any rights under or interests in the said agreement, to Samuel I. Katz or otherwise.
“(5) The last contractual performance date under the agreement dated December 3, 1971, was February 15, 1972; and nothing was ever done by either the late Julius Katz or by Samuel I. Katz or by anyone on behalf of either to place Herman J. Salzer in default under the said agreement of December 3, 1971.
“(6) Samuel I. Katz never had a written agreement from Herman J. Salzer, defendant, to purchase the property that is covered by the agreement dated December 3, 1971.”

In opposition to this motion, Samuel Katz filed a counter affidavit. It states:

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Bluebook (online)
476 So. 2d 16, 1985 La. App. LEXIS 9796, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/katz-v-saruessen-lactapp-1985.