KM, Inc. v. Weil Cleaners, Inc.

185 So. 3d 112, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 13, 2016 WL 154809
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 13, 2016
DocketNo. 50,209-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 185 So. 3d 112 (KM, Inc. v. Weil Cleaners, Inc.) 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
KM, Inc. v. Weil Cleaners, Inc., 185 So. 3d 112, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 13, 2016 WL 154809 (La. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

CALLOWAY, J., Pro Tempore.

I1KM, Inc. (“KM”), is appealing the- lower court judgment dismissing its rule for eviction. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, we affirm. .

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On or about January 24, 2001, KM leased Unit A in a commercial building, known as Claiborne Square Shopping Center, to Weil Cleaners, Inc. (‘Weil”), for a five-year term.1 The monthly rent of $1,001 increased 15% in, 2006, and again in 2011. By August 2014, Weil had paid more than $180,000 in rent to KM.

According to the lease agreement, the monthly rent is due on the first day of the month and Is late after the 10th day of the month. On the 11th day, there is an automatic $25.00 late fee plus an additional $10.00 charge each day after the 10th day Until the monthly amount is paid in full.

Weil experienced water leakage.in its leased space from the inception of the lease. The leakage worsened when KM removed an awning over ■ the west entrance. In July 2014, Weil and KM discussed the water leakage, as well as KM replacing the awning.

On August 22,. 2014, KM initiated an eviction by tacking a 5-day notice to vacate on Weil’s door, for nonpayment of rent. After receiving notice, Weil sent KM a payment, KM subsequently filed a rule for eviction against Weil on September 2, 2014. On September 10, 2014, Weil filed exceptions of no right of action, lack of procedural capacity, lis pendens, and lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Weil later withdrew all of the exceptions, with the exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction, whichJ¿was not considered.

Trial for this matter took place on September 10 and 12, 2014.

Melody Olson, the owner and president of KM since its inception in 1992, testified. Both parties stipulated that she is an authorized representative of KM. Ms. Olson’s position as authorized representative gave her the power to-lease the property. She testified that at the time the eviction proceedings commenced, the monthly rent was late six of the eight months in 2014. In fact, she did not receive the .rent for July 2014 until July 29, 2014. She further testified that as of August 22, 20Í4, Weil owed $1,660.32, which included the rent for August, as well as late fees for the months of July and August. Ms. Olson further testified that on August 26, 2014, she received a certified letter from Weil containing a payment. However, as advised, she did not open it because she had already initiated the eviction process.

Ms. Olson testified that the building at issue was built in 2000,' and that wind [115]*115would often cause water to come into the building from under the door. To prevent the water from coming into the building, she testified that KM caulked around the windows and doors, and cut “the concrete down right at the entrance of the side door.” Ms. Olson testified that about a year after the building was built, she had an awning added to circumvent the problems associated with the rain. However, she further testified that the awning was removed about a year and a half before the instant matter was brought before the court, because it began to rot. Ms. Olson further testified that on August 22, 2014, Mr. Donnie Weil told her that one of the reasons | ahe withheld the rent was because he was trying to “leverage” her into fixing the awning.

Mr, Donnie.Weil, Weil’s owner, president and custodian of records, testified that he withheld the rent to leverage Ms. Olson to fix the property. He further testified that he ’took steps to reduce the damage caused by the water coming in the door, such as hiring AAA Glass to install "a drip rail on the top of the door' to help minimize it. He did not ask Ms. Olson for reimbursement, opting to absorb the expense himself.

Additionally, Mr. Weil testified that at the time of the trial, he had tendered payment in full for all rent and late fees, plus $1,323.82 for the upcoming month’s rent.

Ronald James Ethington, an employee of KM, was qualified as an expert in floor repairs. He testified that he is responsible for construction and repairs of'KM’s property. When asked about water damage inside Weil’s, Mr. Ethington testified that normally when water seeps under the tile, the tile will loosen, thfe glue comes off, and the.tile pops up. He.further testified that he did not observe any loose tiles, and.that he only observed dirt and build-up on the floor.

Kimmie Olson, Ms. Olson’s ex-husband, testified that prior to Mr. Ethington assuming the responsibilities associated with the construction and repairs of KM’s property, he did 95% of the repairs. When asked if he ever witnessed water leaking into Mr. Weil’s suite, he testified:

Every time it rained I was called, not every time, but when a bad rain would come I would get a call. We actually bought a portable vacuum — a smaller one. I would go out there and have to vacuum the water off of the floors that came in from the |4windows.

Disagreeing with Mr. Éthington’s testimony, Mr. Olson further testified that prior to the awning removal, water seeped in through the windows in the building. After the awning was removed, water began to enter into the building through the front door. Mr. Olson testified that the awning was removed for safety reasons, and the front door under the awning was not a “weather door.” He attempted to put “stuff” under the door to prevent the water from coming inside, and he vacuumed gallons of water off the floor.

Mr. Weil was recalled to the stand and tendered as an expert in the field of. water damage and restoration of residential and commercial buildings. He admitted that dirt may have been part of the content on the tile, but water entering the building through the slab underneath, the tile also altered the condition of the floor tile. He also further explained his reasons for withholding his rent payments:

Now though, for the past few months as a business owner, and out of my concern — the water that gets in the.building — a customer will come in and slip. According to the lease, I am liable for that. Even though I do not feel that the water intrusion is my responsibility and [116]*116■liability or that it is my responsibility to keep it fixed. I made many requests to have it taken care of and suites two, three, and four — a carpenter shored those up so they wouldn’t collapse. Mine was never shored up. So, a lot of times I would call Ms. Olson and leave.a message and wouldn’t get a returned call or a response via text. So, in July I decided to delay the payment of the rent and thinking that she is going to call me and ask why the rent has been delayed. I received no phone call. We had no conversation as to why the rent was delayed. We did have some text communication that sounded positive .and she was going to call Linda at Monroe Tent and Awning and have an'awning put up. I said,, “Great, this is going to happen.” So, I mailed the check. In August, I sent some texts requesting dates as to when this was going to happen. I didn’t send the August check thinking that I would get a response as to when this would happen. So, |fishe reassured me that she was going to take care of the problem and that she was going to put a new awning. All this is required is just a canvas awning as you see on suite two. That is all I ask, for an awning that will cover the front door and the windows. I believe it would minimize the water leakage. I don’t think it would eliminate it, but the amount of water that comes-it is a great concern. So, I mailed the August check.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 So. 3d 112, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 13, 2016 WL 154809, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/km-inc-v-weil-cleaners-inc-lactapp-2016.