Koonce v. Dousay

952 So. 2d 893, 2007 WL 675994
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 7, 2007
Docket06-1498
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 952 So. 2d 893 (Koonce v. Dousay) 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
Koonce v. Dousay, 952 So. 2d 893, 2007 WL 675994 (La. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

952 So.2d 893 (2007)

Donnie KOONCE, d/b/a K Krane
v.
Kemp DOUSAY.

No. 06-1498.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 7, 2007.

*894 Nathan A. Cormie, Lake Charles, LA, for Defendant/Appellee, Kemp Dousay.

Yul D. Lorio, Shaun S. Gill, Blaine A. Doucet, Doucet Lorio, L.L.C., Lake Charles, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellant, Donnie Koonce, d/b/a K Krane.

Court composed of JIMMIE C. PETERS, MARC T. AMY, and ELIZABETH A. PICKETT, Judges.

AMY, Judge.

The plaintiff appeals the trial court's granting of the defendant's motion for involuntary dismissal. For the following reasons, we affirm.

Factual and Procedural Background

The record indicates that the plaintiff, Donnie Koonce (Koonce) d/b/a K Krane, and the defendant, Kemp Dousay (Dousay), entered into an agreement whereby Dousay would lease a 1994 Ford LNT8000 Truck and a 990 National Crane at $1,500.00 per month for sixty months from Koonce. According to Koonce, the terms of the lease agreement required that Dousay provide adequate insurance on both the truck and the crane, list Koonce as an "added insured[,]" and that the equipment be domiciled at the address given in the lease agreement.

On October 28, 2005, Koonce's attorney sent Dousay a letter terminating the lease agreement due to Dousay's alleged default in not providing adequate insurance coverage for the full insurable value of the equipment and in not keeping the equipment domiciled at the named address.[1] According to this letter, which was entered into evidence, Koonce, citing the Louisiana Lease of Movables Act, demanded the return of the truck and equipment within five days of receipt of the letter or legal proceedings would be instituted.

Dousay's attorney sent correspondence to Koonce's attorney, denying all of Koonce's allegations and informing Koonce that he would "not be surrendering the machinery as demanded." On April 4, 2006, Koonce filed pleadings[2] requesting *895 that the lease be terminated and the property returned to him. In his pleadings, Koonce alleged that "Dousay is in default of the Lease Agreement for numerous reasons including: (i) failure to maintain an adequate amount of insurance to cover the Vehicle and (ii) failure to act as a prudent administrator." A hearing was held on June 27, 2006. At the close of Koonce's case, Dousay moved for involuntary dismissal, asserting that Koonce did not prove that he "failed to carry out his responsibilities under the lease/purchase agreement." The trial court granted the motion. Koonce now appeals, raising the following issues:

1. Was the trial court correct in finding Dousay in substantial compliance and ignoring the Lease of Movables Act for failing to maintain adequate insurance up to the amount of the lease-purchase agreement and should the lease-purchase agreement be construed against the drafter?
2. Was the trial court correct in finding K Krane had not met the burden of proof in establishing a prima facie case for termination of the lease-purchase agreement under the Lease of Movables Act?

Discussion

Adequate Insurance

Koonce argues that Dousay "was in default for not maintaining adequate insurance coverage to [his] satisfaction as required in the lease-purchase agreement." He asserts that the "total value of payments" under the lease was $90,000.00; however, Dousay only insured the truck for $50,000.00. According to Koonce, the crane was not insured and this coupled with the amount of insurance coverage, violated La.R.S. 9:3333.[3]

Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 1672(B) provides:

In an action tried by the court without a jury, after the plaintiff has completed the presentation of his evidence, any party, without waiving his right to offer evidence in the event the motion is not granted, may move for a dismissal of the action as to him on the ground that upon the facts and law, the plaintiff has shown no right to relief. The court may then determine the facts and render judgment against the plaintiff and in favor of the moving party or may decline to render any judgment until the close of all the evidence.

"The trial court is granted much discretion in determining whether to grant an involuntary dismissal." Boone v. Reese, 04-979, p. 5 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/8/04), 889 So.2d 435, 438 (citing Kite v. Carter, 03-378 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/1/03), 856 So.2d 1271). If after considering and weighing the plaintiff's evidence, the trial court determines that the plaintiff has not met his *896 burden of proof, it must dismiss the plaintiff's case. Gauthier v. City of New Iberia, 06-341 (La.App. 3 Cir. 9/27/06), 940 So.2d 915. "The trial court's grant of an involuntary dismissal is subject to the well-settled manifest error standard of review." Id. at 918.

In granting the motion for involuntary dismissal, the trial court stated:

Now, there's not much alleged in this—petition here, as I said, two things: One, failure to maintain an adequate amount of insurance to cover the—the vehicle . . . and, two, failure to act as a prudent administrator. Well, I never knew that a lessee like this could be regarded as a prudent administrator. I can see why you say in there that he has to maintain the—the machinery in good repair or something like that, but so forget about this number two, then it's almost meaningless.
I was concerned about the failure to maintain an adequate amount of insurance to cover the vehicle.
Now, it would have been simple enough to have changed the contract to say, "It is the responsibility of the lessee to maintain property insurance in the sum of not less than $100,000, let's say, less whatever—less whatever is paid or will have been paid by the lease installments," and it would have been simply enough to say that—well, there was provided [sic] adequate liability insurance.
I don't believe there's any issue about that. I think the real issue is whether the crane was covered and so—what I'm ruling is that there was substantial compliance on the part of the lessee in this, and it's manifested, too, by the—by being paid up to date under the lease.
There will be judgment for the—for the defendant.
The sections of the lease agreement that are relevant to our discussion are:
4. LESSEE assumes all risk and liability for and agrees to indemnify, save and hold LESSOR harmless from all claims and liens of all loss and damage to the machinery and all loss, damage, claims, penalties, liability and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, howsoever arising or incurred because of the machinery or the storage, use of operation thereof. LESSEE at its own expense shall carry adequate liability insurance with respect to use, operation and possession of the machinery against bodily injury and against property damage.
5. LESSEE, at its own expense, will provide during the term of this lease, before any equipment covered by this lease is used, such insurance of the type and in an amount satisfactory to LESSOR as is necessary for and against any liability or loss for injury or death to any person or persons or for any damage to property resulting from or arising out of the use, possession or operation by LESSEE of any equipment hereby leased. LESSEE shall keep the equipment insured at its full insurable value against loss or damage to it resulting from all risk or physical damage.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
952 So. 2d 893, 2007 WL 675994, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koonce-v-dousay-lactapp-2007.