La Industries for Disabled, Inc. v. Premier Bank National Association

807 So. 2d 1190, 47 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 621, 2000 La.App. 1 Cir. 2946, 2002 La. App. LEXIS 212, 2002 WL 228063
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 15, 2002
Docket2000 CA 2946
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 807 So. 2d 1190 (La Industries for Disabled, Inc. v. Premier Bank National Association) 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
La Industries for Disabled, Inc. v. Premier Bank National Association, 807 So. 2d 1190, 47 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 621, 2000 La.App. 1 Cir. 2946, 2002 La. App. LEXIS 212, 2002 WL 228063 (La. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

807 So.2d 1190 (2002)

LOUISIANA INDUSTRIES FOR THE DISABLED, INC.
v.
PREMIER BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

No. 2000 CA 2946.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

February 15, 2002.

*1191 Kathryn Wyble, Baton Rouge, for Plaintiff-Appellant Louisiana Industries for the Disabled, Inc.

Amy Groves Lowe, Baton Rouge, for Defendant-Appellee Premier Bank, National Association.

Before: FOIL and PETTIGREW, JJ., and KLINE,[1] J. Pro Tem.

PETTIGREW, J.

In this action, plaintiff non-profit group seeks to recover from defendant bank amounts of seven checks that were deposited into said bank through alleged fraudulent indorsements.

*1192 FACTS

Louisiana Industries for the Disabled, Inc. ("LIFTD") is a non-profit organization organized under the laws of the State of Louisiana. LIFTD provides services such as skills evaluation, job development, and educational programs to disabled citizens. In April of 1990, LIFTD leased computers, printers, monitors, and software from Community Training Management and Evaluation.[2] There is evidence within the record to indicate that Community Training Management and Evaluation is also known as Community Management & Training Systems, Inc. (MTS). Inexplicably, at some point, LIFTD began forwarding its monthly lease payments of $3,390.00 to Management Training Systems, Inc. ("Management Training"). Through checks drawn on its account at Hibernia National Bank ("Hibernia"), LIFTD made its payments payable to "MTS, Inc." at 8221 Summa Avenue, Suite "E", Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In late January of 1994, Management Training notified LIFTD that it had not received a lease payment since September 1993. In February 1994, LIFTD responded that it had forwarded rental checks each month, which had subsequently been negotiated and returned. Management Training advised LIFTD in March 1994 that despite a thorough search, it had no record of any lease payments by LIFTD beginning in October 1993.

In April 1994, LIFTD mailed its lease payment made payable to "MTS, Inc." to Management Training's new address of 8130 Summa Avenue. LIFTD traced this check in an attempt to discover how the previous six checks had been negotiated. Upon receipt of the April lease check following negotiation, LIFTD contacted defendant, Premier Bank, National Association ("Premier")(presently, "Bank One, Louisiana, National Association"), which maintained the account into which the check had been deposited.

Further investigation revealed that all of the checks had been indorsed "MTS to Scene Media Group `For Deposit Only'" and deposited into the same account at Premier. The initial check, dated 10/14/93, reflected a deposit date of 10/19/93, and bore the indorsement,

MTS

Medical Transcription Services to SCENE Media Group, LTD. [account number] For Deposit only

It was also learned that the owner of the account, an individual named Eugene Hickman, had previously advised Premier employees that he operated several companies under an "umbrella company", Scene Media Group. Accordingly, Mr. Hickman was permitted to deposit checks made out to his other corporations into his Scene Media Group account at Premier. In sum, seven checks issued by LIFTD totaling $27,120.00 were deposited into Mr. Hickman's account at Premier.[3] Mr. Hickman later pleaded guilty and was subsequently ordered to pay restitution to LIFTD in the *1193 sum of $27,120.00. Of this sum, LIFTD has received payments totaling $1,556.00.

LIFTD instituted the instant action against Premier and alleged that Premier, as the collecting bank on the checks at issue, breached its transfer warranty and failed to insure that all signatures on the checks were authentic and authorized. In support of this contention, LIFTD cites and relies upon La. R.S. 10:4-205, and claims Premier is liable to LIFTD for damages equivalent to the amount of its loss together with interest and expenses.

ACTION OF THE TRIAL COURT

Both parties filed motions for summary judgment. Following a hearing held on November 6, 2000, the district court denied the summary judgment motion filed by LIFTD, and granted the motion for summary judgment filed on behalf of Premier. From this judgment, LIFTD has appealed.

SPECIFICATION OF ERRORS

In connection with its appeal in this matter, LIFTD has assigned the following errors:

1. The District Court erred in granting the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by defendant, Bank One, the successor in interest to Premier Bank dismissing [LIFTD's] claims.
2. The District Court erred in denying the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the plaintiff, Louisiana Industries for the Disabled, Inc.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

A motion for summary judgment is a procedural device used to avoid a full-scale trial when there is no genuine factual dispute. Sanders v. Ashland Oil, Inc., 96-1751, p. 5 (La.App. 1 Cir. 6/20/97), 696 So.2d 1031, 1034, writ denied, 97-1911 (La.10/31/97), 703 So.2d 29. Summary judgment is properly granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue of material fact, and that mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. La.Code Civ. P. art. 966 B. Summary judgment is favored and "is designed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action." La.Code Civ. P. art. 966 C(2).

The burden of proof on a motion for summary judgment is set forth in La.Code Civ. P. art. 966 C(2):

The burden of proof remains with the movant. However, if the movant will not bear the burden of proof at trial on the matter that is before the court on the motion for summary judgment, the movant's burden on the motion does not require him to negate all essential elements of the adverse party's claim, action, or defense, but rather to point out to the court that there is an absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the adverse party's claim, action, or defense. Thereafter, if the adverse party fails to produce factual support sufficient to establish that he will be able to satisfy his evidentiary burden of proof at trial, there is no genuine issue of material fact.

The initial burden of proof remains with the mover and is not shifted to the non-moving party until the mover has properly supported the motion and carried the initial burden of proof. Only then must the non-moving party "submit evidence showing the existence of specific facts establishing a genuine issue of material fact." See Scott v. McDaniel, 96-1509, p. 5 (La.App. 1 Cir. 5/9/97), 694 So.2d 1189, 1191-1192, writ denied, 97-1551 (La.9/26/97), 701 So.2d 991. If the nonmoving party fails to do so, there is no genuine issue of material fact, and summary judgment should be granted. La. Code Civ. P. arts. 966 and 967.

*1194 In determining whether summary judgment is appropriate, appellate courts review evidence de novo under the same criteria that govern the trial court's determination of whether summary judgment is appropriate. Sanders, 96-1751 at 7, 696 So.2d at 1035. Because it is the applicable substantive law that determines materiality, whether a particular fact in dispute is material can be seen only in light of the substantive law applicable to this case. Walker v. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity (RHO Chapter), 96-2345, p. 6 (La. App. 1 Cir. 12/29/97), 706 So.2d 525, 528.

DISCUSSION

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807 So. 2d 1190, 47 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 621, 2000 La.App. 1 Cir. 2946, 2002 La. App. LEXIS 212, 2002 WL 228063, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/la-industries-for-disabled-inc-v-premier-bank-nati-lactapp-2002.