Landry v. Martin

488 So. 2d 1207, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6812
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 12, 1986
DocketNo. CA-5053
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 488 So. 2d 1207 (Landry v. Martin) 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
Landry v. Martin, 488 So. 2d 1207, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6812 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

GARRISON, Judge.

This is an expedited appeal from a judgment of the district court dated June 17, 1985 and rendered in accordance with the suggested judgment and report of the Commissioner (John M. Holahan). From that judgment, plaintiff Lester G. “Rick” Landry appeals.

The judgment provides as follows:

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the exception be dismissed and that the Report of the Commissioner be made the judgment of the Court,
Accordingly,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that there be judgment herein in favor of Lester G. “Rick” Landry and against Dolly-Dean Martinez, in the full sum of $15,000.00, payable as follows: $10,000.00 together with interest from January 2, 1982; $4,500.00 together with interest from July 1, 1982 and $100.00 for each of five consecutive years together with interest from January 2 of each year commencing January 2, 1983;
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that there be judgment herein in favor of Dolly-Dean Martinez and against Lester G. “Rick” Landry permanently enjoining Lester G. “Rick” Landry from acting or performing any functions of a casting director or agent involving the casting or booking of models, musicians, performing artists, etc. until five years from the date of this judgment, within the parishes of St. Bernard, Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany or from taking any action, or performing any functions otherwise stated in Article 4 of his agreement dated January 2, 1981.
Each party is to bear their respective costs. All other relief is denied.”

The Commissioner’s report provided as follows:

“The plaintiff filed a suit seeking the balance due on a contract of the sale of a business which was purchased by the defendant.
The defendant answered denying the debt, and reconvened seeking an injunction to effectuate an anti-competitive clause which forms part of the contract sale of the business.

FACTS AND OPINION

The business involved was incorporated but in reality it was a one man shop prior to its sale to the defendant.
It was stipulated that the sum of $15,-000.00 was not paid in accordance with the terms of the contract. It was argued that this amount should be reduced or eliminated altogether due to the plaintiff’s alleged breach of the anti-competitive clause.

Such clause reads as follows:

The Seller agrees that, from and after this closing, he will not, unless acting as an officer or employee of the Company, or with the Buyer’s prior written consent, directly or indirectly own, manage, operate, join, control or participate in or be connected as an officer, employee, partner, or otherwise with, any business under any name similar to the Company’s name, nor enter into a competitive business involving the booking of models, musicians, performing artists, etc. for a period of five (5) years from the date hereof, anywhere in the Greater New Orleans area, including the Parish of St. Bernard, Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany. That for a period of five years after this closing, he will not in any such manner directly or indirectly compete with, or become interested in any competitor, of the Company. The Seller acknowledges that the remedy at law for any breach by any of the foregoing will be inadequate, and that the Company and the Purchaser shall be entitled to injunc-tive relief.
The plaintiff argues that the business sold involved primarily, if not exclusively, the brokerage of ‘talent’ services to [1209]*1209persons who might hire such. These persons are known as Casting Directors. On the showing made it appears that although a easting director is normally a full-time employee of a producer, such services can be performed by an agency relationship or free lance. This latter type of activity has been engaged in by the plaintiff throughout.
The business sold was engaged more or less as a labor contractor and maintained contact with persons who were desirous of being hired as models, artists, actors, etc. who were sent to casting directors who would ultimately choose the party or parties to be hired. While this side of the business was a substantial part of the services provided to talent; it is clear that some activity had taken place by the plaintiff as a casting agent hiring talent. Two of the plaintiffs witnesses opined that the work [sic] ‘casting’ was synonymous with ‘booking’.
It is axiomatic that the parties to a contract are bound by its terms and such is the law between the parties. In the instant matter the language of the anti-competitive clause is broad enough to state with accuracy that it was intended to apply to both sides of the ‘talent’ business — the providing of talent choices on one hand, and the selection and hiring of such choices on the other.
Consequently, the Court sees no reason why the contract should not be enforced.
While there was evidence of the plaintiff’s acting as a easting director or agent within the prescribed territory, there was no evidence offered which delineated damages with any precision. Consequently, while the Court sees no reason to grant monetary damages, it does see adequate reason to enjoin.
A suggested form of Judgment is enclosed. April 11th, 1985.”

On January 2, 1981 Lester G. “Rick” Landry and Dolly-Dean Martinez1 entered into a credit sale of “Artists’ Representatives of New Orleans, Inc.” for $25,000.00, $10,000.00, of which was paid on that date.2 The act of sale was not an authentic act in that it was not executed before a notary public. The act of sale provided as follows:

“THIS AGREEMENT made this 2nd day of January, 1981, by and between LESTER G. ‘RICK’ LANDRY, hereinafter called SELLER, and DOLLY-DEAN MARTINEZ, hereinafter called PURCHASER.
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS the above parties have entered into an agreement, wherein the Seller agrees to sell and the Purchaser agrees to buy, all of the issued and outstanding corporate shares of stock in Artists’ Representatives of New Orleans, Inc., a Louisiana corporation engaged in the representation of models, actors and other artists, hereinafter called ‘The Company.’
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of mutual covenants contained herein, it is agreed as follows:
1. Seller hereby sells to Purchaser all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Artists’ Representatives of New Orleans, Inc., represented by Certificate No. 10 for 90 shares, for the total sum of $25,000.00, which sum shall be paid in the following manner:
(a) Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) upon the execution of this agreement;
(b) Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) due and payable on January 2, 1982.

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Related

Landry v. Martin
494 So. 2d 332 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
488 So. 2d 1207, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6812, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/landry-v-martin-lactapp-1986.