Lilliedahl & Mitchel v. Avoyelles Trust & Sav.

352 So. 2d 781, 1977 La. App. LEXIS 5253
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 17, 1977
Docket6202
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 352 So. 2d 781 (Lilliedahl & Mitchel v. Avoyelles Trust & Sav.) 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
Lilliedahl & Mitchel v. Avoyelles Trust & Sav., 352 So. 2d 781, 1977 La. App. LEXIS 5253 (La. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

352 So.2d 781 (1977)

LILLIEDAHL & MITCHEL, INC., Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
AVOYELLES TRUST & SAVINGS BANK, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 6202.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 17, 1977.
Rehearing Denied December 14, 1977.

*784 McCollister, Belcher, McCleary, Fazio, Mikon, Holliday & Jones by Donna D. Fraiche, Baton Rouge, Lee & Lee, James N. Lee, Bunkie, for defendant-appellant.

Onebane, Donohoe, Bernard, Torian, Diaz, McNamara & Abell by Joseph Onebane, Lafayette, Harold J. Brouillette, Marksville, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before DOMENGEAUX, WATSON and GUIDRY, JJ.

DOMENGEAUX, Judge.

This case involves the proceeds from four certificates of deposit, numbers 22, 363, 458, and 499, issued by the defendant, Avoyelles Trust & Savings Bank (Bank) to the plaintiff, Lilliedahl & Mitchel, Inc. (Corporation).

Plaintiff Corporation is engaged in the construction business. Its now deceased president and principal stockholder, Marvin Lilliedahl, was authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors to manage the financial and business affairs of the corporation. As such, Lilliedahl dealt with the defendant Bank as agent for the Corporation. Lilliedahl also dealt with the Bank on a personal basis.

Over a period of years Lilliedahl made personal loans from the Bank. Apparently, the proceeds of these loans would be deposited into the corporate account and the personal liability account of Lilliedahl on the corporate books would be credited. The Corporation then would purchase a certificate of deposit and the Bank's account on the corporate books would be debited. These certificates of deposit would then be pledged as security for Lilliedahl's loans at the Bank.

The pledges of the certificates of deposit were not reflected on the corporate books and were unknown to the auditor of the Corporation, the bookkeeper of the Corporation, and the other stockholder and current president of the Corporation, Roland Mitchel.

The present controversy arose when it was discovered after the death of Lilliedahl that the corporation was in financial difficulty. It was then revealed that four certificates of deposit owned by the corporation were cancelled by the Bank. The Corporation alleges that the proceeds from these certificates were used to pay the personal indebtedness of Lilliedahl to the Bank.

The Bank's records revealed that certificates of deposit in the following amounts were cancelled on the following dates:

CERTIFICATE OF                        DATE
DEPOSIT NUMBER         AMOUNT       CANCELLED
      22             $15,000.00     July 15, 1975
     363             $40,000.00     Dec. 27, 1974
     458             $50,000.00     Dec. 27, 1974
     499             $50,000.00     Jan. 28, 1975

The Bank's records also indicate that personal notes of Lilliedahl in the following amounts were paid on the following dates:

NOTE NUMBER          AMOUNT        DATE PAID
     1572            $15,000.00    July 15, 1975
     7535            $40,000.00    Dec. 30, 1974[1]
     4202            $50,000.00    Dec. 30, 1974
     1571            $50,000.00    Jan. 28,1975

The Corporation filed suit seeking payment from the Bank from the proceeds of the certificates of deposit. The trial court found the Bank liable on certificates of deposit numbers 363, 458, and 499, because the proceeds from these certificates were never paid to the Corporation. The trial court refused to find liability on certificate of deposit number 22 because the proceeds from this certificate had been deposited in the corporate account. The trial court awarded judgment for the principal amount of the certificates of deposit numbers 363, 458, and 499 and for the stated interest on these certificates from the time of the Bank's cancellation to the date of judicial demand, for a total amount of $152,846.55. The Bank appealed. The Corporation has *785 answered the appeal requesting recovery on certificate of deposit number 22.

The Bank specifies five errors upon appeal:

1. The trial court erred in failing to sustain various exceptions;

2. The trial court erred in finding that the certificates of deposit were never paid to the Corporation;

3. The trial court erred in failing to find that the Bank has a legal right and authority to apply the proceeds of the certificates of deposit to payment of Lilliedahl's personal notes to the Bank upon the instructions of Lilliedahl because of the general power and written authority given by the corporation to its president;

4. The trial court erred in failing to credit interest accrued on the certificates of deposit to the judgment; and

5. The trial court erred in adding interest to the principal sums of certificate of deposit numbers 363, 458, and 499.

I. PROCEDURAL ISSUES

Defendant Bank raised the exception of prescription in the trial court and reurges its plea on appeal. The trial court referred the plea to the merits. Defendant argues that this suit arises ex delicto for the wrongful act of the Bank. As such the action prescribes in one year.

Defendant's argument is unavailing. This is a suit arising ex contractu. Its purpose is to recover on the contracts between the Bank and its depositor, the Corporation. When the Bank issued the certificate of deposit it acknowledged a receipt of money from the Corporation and promised to repay the money to the Corporation with interest at a later date. This suit is merely to enforce the promise to pay and the claim has not prescribed under any of the Codal provisions governing the prescriptive period for contracts. C.C. Arts. 3538, 3540, and 3544.[2]

Defendant also reurges on appeal its exceptions of no cause of action and no right of action. These exceptions were overruled by the trial court.

Defendant cannot seriously contend that the Corporation has no right of action. The certificates were purchased by the Corporation and made payable to the Corporation. The Corporation was therefore the primary party to bring suit. Consequently, the exception is without merit. The exception of no cause of action is also without merit. The petition alleged sufficient facts to give rise to a cause of action for recovery on the contract of the certificate of deposit.

Defendant urges for the first time on appeal that the suit is defective for failure to join an indispensable party. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 641 provides:

"Indispensable parties to an action are those whose interests in the subject matter are so interrelated, and would be so directly affected by the judgment, that a complete and equitable adjudication of the controversy cannot be made unless they are joined in the action.
No adjudication of an action can be made unless all indispensable parties are joined therein."

Defendant argues that in order for plaintiff to recover, Lilliedahl would have to be found a mismanager of corporate funds, converter, or a breacher of fiduciary duties. *786 It concludes that the succession representative of Lilliedahl is indispensable to a complete and equitable adjudication of the controversy.

Defendant's argument is unavailing. A party is indispensable only when his absence necessarily would result in an impairment of substantial rights. State, Department of Highways v. Lamar Advertising Company of Louisiana, 279 So.2d 671 (La. 1973). Defendant has failed to show how these proceedings would necessarily impair the rights of Lilliedahl's succession.

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Bluebook (online)
352 So. 2d 781, 1977 La. App. LEXIS 5253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lilliedahl-mitchel-v-avoyelles-trust-sav-lactapp-1977.