Matter of Heard

588 So. 2d 799, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 2797, 1991 WL 226585
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 30, 1991
Docket22,843-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 588 So. 2d 799 (Matter of Heard) 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
Matter of Heard, 588 So. 2d 799, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 2797, 1991 WL 226585 (La. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

588 So.2d 799 (1991)

In the Matter of HEARD.

No. 22,843-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

October 30, 1991.

*800 Peters, Ward, Bright & Hennessy by Hugh T. Ward, Shreveport, for Fanny B. Heard.

Advocacy Center for the Elderly & Disabled by Margherita McWilliams and Ann Maclaine, Shreveport, for Loraine Heard.

Before NORRIS, HIGHTOWER and VICTORY, JJ.

NORRIS, Judge.

Loraine Heard, a limited interdict, appeals only those portions of a judgment which require the court and limited curator to be involved in specific decisions regarding her future placement, and which award attorney fees to her former curatrix; she does not appeal the court's authority to render a judgment of limited interdiction. Finding the judgment of limited interdiction to be, in part, unnecessarily restrictive, we amend and, as amended, affirm.

FACTS

Loraine Heard was interdicted in 1975 on the petition of her mother, Fanny Heard, *801 who was appointed curatrix. In March 1989, Miss Heard sued Mrs. Heard to revoke the interdiction or, in the alternative, to modify it to a limited interdiction. Mrs. Heard answered, requesting that the court maintain the interdiction because Miss Heard was unable to care for her person and affairs and was dangerous to herself and to others. Mrs. Heard further sought to be relieved of her duties as curatrix.

The testimony adduced at trial reveals that Loraine Heard, now 40 years old, has struggled with mental difficulties since her early teens. During her youth, Miss Heard's illness sometimes manifested itself in violent outbursts, several of which were directed at her mother. One such episode prompted a coroner's commitment to the Central Louisiana State Hospital at Pineville in 1971, followed by a judicial commitment and interdiction in 1975. The commitment was subsequently set aside, and Miss Heard has been a "voluntary" patient at Central Louisiana State Hospital since 1981.

Originally diagnosed with "chronic brain syndrome and chronic schizophrenia with depressive reaction," Miss Heard is now considered to suffer from "schizo affective disorder," a more positive diagnosis. Dr. Gary Glass, an expert in psychiatry, testified that in his opinion Miss Heard could function in an environment much less restrictive than a psychiatric hospital. He stated unequivocally that he did not consider Miss Heard to be dangerous either to herself or to others, and that she both accepted her need for continued supervision and understood that she might at some time again require hospital treatment for a short period. The next logical step should be placing her in an environment in which she can more readily improve her socialization skills and develop a degree of independence. Her primary needs at this time, he testified, were for someone to observe her behavior, administer medicine and make sure she attended regular treatment appointments.

Miss Heard testified that she was anxious to leave the hospital, but understood her need for continued support and supervision. She also admitted that she goes "hog wild" when given money. Dr. Glass stated that Miss Heard would need assistance with her finances; he nevertheless felt she could be taught to manage a small weekly allowance as she had learned to save small change and tokens that the hospital dispensed for use at its canteen.

Mrs. Heard testified that her daughter had exhibited no violent behavior toward her since 1980, but she nevertheless felt unable to care for her daughter at home. Mrs. Heard asked to be relieved of her duties as curatrix and submitted an accounting to the court detailing her daughter's expenses and income from social security and veteran's benefits.

In oral reasons rendered immediately following the trial, the court revoked the full interdiction, substituting a limited interdiction to administer Miss Heard's "monetary considerations," and asked her counsel to suggest means to facilitate her transition from the hospital to the "least restrictive environment" in which she could function. Due to disagreements between the attorneys about the wording of the judgment to be submitted to the court, more than a year elapsed before the written Judgment of Limited Interdiction was signed by the court on October 25, 1990. During this interval, Mrs. Heard submitted two supplemental accountings which reflect her legal expenses incurred defending this action.

The written judgment relieved Fanny Heard and the former undercuratrix of their duties and appointed a curator and undercurator to "manage the monetary and financial concerns of the Petitioner." It further stated that Miss Heard no longer needs to be hospitalized, but is not yet fully capable of living independently.

In one of two assignments of error urged on appeal, Miss Heard asks this court to reverse the portion of the judgment placing restrictions on her choice of living arrangements; she argues that she proved at trial that she was capable of making sound decisions on this matter herself and that a limited interdiction should grant the curator only the powers necessary to provide for demonstrated needs of the interdict.

*802 Mrs. Heard contends that the written judgment does no more than necessary to ensure that Miss Heard will remain in an appropriate supervised setting.

Miss Heard also argues that the trial court erred in allowing her estate to be depleted to reimburse her curatrix for attorney fees and costs incurred in defending this action. We note that the court, in an opinion filed June 9, 1990, expressly reserved to Miss Heard the right to contest the reasonableness of the attorney fees. Mrs. Heard claims that she is entitled to be reimbursed for the reasonable legal expenses she incurred defending an action which she, in good faith, believed to be against her daughter's best interests. She asks that the judgment be affirmed in all respects.

DISCUSSION

Assignment # 1: Attorney Fees

Miss Heard assigns as error the court's ruling that her estate may be assessed with the attorney fees incurred by her mother in defending this action. We find this assignment to be without merit.

Costs of an interdiction proceeding, including attorney fees, are assessed against the estate of the interdict if a judgment of interdiction is rendered; however, if the proposed interdict prevails, the court has discretion to tax any part of the litigation expenses against any party. La.C.C.P. art. 4551; Matter of Fabre, 371 So.2d 1322 (La.1979); In re Lomm, 195 So.2d 416 (La. App. 4th Cir.), writ refused 250 La. 541, 197 So.2d 81 (1967). Where, as here, the judgment resulted in a limited interdiction, the court clearly had discretion to assess costs in the manner it considered most equitable. A curator or undercurator acting in good faith is not personally liable for the expenses of litigating matters of the curatorship, including attorney fees. See Lacey v. Lanaux, Tutrix, 19 La.Ann. 153 (La.1869); In re Lomm, supra at 418. The evidence adduced at trial showed that Miss Heard is unable to manage either her finances or her daily life without some supervision, facts which support Mrs. Heard's contention that she had good reasons to resist her daughter's action to revoke the interdiction. Indeed, counsel for Miss Heard conceded at oral argument that Mrs. Heard acted in good faith. Her obligation as curatrix to act in what she believed to be Miss Heard's best interests continued until she was relieved of that duty by the October 1990 judgment.

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Bluebook (online)
588 So. 2d 799, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 2797, 1991 WL 226585, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-heard-lactapp-1991.