Matthews v. Bank One Corp.

25 So. 3d 952, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1796, 2009 WL 3448847
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 28, 2009
Docket44,818-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 25 So. 3d 952 (Matthews v. Bank One Corp.) 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
Matthews v. Bank One Corp., 25 So. 3d 952, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1796, 2009 WL 3448847 (La. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

WILLIAMS, J.

11 Plaintiff, Reba D. Matthews, appeals a district court judgment granting a peremptory exception of prescription in favor of defendant, Bank One, N.A. The district court dismissed plaintiffs lawsuit with prejudice. 1 For the reasons set forth herein, we affirm.

*953 FACTS

On December 22,1999, plaintiff, Reba D. Matthews, opened a traditional individual retirement account (“IRA”) at Bank One, N.A. (“the bank”). Matthews made an initial deposit of $15,314.20. No further deposits were made into the account; however, multiple withdrawals were made from the time the account was opened until it was closed in March 2000. With the exception of one withdrawal, all of Matthews’ transactions took place at the bank’s branch on Jackson Street in Monroe, Louisiana. However, the transaction in dispute took place at a branch in West Monroe on January 12, 2000. A bank employee allegedly issued a check payable to Matthews in the amount of $2,000; the check was purportedly endorsed and cashed by Matthews.

Matthews alleged that she learned of the $2,000 transaction in March 2000 and questioned the transaction. She denied making the transaction and requested the return of her funds. Matthews asserts that she and the bank went “back and forth” with regard to her claim for the return of her funds, until March 2001. At that time, the bank informed her that no further action would be taken concerning her claim. The bank alleged that Matthews authorized the withdrawal of funds and the proceeds of the $2,000 check 12were deposited into two “minor” accounts in the names of Matthews’ children. 2 Matthews was the authorized signer on both accounts.

On January 3, 2003, Matthews filed a complaint with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”). 3 By letter dated March 4, 2003, the OCC declined to act with regard to the claim, stating, “[Wjhere a clearly defined factual dispute develops, we would be going beyond our authority in acting as a trier of fact or adjudicator of civil disputes.... If you wish to pursue the issue, we can only advise you to contact an attorney or small claims court advisor.”

On August 20, 2004, Matthews filed a lawsuit, in proper person, against the bank to recover damages caused by the alleged unauthorized withdrawal of the $2,000. Matthews alleged that the bank “knowingly depriv[ed]” her of her funds and prayed that the bank “be ordered to pay the full sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) plus all interest incurred on this account (if the funds had not been withdrawn).” Matthews also prayed for damages in the amount of $2,000 “for each month beginning January 2000 and continue until this matter be heard and judgment be rendered in favor of petitioner ... for the malicious, unprofessional act of knowingly depriving petitioner of funds entrusted to defendant on its business guarantee that trust and safety was insured to all funds in any amount....”

1 aOn September 13, 2004, the bank filed an exception of vagueness. The district court granted the exception and allowed Matthews to amend her petition. Matthews amended the petition and alleged that the $2,000 was withdrawn from her account “without authorization” and that her name “was signed on the withdrawal slip by the [bank’s] employees authorizing *954 the withdrawal of $2,000.00 from [her] account ‘without’ [her] permission.”

On February 28, 2008, the bank filed a peremptory exception of liberative prescription. On July 28, 2008, the district court granted the exception and again granted Matthews “leave to file an amended petition setting forth appropriate facts constituting different grounds of recovery.” On August 5, 2008, Matthews, this time through counsel, filed a second amended and supplemental petition, alleging that she and the bank entered into a contract when Matthews deposited funds into the IRA account, and the bank breached the contract when it allowed funds to be withdrawn from the account without her authorization. Matthews also alleged that the bank breached its fiduciary duty by paying funds without her authorization.

In response to Matthews’ second amended petition, the bank filed an exception of liberative prescription. The district court sustained the exception and dismissed the action with prejudice. Matthews appeals.

DISCUSSION

Matthews contends the district court erred in referring to LSA-R.S. 10:4— 111, of the Uniform Commercial Code-Bank Deposits and Collections (“UCC”), in its reasons for judgment. She argues that LSA-R.S. 10:4-111 only applies to the liability of a bank with regard to negotiable instruments Land commercial bank accounts. Matthews asserts that the provisions pertaining to general contracts are more applicable to this matter. More specifically, Matthews contends the bank failed to adhere to the terms of the IRA agreement; therefore, she has an action in contract, which is subject to the liberative prescription period of five years. 4 In the alternative, Matthews argues that she has a personal action, which is subject to a prescriptive period of ten years. 5

On the other hand, the bank maintains that Matthews’ underlying cause of action is conversion, an action that is delictual in nature. Therefore, the bank argues that this matter is governed by LSA-C.C. art. 3492, which provides:

Delictual actions are subject to a libera-tive prescription of one year. This prescription commences to run from the day injury or damage is sustained.

In its ruling on the exception of prescription, the district court stated:

[P]laintiff argues the correct prescriptive period to be applied to her claims is the five year period for a breach of contract. Plaintiff attempts to differentiate the cases cited by defendant on the basis that the banks in those cases did not generate a check. In the present case, plaintiff alleges the bank itself generated its own check and an employee forged her name to it. Even though this allegation would have supported a cause of action for conversion and forgery, plaintiff argues it is also a |Bbreach in the bank’s contractual duty. However, plaintiff cites no case law for this point.

In Sanderson v. First National Bank of Commerce, 98-0352 (La.App. 4th Cir.11/18/98), 723 So.2d 1036, writ denied, 98-3110 (La.2/5/99), 738 So.2d 7, the plaintiff filed suit against the bank alleging that *955 the bank improperly used funds from his personal account to cover a corporate check without his authorization. After the district court denied the bank’s exception of prescription, the court of appeal granted writs and reversed, finding that the plaintiff had pled a cause of action in conversion and that the action had prescribed. The court allowed the plaintiff to amend his petition “to allege a contractual claim.” Id. at 1037. Thereafter, the plaintiff amended his petition, alleging, inter

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Bluebook (online)
25 So. 3d 952, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1796, 2009 WL 3448847, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matthews-v-bank-one-corp-lactapp-2009.