Moss v. Coury

704 So. 2d 1248, 1997 WL 757944
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 10, 1997
Docket97-640
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 704 So. 2d 1248 (Moss v. Coury) 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
Moss v. Coury, 704 So. 2d 1248, 1997 WL 757944 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

704 So.2d 1248 (1997)

Sharon K. MOSS, As Dative Testamentary Executrix for the Succession of William J. Moss, Plaintiff-Appellee-Appellant,
v.
A. Sam COURY, Defendant-Appellant-Appellee.

No. 97-640.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

December 10, 1997.
Rehearing Denied February 19, 1998.

Kenneth Alan Goodwin, New Orleans, for William J. Moss.

Gary Lee Boland, Lee H. des Bordes, Jr., Baton Rouge, for A. Sam Coury.

Before THIBODEAUX, AMY and SULLIVAN, JJ.

*1249 THIBODEAUX, Judge.

Sharon Moss, succession representative of decedent, William J. Moss, seeks specific performance against the defendant, A. Sam Coury, to compel the transfer of two hundred shares of Coury Moss, Inc. stock from Coury to her, individually and as the executrix for the Succession of William J. Moss. The defendant has transferred all but two hundred shares of stock which he had previously agreed to transfer. The plaintiff's cause of action is based upon the defendant's alleged breach of the terms of an agreement between Coury and decedent, William J. Moss.

The trial court granted a motion for summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff, ordering the defendant to transfer two hundred shares of Coury Moss, Inc. stock to the plaintiff, Sharon Moss, as dative testamentary executrix of the Succession of William J. Moss. The trial court also granted the plaintiff's exception of no cause of action and dismissed the defendant's third reconventional demand which sought the return of all stock owned by William J. Moss and the invalidation of the shareholders' agreement because of Moss' death. The defendant appeals the judgments of the trial court.

Based on the following reasons, we affirm the judgment of the trial court which granted the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment compelling the transfer of two hundred shares from the defendant to the plaintiff. We also decline review of the trial court judgment sustaining the plaintiff's exception of no cause of action.

I.

ISSUES

We must consider and decide:

1. whether the trial court erred in granting the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment ordering the transfer of two hundred shares of Coury Moss, Inc. stock to the plaintiff; and
2. whether the order of the trial court sustaining the plaintiff's exception of no cause of action is a final, appealable judgment.

II.

FACTS

This appeal represents the current phase of a convoluted lawsuit. The background facts surrounding this suit have been recited in detail by this court in preceding opinions relative to this ongoing dispute.[1] For purposes of our review, we shall recite only those facts which are pertinent to this appeal.

On June 28, 1979, William J. Moss and A. Sam Coury agreed to form a corporation, Coury Moss, Inc., for the purpose of operating an automobile dealership. Pursuant to an agreement between the two sole shareholders, Coury would own 75% of the corporation and Moss would own 25%. In accordance with the agreement, the parties agreed that Coury would sell 2/3 of his share of stock ownership to Moss within a five-year period for a total amount of $62,500.00. During this five-year period, one hundred shares were to be transferred annually, at book value, beginning December 31, 1980.

In consideration for this agreement, Moss agreed to provide two automobiles per year to the defendant for his personal use, and Moss was to manage the dealership and serve as president of Coury Moss, Inc. for a monthly salary of $4,200.00. The defendant also agreed to lease Coury Moss, Inc. the land which the defendant purchased for the automobile dealership site, provided that Coury Moss, Inc. pay the taxes and rent on the land.

In accordance with the agreement, Coury transferred one hundred shares of stock annually to Moss in 1980, 1981, and 1982. In 1983, Coury refused to transfer the remaining stock alleging that Moss had not fulfilled certain obligations which were conditions precedent to Coury selling the stock. The defendant also asserted that Moss had not paid for the transfer of the last one hundred *1250 shares. Moss then discontinued paying rent to the defendant.

On November 20, 1985, Moss brought suit for specific performance against Coury to compel the transfer of the remaining two hundred shares of stock. On February 7, 1986, the defendant answered and filed a reconventional demand seeking the cancellation and return of all stock received by the plaintiff. The reconventional demand averred that the plaintiff had breached certain obligations stipulated in the shareholder's agreement. William J. Moss died on December 17, 1989. His ex-wife, Sharon Moss, as dative testamentary executrix of the Succession of William J. Moss, was substituted as the plaintiff in later proceedings.

On April 5, 1990, the defendant filed an amended and supplemental reconventional demand. The reconventional demand averred that the plaintiff engaged in conduct violative of the Racketeering-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO"). The defendant filed a second amended and supplemental reconventional demand on July 17, 1990. The reconventional demand sought the sale of all of the plaintiff's stock in Coury Moss, Inc. to the defendant at the book value of the stock.

On August 10, 1990, the defendant filed a third amended and supplemental reconventional demand. The reconventional demand added Coury, Ltd. as a party, and averred that the defendant was entitled to purchase the stock due to the death of William J. Moss.

Thereafter, Sharon Moss, as dative testamentary executrix of the Succession of William J. Moss, filed a motion for summary judgment seeking the transfer of the remaining two hundred shares of stock from the defendant. The defendant urged his third amended and supplemental reconventional demand seeking the return of all shares of Coury Moss, Inc. stock which had been transferred to the decedent, William J. Moss. In opposition to the defendant's third reconventional demand, the plaintiff filed an exception of no cause of action.

After reviewing the evidence, the trial court granted both the motion for summary judgment and the exception of no cause of action in favor of the plaintiff. A. Sam Coury now appeals the trial court order granting the motion for summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant also appeals the trial court order sustaining the plaintiff's exception of no cause of action and dismissing the defendant's third supplemental reconventional demand.

III.

LAW AND DISCUSSION

Summary Judgment

In this suit, the defendant contends that the trial court erred by granting the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment. The defendant insists that the corporation's articles of incorporation which went into effect about a week after the agreement in dispute, as opposed to the shareholders' agreement, govern the transfer of stock. The defendant also contends that the transfer of the stock is precluded due to the provisions set forth in the articles of incorporation.

As a general rule, "[a]ppellate courts review summary judgments de novo, under the same criteria which governs the district court's consideration of the appropriateness of summary judgment." Potter v. First Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n of Scotlandville, 615 So.2d 318, 325 (La.1993), citing Schroeder v. Board of Sup'rs of Louisiana State University, 591 So.2d 342 (La.1991).

As amended and reenacted by Act No. 483, § 1 of the 1997 Regular Session, La. Code Civ.P. art.

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Related

Coury v. Moss
529 F.3d 579 (Fifth Circuit, 2008)
Succession of William J. Moss
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006
Robichaux v. Robichaux
879 So. 2d 279 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
Wilson v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.
796 So. 2d 869 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
Flatland Real Estate Co., LLC v. Dugas Const., Inc.
784 So. 2d 867 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
In Re Succession of Moss
769 So. 2d 614 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
704 So. 2d 1248, 1997 WL 757944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moss-v-coury-lactapp-1997.