Nathans v. Vuci

443 So. 2d 690
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 22, 1983
Docket83 CA 0110
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 443 So. 2d 690 (Nathans v. Vuci) 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
Nathans v. Vuci, 443 So. 2d 690 (La. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

443 So.2d 690 (1983)

Helen C. NATHANS
v.
Frank L. VUCI, et al.

No. 83 CA 0110.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

November 22, 1983.

*692 Dennis C. Weber, McPherson, Weber, Zainey & Booth, Steve M. Marks, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant Helen C. Nathans.

Thomas F. Wade, Asst. Atty. Gen., Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee State of La.

David L. Dawson, Jr., Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee Frank L. Vuci.

Emile C. Rolfs, III, Durerett, Hardin, Hunter, Damerion & Fritchie, Baton Rouge, for defendants-appellees Harold Tridico, James M. Dupuy and The North River Ins. Co.

Before PONDER, WATKINS and CARTER, JJ.

CARTER, Judge.

This is an appeal by plaintiff, Helen Nathans, from a summary judgment granted in favor of one of the defendants, namely, Frank L. Vuci.

In November, 1978, plaintiff filed suit against Frank L. Vuci, Barbara Bishop Lillie, Richard C. Bishop, Kenneth Kain, James M. Dupuy, an unnamed Ascension Parish Sheriff's deputy, the Sheriff of Ascension Parish, and the State of Louisiana alleging that these defendants, as a result of a wrongful eviction, caused damage to her person and her property.

The specific allegations of her petition, which address Vuci's liability, provide that:

"12.
Defendant, Frank L. Vuci and Barbara Bishop Lillie, wrongfully, negligently, willfully and maliciously caused petitioner to be forcibly evicted from the leased premises on February 24, 1978, after accepting petitioner's tender of rental payment for February, 1978. By holding themselves out to be the owner/lessor of the premises, defendants, Frank L. Vuci and Barbara Bishop Lillie, are answerable for the damages caused to petitioner by the unlawful eviction. La.Civil Code Article 2696.
* * * * * *
16.
Petitioner, Helen C. Nathans, brings this action pursuant to all applicable Louisiana law, including but not limited to, La.Civil Code Articles 2315, 2320, and 2696."

Defendant Vuci filed a motion for summary judgment and attached various documents and depositions. Attached to the motion was a copy of the Court of Appeal decision, which held that the lease had expired at the end of the primary term and that from 1969 to the time of filing of the eviction proceeding, lessee's occupancy of the premises was under a reconduction of the lease on a month-to-month basis. A copy of the Act of Sale, dated November 16, 1977, wherein Vuci sold all of his right, title, interest in and to the property in question to Barbara Bishop Lillie and Richard C. Bishop, was also attached. The attached depositions established that at the time of the eviction Frank Vuci did not own the leased premises. Plaintiff filed no affidavits, depositions, documents, or other evidence in opposition to defendant's motion and accompanying support thereof.

The trial court found that, based upon the pleadings, depositions, and attached documents, there remained no genuine issue of material fact with reference to Vuci's liability for damages resulting from the eviction of Nathans. The only issue presented is whether the trial court properly *693 granted the motion for summary judgment.

BACKGROUND

In 1968, Vuci leased to plaintiff's husband, now deceased, a building and property which became known as George's Villa. The lease was for a primary term of one year with two options to renew, neither of which was ever exercised. See Vuci v. Nathans, 357 So.2d 561 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1978).

On August 30, 1977, plaintiff was notified to vacate the leased premises by September 30, 1977, which plaintiff refused to do. Eviction proceedings were instituted, and the trial court ruled that plaintiff's lease had expired and that plaintiff's occupancy thereafter had been under a reconduction of the expired lease and ordered that she vacate the premises. Plaintiff appealed suspensively from this judgment. While the appeal was pending, Mrs. Nathans remained in possession of the leased premises and continued to pay rent through February, 1978.

In November, 1977, after the trial court judgment but before the judgment was rendered on appeal, Vuci sold the leased premises occupied by Nathans to Barbara Bishop Lillie and Richard C. Bishop.

On February 21, 1978, this court affirmed the judgment of the trial court evicting Mrs. Nathans and ordered her to vacate and deliver possession of the leased premises.

On February 24, 1978, Ascension Parish Sheriff's deputies forcibly evicted Nathans. It was during this eviction that Mrs. Nathans was allegedly injured, and it is these injuries which form the basis of the present suit for damages against Vuci and the other defendants.

MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment in favor of defendant Vuci. Plaintiff reasons that defendant Vuci's acceptance of plaintiff's advance rent check for February, 1978, was tantamount to reconduction of the expired lease on a monthly basis and that Vuci is answerable for the damages she sustained as a result of her forcible and wrongful eviction under LSA-C.C. art. 2696. Plaintiff also contends that enforcement of the Court of Appeal's judgment was prematurely made, rendering defendant Vuci liable to her for abuse of process. And, finally, plaintiff contends that defendant Vuci wrongfully converted her property.

A. Reconduction of the lease on a month-to-month basis

Plaintiff contends that Vuci's acceptance of the rent check for February, 1978, constitutes a reconduction of her expired lease and that because she was evicted prior to the end of the month for which she had paid rent, Vuci is answerable for damages under LSA-C.C. art. 2696.

In support of her contention that acceptance of rent for February, 1978, reconducted the lease, plaintiff cites Flores v. Gondolier, Ltd., 375 So.2d 400 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1979), which held that acceptance of rental payments after a notice to vacate has been given vitiates the notice and maintains the tenant's possession.

Plaintiff's reliance on Flores, however, is misplaced. Clearly, the summary action of eviction is based on the required notice to vacate, and the acceptance of rent after that notice, but before a judgment of eviction, vitiates the notice and prevents the lessor from obtaining such a judgment. Passalaqua v. Mendez, 388 So.2d 1172 (La.App. 4th Cir.1980). In the case sub judice, the rent was accepted after a judgment of eviction had been rendered by the trial court. Therefore, the acceptance of the rent did not vitiate the judgment.

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of reconduction in Governor Claiborne Apartments, Inc. v. Attaldo, 256 La. 218, 235 So.2d 574, 576 (La.1970) in the following manner:

*694 "The civil law has expressly recognized that occupancy of premises by a lessee after the expiration of a fixed-term lease constitutes reconduction. The Code Napoleon recognized under Articles 1738 and 1759 that a lessee's continued possession after the expiration of a lease with a fixed term operated as a continuation of the lease but for a new term of duration according to the custom of the place. Under such a reconducted lease either party could give notice of termination of the lease upon observing the delays established ` * * * by the custom of the place'. C.N. Arts. 1736, 1759.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Anthony Ioppolo v. Christopher Rumana
581 F. App'x 321 (Fifth Circuit, 2014)
Bonilla v. COMMODORE CURISE LINES LTD.
844 So. 2d 1025 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
Coleman v. Robicheaux Air Boats, Inc.
657 So. 2d 1331 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
Caballero Planting Co., Inc. v. Hymel
597 So. 2d 35 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Ryder Truck Rental, Inc. v. Schofield
593 So. 2d 403 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1991)
Legros v. Norcen Exploration, Inc.
583 So. 2d 859 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1991)
Doe v. Smith
573 So. 2d 238 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
Robertson v. OUR LADY OF LAKE MED. CTR.
574 So. 2d 381 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
Sawyer v. Boudreaux
569 So. 2d 123 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
Louisiana Nat. Bank v. Slaughter
563 So. 2d 445 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
Arnold v. Our Lady of the Lake Hosp.
562 So. 2d 1056 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
Dietrich v. Allstate Ins. Co.
540 So. 2d 358 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1989)
Bowling U.S.A., Inc. v. Genco
536 So. 2d 814 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1988)
Van Matre v. Teche Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n
532 So. 2d 517 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1988)
Fisk v. Mathews
525 So. 2d 223 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1988)
Chapman v. State Dept. of Transp. & Dev.
517 So. 2d 331 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
Crabtree v. Carr
486 So. 2d 921 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
Frazier v. Freeman
481 So. 2d 184 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
443 So. 2d 690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nathans-v-vuci-lactapp-1983.