Parish Nat. Bank v. Ott

841 So. 2d 749, 2003 WL 536735
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 25, 2003
Docket2002-C-1562
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 841 So. 2d 749 (Parish Nat. Bank v. Ott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parish Nat. Bank v. Ott, 841 So. 2d 749, 2003 WL 536735 (La. 2003).

Opinion

841 So.2d 749 (2003)

PARISH NATIONAL BANK
v.
Norman D. OTT, III, M.D. and Beverly C. Ott.

No. 2002-C-1562.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

February 25, 2003.
Rehearing Denied May 2, 2003.

*750 Roy Edward Blossman, John Anthony Dunlap, New Orleans, Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier & Finn, for Applicant.

Charlton DeWitt Hunley, Mark S. Stein, New Orleans, Lowe, Stein, Hoffman Allweiss & Hauver, for Respondent.

David Joseph Boneno, Metairie, for Louisiana Bankers Association (Amicus Curiae).

TRAYLOR, J.

Parish National Bank ("PNB") seeks review of the decisions of the lower courts, finding Norman D. Ott, III, M.D. ("Dr. Ott") not liable to PNB on a master note executed by Dr. Ott and his wife, Beverly Gallavan ("Ms.Gallavan"), and dismissing PNB's action. In addition, the trial court dismissed Dr. Ott's reconventional demand against PNB for damage to his credit and, because there were no damages rendered against Dr. Ott, the trial court dismissed his cross-claim against Ms. Gallavan. The court of appeal, in a 2-1 decision, affirmed the trial court judgment. After reviewing the record and the applicable law, the judgments of the lower courts are reversed in part as to Dr. Ott's liability and affirmed in all other aspects.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On May 27, 1994, Dr. Ott and his wife, now Ms. Gallavan, signed a promissory note in favor of PNB, which allowed Dr. Ott and Ms. Gallavan to borrow up to $100,000 for a real estate business, which was run out of their home.[1] After the $1,000 initial draw required to open the line of credit account, any future draw requests required signatures of both Dr. Ott and Ms. Gallavan.

Between June 6, 1994 and August 24, 1994,[2] five draw requests totaling $98,000 were submitted by facsimile[3] to PNB and were purportedly signed by both Dr. Ott and Ms. Gallavan. The draws, by direction of the draw requests, were wired to a Hibernia National Bank account in the name of Beverly Ott d/b/a Contracting Resources, Inc. The line of credit was periodically paid down. However, on January 9, 1995, and January 18, 1995, two additional draw requests, purportedly signed by both Dr. Ott and Ms. Gallavan, were submitted to PNB, one for $40,000 and one for *751 $18,000.[4]

Dr. Ott testified he did not sign any of the draw requests, never authorized Ms. Gallavan to sign his name to the draw requests and was unaware the line of credit was being accessed by Ms. Gallavan until August or September of 1994 and as late as October of 1994. Dr. Ott testified while at the home office he came across an interest statement indicating the line of credit had been accessed. He further testified that he merely told Ms. Gallavan, "Don't sign my name again." Evidencing his knowledge of the draw requests, on November 29, 1994, Dr. Ott surreptitiously recorded a telephone conversation between he and Ms. Gallavan, wherein Ms. Gallavan admitted to making the draw requests by signing his name; however, she never conceded she was not authorized to do so. In December of 1994, Dr. Ott executed a duplicate original of the loan documents and submitted the original life insurance policy as collateral per PNB's second request. He testified he signed the documents because "[f]rom the inception, as a matter of course, I, of course, made that right, since it was my original intention to contract the loan." Further, the facts indicate Dr. Ott finally called PNB in late January, 1995 instructing PNB not to authorize any more draw requests without his verbal authorization; however, he never mentioned any unauthorized activity on the account.[5] In fact, Dr. Ott's testimony revealed he never mentioned anything to PNB regarding unauthorized draw requests until some time after he personally made an interest payment on the line of credit on April 27, 1995.

Upon maturity of the loan in May of 1995, Dr. Ott finally advised PNB of the forgeries and refused to pay the debt. The line of credit went into default and PNB reported the delinquency to credit reporting agencies.

On April 22, 1996, PNB filed a petition against Dr. Ott and Ms. Gallavan, alleging they were solidarily liable for the total principal amount of $100,000 plus interest, costs and attorneys' fees. On May 31, 1996, a default judgment was entered against Ms. Gallavan in the amount of $99,105.00 plus interest and attorneys' fees. PNB based its claims against Dr. Ott on theories of ratification or confirmation of the debt, estoppel and breach of a duty to supervise Ms. Gallavan, the comaker of the loan, and failure to timely notify PNB of any unauthorized activities.

After a trial on the merits, the trial court held the controlling factor in the action was PNB's failure to exercise commercially reasonable banking standards. The trial court concluded that PNB's actions and its lack of sound banking procedures created the situation and Dr. Ott's actions were not the controlling factor in the outcome. The trial court also found Dr. Ott's actions did not ratify Ms. Gallavan's unauthorized activities and that Dr. Ott's actions with respect to notifying PNB were reasonable under the circumstances.

On April 17, 2002, the court of appeal, in a 2-1 decision, affirmed the trial court's judgment. However, in a dissent, Judge Byrnes concluded the trial court's finding that Dr. Ott's conduct was reasonable under the circumstances is manifestly erroneous.

*752 On appeal to this court, Dr. Ott for the first time raises an exception of prescription, contending PNB's causes of action are prescribed. PNB opposed the exception. This court finds Dr. Ott's argument regarding prescription to be without merit.

For the reasons set forth below, we reverse the trial court's judgment in part, finding that Dr. Ott is liable for the draw requests made in January 1995, after he knew that unauthorized draw requests had been made on the account and had an opportunity to prevent any future unauthorized draw requests. In all other respects, the trial court judgment is affirmed.

LAW AND DISCUSSION

Exception of Prescription

On appeal to this court, Dr. Ott for the first time raises an exception of prescription, contending PNB's claims had prescribed. According to La.Code Civ. P. art. 2163,[6] an appellate court may consider the peremptory exception filed for the first time in that court, if pleaded prior to a submission of the case for a decision, and if proof of the ground of the exception appears of record. Further, plaintiff may demand the case be remanded to the trial court for trial of the exception.[7]See La. Code Civ. P. art. 2163.

In considering the exception of prescription, this court notes Dr. Ott argues PNB's causes of action, based on his alleged failure to notify PNB of the forged signatures and on the theory of agency by estoppel, are prescribed. Dr. Ott argues any such claim related to a "duty" to disclose arises ex delicto, which has a liberative prescription of one year. Dr. Ott asserts that PNB had one year from the date of the last unauthorized draw request, which was January 18, 1995, to file suit. Thus, Dr. Ott concludes that since PNB did not file suit until April 1996, its petition is prescribed on its face. In opposition, PNB contends the nature of its action arises ex contractu in that Dr. Ott's duty to disclose arose from the terms of the loan itself and from the obligation to perform contracts in good faith, which is imposed by law.

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

Related

Bourgeois v. Bazil
271 So. 3d 341 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2019)
First Bank & Trust v. Treme
262 So. 3d 1050 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Ammar Invs., LLC v. Certain Underwriters Lloyd's
261 So. 3d 1064 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Albarado v. Citgo Petroleum Corp.
247 So. 3d 818 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Ebarb v. Unopened Succession Sepulvado
241 So. 3d 1103 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Cardwell v. Oaks Care Ctr., LLC
258 So. 3d 720 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
Donald P. Lemoine v. City of Marksville
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017
Chimento v. KDM Electric of Alexandria
229 So. 3d 54 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
Kennedy v. Davis
229 So. 3d 558 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
John Kennedy v. Christopher Davis
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017
Jake Chimento v. Kdm Electric of Alexandria
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017
American Turbine Technology, Inc. v. Omni Bancshares, Inc.
222 So. 3d 189 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
Valentino v. Heart & Vascular Associates of Acadiana, P.C.
221 So. 3d 136 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
Bell v. City of Lake Charles
218 So. 3d 190 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
841 So. 2d 749, 2003 WL 536735, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parish-nat-bank-v-ott-la-2003.