Paulat v. Pirello

345 So. 2d 527, 1977 La. App. LEXIS 4500
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 21, 1977
DocketNo. 11191
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 345 So. 2d 527 (Paulat v. Pirello) 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
Paulat v. Pirello, 345 So. 2d 527, 1977 La. App. LEXIS 4500 (La. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

COVINGTON, Judge:

The plaintiff, George M. Paulat, has brought suit on two promissory notes against the defendant, Jasper Pirello, seeking a judgment for $13,975.35, together with annual interest at 8%, and 10% of both principal and interest as attorney’s fees, and all costs. The defendant filed an answer and reconventional demand in which he disputed the balance due, averred that he had offered the actual balance owed, therefore no attorney’s fees are owed, asserted the defense of usury, and prayed for judgment in the sum of $19,800.00 as the return of usurious interest collected since 1964.

After trial, the trial court rejected the defendant’s contention that the transactions were usurious, and rendered judgment on December 9, 1975, in favor of the plaintiff in the sum of $6,683.51, plus 8% interest thereon from maturity, or November 15, 1972, until paid, plus an additional 10% on both principal and interest as attorney’s fees; and for $7,291.84, plus 8% interest thereon from maturity, or July 28, 1972, until paid, less a credit of $16.20,1 plus an additional 10% on both principal and interest as attorney’s fees; the defendant was cast for all costs. The defendant has appealed devolutively from this judgment. We amend and affirm.

The evidence shows that in November, 1964, the defendant borrowed from the plaintiff the sum of $10,000.00, represented by a promissory note due six months after date. The note was executed for the amount of $10,900.00, it being agreed that $900.00 was capitalized interest. Thereafter, at approximately six-month intervals, the defendant paid $900.00, and executed new six-month’s notes for $10,900.00. In August, 1968, the entire indebtedness was paid, and the collateral mortgage securing the indebtedness was cancelled. This transaction was a separate, independent transaction from the two promissory notes which are the subject of the present lawsuit, but was part of a series of dealings between the parties.

On October 1, 1968, the defendant executed another collateral mortgage. Then, on November 15, 1968, he signed a promissory note for $10,900.00, representing a loan of $10,000.00. On May 26,1969, the defendant paid $900.00, and executed a new note for $10,900.00, which was dated May 15, 1969, to coincide with the due date of the previous loan, and due on November 15, 1969, which note is one of the notes sued on herein. Thereafter, at approximately six-month intervals, payments of $900.00 were made, but no new notes were executed.

On January 28, 1969, Pirello executed an additional collateral mortgage. On July 28, 1969, he borrowed an additional $10,000.00 from the plaintiff and signed a promissory note for $10,900.00 due in six months, and [529]*529which is the second note sued on herein. At approximately six-months’ intervals thereafter the defendant made $900.00 payments, which the plaintiff credited to interest on his accounting records. No new notes were executed by the defendant.

The trial court found, according to the copies of checks stipulated into evidence, that Pirello had made the following payments:

May 26, 1969 $900.00
September 5, 1S6S 900.00
December 5, 1969 900.00
February 5, 1969 2 900.00
June 5, 1970 900.00
August 24, 1970 900.00
December, 1970 900.00
February 3, 1971 900.00
June 5, 1971 900.00
September 5, 1971 900.00
November 29, 1971 900.00
February 8, 1972 16.20

The trial court also found that Paulat admitted receiving the following payments: Note dated May 15, 1969:

June (due November) 15, 1969 $900.00
May 15, 1970 900.00
November 15, 1970 900.00
May 15, 1971 900.00
November 15, 1971 900.00
May 15, 1972 900.00
November 15, 1972 900.00
Note dated July 28, 1969:
J anuary 28, 1970 $900.00
July 28 1970 900.00
January 28, 1971 900.00
July 28, 1971 900.00
January 28, 1972 900.00
July 28, 1972 900.00

As can be seen, the dates are inconsistent, but, as noted by the trial court, this inconsistency is explained by the fact that Paulat simply credited payments received on the due date rather than on the date the payments were actually received. The trial court also noted that the defendant was credited with more payments than he proved.

The defendant-appellant’s primary defense is usury, based on: 1) The plaintiff’s failure to obtain renewal notes at each extension transformed the transaction into a usurious one by continuing to collect the interest at the annualized rate of 18%; 2) a promissory note which includes both capitalized interest and interest at the rate of 8% per annum from maturity results in collecting duplicate interest on the maturity date so as to constitute a usurious transaction; and 3) the taking of interest upon interest is usurious.

On appeal, Paulat argues that the entire transaction between him and Pirello was made usurious by the failure to obtain the aforesaid renewal notes and by Paulat’s entering the $900.00 payments as interest on his account records.

The record reflects that both parties intended that the notes be short-term, single-payment notes designed to yield 18% annual capitalized interest, and bear 8% interest from maturity. It was also intended that in the event the loan was not paid at the end of the six-month term, the interest would be paid and a new note issued. The record also shows that new notes were not executed. However, in each instance, both parties acted as though a new note was issued, Pirello continued to pay the $900.00 as interest, and Paulat continued to treat the payments as interest.

The record establishes that the defendant has borrowed the sum of $20,000.00 from the plaintiff on two occasions. He has had the use of that money over an extended period of time. He does not deny owing the amount borrowed, less certain credits. However, he takes the position that because of the way the payments were credited, and because a new note was not issued at each extension, laws prohibiting usury relieve him of any obligation of paying all interest, i.e., paying for the use of the borrowed money.

Defendant’s position is without merit. There was no contract for interest in excess of the lawful rate of interest so as to cause a forfeiture of all interest as required by LSA-R.S. 9:3501. The contracts for interest in the instant case, the two notes sued upon, on their face show a capitalized interest and a lawful interest from maturity. They do not violate our usury laws.

[530]*530The penalty inflicted upon the lender is one, which the plaintiff here did assume, of having to reallocate the payments made on the basis of 8% simple interest from date as required by the notes sued upon.

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Related

Reynolds v. Succession of Williams
628 So. 2d 1 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1993)
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Paulat v. Pirello
347 So. 2d 257 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
345 So. 2d 527, 1977 La. App. LEXIS 4500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/paulat-v-pirello-lactapp-1977.