Perez v. Perez

353 So. 2d 1360, 1978 La. App. LEXIS 3268
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 16, 1978
DocketNo. 9320
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 353 So. 2d 1360 (Perez v. Perez) 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
Perez v. Perez, 353 So. 2d 1360, 1978 La. App. LEXIS 3268 (La. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

SCHOTT, Judge.

We grant certiorari in order to consider a temporary restraining order issued by the trial court on January 3, 1978, on the application of Chalin 0. Perez, respondent. Because this is the fourth time that this matter has been before us within the fortnight and because the exigencies of the situation on each other occasion when the matter was presented to us prevented us from elucidating the reasons for each previous action taken, we deem it appropriate to present here a complete background of the matter, including each one of the previous writs granted by us.

On December 7,1977, a notice of levy was served by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the Whitney National Bank (Whitney) with respect to accounts 42-171-040 and 42-168-773. The levy was for $23,249 owed by taxpayers Chalin O. and Mary Ellen Perez. On December 8 the Whitney addressed a letter to Mary Ellen and Chalin O. Perez advising them of the levy and notifying them that the bank would be unable to honor withdrawals which would reduce the balance in account 42-171-040 below $11,624.50, representing half of the amount sought under the levy.

On December 14, 1977, Mrs. Perez filed in the District Court a petition for temporary restraining order and temporary injunction. In her petition she alleged as follows: She is a resident of the Parish of Orleans and Whitney is a banking corporation with its principal place of business in the Parish of Orleans. She and Mr. Perez were married and lived together in Plaquemines Parish in 1973, and until July 22, 1974, when he filed a suit for separation from bed and board in Plaquemines Parish, and this suit ultimate[1361]*1361ly resulted in a judgment of divorce in January, 1977. From January, 1973, to the date of the filing of her petition for injunction Perez has continued to control the community which was acquired during the marriage between the parties. Her sole benefit from that community has been $3,000 a month, being paid by Perez to her under an order of the court in the separation and divorce proceedings. On November 1,1977, Perez by pleadings in those proceedings secured a termination of that allowance so that Mrs. Perez receives no allowance from the income of the community of acquets and gains for her maintenance and support since that date. During the entire period of time from January 1, 1973, all proceeds of the community have been paid to and are retained by Perez. Mrs. Perez accumulated on deposit with Whitney in her account 42-171-040 a balance in excess of $12,000, all of which were received by her under the order of court referred to for her maintenance and support, and which are her separate funds forming no part of the community. At the time of filing for the separation from bed and board in July, 1974, Mr. Perez had on deposit in his account at the Whitney No. 42-168-773 a sum in excess of $50,000, composed of community funds, and at no time has the balance in his account gone below the sum of $23,249. The community has not yet been partitioned. In addition to the accounts specifically mentioned, there are other accounts in the Whitney in the name of Mr. Perez for which deposits are well in excess of $23,249 and which are assets of the community. The bank has proposed to take half of the levy from her account and half of the levy from his account, notwithstanding the fact that there are ample funds on deposit in the name of Perez and which belong to the community for the payment of this tax liability. The community has a value in excess of $2,000,000. During the calendar year 1976, according to an income tax return prepared by certified public accounts for Mr. Perez there was paid to the community oil royalties of $186,000, which funds have been received by and are retained by Perez. On the basis of these, allegations the trial court on December 14 granted a restraining order providing as follows:

“IT IS ORDERED that a temporary restraining order issue herein restraining and enjoining the defendant, the Whitney National Bank, from paying the levy of the Internal Revenue Service served upon it out of the funds on deposit to the account of Mary Ellen Perez until it will have exhausted all funds on deposit to the credit of Chalin O. Perez, on her furnishing bond, with good and solvent surety, conditioned as the law directs, in the amount of $1,000.00.”1

A rule for a preliminary injunction was issued returnable on December 16, 1977, continued thereafter to December 21.

Perez responded with a declinatory exception of lis pendens, improper venue and lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter of the action, along with peremptory exceptions of no right of action, no cause of action and res judicata. The basis for the exception of lis pendens was the fact that there was presently pending in the 25th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Plaquemines a partition proceedings between these parties. Basis for the exception of venue was that since Mr. Perez was a defendant he should be sued in the parish of his domicile and the basis of the exception of lack of jurisdiction was that the court had no jurisdiction to interfere in any way with the Whitney’s handling of a levy served on it by the IRS.

The trial judge on December 21 ordered that the case be transferred to the 25th Judicial District Court, and in his oral reasons from the bench he stated that he believed the court lacked jurisdiction as well as venue in that the controversy properly belonged in the partition suit pending in Plaquemines Parish. .

On the application of Mrs. Perez to this: court for writs, in proceedings No. 9295;on the docket of this court, we of mandamus directed to judgment of December 21, transferring the case to Plaquemines Parish for the reasons:

[1362]*1362“A suit by a New Orleans resident seeking to enjoin a New Orleans bank from carrying out its proposal to pay a tax levy partially out of an account in her name rather than entirely out of an account in her former husband’s name is properly cognizable in Orleans Parish.”

We annulled and set aside the judgment of December 21, specifically overruling the exception of improper venue.

When the matter was returned to the District Court on December 23, the trial court maintained the exception of jurisdiction and dismissed Mrs. Perez’ suit. In oral reasons for this judgment the trial judge stated:

“. . . I sincerely believe that this case properly belongs in the Parish of Plaquemines, primarily because this litigation, particularly Article X of plaintiff’s petition calls upon this court to determine the status of this property, as to whether it is community or separate.

On December 23,1977, after writ application by Mrs. Perez No. 9298 on our docket, we granted certiorari in order to consider this judgment of December 23, maintaining Mr. Perez’ exception of jurisdiction and dismissing her suit for injunctive relief. We vacated and set aside the judgment of December 23 and overruled Mr. Perez’ exception to the jurisdiction. We also extended the temporary restraining order issued by the trial court to the Whitney for a period of 10 days and remanded the case to the trial court for further proceedings.

On December 30, 1977, the trial court took up Mr. Perez’ peremptory exceptions and maintained the exceptions of no right and no cause of action, dismissing her suit.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
353 So. 2d 1360, 1978 La. App. LEXIS 3268, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perez-v-perez-lactapp-1978.