Port of South Louisiana v. Tri-Parish Industries, Inc.

927 F. Supp. 2d 332, 2013 WL 695308, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25983
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 26, 2013
DocketCivil Action Nos. 11-3065, 12-433
StatusPublished
Cited by72 cases

This text of 927 F. Supp. 2d 332 (Port of South Louisiana v. Tri-Parish Industries, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Port of South Louisiana v. Tri-Parish Industries, Inc., 927 F. Supp. 2d 332, 2013 WL 695308, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25983 (E.D. La. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER AND REASONS

JANE TRICHE MILAZZO, District Judge.

Before the Court are the following Motions: (1) Motion to Dismiss and for Partial Summary Judgment filed by Defendants Tri-Parish Industries, Inc. (“TP Industries”) and Charles L. Augustine (“Augustine”) (R. Doc. 44); (2) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 71); (3) Motion for Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Tri-Parish Barge, Inc. (“TP Barge”) (R. Doc. 79); (4) Motion to Dismiss or for Adverse Inference Due to Spoliation of Evidence filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 75); (5) Motion to Dismiss or for Adverse Inference Due to Spoliation of Evidence filed by TP Barge (R. Doc. 83); (6) Motion for Sanctions filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 66).

The Motion to Dismiss and for Partial Summary Judgment filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 44) is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. The Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 71) is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. All claims against TP Industries and Augustine in his personal capacity are DISMISSED. The claims against Augustine in his capacity as an alleged “alter ego” of TP Barge shall remain pending. The Motion for Summary Judgment filed by TP Barge (R. Doe. 79) is DENIED. All claims against TP Barge shall remain pending. The Motions to Dismiss or for Adverse Inference Due to [335]*335Spoliation of Evidence filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 75) is DENIED AS MOOT. The Motion to Dismiss or for Adverse Inference Due to Spoliation of Evidence filed by TP Barge (R. Doc. 83), and the Motion for Sanctions filed by TP Industries and Augustine (R. Doc. 66), are DENIED.

BACKGROUND

This maritime case arises from the failure to remove certain objects discovered beneath the bed of the Mississippi River, adjacent to a parcel of land on the riverbank (hereafter the “Batture Property”). The chain of title regarding the Batture Property is essential to understanding the instant dispute: Reserve Barge sold the Batture Property to Cargo Transfer on April 17, 1985, who in turn sold the Batture Property to TP Barge on May 11, 1988. The next day, TP Barge sold the Batture Property to TP Industries. In April 2009, Plaintiff Port of South — who operates a port along the river — expropriated the Batture Property from TP Industries in order to construct a new dock known as a “finger pier.”

In late 2010, Plaintiffs contractor discovered three objects buried in the riverbed adjacent to the Batture Property, which interfered with construction of the finger pier. Plaintiff excavated the objects and raised them to the surface in March 2011. One of the objects was a barge bearing the nameplate “CAPTAIN FRANKS.” The other two objects comprised a dock that had split into two pieces.

Plaintiff incurred the cost of removing the objects and suffered damages due to the delay of its finger pier project. Plaintiff filed suit against Defendants on December 14, 2011, asserting a slew of federal and state law claims. (R. Doc. 1.) Specifically, Plaintiff claims that Defendants owned and controlled the objects discovered in the riverbed and negligently caused them to sink. (Id. at ¶ 10.) Plaintiff is no longer seeking to recover any costs associated with removing the broken dock. (R. Doc. 87-5 ¶ 1.)

Uncertain of this Court’s subject matter jurisdiction, Plaintiff filed an identical action in Louisiana state court on December 15, 2011. (R. Doc. 61.) Defendants removed the state court suit, which was subsequently consolidated with the case sub judice. (See No. 12-433, Docs. 1; 8.)

TP Industries and Augustine collectively filed two Motions for Partial Summary Judgment, one of which also included a Motion to Dismiss (R. Docs. 44; 71), and TP Barge filed a Motion for Summary Judgment (R. Doc. 79). TP Industries and Augustine also filed a Motion to Dismiss or for Adverse Inference due to Spoliation of Evidence (R. Doc. 75) — which TP Barge subsequently adopted (R. Doc. 83) — and a Motion for Sanctions (R. Doc. 66). Plaintiff has opposed each Motion. (See R. Docs. 61; 87; 90; 85; 88; 84.) TP Industries and Augustine filed replies with respect to their Motions. (See R. Docs. 74; 100; 96; 98.)

LEGAL STANDARD

I. Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can Be Granted — Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)

To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a plaintiff must plead enough facts “to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 547, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). A claim is “plausible on its face” when the pleaded facts allow the court to “[d]raw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable [336]*336for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949. A court must accept the complaint’s factual allegations as true and must “draw all reasonable inferences in the plaintiffs favor.” Lormand v. U.S. Unwired, Inc., 565 F.3d 228, 232 (5th Cir. 2009). The Court need not, however, accept as true legal conclusions couched as factual allegations. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949-50.

To be legally sufficient, a complaint must establish more than a “sheer possibility” that the plaintiffs claims are true. Id. “A pleading that offers ‘labels and conclusions’ or ‘a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action’ ” will not suffice. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (quoting Twombly, 127 S.Ct. at 1955). Rather, the complaint must contain enough factual allegations to raise a reasonable expectation that discovery will reveal evidence of each element of the plaintiffs’ claim. Lormand, 565 F.3d at 255-57. The Court’s review “is limited to the complaint, any documents attached to the complaint, and any documents attached to the motion to dismiss that are central to the claim and referenced by the complaint.” Lone Star Fund V (U.S.), L.P. v. Barclays Bank PLC, 594 F.3d 383, 387 (5th Cir.2010) (citing Collins v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 224 F.3d 496, 498-99 (5th Cir.2000)).

II. Summary Judgment — Fed. R. Civ. P. 56

Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) (2012). A genuine issue of fact exists only “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

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927 F. Supp. 2d 332, 2013 WL 695308, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25983, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/port-of-south-louisiana-v-tri-parish-industries-inc-laed-2013.