Roy v. Union Bank

347 So. 2d 286
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 1, 1977
Docket5867
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 347 So. 2d 286 (Roy v. Union Bank) 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
Roy v. Union Bank, 347 So. 2d 286 (La. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

347 So.2d 286 (1977)

Anthony J. ROY, Sr., Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
The UNION BANK, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 5867.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

June 1, 1977.
Rehearing Denied June 24, 1977.

*287 Gravel, Roy & Burnes by Dan E. Melichar, Christopher J. Roy, Alexandria, for plaintiff-appellant.

Laborde & Lafargue & Kelly by C. E. Laborde, Jr., Marksville, for defendant-appellee.

Before CULPEPPER, DOMENGEAUX, WATSON, GUIDRY and ROGERS, JJ.

DOMENGEAUX, Judge.

Plaintiff appeals from a judgment which denied his recovery of damages, including attorney fees, allegedly sustained as a result of an earlier possessory action coupled with a demand for injunctive relief, brought by the defendant bank against him.

*288 The trial judge in his written reasons has set forth the background giving rise to the instant suit as follows:

"The suit is a sequel of an earlier suit, No. 22,321, entitled, The Union Bank v. Anthony J. Roy, also tried in this court, appealed to the Court of Appeal, Third Circuit[1] and ultimately decided by the Louisiana Supreme Court[2]. The earlier suit was a possessory action coupled with a demand for a Writ of Injunction. It involved a three and one half foot strip of land located in the rear of the banking house of The Union Bank. In the earlier suit, this court denied a temporary restraining order, and, instead, issued a Rule to Show cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue. The defendant, Roy, filed Exceptions of No Cause and No Right of Action, a Plea of Estoppel, an Answer coupled with a Reconventional Demand, calling Plaintiff in warranty and alleged he specifically reserved his rights to claim in a separate suit, reimbursement for his attorney's fees and other damages incurred as a result of the suit.
On trial of the Rule to Show Cause, this court granted a Mandatory Preliminary Injunction, ordering the defendant to remove a fence he had constructed which enclosed the disputed strip of land. Roy moved for a Devolutive Appeal from this judgment, and though granted, it was never perfected. Subsequently, the cause was set for trial on the merits and counsel for both sides stipulated to the effect that the evidence previously submitted on the Rule to Show Cause for a Preliminary Injunction, along with the pleadings and exhibits, would constitute the entire record for consideration on the merits. This court rendered judgment, on the merits, making final the injunction which had been prayed for. Roy again moved for an appeal, which was granted and perfected, the court of appeal reversed the trial court's decision; the Louisiana Supreme Court granted Writs, reversed the Court of Appeal, and reinstated the trial court's judgment. Finally, on a rehearing application, the Louisiana Supreme Court reversed itself, and reinstated the Court of Appeal's judgment.
On October 12, 1966, Roy filed this suit seeking damages and attorney's fees based on the wrongful issuance of the Mandatory Preliminary Injunction at the instance of the Union Bank, for breach of the sales contract between the Bank and Roy (the Bank was Roy's vendor), and the bank's breach of warranty, in its sale to him. The Bank filed an answer, denied the allegations of the petition, and alleged specifically, that the parties had compromised their differences at the time of and by virtue of the Bank's dismissal of its application for a rehearing following the Supreme Court's decision above mentioned, and the execution of a written lease between the Bank and Roy which covered the disputed strip of land that had been the subject of the litigation in the first suit.
The facts are not disputed and are concisely stated above as the evidence adduced on this trial shows. The case presents a legal issue, which is whether Roy is entitled to recover damages including attorney's fees, sustained by him as a result of the original suit brought against him by The Union Bank. . . ."

As aforesaid the trial court dismissed plaintiff's suit. He now appeals and asserts that the trial judge erred in:

1. Denying recovery of damages and attorney fees for the wrongful issuance of a preliminary injunction on the ground that a permanent injunction subsequently issued, and

2. Failing to grant recovery of damages and attorney fees based on the bank's breach of its contract of sale to plaintiff and the warranty contained therein and *289 further based on the bank's breach of the warranty of peaceable possession.

Full details of the controversy between the parties and the judicial resolutions thereof are contained in the reported decisions of the Third Circuit Court of Appeal and the Louisiana Supreme Court (originally and on rehearing) respectively found at 168 So.2d 716 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1964), and 248 La. 801, 182 So.2d 319 (La.1965). To synopsize the containments therein— this court annulled and set aside the injunction which had been issued by the district court, and writs were granted by the Supreme Court. On original hearing the high court reversed the appellate decision, but on rehearing changed its position and affirmed the appellate decision finding that the evidence preponderated that from the time of his purchase of the property from the Bank, Mr. Roy was in possession of same.

We conclude that the trial court erred in denying damages and attorney fees for the wrongful issuance of the preliminary injunction, but was correct in its denial of sanctions for breach of contract and warranty.

LSA-C.C.P. Article 3608 reads as follows:
"The Court may allow damages for the wrongful issuance of a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction on a motion to dissolve or on a reconventional demand. Attorney's fees for the services rendered in connection with the dissolution of a restraining order or preliminary injunction may be included as an element of damages whether the restraining order or preliminary injunction is dissolved on motion or after trial on the merits."

LSA-C.C.P. Article 3663 provides that injunctive relief, under the applicable provisions of Chapter 2 of Title I, of Book VII, to protect or restore possession of immovable property is available to . . .

"(1) A plaintiff in a possessory action, during the pendency thereof; and (2) A person who is disturbed in the possession which he and his ancestors in title have had for more than a year of immovable property or of a real right of which he claims the ownership, the possession, or the enjoyment."

Under LSA-C.C.P. Article 3608 there must first of all be a "wrongful issuance" of a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction in order that the aggrieved party may be allowed damages and attorney fees. The bank herein opted to seek injunctive relief in the original suit. Same was issued. It was ultimately annulled by the Appellate and Supreme Courts. The bank could have proceeded with its possessory action without coupling it with a demand for injunction. The loss of the possessory action standing alone would not subject it to penalties. The injunction from the time of its issuance deprived Roy of his rightful possession of his property. It did not preserve the status quo, but rather required him to cease from using the property and affirmatively ordered him to remove the fence which he had constructed.

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Bluebook (online)
347 So. 2d 286, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roy-v-union-bank-lactapp-1977.