State, Department of Social Services, Support Enforcement Services ex rel. Davis v. Pierre

670 So. 2d 334, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 250, 1996 WL 34411
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 31, 1996
DocketNo. 95-1128
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 670 So. 2d 334 (State, Department of Social Services, Support Enforcement Services ex rel. Davis v. Pierre) 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
State, Department of Social Services, Support Enforcement Services ex rel. Davis v. Pierre, 670 So. 2d 334, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 250, 1996 WL 34411 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

hTHIBODEAUX, Judge.

The State of Louisiana, Department of Social Services, Support Enforcement Services (State) appeals the judgment of the trial court in its favor for $132.00, the amount paid by the State to Loretta Moses for the benefit of Telly Davis as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits. The judgment further dismissed with prejudice the State’s action and reserved to James Pierre the right to ^pursue his cause of action against the State for funds seized from him as a result of a default judgment which was reversed on appeal by this court.

The appellee, Pierre, answers the State’s appeal and alleges that the judgment appealed from was a consent judgment pursuant to a compromise reached between the parties in September 1994 and, therefore, cannot be appealed. The appeal, he says, is frivolous and he is entitled to an award of damages.

For the reasons which follow, we dismiss the State’s appeal. We further award Pierre, the appellee, $3,000.00 as damages in connection with what we find to be a frivolous appeal by the State.

ISSUES

The first issue is whether the judgment signed April 3,1995, was a consent judgment rendered by agreement of counsel for the State and Pierre during a pre-trial status conference as a compromise and, therefore, not appealable. The second issue is whether Pierre is entitled to an award of damages for the State’s alleged frivolous appeal.

FACTS

On December 4, 1991, the Office of the District Attorney in the Parish of Natchi-toches filed a petition on behalf of the Department of Social Services to establish paternity, to set child support payments and medical support, as well as to assess child support arrearage against Pierre for the benefit of Telly Davis, a minor. A preliminary [336]*336default was entered in January of 1993, and, thereafter, a default judgment was confirmed establishing Pierre’s paternity and his child support obligation. The arrearage amount was determined to be $6,786.00. The State laimmediately obtained an income assignment order which was served on Pierre’s employer.

Pierre appealed the default judgment, and attempted to have the income assignment stayed pending his appeal. Pierre was unsuccessful in obtaining a stay, and ultimately $3,646.00 was withheld from his paycheck.

The default judgment against Pierre was reversed by this court. See State v. Pierre, 93-834 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/2/94), 634 So.2d 1224. The State refused to return the funds it received as a result of the income assignment. The State next returned to the trial court requesting genetic testing in order to establish paternity. Meanwhile, the child, in whose interest the State originally brought suit, turned eighteen. Eight months after the child’s eighteenth birthday, a hearing on the State’s request for genetic testing was held. At the hearing, Pierre filed exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action because, he alleged, the State had not obtained from Davis the right to act in his interest.

On September 28, 1994, the trial court rendered judgment on Pierre’s exceptions. The trial court ordered that because the child was now a competent major and because the State’s action was to recover money paid by the State to the child’s mother, Loretta, Pierre’s exceptions would be denied to the extent that the State’s lawsuit sought reimbursement of funds actually paid to Loretta prior to the child’s majority. The judgment specifically reserved the State’s right to seek a judgment against Pierre for reimbursement of amounts paid prior to the child’s eighteenth birthday. Otherwise, the exceptions filed by Pierre were sustained. The trial court gave Davis thirty days from September 28, 1994, to substitute himself as party plaintiff. He failed to do so. Subsequent discovery by Pierre established that the State disbursed to Loretta, pursuant to her AFDC benefits, the amount of $132.00.

UOn the day the case was set for trial, September 28, 1994, counsel for Pierre and counsel for the State as well as the State’s support enforcement officer appeared in open court and orally agreed to a judgment declaring that Pierre’s exceptions were sustained; that Davis, who was now the age of majority, would have thirty days from that day on the exceptions to substitute himself as party plaintiff; and, lastly, that Pierre was to reimburse .the State the amount of $132.00. The trial judge recited the terms of the proposed judgment and specifically called Davis and his mother to the bench advising them of the thirty day time limit in which to bring suit for the child support arrearage. At no point did the State’s attorney disagree with the proposed judgment. At the end of the colloquy, the trial judge stated: “I am glad we were able to come to some kind of resolution to this thing.” The entire transcript of this proceeding is set forth as an appendix to this opinion.

Thirty days passed and Davis took no action to preserve his claim. The State took no further action to act on Davis’ behalf. Eventually, on April 3, 1996, a written consent judgment was signed which incorporated the terms of the compromise between the State and Pierre. The signed judgment specifically referred to the fact that a compromise had been reached. The State did not object to the provisions of the judgment and did not move for a new trial. However, when Pierre contacted the State about a refund of the monies previously seized by income assignment, the State filed the present appeal. While the appeal was pending, the State returned to Pierre the money seized from him as a consequence of the invalid default judgment and withheld the $132.00 it had paid to Davis’ mother.

LAW AND DISCUSSION

Pierre correctly responds in his brief and in his answer to the appeal that the judgment the State now appeals is a consent judgment and is binding on all |sparties. This court has held that a stipulation entered into by all parties to a lawsuit in open court is equivalent to a compromise and is enforceable, even if never reduced to a signed judg[337]*337ment. Hawkins v. Hawkins, 592 So.2d 843 (La.App. 3 Cir.1991). As mentioned in the “Facts” section of this opinion, the language of the judgment specifically declares that the judgment is based on a compromise reached by the parties. Under the provisions of La. Code Civ.P. art. 2085, such a consent judgment is not appealable. Francis v. O’Neal, 26,193 (La.App. 2 Cir.1994), 645 So.2d 236. Furthermore, where there is no right to appeal, the appellate court may dismiss an appeal on its own motion. La.Code Civ.P. art. 2162.

This case does not pose a question of fraud or ill practice. Instead, the State on appeal simply maintains that its trial counsel did not enter into a proper agreement. Therefore, it has a right to appeal the judgment. The appellate counsel’s disagreement with the compromise negotiated by the trial counsel is not a proper ground to set aside a consent judgment. The State attempts to argue that Davis’ due process rights will be violated because he has lost his right to seek the child support arrearage. This argument is without merit because the trial court clearly explained to Davis during the status conference that he had thirty days within which to obtain an attorney to pursue his rights. Davis did not indicate that he misunderstood the trial judge’s advise. Davis simply failed to assert his rights. We thus dismiss the appeal.

In his answer, Pierre seeks damages for frivolous appeal pursuant to La. Code Civ.P. art. 2164.

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Bluebook (online)
670 So. 2d 334, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 250, 1996 WL 34411, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-department-of-social-services-support-enforcement-services-ex-rel-lactapp-1996.